DOMINIONS AND AMERICA.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 270, 13 November 1924, Page 4

DOMINIONS AND AMERICA.

I In what he said to the EnglishSpeaking Union, reported in our cable news yesterday, Sir Auckland Geddes may have been "outspoken," but he was also seriously misleading. The explanation of his statement that "America exercised an influence on the Dominions in a way that no British influence affected America," that "it often happened that when the Dominions looked toward Britain they«found no sympathetic answer or understanding," and that "then the Dominions looked to Washington and found their difficulties often better understood there than at Downing Street," is that he has lived in Canada and has been Ambassador in the United States. He knows at first hand the one Dominion that is strongly influenced by American ways and sentiment, and he judges all the Dominions by what has happened in Canada. Australians, Xcw Zealanders and South Africans will strongly resent his remarks. They arc not greatly influenced by America (though the pictures are doing their worst), and they do not wish to go to Washington for sympathy. They will be surprised to learn that Washington often has shown a better understanding of their difficulties than Downing Street. Sir Auckland Geddes may be asked to cite a few examples. Jinny colonials must be getting tired of hearing about these grievances and the stupidity of Downing Street. It may be granted that Downing Street is not always wise, that it sometimes lacks imagination and foresight, but is there not a great deal to Ibe said on the other side ? Downing [ Street, it should be remembered, is the guardian, not of particular Dominions with particular problems, but of the whole Empire. And if Downing Street was not tactful and polite it might say some rude things about the Dominions' share in Imperial defence. However Canada may feel towards the United States, the other Dominions still give their affection to Britain, look to "her for their traditions, and count themselves daughter-partners in the Imperial household. Sir Auckland Geddes ought to travel more widely before he generalises like this. "They use our fence paling 3as crown- ■ top bottle openers!" Thus ran part of the indictment in a letter of complaint from nearby residents to the Devonporfc Borough Council regarding the conduct of dancers in a local public hall. The rest of tho letter referred to the riotous behaviour and bacchanalian mirth which continued far into the night. Tie council passed the letter to the police for attention, and the local sergeant has informed them that future gatherings will be under police supervision, and no repetition of these unseemly occurrences need be I feared. I The perilous positions of window cleaners are sometimes such ac to cause palpitation of the heart—to the onlooker. The cleaner does not seem to mind much, but it is certain that directors of insurance companies would be attacked with syncope if they were to witness some of the feats performed by him. Thirty feet or more above the street the other day a cleaner was observed wandering along window ledges, clambering every now and then around a pillar, with only an inch or so of foothold, and nothing between him and the ground but atmosphere. This morning a "Star ,, representative watched in trepidation the acrobatic feats in mid-air of a cleaner in the Strand Arcade. This young man was perched on one toe on the ledge' outside the railing on the third floor, reaching head i downwards with a dry mop to dust a ! window several feet below, having only I a precarious hold of tlie railing with i one hand. It would not have taken more than a tremor to have dislodged him and send "vim to certain death "on the pavement far below. A monkey should not be asked to perform such evolutions. It would seem an easy thing for a man with.any regard to his life to have secured himself to the railing with a strap passed round his body. But perhaps window-cleaners haven't any regard for their lives. As a result of the recent friendly action in the Supreme Court between the Timaru Harbour Board and the Borough Council it was found that the boaTd were liable for rates on all reclaimed shingle land which was not actually being used for harbour works. As a set off to this liability it. is understood that the board has now decided to charge the council rent for the use jof Caroline Bay, which ig claimed by I the board to bo vested in then.

