General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20731, 16 December 1932, Page 10

General News.

Sittings of the Arbitration Court will commence in Christchurch to-day. They are expected to last until Thursday next.

This week's Luke Coleridge report states that the level is at 1066.4/ oft, as compared with 1666.170ffc a week ago. The hiko is fl.s2si"fc below overflow level, 1672 ft.

Tho Auckland City Council, in response to n deputation, removed trio ban on tho use of tho Town Hall on Sundays by the Dallimore Faith-healing Mission.—Press Association.

The Christchurch electric power supply failed for about a quarter of an hour shortly after 10 a.m. yesterday. The trams were stopped, and there was a general dislocation of all activity dependent on electric power. The fault is reported to have been in the supply line from Lake Coleridge.

At the first meeting in the now year of the Christchurch branch of tho Town Planning Institute of New Zealand, Mr V. J. Hcan, assistant architect in tho City Engineer's department, who visited Australia recently, has promised to give a paper on Canberra, the capital city ol: the Commonwealth. •

A hW quouo outside tins Civic lhcatro early yesterday afternoon caused many passers-by to 'imagine that a matinee performance of some description was being given inside tho building, lint the queue had gathered in answer to an advertisement for applicants to nil tho positions of operators, ushers, ticket-sellers, ticket-takers, and others. It was late in the afternoon beloro the last member had managed to get insidethe building.

Tho consolidated and revised bydaws of the Heathcoto county arc to eomo up for confirmation at the County Council s last meeting this year, on Wednesday next. When confirmed, the by-laws, whieh includes ono dealing with hoardings and which is on the lines of the Ainuri County Council's by-law on tho same subject, will come into effect on January Ist, 1933.

An excellent reproduction ol tho 1932 prefects opens tho December issue of '-Tho Westoniau," the magazine ol tho West Christchurch District -Uig" School. The. school notes state that m the coming year West Christchurcli will be tho largest co-educational High School in tho Dominion. Special references are made to the orchestra ami sporting activities, and a considerable amount of spaco is given up to original verse.

A summary of the development ot tho school is contained in "Tho be Indian" diamond jubilee number of tho Napier Boys' High School, and relerenccs are made to many important events in school life. A contributed article deals with tho earthquake ana its effect on tho school. It is tho winning cssav in a competition tor whic-n a prizo was offered. Tho editorial appeals to old bovs to enrol as subscribers in order to allow tiic controllers ot the magazine to produce it next year in its customary size.

A publication illustrating tho development of New Zealand's nortliland--tho 300 miles from Auckland to North Cape—lias just been published by the "Northern Advocate," and both in regard to its illustrations and reading matter, is an outstanding 48-page production. The records of the varied production of the area included show that the nortliland is one of tho most lertilo and inviting areas in the Dominion, as rich, in beauty and industrial resources aa it is in pastoral and agricultural promise. Northland's productivity and still undeveloped resources are reviewed and illustrated, and it is claimed for tho "genial peninsula" that "thcro remaineth yet very much land to ho possessed."

"Tho class of pcoplo by whom the greater part of tlio work of this country, or of any other country, is dono is the class ot people usually called tho non-academic/' said Mr L. F. de Berrv, headmaster of the West Christchurca District High School, at last evening's prize-givnitt of tho school. "Next .year, when the school becomes a high school, it will bo able to give this class of pupil the lincst and fullest training along creativo lines. Opportunity will then bo given tho boys and girls of the school to learn to use their hands and to become citizens of tho utmost usefulness."

Mr P. J. Tvvomey, of tho Christchurcb Gas Company, lias recicved advice from tho New Zealand Fund Committee in Auckland expressing thanks for a remittance of £±° 3s 6d. This, with £3U 2s raised in the North Island, states tbo letter, has been spent on clothing, toys, fishing gear, and other necessary articles. The Customs value of this year's gift wjis £IOO, and tho 32 cases have been forwarded to the leper island. Money received since the appeal closed will be used for the purchase of goods and sent on to tho lepers by the next steamer.

In Wellington at present are some examples of one of the strangest monoi issues ihat liavo 'ever beeil made. They su'O certificates in deof orto dollar, 50 cents, and 25 centsj'lithographed on extremely thin two-ply slice-wood of Sitka spruce.. The certificates weno issued as part of tho plan of tho Chamber of Commerce, Tenino, "Washington, U.S.A., to thaw out the frozen assets of Tenino's only bank, which became insolvent 12 months ago. Certificates were issued to depositors to tho extent of 25 per cent, of their deposits, and they are now' an efficient circulating medium. Tlio timber is sliced to a thickness of oneeightieth of an inch, and is made strong and pliable by means of a sheet ot paper pasted between the two surfaces.

As the outcome of an accident, caused by a person riding a bicycle on the footpath in Glen Eden, the Town Board decided some weeks ago to take action against persons riding "bicycles on footpaths. At the last meeting of the Board a letter was received from the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, requesting that the resident postman bo allowed to cycle on the footpaths in the district. He said that if the postman were not given the necessary permission, it would he difficult to continue the present extensive delivery, which embraced areas where the houses were scattered. The postman would be warned to take all due care, and tho possibility of an accident was negligible. The Board was in doubt as to whether tho by-law could be waived in a particular case, and it was decided to jofer tho matter to the Board's solicitor for a report.

Attention was drawn by the secretary at a meeting of tlio Thames Hospital Board to tho difficulty oil collecting fcea from out-patients. Ho said ho had collected only 8s from 133 attendances during tho month. People just said they had not tho money to pay for tho attention given.

