NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 282, 28 November 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tauranga's Jubilee. At a meeting held this week, it was decided to hold a carnival at Tauranga next February in connection with the constitution of the township as a borough. The celebrations will extend over a Week. An executive committee was appointed to draft a programme. This will be discussed later at a meeting of the general committee. "We Want Home Market."

"We don't want subsidies, we want our own home market," said Mr. I. Woolf, retiring president of the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association, at the annual meeting this week. He declared that manufacturers had to combat the selfish hostility of some people in Canterbury who were receiving a 200 per protective duty on wheat. He thoroughly believed in the wheat duties but contended that, just as those duties had proved beneficial to the Dominion, so would duties be beneficial to related industries.

Protest Against Art Unions. At the South Auckland District Synod of the Methodist Church, which concluded yesterday at Te Aroha, a resolution was passed deploring the present succession of art unions and gambling schemes. It was decided to protest strongly against the attitude of the Government in granting an increased number of permits. On the question of disarmament, Synod resolved that it was only through international co-ofperation that world problems could be. solved. The support of the League of Nations by the Government was heartily approved. Sunday School and Golf. A paragraph appeared in the report of a suburban Methodist Sunday school-to the effect that the royal and ancient game of golf > is detrimental to a large and steady attendance at the Sunday school classes. The teachers, who are a little alarmed over the stronger attractions of golf for the boys, regret that their classroom numbers are being depleted by the boys 5 desire to caddy on the links. A strong effort will be made to counteract the exodus, and an appeal will be made to parents. Political Tickets Forged. Clever forgeries of the tickets admitting the public to the meeting addressed by the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates in Christchurcli were used by some people to gain admission. In two instances the holders of these tickets got past the police lines and past the first doorkeeper but they were detected by the second doorkeeper and shown out of the hall again. The forgeries Avcre almost perfect replicas of the genuine tickets, the only difference detectable at first glance being the lighter weight of the card. The printing had been done by hand in Indian ink, and gave evidence of expert draughtsmanship.

No Special Concessions. There will be no special reductions for Christmas excursions by the Railway Department this season. Following J \c general reduction of fares, a special excursion rate was established, which obtains all the year round, so that, while there is no alteration for the Christmas period, the return fares for holiday-makers will be almost the same as they were at Christmas last year. It is claimed that the advantage of the present system lies in the fact that low rates are not confined merely to holiday-makers over the Christmas and New Year seasons, but extend to persons who get away at different times during the year. Church Leadership. , Canon Strong, who will takc'up the position of warden of St. John's College, Auckland, early in tbe New Year, said in an address to the Taranaki Archdeaconry Board this week that the standard of St. John's was _ exceedingly good; He suggested that the Anglican Church should endeavour to get as its students more boys who had been through secondary schools, and were better equipped for moral and mental leadership. If the vocation of the ministry was properly understood the Church should get the best boys, who were natural leaders, im'bued -with the best instincts, and they would have a marked effect on the leadership in the Church.

Marrying to Obtain Work. "These unemployment schemes are resulting in a good many marriages. Single men have stated deliberately that they are getting married in order to get three days' work a week, instead of two, and one man told me that it would not be long before he got four days." (Laughter.) This statement was made 'by the chairman of the Christehurch Citizens' Unemployment Committee (Mr. E. H. Andrews) at the meeting of the committee this week. The remark followed a discussion concerning the Main Highways Board's decision not to establish any more relief camps for unemployed single men. Mrs. A. I. Fraer stated that many elderly single men who came to her depot for relief apologised to her for not being married. Progress of Floating Dock. Mention was made at this week's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board of the progress of the floating dock on its long tow to Wellington. The general manager, Mr. J. Marclibanks, said that the last message was to the effect that the dock had passed through Torres Strait, and should arrive at Wellington about the end of the year, if the average of CO or 70 miles per day was maintained. Mr. C. M. Turrell suggested that the board should endeavour to obtain more definite advice from one of the tug-masters; the estimated date of arrival seemed to swing about from one end of the month to the other. It was suggested that board members should go out and meet the dock off the coast, and some of them would like to know now whether they could make arrangements for their wives and families for Christmas. Political Predictions. Political predictions are notoriously unreliable, and the National Government's victory in Great Brit-am- on October 27 wae so overwhelming that" few ■ publicists had the audacity, to predict it.. Nevertheless, one political writer in London was remarkably accurate in his forecast. , Writing on October 20, he said: "I see nt> reason why 400 Tories should not be returned. Will not Messrs. Mac Donald, Snowden and ,Thomas draw after them a baker's dozen-of National Socialists? And cannot the Liberals who follow Sir' John Simon, and those who follow Sir Herbert Samuel, be counted on for : another 50? A couple_of motor coaches will hold the Labour Socialists in the new Parliament." On election day there were returned 470 Conservatives, 13 National Labour, G5 National Liberals and five Independents. The Labour members number 51, and others in . the Opposition 11. 1 Conscience Money. The x'eceipt of an anonymous letter enclosing ? £1 note, which is apparently being paid as "conscience money" by the sender, is reported by Mr. W. H. Clark, manager of the Coromandel Mussel Depot, Bond Street. The note is written in script, and runs as follows: —-"Dear Sir, Some years ago, when I was just a young schoolboy, I was led by some others to take part in breaking into a stall owned by you on Point Chevalier Beach. I was only a sharer in the spoil, but now that I am become a Christian I see my duty' is to repay you for what I took. I humbly beg your pardon, and ask you to destroy this note. I think my portion would be about 10/, but have enclosed £1 to make sure." The envelope bears the postmark of the Chief Post Office. Mr. Clark has no knowledge of the identity of the sender, but wishes to thank him for his action. He states Chat he owned a stall on Point Chevalier Beach some years ago, and that this was repeatedly broken into. The writer's signature to the letter is a nom-de-plume indicating that his life has been changed by Divine influence.