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Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 66, 19 March 1925, Page 4

The Mayor of Devonport, Mr. T. Lamont, last evening reported to his council the result of the recent conference between North Shore representatives and the city and harbour authorities on the subject of safeguards in Quay Street when the waterfront railway is running. Mr. Lamont claimed that the present decision of the conference to postpone action waa out of order, and contrary to the legislation which established the tribunal. After discussion the council unanimously agreed that further action in approaching the Prime Minister on the matter be left to the mayor.

The demand for some sort of elementary equipment in commercial subjects and the indifferent handwriting which is usually developed by the pupils of primary schools are responsible for several remits to be considered at the quarterly meeting of the Primary School Committees' Association next week. A remit from Te Kuiti urges "that as there is a continual and everincreasing demand for commercial education, non-compulsory commercial classes he included in the curriculum of district high schools." The same committee recommends that the Education Board be urged to abolish print script in favour of writing in schools, while the Tirau Committee brings forward the following motion for consideration: "In view of the very poor -writing now prevailing among the young generation, the committee respectfully suggests that the Primary School Committees' Association should endeavour to have cursive writing included in the school syllabus."

Some people, even in educational circles in the Dominion, appear still to be in doubt as to whether we have an accent of our own in New Zealand. There seems to be little room for dubiety on the matter, judging by the experience of an Onehunga resident who was receiitly in the Old Country. He visited one of the provincial music halls there, and Avas entertained by an artist who gave imitations of various dialects and twangs. Among an excellent series were the American and Canadian twangs, each With a distinctiveness of its own. Then came the South African, and finally the Australian and New Zealand accents, all three being readily recognised by the Onehunga man, who came away quite satisfied that we can quickly be ''picked" whenever we speak.

On April 30 the present One Tree Hill Road Boardj comprising Mr. R. G. Clark (chairman) and Messrs. Thos. Rowe, F. Chapman, C. L. Mclntosh, J. M. Wilson. C. Purchas, and H. K. Clayton, goes out of office. AH the members will then offer themselves for re-election.

The Takapuua Council decided last evening to send a letter congratulating the Takapuna Municipal Band, on the latter's performance at the recent contests at Auckland. The band, which has made rapid strides in its playing, was the youngest band competing. Mention was made that the band would give several public performances on !the beaches in the near future. Under the signature, "A Eatepayer of 15 Years," a resident of Mount St. John Avenue wrote to the One Tree Hill Road Board complaining about boys of various ages who create a nuisance in the Avenue by riding trolleys on the footpaths. The writer said that, apart from the danger, the noise was unbearable. The letter was read by the chairman of the board at last evening's meeting. It was decided to refer the matter t 0 the police. "Everywhere in America where Xew Zealand is thought of in Rotary circles it is Auckland that is mentioned. That is a good thing for Auckland but it is up to Wellington to see that we are thought of in the same way," remarked Rotarian H. (i. Teagle. in his address on "Rotary in America," at the Wellington Rotary Club luncheon on Tuesday. The speaker was stressing the importance and value of the international conventions, and he mentioned that at the last conference in Toronto, Auckland had something , like six' delegates present to Wellington's one.

Frequent complaint is made by Takapuna residents as to the position of the district post office, which is situated between Takapuna and Milford, on a site -some distance from the business areas. At last evening's meeting of the local council it was decided to support a petition for the removal of the office to a more central site. The Mayor said that everyone was disappointed with the present site, which was in no way satisfactory, being a considerable distance from the nearest tram stop.

.Dr. Bell, the new Professor of Surgery, was welcomed at a meeting of the Dunedin University Council yesterday. The Chancellor (Rev. Dr. Cameron) said that in view of the reputation acquired by Dr. Bell at the University of Edinburgh, they expected great things of him at the Medical School. Dr. Bell, replying, said that whilst in England and Scotland he had watched very closely the doings of New Zealand students, and he thought that they had been a credit to his predecessor, Dr. Barnett.

