General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20729, 14 December 1932, Page 10

General News.

■ '"'We arc more optimistic than the people in other centres, who generally call their committees 'Unemployment Committee*.' Wo do not use tho 'un-'," said Mr A. J. McEldowncy at yesterday's meeting of the newly-constituted Christehurch Boys' Employment Committee. New Zealand is to have a visit hi May by an 'Australian Universities Rugby team. Tlie indications are that the combination will bo stronger than that of 1929. Tho tour will bo subject to tho approval of tho New Zealand Rugby Union, but. it is anticipated that the parent body Mill give a ready consent.—Press Association. When applications closed i'or _ the Workers' Educational Association's Summer School, to bo held at Timaru over tho Christmas and New Year holiday period, they numbered 127, and since then fifteen more have been received. As there is accommodation available for only 120, some of! the applicants will bo disappointed. The tender of Mr T. E. Marriott at £3149 has been accepted by the St. John Ambulance Association for the structural alterations to the premises in Peterborough street, formerly occupied by Vm. Goss, Ltd., which are to be the headquarters of the Association and of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. The successful tenderer expects to make a start almost immediately and to have the work completed about the middle of April, For some time past the Canterbury Land Board has been holding fortnightly meetings in order to copo with the mass of work. It Is a month since the Board last mot, and the meeting which opened yesterday morning promises to extend over several, days. In addition to twenty matters to bo dealt with in open Board thero arc no fewer than 342 cases to be considered in committee. Twenty years ago, an old member of the Board told a reporter, three hours used to bo sufficient to dispose of the business. Reference to the work carried out at St. John's College for tho selection of unemployed boys to go on tho land was made at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. The secretary, Mr W. F. O'Donnell, said he disapproved of proposals to make tho camp at the college a definite centre for tho agricultural training of unemployed boys. The purpose of tho camp was purely selective and tho establishment of a fullyequipped training centre would be an expensive undertaking. The number of calla to fires received by tho Central Firo Brigade from November 4th to December 7th was 24, according io tho report of Superintendent C. C. Warner to the Christehurch Firo Board lust evening. Of these calls, seven were for actual fires on property in the City, four were for hedge and rubbish fires, and one for a chimney fire. Two were for automatic frlso alarms, and seven for malicious false alarms. There were two calls to Fendalton and one to Wainoni. Tho estimated fire loss during the period was £635, the actual value of the property affected being £Blls. Insurance covers on those properties amounted to £5135. "Jt has been our experience during 1032 that boys who are interested in farming can readily be placed in good homes and on farms where their training will be valuable." remarks the booklet, "What about Next Year, 1933?" published by the Vocational Guidance Department of the Y.M.O.A. "Boyg with a little experience are always in demand and there are generally vacancies for iuevperienced lads also. The wages to start are, of course, lower than those offering in tile town, ranging from us to 10s a week as a rule, but then a boy is 'found,' in addition to this, and in many instances wo feel that the prospects ar* Knit.* than the town eaa offer."

