NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

Falling Tramway. Revenue. The falling of tramway and bus revenue throughout the Dominion1 recently led the New Plymouth Borough Council to suggest.a conference at Wellington of all the authorities concerned so that a, full inquiry might bo made into matters: affecting- publicly-owned underfakirigs: Replies from local authorities concerned lave been received by the.council, moat of them favouring a conference later in the year. , Laws of Economic Gravity. r "While I was at Home I formed one very dofinito opinion,, and that was that apart from the multitude of .tendencies that were moving affairs here, there and everywhere, there was one underlying tendency that worked more steadily and certainly' than any other—a tendency for values generally to settle down to somewhere -near -pre-war levels,"; deelaredvMr^ H;;:S. E. Turner, in his address at-the- quarterly luncheon of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce.on Monday (reports' the '<Christchurch Times"). "On consideration," he added, "it seemed that this' was not very surprising, because pre-war values were, in a sense, the result of seventy or eighty years of the action and reaction of world-wide economic forces. The fact that certain after-war factors tended.to modify the resnlt did not, it seemed tome, alter the main fact that values we're settling down in accordance with some underlying law of economy gravity to levels below those to which we have been, accustomed during the past ten years, and nearer to general pre-war levels." ■■'-"■ •'■--. if:- '-■ • - ' '■'!' : '■'■■'■ . '. • ■■ , Rugby Rules.-: : : It Ws not '.until! many, of- the delegates had left -the annual meeting of the" Wellington Rugby Union last, night that' the English Rugby Union's pro- : nouncement ■ with regard to the rules of the game was placed 'before the meeting'^-, •As has been detailed in "The Post", previously,.the English Union has withdrawn ■ all dispensations granted, in^the past, which means that if. New' Zealand. is to remain affiliated with that .body the rules as laid down by the.: International; Board must be played.. The matter was disposed of very.- quickly last, night,; a motion in favour of reverting to the old rules being' carried. A message from Dunedin states that at the annual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union it will probably be found' that a large majority of delegates from the clubs will favour reversion to the old rules, and that the Otago delegates to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union will be instructed to advocate that'course. Discovery of Maori Canoeß. Though it is not uncommon for settlers in the hinterland of Taranaki to find traces of Maori occupancy, the discovery in the Aotuhia district recently of a number of canoes in various stages of completion is-one of much interest, says the Taranaki "Daily News." The canoes were found three-quarters of a miie from the Tangarakau River. At the spot where the canoes were discovered there are traces of an old Maori encampment. All the big trees have been felled and the space is now covered with second growth which has grown lip around the canoes and in some cases has forced its way through the rotting timber from which_ they were being made when the Maoris left their camp. ' One of the canoes, however, is *in perfect condition, and had been finished before it was left. Maori tools and the results of months of work indicates that they decamped in haste -rperhaps pressed by a hostile tribe which.in the pursuit failed to take advantage of the fruits of the former occupants' labour.; • -. ■ \ Gisborne Farmers' Plight. As was to be expected, the Gisborne Land Board is noticing that many of the Crown tenants are finding difficulty in meeting their obligations, but everything possible is being done to keep them on the land. In pointing this out to a .Gisborne journal the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr. E. H. Farnie, said the dairymen, together with those in the sheep industry, were feeling the effects of the present period. The dairymen, he believed, would have been in a fairly good position but, for the long spell of dry weather, and the consequent rapid decline in production. Practically no cream, was being taken off some places now. The present season's butterfat payments, which wore expected to be in the vicinity of Is or Is Id per lb over tho whole season, should have been sufficient for their needs had the production been high throughout, and these men should not havo been in difficulties. The board realised the situation, and did not contemplate any harsh action, doing everything possible to help the men in their present difficulties.

Superannuation Allowances. Yesterday afternoon Mr. R. Semple (Labour, Wellington East) asked in the House of Representatives for a return showing the number of retired Public servants throughout the Dominion in receipt of superannuation allowances exceeding £300 per annum, together with tho amount each individual receives. Maruia Hot Springs. Despite the fact that there is no accommodation' house at the Maruia Hot Springs, on the West Coast, says the Westport "Times," and' that nothing has been done to the baths, which are in urgent need of attention, it is reported that people are now to be charged 9d for a single bath, 2s for three baths, and 6s for twelve baths; A recent visitor to the springs said that people there are indignant at the charge that has been made, especially when there are no facilities. They consider that much needed improvements should be carried out before there is any thought of charge. * Watch Your Silver. Canadian^ silver coins are circulating in Auckland, and may soon find their way to Wellington if they- have not already Hone so. Persons receiving change in silver are advised- to watch, the coins, as they are being passed on in Auckland and are not equivalent in value to British silver coins circulating in! New Zealand. ;- For instance, the Canadian 25-cent piece is worth lOd, the half-dollar Is 9d, and tho dollar 3s 6d at tlie exchange dealers. xPaper, money is accepted iat 4s Id, the dollar and 4s '2d for large amounts. New Te Aro School. The new Te Aro School on the old Terrace gaol site is to be built of wood. This' decision was made by the Government prior to the Hawkes Bay earthquake, on the grounds of economy and utility, a~ special advantage of a wooden building being its adaptability to alterations as ideas on school construction, ventilation, light, heating, etc., undergo changes. In design the new Te Aro School is absolutely modern.- It will be a long building, with a frontage of 200 feet, with six class-rooms,! each ;24 feet by 21 feet 6 inches,,in a' line,'.'ill- facing the,northeast light, and ; , with "unilateral lighting, and thorough ventilation. At the fear of the'class-rooms there, is an. eight-foot corridor " running the full length of the building, and provided with louvre ventilators. The new building will be divided in the centre by the administration offices, rooms for the headmaster and teachers, and cloakrooms. The facade will have a central pillared portico and pediment entrance, surmounted by a small ornamental tower, 'to break the roof line. The windows, which occupy the greater part of the facade space, are on the Whitney principle, which practically enables the .teachers, to convert their class-rooms into open-air schools .'• by pushing each sash right out.