The Otago Expansion League has received the following letter from the Hon. R. F. Bollard (acting for the Minister ot" Public Works): "In continuation of my interim reply of December 5, 1924, to your communications requesting a Ciovernmcnt subsidy towards the cost of erecting a bridge over the Motatapu River to enable tourist 3to visit the glaciers of Mount Aspiring, I have now the honour to inform you that this matter .has received further consideration, with the result that I have agreed to grant a Government subsidy of°£3oo (£1 for £1), the coet of a suitable bridge being estimated by the Lake County Ccuneil to be in the vicinity «f £600. Formal authority to expend this amount will be issued when the council's proposals covering the work have been approved by the district engineer at Dunedin."

There is a tendency on the part of those who arrange the seating accommodation at public functions to place the Press seats in an out-of-the-way-corner, where it is impossible to hear the speakers with any degree of accuracy. In this respect New Zealand is far behind the Old Country, where the pressmen are the first consideration, and are given the very best positions. Even in the law courts, when a big case is to be heard, and there may be a. score of reporters at work, special arrangements are. made and suitabfe tables improvised. The attitude that "anywhere will do for the reporter" is unfair to the Press and to the speakers, and does not tend towards accuracy. A typical instance of second-rate facilities was provided (no dout inadventently) at yesterday's ceremony at the new Training College, the Press table being under an arch at the rear of the platform, behind the speakers, who were half a dozen rows in front. In some cases pressmen, under such circumstances, might be able to hear all that was said, but the risk of mishearing is unnecessarily imposed upon them. After all, the * addresses delivered at important gatherings are intended to reach the public at large, and the reporters are the only channel through which the speeches receive publicity.

Complaints that the police and detectives, in their efforts to combat crime, are in need of more effective assistance from public and police courts, are receiving the attention of the Chief Secretary, says the "Melbourne Age." Greater protection of members of the public who may be called upon to act as witnesses or jurors from possible intimidation by "gunmen" or other lawbreakers is one aspect of the suggested reform while another aspect is a revision in the regulations governing the granting of bail. As to intended legislation in the direction of amending the Police Offences Act, the Chief Secretary at the present stage does not commit himself to any definite promise, but lie stated yesterday that as far as the present law permitted him he and the Government would afford" witnesses every protection possible and the police every assistance. On the question of amendments to tighten up the law in various respects, if the police made recommendations to him showing an/ reforms they desired he would "recommend them to Cabinet for consideration when amendments of the Police Offences .Act were under consideration. >Jo member of the public should permit himself to be intimidated when assisting to bring law-breakers to book.

Advantage is freely taken of the concession by which Commonwealth slock and bonds arc accepted in payment of probate and succession duties to the Federal Government. The secretary of the Commonwealth Treasury (Mr. *Collins) stated recently that the securities were taken at full face value, plus accrued interest, and the amount of revenue derived from this source 'generally exceeded £1,000,000 a year. °An important advantage of this procedure was that to an extent corresponding with the amount of revenue received in such form, the public debt was reduced, since the securities we're passed over for cancellation to the National Debt Sinking Fund Commissioners. The same concession was being accorded to holders of stock and bonds in the present 6 per cent States loan of £5,400,000, subscriptions to which were coming in satisfactorily. Acceptance of securities for payment of probate had a "twofold tendency, it tended to keep the market value of the stocks up, and it provided a convenient form in which owners of businesses could build up a reserve for payment of death duties, which could thus be met without the sacrifice of assets, and consequent crippling of business. y

The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. B. Wood,' of Christchurch, and of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, says the New Zealand "Times", on Wednesday, will be pleased to learn that a message received at Wellington yesterday states that the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Wood, and Sir Joseph and Lady Ward's grandson, is progressing favourably towards recovery. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have lost two children from infantile paralysis, while the youngest was also afflicted.

An aeroplane made a forced landing in a paddock at Russley Road, Riccarton, on Sunday morning. The wings were stripped, and it was towed back to Sockburn by a motor car. The pilot was taking the "refresher" course at the Sockburn 'drome. The fourth batch of pilots finished their work on Monday, and the final lot of men were into training. A course for novices may be instituted during , the winter months. The eight mechanics have been having an exceptionally busy time with the machines.

An up-to-date reason for an adjournment was put forward at the Xapier Juvenile Court in a case which was heard before Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M. Three Taradale schoolboys were charged with stealing grapes to the value of 5/ from Bartholomew Steinmetz. When the case was called only one lad appeared, the father of the other two boys coming forward and asking for an adjournment until the embargo of the Health Department, which prohibited children travelling from one district to another, was lifted.

