TAKING THE RISK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2618, 28 September 1909, Page 6

TAKING THE RISK.

BURNED SCHOOL BUILDINGS. The wisdom of the Government’s policy in not insuring its buildings was questioned at the last meeting of the Auckland Education' Board by Mr G. J. Garland. The matter engaging the Board’s attention at the moment, was the recent destruction of the Rukekohe school by fire, and an inquiry by Mr Garland elicited the reply trom the act-ing-secretary (Mr R. Crewe) that there was no insurance on the building, and that it was not the custom to insure tho schools.

Mr Garland said that it was an extraordinary thing that school buildings should not be covered against destruction by firo. Mr J. D. McKenzie (acting-chair-man) said that a great many public companies did not insure their property. Mr Garland: Yes; but in such case some provision is made. There is usually a fund to draw upon. Mr Crowe said that there were 3000 or 4000 schpols in New Zealand, and it was much cheaper to replace those burned down than to insure them all.

Mr Garland: Well, there should bo some provision, by a tax on the community or otherwise, to meet losses. It would not do to run a private business like that. Mr A. J. Farmer: It does not pay to insure in certain cases.

Mr Garland : Well, it is news to me. I thought that they were all covered in some way. Mr E. C. Purdie said that the Board could afford to lose three schools a year, and yet save money by not insuring.

If your hands cannot be usefully employed attend to the cultivation of your mind. For influenza take Wood’e Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails.—ls 6d and 2s 6d.

An amusing coincidence has been discovered 1 by tlie Dickens Fellowship. It had discovered a man ivho had never heard of ‘Sam -'Weller, and, this man’s own name was Pickwick. MOUNTAIN KING ASTHMA ROW DER affords immediate and refreshing relief.

“On my visit to the Seaward Bush district,” the “Southland Daily News” reports Mr J. A. Hanau, M.P., to have said, “1 noticed what is common in many worked out sawmill areas, that is, the number of trees or logs still left on the ground.” He thought something should be done to utilise this waste timber. In Melbourne they had wood distillation works, where, by Certain processes, valuable products were obtained from waste timber, viz., charcoal, wood tar, pure acetic acid, pure methyl alcohol, formalin and acetone. Tlie time would come when more attention would be given to the utilisation of various kinds of waste products in this country. For Children's Hacking Cough at night, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. Is 6d and 2s 6d. At Sheerness are two 9.2 in guns to defend the coast. About two years ago they were fired, but the concussion smashed so many windows that they have not been used since.