NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

To Preserve King's Message. The original copy of the King's mes.sage to Major-General Freyberg on the First Echelon's arrival in Egypt ha* been sent by Major-General Freyberg to New Zealand. It will be placed in the New Zealand National War Museum, His Majesty has granted permission for 15,000 copies to be printed and distributed to members of the New Zealand Forces. Hitler and Mussolini. "In Germany we called Hitler Mr. Jones and in Italy we called Mussolini Mr. Smith," remarked Miss Lowrie at the meeting of the North Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Education Institute, when the president asked her whether she talked politics when in Germany. The reply evoked laughter, which was only to be expected when it was realised that the names of the president and secretary of the branch respectively were Jones and Smith. Brighter libraries. "We have a lot to learn from commerce in respect to colour and display," said Miss E. J. Carnell, library expert at New Plymouth, in emphasising the need for brighter libraries. Too many public libraries were dowdy and unattractive, far below the standard, a business man would insist upon, she continued. Libraries should be built on central sites and made as attractive as possible. Too often the best room in the building was devoted to newspaper readers, while the lending department was in cramped, dingy surroundings. Communism and Education. "This thing has spread through the education system," said Mr. F. A. Snell, in expressing alarm at the growth of Communistic and subversive elements, which are said to have entered into the education system, at a meeting of the Ancklaiid Education Board yesterday. "Inquiries should be made as to its source and how it is being spread. It is unfair that taxpayers should have to feed this subversive element." Other members of the board spoke in similar vein, and it was decided to take steps to close the door to the Civil Service to anyone taking part in such organisations, and to make the most searching inquiry into the sources of the movement. A Licensee Congratulated, Congratulations to a licensee on his record of 34 years without a single conviction were expressed by the chairman of the Christchurch Licensing Committee, Mr. H. A. Young, S.M., at the annual meeting. To Mr. R. L. Ronaldson, who appeared in support of James Croford Wallace's application for the renewal of his license for the Grand Hotel, Mr. Young said he regretted Mr. Wallace was not present, as the committee wished te congratulate him on hie record. For 34 years he had been a licensee in the city district, and in that time he had not been convicted. "The committee wishes to express its beat wishes for a continuance of the good work," the chairman added. Emergency Precautions Scheme. "I hope the movement will receive the support of every local body," said the Mayor, Mr. I. J. Goldstine, at a meeting of the One Tree Hill Borough Council, last night, in referring to the proposed emergency precautions scheme. In these days many things have to go by the board. We, as local bodies, have a duty to perform, and expense is not Ito be considered. We have to get in and do a job, and the sooner it is done the better." Mr. Goldstine added that he hoped it would never be necessary to bring the scheme into operation, but to be prepared was essential. In reply to a question, he explained that the movement was not entirely a war measure, but cpuld be applied to any ; emergency, and iniglit well be carried on [ after the war. Heifer in City Streets. A heifer escaped from the Addington saleyards yesterday and careered wildly about Christchurch streets. It first appeared in a garage in Oxford Terrace, and later chased two men down Tuam Street toward the. centre of the city. Two men were knocked off their bicycles and another just managed to avoid the heifer. The animal then put one of its feet the ironwork on the side of the Victoria Street bridge and broke its foreleg. Doubly infuriated, it charged a woman who was wheeling a baby in a perambulator. A passin"cyclist threw his machine in the heifer's way, but the baby was tipped out of the pram and the mother was knocked down. A man experienced with cattle appeared on the scene and soon had the heifer under control. He managed to throw it and it was securely roped ready to be removed. Stewards as Nursemaids. The promptitude and steadiness with which the stewards of Jt.M.S. Niagara rose to the occasion when the ship was seen to be seriously breached by an explosion in the dark and early hours of yesterday morning, was the subject ?t * ™? te by one of the Passengers, Mrs Wilfred Wise, wife of the Director of Public Works in Fiji. On the first alarm, when there was a rush of passengers in night attire to the lounge, Mrs. Wise said, the stewards moved calmly among them* advising that all should at once get into warm clothin*and proceed to their boat stations. The stewards immediately went into action as nursemaids, taking care of babies while preparations to leave ship were being made, and the infant charges were given solicitous attention until finally returned to their mothers' arms in the boats, even to the point of having bottles of warm milk handed over for their feeding when the transfer was made. Response by Women. In an article published by a Wellington newspapej and written by the general manager of the Wellington tramways, Mr. M. Cable, the statement I is made that with the increasing' call for men for overseas service, the management realised that difficulties would be experienced in maintaining the transport services unless an adequate supply of young men below military apre, or, alternatively, young women, was forthcoming. Soon after the pub- j lication of the article, Mr. Cable was interviewed by the first woman applying tor a conductor's position. She had qualified in that capacity in Englau.l during the last war, and was prepared to perform similar duties here. Other inquiries were made by women over the telephone. To all Mr. Cable said that it was only a contingency which might arise if the war were prolonged and I there were a heavy drain on the man- I power for war service. ■■ ■ ■ '