Sometimes the requests which are made for relief look very formidable till they come to be investigated. Recently an old man had great complaints to make regarding soaring rents, and he thought the landlords were robbers. It was very difficult to draw from him the actual amount of rent he paid, and it was thought that he was going to ask for a large amount of help so that he could meet the demands of a greedy house owner. At last he explained that a few years ago he only paid 5/ per week rent, then he paid 6/, and now it was G/6, and the landlord had the temerity to want to raise it to 7/! He admitted it was not much extra that was wanted, but when a fellow had not got it it was a good deal. The old man's mind was soon set at rest when he was told lie need not worry, for his request for help would be granted.

Yesterday the Minister of Justice, Sir James Parr, accompanied by Mr. A. H. Johnstone and Mr. McVeagh, of the Auckland Law Society, visited the Police Court buildings in order to observe the conditions under which the magistrates are working. Owing to the frecjuent interruptions to proceedings in the Police Court caused by motor traffic in the busy streets adjoining, it was suggested to the Minister that a ■way out of the difficulty would be to erect a new 'building on a site close to the Supreme Court. When seen by a reporter last evening Sir James, while admitting the great inconvenience caused by motor traffic outside the Court, said he could hold out no hope of a new building being provided by tlio Government elsewhere. In any case, lie said, a site so far away from the law offices was out of the question. He thought that the remedy lay in an arrangement by which, all traffic could be made to travel downhill, thus obviating the noises caused 'by heavy vehicles climbing up the hill on low gear. If that was not possible the only alternative would be to rearrange the courts so that the Police Court could be placed on the quiet side of the building near the Hospital Board's offices, and the clerks' department transferred to the Chancery Street frontage. This could bo done without very great structural alteration. It was purely a matter for the Public Works Department architects to report upon.

Charged at the Magistrate's Court in Sydney with smoking a cigar in a railway carriage not set apart for the burning of tobacco, a reputable citizen said that he wilfully broke the regulations as a protest against monopolisation of smoking carriages by women and children. The magistrate, in fining him a, shilling, sympathetically said that he had seen the same thing himself. Most men who smoke and travel have also seen it. On certain lines, such as that on the North Shore (Sydney), women fairly rush the "smoker," and often men may be seen standing there, though there is room enough in the other cars. A few years ago there was an outburst against this, and females were ordered out, except where they paid full fare. But the women who craved to be in with the men revolted, and one of the then Railway Commissioners, who travelled by the line where the rules were enforced, hastened to get into favour with the sex by ordaining that the regulations should be abrogated in their behalf.

A decided preference for local industry in the matter of the manufacture of school teachers is shown in a remit which the Mount Eden Committee lias forwarded for the consideration of the Primary School Committees' Association at its next meeting. The resolution runs: "That it be compulsory that all primary, and secondary school teachers must have received; their education in our own State schools, or that in the event of applications being received from teachers coming from overseas each case to be thoroughly investigated before an appointment is made."

'"When the All Blacks were leaving Euston Station there had been a num°ber of young ladies anxious to see them," said the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. R, A. Wright) at the civic welcome. "There had been a number of policemen put there for the purpose of preventing such kidnapping. And the newspapers said that the sounds of osculation were not absent. But I don't believe it." (Laughter.)

The Hamilton High School Old Boys' Association has let a contract for a memorial in memory of the old boys who fell in the Great War. It will take the form of a bronze plaque embodying , the idea of sacrifice, and it is hoped to have it completed in the school assembly hall in time for the annual reunion on Dominion Day.

At last evening's meeting of the One Tree Hill Road Board, Mr. R. fj. Clark presiding, the engineer (Mr. J. Dawson) was instructed to advertise for tenders returnable in a month, for the work in connection with the new drainage scheme proposed for the western area.°

Parties of Yugoslavs have been arriving in the Dominion from overseas fairly frequently of late, and the Ulimaroa, which reached port last evening from Sydney, brought a further batch, numbering thirty-one. The majority of this number were young men anxious to commence work in New Zealand. The vessel also brought seven Hindus.