CABINET-MAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 94, 22 April 1926, Page 6

CABINET-MAKING.

In a day or two the anxieties and intrigues of the many members of the Reform party who regard themselves as peculiarly fitted for Cabinet rank, will be at an end. Mr. Coates cannot' long delay the announceniei.. or his intentions for the resignation of the two. major portfolios.held;by Sir James Parr will take effect this week. -At least one other change will be made, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart -taking over Finance from. the Hon.. W. Nosworthy. \ Mr. Cpatos. has been";given a free hand by his party in the selection, and he has so far given little indication of his intentions. The young Premier came' into power on the crest of a wave: of feeling which gave him an unexampled opportunity for consolidating his party and for .carrying out a constructive policy." Is he. making the most of his opportunities ? There are grave doubts about it, It is an open secret that his methods have given small satisfaction to some of his present colleagues, and that he has done little which will placate the big batch of disgfuntied members who will be on :fire -because' their claims for .inclusion: have been passed over or because they have been, thrown < out with a: Napoleonic gesture.. : Mr- '.Coates. may be right in ' keeping .his decisions "under, his..: hat," "but. he should not backhand fill over, his choice. No Prime" Minister of New Zealand;'everhad a better chance of great achievement,, but none will fall harder if he fail to take-advantage of Tiis 'opportunityMr. Coates has the right to choose his own methods,, bjit he musib show purpose and progress, and when handling a' force' .which' is coniptosed..: solely potential field-marshals, he-should, iremember the necessity for the "display of more .than, the .ordinary, amount of decision, combined with tact - and suavity.

The railway; houses at Green Lane, which in'themselves form a little community in that district, are.now all occupied a^d,.thfi f .xpsiclents are loud in their praise *f--the-places. In* many -r eases the grounds, when the houses -were -first taken possession of, were in a wild state, but now gardens have been laid out'and vegetables and flowers have given.place to the wilderness of weeds that once existed. All the ,; outside improvements speak well of the efforts of the occupants, whose surroundings now compare most favourably with any other centre. Takapuna's town planning scheme, which is calculated to greatly benefit that popular marine suburb, was advanced a.further-step at last evening's meeting ~ of-the Borough Council, the engineer recommending that application should -be made .to the. Harbour Board for-the transfer of that area in Shoal Bay which is covered by the tide at high water. The engineer's plans provide for the formation of a road along .the foreshore from the end of Lansdbwne Street to the southern termination of The Strand. The proposal having been approved, the Mayor and representatives of the public services and the streets and works committees were authorised to wait on the Harbour Board. A visitor to New Zealand next month will be' Sir Henry Lunn, concerning whom the Church of England newspaper recently published the following: "That remarkable man, Sjr Henry Lunn, has taken steps to hand" over his estate and income, except £500 a year, to a body of trustees for the purpose of, promoting unity among the churches and peace among the nations. The trustees include besides himself and his three sons, Provost Margetson, of St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Bishop Russell Wakefield, late Bishop of Birmingham. Special arrangements have been made for the carrying on of the 'Review of the Churches.'" " A laugh was raised at a meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council last evening when a member, in protesting against the action of the Milford Ratepayers' Association in advertising a public meeting to be held in the association's: own district when the subject for discussion was of interest to the whole borough/ solemnly suggested that the proposed meeting should take place "in theJmidd]#of the lake." When order had been restored another councillor agreed that such a meeting would probably do a<lot-.of good in drowning some of those ratepayers who. -were continually raising cdi-jpiaints. ' 'jTlie-'Was an. occasion last evening wlieii- ''.aiiticipa'ted pleasure turned to d-jep. annoyance. . Shortly after seven O'clock Mr. A. Leach, electrician, of Symonds unpacked some new goMs;.and placed them in the window of his premises. On going outside to view them from there, he discovered that his car had vanished, and it was not heard of again until it was located behind the Post Office in Wellesley Street this morning. The car was not damaged' in any way, and the only thing missing was the key. " I expect that somebody borrowed it for a run to the pictures," said Mr. Leach this morning. " They seem to have been moderately decent, and perhaps they took the key to prevent anybody else having a loan of iti" 'It is not often that a refusal meets with the approbation of the supplicant. According. to a clause in the annual report, this appears to have been the experience of the Northcote School Committee. Application was made, upon the recommendation of the school medical officer, Dr. Wilkie, for the establishment of a dental clinic to serve the combined school districts. Owing to lack, of dental attendants, the Department could not grant the request. As the provision of a surgery and <*ost of equipment and maintenance would be a direct charge upon local voluntary donations, the "committee was relieved rather than disappointed, at the Department's negative reply." The matter was left for the householders' meeting for an expression of opinion for the guidance of the' incoming committee. The sense of humour is often lost on the average church gathering,' but the Rev.,G. A. Craike certainly scored one last evening at the Baptist- Tabernacle. He was discussing the question of fences from the moral point of view, and addressing the children asked what were fences for? "To keep the cows in," remarked one bright scholar; "to keep the rabbits out," replied a little girl. Proceeding, the reverend gentleman said that in this fenced paddock a bull, representing the evil one, was having a heated argument with a lamb, and by way of settlement, suggested he would toss her for it. The. lamb was not so inclined, and. meekly replied, "No, I never gambol." Racegoers will probably appreciate the joke, for when the bulls are about one may well pity the poor lambs. "I have seen so much of the beautiful side of Christchurch, of its sunny skies and the happy personalities of the people that I have not yet had an opportunity of perceiving your social problems, but I was thinking as I sat here that the two leading vices of New Zealand must be murder and suicide," said the Bishop of Christchurch, addressing a meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations. His Lordship added that when he was travelling in a_,motor car he thought of the half of the population on bicycles who seemed-'determined to commit suicide and when he was riding a bicycle he thought'of the.-other half, in motor cars, who seemed determined to murder the cyclists. (Renewed laughter.) Later in the meeting, the chairman,' Archdeacon Haggitt, remarked that a few days ago he saw what he took to be a tornado coming down - the street. But as it drew closer'he saw that it was a person on a bicycle and- that person was none Other than the new Bishop of Christchurch. The bishop was in a hurry, but he became involved in the traffic and had to dismount. The Bishop: I wasn't altogether in a hurry, but my landlord lent mc his bicycle, which T found was without a brake. (Laughter.) At yesterday's meeting of the University ' College ' Council a letter was received from the Rev. G. Gordon Bell,! in which he outlined the system of "licensed lodgings" in* force at Oxford. He suggested that something of the sort might be. adopted in Auckland.' Under the scheme students would only lodge in houses approved by the university authorities, each student having his own study and. bedroom, the houses being open to inspection by the proctors at any. time. * "That might be ' all right in Oxford or Cambridge, but it is not in use at London.- Leeds and Manchester, where . conditions are comparable with Auckland," said. -Professor H. W. Segar. He considered that, it would be - impracticable here,. .However; the matter was referred to the Professorial Board. '. Yesterday, the front axle of a motor bus belonging to the Bine Star Motor SeEvica,\-- proceeding to Birkdale, broke when.-, going down the., dip before. reaching the rise fhear .the Birkenhead reservoir.. Ther.e..were.three passengers, .but ho one-was hurt. . ' .-'..'.'

