NEWS OF THE DAY

Value of Radium.

Sir James Wilson, chairman of the Palnrerston North Hospital Board, referred at yesterday's meeting of the board to the necessity for creating a fund locally for the purchase of a supply of radium at the hospital. He mentioned that when the late Dr. Martin was in Palmeraton North he had opened a fund for the purpose mentioned, but the war had intervened, and Dr. Martin had been killed while on active service, and the sum of money in hand had been devoted to the Dr. Martin Memorial Fund. The war, added Sir James, had shown the value of radium in the service of the sick and all hospitals were seeking to secure supplies. The Wellington Hospital Board had raised £20,000, while the Wanganui and other boards were also making effort* to raise money for that purpose. On the motion of Sir James, it was decided that Dr. Prazorhuist, the medical superintendent, be granted leave of, absence to attend the Hospital Conference at Dunedin, and that while, there he make investigations into the use and advantage* of radium. About Orphans. * At a gathering of Orphans and Savages, Bro. J. D. Crawford (secretary of the Auckland Orphans' Club) gave some interesting details concerning the origin of Orphans' Clubs in New Zealand. The Auckland Club, he said, was the first to be formed, the date be-, ing September, 1892. Next came Dun-' edin in 1898, Inyereargill in 1902, Wellingon and Devonport in 1910. Prom that time clubs sprang up all over the Dominion, until to-day there were 24 Orphans' Clubs, of which the Auckland province could claim 16, and the« total membership was about 5000. This; was quite apart from the many Savage Clubs which were also in existence. Bro. Crawford added that one Orphans' Club in Sydney, a particularly conservative institution, was formed in 1891. Another interesting piece of information was provided by Bro. Credgington, of the Invercargil Orphans, who said that his club claimed to be the only Orphans' Club in Australia or New Zealand which had a building of its own. Haa Nerer Looked Back. , The value of technical education as applied to agriculture is exemplified by the ease of a man of .city training who purchased a farm not far from Auckland, and started in to work it according to his own lights. For v,he first two years the venture failed dismally, and the farmer had to mark off substantial debit balances in his ledger. In the meantime he had sent his two sons to the Buakura, State Farm to learn modern methods. When the boys returned to their home they brought to bear upon the' farm the knowledge they had gained at the school. The result was that in the following two years the losses of the first period were counterbalanced, and' the farm began to show a profit.' Since then the prosperity of that agriculturist has >nevor looked back. . Demand for "Juice." In reply to a request for more power by the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, the Hydro-Bleetrie Department has stated that all the power from Ma-, nahao haa been allocated, and if the board continues to increase its demands for current to tbe same extent v at present the Department may be under 1 the necessity of entailing. its supply. If, however, the board said other boards are prepared to guarantee to use a given increased supply, the work of developing the power at Waikaremoana would be proceeded with at once and the current made available'probably in 1929. The" board referred the question to its engineer for report. Land Tax Hardships. ' Formal notice was given in last night's "Gacette" of the appointment (first announced last session) of Mr. D. G. Clark, late Commissioner of Taxes, as a special Commission to inquire into cases of hardships alleged to have arisen out of the operation of the land tax laws, especially as a result of the legislation passed in 1024 ensuring that unpaid land tax remains a charge upon the land. The inquiry will be confidential, and the recommendations of the Commissioner are to be in the hands of the Governor-Gen-eral by 30th April next. Not Peace at Any Price. "While I believe in peace I do not believe in peace at any price,'' said the Prime Minister in the course of his speech when unveiling the Palmerston North War Memorial. He added that, while New Zealand would, as far as possible, help to bring about a better understanding with the nations with which we came in contact, it must be borne in mind that this fine ideal could best be attained by being prepared should trouble arise. We should be able to acquit ourselves as we should like to do in such case. He believed a navy a necessity until the time arrived when disputes between countries could be settled by a Court of International Justice. Until then we must accept our share of responsibility in the matter of naval security, for the Dominion was isolated and thousands of miles from the heart of the Empire. Noble men Were striving to bring about an International Court of Justice,, but we must accept our present responsibility and, the speaker thought, a greater share.in regard to naval security. "It is usually the_/e«*« that those people who look out for themselves come out on top," declared Mr. Coates, who proceeded to state that, so soon as we created a national sentiment which tended, for one thing, along the line of protecting our trade routes, so soon would we make it apparent to other nations that, although we desired and worked for interna* tional peace, we were also prepared to do our part in looking after ourselves. Threepenny Fares. The reduction of all long-distance tram fares to threepence per trip by concession ticket was made—no secret was made about it—as one means of combating the private bus, and concession tickets were plainly stamped: "This ticket expires on 31st December, 1926." December went by, and the date of expiry was extended to 31st March, 1926; March is drawing near, and the new issue mentions 30th June, 1926. Extensions by three months may or may not continue after June. Until recently quarterly statement* were issued by the Tiamways Depart* ment setting out numbers of passenf£ ers carried, revenue and working expenses, but that information is not now given the public.