Under the auspices of the Now Zealand Air League atx aeroplane carrying mails from Auckland and Gisborne will leave Palmcrston North at 7.30 a.m. on December '24 th for Invereargil], calling at "Wellington, Blenheim, Christchurch, Timaru, Oainaru, and Dunedin on route. Regarding tho application, to tho Christchurck City Council for a permit to conduct a fish-curing establishment at 500 Worcester street, which was discussed in committee on Monday evening, the decision of the Council has been made available. Tho application, after careful consideration, and in view of the objections raised to granting it, was declined. The premises referred to arc in a purely residential area. Tho New Plymouth Harbour Board's dredge Pari tutu is to bo overhauled at a cost of £5300 and placed in commission for a further period of four years, according to a decision made by the Board. Since it is estimated that tlio life of tlio Paritutu is not moro than another lour years, the Board decided to consider the acquisition of a new and smaller dredge suitable to the requirements of the port, to replace the Paritutu after four years. The value of a knowledge of Morse signalling was demonstrated when two members of the North Auckland Kegimcntal Signallers, on returning from the pictures, noticed flashes of light from Eangitoto. These were read as, "Castaway, all safe." Replies were sent by means of tho equipment at Narrow Neck, and a further message was received from tho island, giving tho name aud address of the "castaways." The [ polico were then notified, enabling a reassuring message to be sent to the parents of tho benighted men. In urging tho Ci(y Council to push ahead with its town planning schema as rapidly as possible, Mr J. W. Mawson, speaking at last night's meeting of the Council, said that it should be done if only to avoid the difficulties arising out of "spot" zoning. "You really have no background," Mr ?»>wsou said, "and every man whoso application is refused thinks that he has been subjected to an arbitrary decision. On the other hand, a completed scheme represents a far-sighted policy." Five birch scats will shortly be placed along Dyer's Puss road for the use of elderly people walking on the hill. Tho work, which will be commenced on January !Uh, will be carried out as unemployed labour by men living in the Cashmere Riding of the Ifeathcoto County, the Council paying for the work. Three of the seats will be placed in the triangle close to the Khodes Convalescent Home, the other two being erected on the road a little lower down. The timber will be found by the Heathcote County Council. "After listening to the discusMon regarding the granting of a permit for a sawmill at Papanui," Mr.T. W. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, said at last night's special meeting of tho City. Council, "it is perfectly obvious that members arc well-informed onthe general principles of town planning. This is largely due to the activities of the Town Planning Institute—l am judging by tho reports In the newspapers. There" is, consequently, a community better informed on town planning here than in nnv other City in the Dominion. That "is why T always feel that I am coming into a friendly atmosphere when I como here.*' Enquiries are being, made regarding the cost of patent branch-pipes for use when working long loads of hose at fires in liiecarton and Fendalton, stated the report of the superintendent of the Central Firo Brigade (Mr C. C. Warner), at a meeting of the Christchurch Fire Board last evening. The branch-pipes are made in England specially for the purpose of reducing water streams without having to stop the motor-pumps to change nozzles, and arc indispensable in saving time. An amount of .€l2O has been placed on the estimates for the purchase of this equipment. Tho statement in Mr C. F. t'ryke's letter, which appeared in yesterdays issue of TriE Piif,s*», referring to "Mr W. If. Nicholson's letter convening a meeting of all local bodies interested in Port Christcliurch, and in urging the Harbour Board to adopt a port in the estuary." is taken exception to by Mr \V. U. Nicholson, Mayor of Sumner. Mr Nicholson told a reporter yesterday that his attention had been drawn to the statement, and he did not know hj what letter Mr Pryke referred. Tie had never convened a meeting for the purpose mentioned by Mr Pryke and had never attempted to dictato tho policy of the Lytteltou Harbour Board, and had no lntcnlion of doing so. MrPryke's statement evidently had been made under a complete misconception. "That a proportion of tho number of boys leaving primary schools this year and not proceeding further with their education will be unemployed and consequently at a loose-end is inevitable unless some arrangements are made whereby such boys will be profitably occupied full time," writes Air Charles Kirk, secretary of the Cauterbury Education Board, in tho booklet recently published by the Vocational Guidance Department" of the Y.M.C.A. entitled "What about Next Year, 1033?" "Various proposals for dealing with this problem havo been brought before the public from time to time," says Mr Kirk, "but in this connexion the Canterbury Education Board is convinced that the only really effective scheme in this case is a 'Back to School' policy." Our London correspondent writes on November Ilfcli:— After the North London Exhibition tho High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Wilford, received tho following letter signed by the chairman of tlio Alexandra Park Trustees, and also by the general manager of tho exhibition:— "Wo are desired by tho Trustees of tho Alexandra Palace and the organisers of tho seventh North London Exhibition, which is now being held here, to tender to you an expression of their very best thanks for your kindness in attending on the occasion of tho visit of his Royal Highness, the Prince George, on the afternoon of Saturday last. Tlio invaluable assistance winch you were good enough to give is very deeply appreciated by all associated with this trust, and tho exhibition, and wo think yon will agree that, his Royal Highness was exceedingly pleased with the whole of tho arrangements made for his enjoyment." Particulars of tho train arrangements in connexion with the Banks Peninsula Placing Club's races at Cliristchurch and sports at Waipara j on Saturday, December 17th, are advertised in this issue. Halswcll, November 25th, 1932. P. i and D. Duncan, Ltd. After thoroughlv testing your new British Homsby 117 Mower in open trial against ouo of the beat-known American big mowers T consider the ITornsby the best all round Mower, especially in heavy stuff: you have got. it all over them. Yours faithfully, Walter Baker. <t