The Chief Postmaster has been advised that the-mails which' left-Auckland on March 16 by the Niagara arrived in London on April 17. Owing to poor - tides in the Hauraki Gulf, the Northern Company's steamer," Gael-grounded, at Silverdale on .Tuesday afternoon, and~up until mid-day today had not been refloated. The company's, steamer Taniwha,, when proceeding up the Ohinemuri River to Paeroa yesterday morning, stranded on a bank and was unable to float off with yesterday afternoon's tide. She came off early this morning, however, and will sail again for Paeroa at 6 o'clock this evening. The city and western district fire brigades received a call at about ■ halfpast eleven last evening to a house in Vermont Street, Ponsonby, owned by Mr. W. Batts, and occupied by Mrs. E. Boyle. The outbreak, which was in a detached wash-house, was. easily suppressed by means of chemicals before any serious damage was done. The doctors'howling team skipped by Dr. Hardie Neil, journeyed to the Stanley green yesterday to meet their rivals belonging to that club, who had tried conclusions with them twice previously. Hall skipped the local team, which led at the first of the game, but in the end the doctors proved victorious through I exceptionally fine play, the team being a particularly well-balanced one. The engineer of the One Tree Hill Town Board referred, at the meeting last evening, to the inspection of street lights in the district made by.the board in company with,, an Auckland Power Board representative. It was decided to procure an aditional,so lamps and to instal 43 of them immediately. The remaining seven were to be held in reserve. The Ughts had been ordered from the Power Board and the work would be proceeded with as soon as these arrived from England. The question of whether or not it is necessary to observe next Monday aa a holiday, seeing that Anzac Day falls on Sunday, was raised at the Stock Exchange yesterday afternoon. It was explained by the chairman, Mr. G. Creagh, that banks were compelled under a regulation to close on Monday in the event of a holiday falling on Sunday. The object of Anzac Day was to honour the dead, and as the memorial services were to be held on Sunday, there was no need to close on the following day unless people simply wanted a holiday. It was intimated to the Birkenhead Borough Council last evening that the reserve in which the borough chambers are erected, at Highbury corner, had been graded, paths formed, and grass seed sown. The construction of the entrance path in concrete, from the comer to the motor drive past the municipal building was authorised, the ornamental design for this heing left to the town clerk, who also reported progress regarding the war memorial and band rotunda.