For the Youngsters. A piece of ground on the Parade, Island Bay, to the south of the Blue Platter Tea Booms, is to be set aside by the council as a children's play area, the Island Bay Electors' Association having agreed to contribute £500 towards Uns cost of the necessary equipment. The association proposes to hold a gala on the beach' next mouth, as one means of raising funds for equipping the play area. , \ Severe Regulations. The severe nature of the building regulations in Wellington was the subject of comment at last night's meeting of the City Council. Councillor B. A. Wright expressed the view that the regulations were more severe in Wellington than in any other part of New Zealand, and this fact probably accounted for .the heavy coSt of building houses, and for heavy rents, which, in many cases, were prohibitive. Councillor M. F. Luckie said that the very natnre ef the original outlay of Wellington made it necessary to build on land with very small frontages, and this made strict regulations necessary. Railway Finances. Bailway revenue for the period ending 2nd January amounted-to £5,783-,----686, an increase of 2884,293, M compared with the previous corresponding period. The expenditure, £4,787,019, was £592,580 greater than for the 1925 period, and the figures to date show that the increase in expenditure is" greater than the increased revenue by £8287. The decline in number of passengers carried for the period was 874,779, but goods traffic shows an increase of 202,885 tons. The increase in the number of cattle, sheep, and pigs carried is 68,032. Market Square Beserve. The stopping of work in laying out greensward and flower beds in the Market Square Reserve does not signify, as cessation of council work ai this time of the year usually does, that the money has run out, and that nothing further can be done until the new financial year is welcomed in on the Ist April; it is brought about by a shortage of material, just as the completion of the rest room was delayed. A particular, type of brick is required for topping off the walls, edging beds and paths, and until these come to hand— they are being manufactured locally— the finishing of the reserve cannot go on. Certainly the reserve is built to last, concrete flag pathway and-doable brick edgings. .There are no signs of lighting on the 'reserve so far, but presumably this will come later, as it is also to come, upon a -decision now a couple of months old, upon the Kent Terrace Beserve. Broken Bottles. Mr. B. E. Herron, general manager of the municipal milk department, writes: "My attention has been called to a letter from 'Motorist,' which appeared in the " Evening Post" of 10th instant, and which alleges neglect by servants of this department in leaving glass resulting from broken milk bottles about the streets of the city. I. desire to state that part of the equipment of each of our milk-delivery carts is a metal scoop and tray for picking up broken bottles, and inelnded in our standing orders to roundsmen Is an instruction 'that they mult pick up all broken bottles and place same in the drawer under-the tray of their vehicles.' It should not be assumed that broken milk bottles found in the streets are left there by our roundsmen,, for the reason that milk bottles are in common use by consumers in obtaining extra supplies of milk from' dairies, and in most esses are carried* to and fro by children, which is the. explanation for many of the broken bottles. Should any citizen observe any neglect by any of our roundsmen in not picking up a broken bottle, the management would like to be advised aoeordingljr." Coats On or Off? : - A recommendation was last evening brought down by the Works Committee, and approved by the City Council: "That it be an instruction to the officers, that on all small works there shall be one employee of the gang of workers selected as leading hand, to whom all instructions shall be given by the officer in charge; that his position as leading hand be recognised by the payment of an extra shilling per day, it to be understood that he is one of the working gttg though giving general inspection. That the Reserves and Tramways Department be included in this proposal.'' Councillor B. Semple protested against the proposal. The gang system was obnoxious to all workers, and would not "cotton on" in these day*. Councillor G. A. Troop said that the idea was that there., should be a working foreman, a man, who, while supervising, did part of the work himself. Councillor W. H. Bennett explained that he was, the originator of the motion. On several occasions he had seen work being carried out in the city, and several men standing idly about, with their coats on and taking so part in the work. The hope that the resolution would be effective was expressed by Councillor H. A. Huggias, and this was followed ap by a