"There is no subject on which there aro more authorities than education," said Sir Apirana Ngata in tho course of an address at Palmerston North on the occasioa of tho Technical School prizegiving. "We have 80 of them in tho House,' and every session we have 200 or 300 others who try to tell us what to do." Ho added that thoy now had ono man trying to straighten matters out, tho Minister for Education, so as to adapt the system of education to tho present times.

Ouo of the fastest and most modern light aeroplanes in New Zealand, a bluo sports model Avian, was flown from Wellington to Auckland in threo hours 45 minutes by an Auckland pilot, Mr K. A. Kirkup. The machine, which was previously used in Wellington by tho agents, will in future- be flown in Auckland by Mr Kirkup. The Avian is tho only machine of its type in New Zealand, and is almost identical with tho Southern Cross Junior, in which Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith made several long llights.

An examplo of coolness in a delicato situation was provided in Auckland at the West End Rowing Club's "at home" at tho boathouso in St. Bay. In order that photographs could bo secured some 250 visitors and oarsmen gathered on tho sknhvay. Just when tho photographs wore to bo taken a beam in tho oentro of tho structure split, causing tho sUidway to subside Gently for about a. foot. Although tho total collapse of tho beam would h a vo precipitated the spectators into shallow water, no ono was very perturbed and the photographs wcro secured.

"This, I take it, is the final kick," remarked Colonel T. W. McDonald when the report of the principal of tho Wellington Training Collego was presented at a meeting of tho Wellington Education Board. The report referred to tho final activities of the college, and to tho redistribution of tho staff. Colonel McDonald moved that the Board register its final protest against tlio closing of tho college, maintaining that affiliation with the University would havo been tho best solution. The motion was carried without discussion.

Kitchen utensils, spoons, forks, brass anil iron fitting*, parts oil a jam pot, nails, stones, and some money wcro found in a sewer in Nelson street, I'etone, recently, when it was opened because of a blockage. Reporting to the Borough Council, tho engineer (Mr C. L. Jackson) said that an inspection was being made to locate tho faulty, fittings that enabled large articles to enter the sewer. "When tho fittings wero located tho necessary action would bo taken.

The unusual request for the services of a boy, under 16 years of age, as a shorthand-typist, was mado to Mr G. J. Park, principal of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, by an Auckland public accountant. In asking Mr Park to recommend a suitable boy from among his pupils the accountant said lie was ongaging a boy in preference to a girl becauso ho wished to train tho youth in accountancy. In the capacity of short-hand-typist the boy would be in close personal touch with tho principal of the firm, who wished to superintend his training. A suitable boy was recommended by Mr Park and later engaged.

A few days ago a "Waikato Independent" representative saw a motorcar put to a novel purpose On a farm at Pukekura tho owner of the car took it down the paddocks and stopped alongside a rabbit warren, obviously of considerable extent. Tho outlets of the warren were all blocked up and down tho entrance was placod a long pipe attached by a rubber fitting at tho other end to the exhaust of tho car. Tho engine of tho car was then started up, and tho fumes were forced down the warren. The farmer claims that this novel method of poisoning is most effective.

Reference to tho attitude oi : tho Education Department to tho continuance of form IV. for tho vocational training of pupils was made by Mr A. A. Buckley, chairman of tho Kowlmi Junior High School Committoo (Auckland), at a gala held at the school. Mr Buckley said that in spite of the fact that tho form did good work during the yesir by affording vocational training for about 40 pnpHs who were- awaiting positions, half ot whom eventually secured employment, the Department viewed with disapproval the continuance of the form. However, the school committee, would make representations to the Department to reconsider its attitude.

A puriri tree notable for its beauty and size is located on the Waihi-Whanga-mata road. Ohincmuri county, and was tho subject of a communication recently sent to tho Now Zealand Forestry League by one of its northern correspondents, who is concerned for its preservation and protection. Through tho Department of Lands and Survey tho League has ascertained that tho County Council is "cariug for this tree," says an exchange. Some time ago, it is pointed out, the existence of cveu a protective Order-in-Council did not prevent an historic native tree at Otorohanga from being cut about by a power board; but tho resultant outcry probably had an effect, and the public sense of natural beauty is growing keener.

In the Wellington office of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company exists n copy of one of tho oldest insurance, policies extant, says an exchange. It is a policy for £2OO on threo buildings "situate near tho White Hart in Hampton," belonging to one Piper. This property must have been acquired by David Garrick, the famous actor, for on January 12th, 1777, the insurance policy was transferred to him and bears the assignment fee of Is Gd. There is also a superscription at tho i'oot of the policy recording the renewal of tho policy on April 3rd, 1778. Insurance in a wooden-built town like London avus not so very formidable- a business financially as it is to-day, as a still older policy, a copy of which exists in the Wellington office of the company, records that a house then being erected by Dr. Bergcr Hoadlev in St. James's square at a cost of £I2OO was covered for tho sum of 30s. Tho Royal Exchange Company was one of tho very few of the "South Sea Bubble" companies (established in 17201, which survived tho historic crash.

"The average season ticket fare on the suburban railways is now about 2.Gd, and on buses sixpence. The averago cost of running an automobile is about fourpence per mile," said Mr H. F. Butcher, formerly City Town Planner, in his address to members of the Wellington branch of tho Town Planning Institute. "If wo assume an average distance of eight miles, the same as the railway, then the motorist pays parking charges which will conio in time, for tho same rido that ho will get on tho public facilities for tho maximum of sixpence. The advantage that he gains in comfort and exclusiveness is being constantly reduced by the cumulative effect of the inereaso in traffic density, tho attendant reduction in speed, and the gradual abolition of free parking {space, until finally it disappears altogether, and the use of tho automobile will probably become an inconvenience and a waste of time."