Just as the trial of a man on a charge of arson was about to commence at the Supreme Court this morning, the fore-! man of the jury rose to ask whether or j not it was proper for one of the jurors to serve. It was explained that the juror was an insurance agent. Counsel for accused (Mr. Quartley) held a short; consultation with his client, and stated that there was no objection whatever to the juryman remaining. The Horticultural Department is busy on preparations for the polls to be taken under the recent bills put through by Parliament to establish control of I fruit and honey for export. The work ' under the Fruit Control Bill, says the Director of Horticulture (Mr. J. M. Campbell), falls into two classes. A, poll is being taken as to whether the proposals should be put into force respect- ! ing export, and also in several prov- ! incea the question of whether control should be brought into operation in the separate districts is being voted on. There are a few matters to clear up, such as the fact that under tho Fruit Control Bill registered companies, partnerships, and co-operative societies are allowed one vote (the same as a single orchard). Any such firm?, on voting, may nominate some person to vote for it, and ensure the dispatch of the ballot paper to the right quarter. As far as the honey control is concerned it is not quite in the same position. Partners and firms have one vote each according to the number of people interested in the venture. "The Rev. W. .T. Elliott in a speech at the South Auckland Methodist Synod at Te Awamutu said that no work was so difficult as the work of <he preacher of the Gospel. Some people said the Church was getting old and ineffective, but the church that could show the result that to-day could be seen in the Methodist Church of New Zealand, after only a century of work, was by no means a thing of the past. Returns showed that theru were in the Dominion 43j churches, 109 schools, 174 parsonages, 179 ministers, r>~> home missionaries, 11 deaconesses, 757 local preachers, 23,491 church members, 6764 junior members and 73,239 attending public worship. The church maintained two colleges and three orphanages. It had secured £40,000 for its centenary fund; its income for home missions was £10,000, and for foreign missions £11,000 annually. The necessity of making provision for accidents on the Devonport wharves was emphasised last evening at the local borough council meeting by Mr. Perry Taylor. He referred to the recent fatality on the Victoria wharf, whereby an elderly lady lost her life, and commended the prompt attempt at rescue made by Messrs. Allen and Massey, but stated "that their efforts were nullified by the delay in procuring a suitable boat. He proposed that the Harbour Board should bo requested to supply boats hung on davits at both the Devonport and Stanley Bay wharves, to be : used in case of emergency. This was unanimously agreed to by the council, as was also a vote of appreciation, ; moved by the Mayor, to the abovenamed rescuers. At a meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last evening the foreman of works complained against the manner in which persons interfered with the rockery and plants in the Newmarket Reserve. Despite the fact that seats were provided, it was a common practice for visitors to sit on the rockeries of flower beds, to the detriment of them. It was decided that the police be asked to look into the matter. The chief scout, General Sir Robert Baden Powell, has written as follows to Lord Jellicoe, Dominion chief scout:— "Dear Lord Jellicoe,—l feel that I must write this line in confirmation of the cablegram already sent to you to tell how delighted we have all—from His Majesty downwards —been with the con- ! tingent of scouts who came over to represent New Zealand at the Imperial and • international jamboree. Their keenness, ' efficiency and good spirit have earned the admiration of their brother scouts from [ all parts of the world, and their behaviour j in the Stadium, in camp, and more par- j ticularly in public places where they : have been sight-seeing, has been a credit to the scout brotherhood, and lias worthily upheld the traditions of our movement. I only hope the boys have ; benefited from their stay as much as we have enjoyed having them here. It was ' a very great pleasure to mc personally to have Major Sandford to stay with , us for a few days, and to hear from 1 him at first hand of the progress which j scouting is making in New Zealand under your kindly encouragement." Finality was practically reached by j the Birkcnhead Borough Council last! evening in respect to the route of a new "short cut" for pedestrian traffic as an alternative to reopening the j Harbour View path, where the subsi-1 dence occurred several months ago. The j I new path will be formed from Wey- , mouth Street and lead into Hinemoa I Street near the wharf. The Mayor, Mr. V. C. Walton, stated that quite a food grade could be obtained. This , proposal was facilitated by the gene- | rous manner in which Mr. Gordon Tizard met the council in the matter. Provided the council had the assurance of a reputable civil engineer that the ground was stable enough to carry a footpath, he agreed to lease the land required at a peppercorn rental, or the council could have the freehold. The appreciation of the council was conveyed to Mr. Tizard, who was informed that the council had unanimously accepted the conditions, and would secure an engineers opinion, as desired, as to the stability of the ground, a , a safeguard asainst a recurrence ot slips, before proceeding with the work. Mr Joseph H. Elgie, the well-known English astrologer, writing in the "Yorkshire Post," under the heading, "The Starry Heavens," says: "I am clad to find" Stefansson. the Arctic explorer, telling US, in effect, how thankful we ouo-ht to be for our chmatp. Things might have been vastly different for us as a nation and for this little island of ourß if we had some of the climates I i pould write about and, indeed, some I I have written about in this column at ! one time »nd another. Stefansson. I notice, compares the Xew Zealand climate with ours. The comparison has a personal interest for mc. because _in mv 'Weather Book' I specifically mention the climate of New Zealand as most like our own of any. Though I wonder what we can compare with •Wellington for wind?" Advice has been received from England that the British Government proposes to take 28,000 square feet of space at the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition, but the actual amount to cover the I cost has yet to be definitely fixed, decision not having been reached, owing to the change of Government. However the final derision ie expected soon. It is evident from this that leading British manufacturers are going to be well represented, '