statement by the Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood) to the effect that It was the responsibility of the various committees to see that the work of the council was carried out as economically as possible. The recommendation was agreed to. Handling of OmL Wellington seems to hare a big appetite for coal. Colliers are frequent visitors to this port, but, nevertheless, no matter how big the shipments, they are always wanted, and, like Oliver Twist, the cry of the consignees is for more, and still more. But how different the methods of handling coal on i the Wellington waterfront compared with those of past days! The wiekerbaskets and the cumbersome trollies are not often used nowadays. They have been replaced by the mechanical "grab," which is capable of tnloading a big cargo of coal in a remarkably short space of time. At the Railway Wharf—known in shipping circles as the "coal" wharf—the cranes are fitted with "grabs," and with them-a railway truck is loaded with great expedition with the coal taken direct from the ship's hold. There is, too, a special boat, the lima, fitted with an intricate overhead '' grab apparatus. This vessel can be berthed alongside the collier, and the "grab" then lifts the coal up from the hold, and by working another lever it is conveyed, without farther handling, into the hold of a hulk, moored against tbe lima. It is very interesting to watch this particular "grab" at work, and tbe expeditions manner in which it operates attract* considerable attention from strollers along the waterfront. Next Tear's Estimate*. Consideration will be given by the City Council when next year's estimates are being drawn up to the following works: Sealing of Hataitai and Waipapa roads, improvements to Kelburn parade and Glasgow street, formation of Albert street, Island Bay, improvement* to streets, Berhampore district, construction of footpath, Overtoun terrace, and Messinea road, Karori, improvements to Otaki street, Miramar, extension of water supply, Buckley road, paving of Hobson street, Davis street, and Titishorbert terrace. Councillor. M'Keen objected to the proposal to pave such streets as Hobson street, Davis street, and Fitzherbcrt terrace, carrying very little traffic,- while such busy roads as the main road to Seatoun and Constable street were unpaved. The Mayor replied that the streets named by Cooneillor M'Keen were already provided for, as they appeared on the schedule, and were to t>e paved.

A Principle Affirmed. The principle of: indenting structural steel at an approximate cost of £450 for the extension of the motor garage at the Corporation/ yard was affirmed by the Cityi Council last evening. The Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood) explained that the matter would come before the council again when next year's estimates were being considered. Councillor A. L. Montcith said that it was rather remarkable that the garage had only been completed eighteen months, and yet an extension was already considered necessary. Heavy Seas.- . ". .'•, ' .; ■;>,;' "Well, that is a, rough little strip pf water," said a passenger who.arrived at Wellington last evening by.;: the Tamahine, referring to Cook Strait. He had travelled fairly extensively^, but. he admitted that the trip across*from Picton had given him a shaking. The Tamahine, when off-the\Karori Bock,; encountered very v heavy' seas, water sweeping the lower/deck, and spray at times flying right over the* ship. Passengers had an unpleasant time as the vessel pitched a good deal. *The small coastal steamer Kennedy also struck heavy weather in the Strait yesterday. She left Wellington at 3.15 p.m./or Lyttclton, but put back to port at 4.30, p.m. .ill ' ■ . . . - . ' ' Conserving Our Coal , Sir Prank Heath; in an interview a,t Hamilton yesterday, counselled New Zealand to conserve-her coal supplies, which, he said to a Press Association representative," were relatively very small. While hydro-electricity waa a cheap source of heat for specialised industries, it was not an economical source for general manufacturing. He was greatly impressed with the co-operative production movement, and said that the growth of the vast organisation of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, with -ffumerous batter, cheese,: casein, and milk powder factories, box and tin-making' plants, timber resources, and,its own:eoal-mine was the most amazing thing, he had Been for a long time. He thought that there was enormous scope for scientific investigation into the full utilisation of waste dairy products, as the industry was only in its infancy. .-.■■■.' Town Cleric and Engineer. A fear was expressed by Councillor J. Aston at last evening 's meeting; of the City Council that the time allowed for the reception of applications for the positions of Town Clerk and City Engineer was so short as to give no full opportunity to applicants overse, v td tender their names and qualifications. ,The Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood) said that actually ample time was given, for the advertisement had been cabled overseas, and applicants had merely to lodge their applications with the council's London agent*, Messrs. Preece, Garden, and Byder, by Ist March. The agents would examine the applications^and would make their recommendation, .which, together with all applications, would be forwarded on to the council. "Our agents are very good people in this kind of thing, and the method adopted should be altogether satisfactory to the council." i| ' KotWanted. , ' 7. -1 <T/ "-' A proposal to establish a social club for motorists has been rejected by the council of this Auckland Automobile Association. A local syndicate, which is proposing to erect a large garage in the city on the ramp principle, offered the association the use of a top floor for the' purposes of a clubroom, but the association feels that its capital and energies should be devoted almost exclusively to improved road service (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). The association now boasts 3750 members, and the income derived from subscriptions is extended on the erection of sign-posts and the provision of facilities on the road and information for it* members. ▲ Mend Indeed. The practical manner -in which a friend manifested his Setire to kelp one who waa "down and out" was exemplified in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when John Dwyer, a youth, pleaded guilty to stowing away on the Moeraki. Ewyer paid a visit to Australia, but became stranded in Melbourne, and had only 2s 8d in his pocket. The steamer fare to New Zealand waa therefore much beyond his means, and Dwyer hit upon the idea of secreting; himself on the Moeraki in order to get back to New Zealand. His presence was discovered in the firemen's quarters a day afte? leaving Melbourne, and on arrival of the ship here he was arrested by thu police. When he was charged yesterday before Mr. E. Page. 8.M., a friend volunteered to pay the equivalent of Dwyer 'i steamer fare, and the Magistrate accordingly con-, vieted the stowaway and ordered the payment of £7 15s, the amount of the passage. ' ' -.. • ■■/. Wellington's Street Lighting. "It has been my intention to bring before the council the general question of street lighting," remarked the Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood) at last evening's meeting of the City Council. i"I am inclined to think that, generally speaking, our street lighting, is a little lower than that of some other eitiee in the Dominion, but until we get our change-over completed we hare to go rather carefully. As soon as the change-over "does take place I am going to recommend the council to give very much better consideration to ■ street lighting. It is really a very big thing for the people." Councillor Luckie. said that it was to be remembered that Wellington was a rapidly-growing city. Whether the council would be able to carry its lighting services to the full extent, which some people thought necessary was a matter depend; ing upon, the amount of money available. Parliament has been further prorogued until 10th June. v ' Nominations of a producers' representative on the Honey Control Beard' close at noon on Monday. If -more than one person is' nominated a .poll will take place on 3rd March. ' The Wainui Hill rfiad will be closed to traffic on Monday from daylight to 1 p.m., as the mechanical, trenchdigger, which has now completed trenching for the Orongorongo main in the Wainui Valley, is to be brought back over the hill. The Lyall Bay School Committee has sent to the Town Clerk a resolution strongly protestingl "against the continued inactivity of the City, Council in connection with the long-promised footpath in Queen's Drive, and now demands that for the safety of schoolchildren using this road the work be immediately proceeded with." Members of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union at a meeting held last week passed & motion limiting membership of the union in certain respects. A special meeting was held during the lunch-hour yesterday, and at this meeting the resolution was confirmed. ' ■. ' ■ . ■.. : ; . The Minister of Lands notices in tho >"Oa*ette" that His Excellency the Govwrnor-General has appointed the following gentlemen members of the Tongariro National Park Board:—Sir James Gnnaon, Mr. W. H. Field, MJPMr» William Salt, Mr. T. A. Blyth, and Mr. Alex. G. Simpson. Sir Jame* Gunson's appointment is till lflth January, 1929. All the gentlemen mentioned are at preesnt members of the board. A letter of thanks has been tent to Mr. Erie Biddiford from the City Omnefl for lib donation of a pair of golden pheasants to the zoological collection,