General News

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20978, 5 October 1933, Page 8

General News

Music Comes into its Own. At a farewell gathering to Mr and Mrs C. A. Rendle yesterday, Mr Eendle stated that radio listeners in England did not use their sets as an aid to conversation as many New Zealand owners did, but for what they wanted to hear. Radio, however, was not ousting real music, for when he was last in England some piano factories were working overtime, the main product being a baby grand. Financial Theorists. The part the theorist has played in the depression was criticised by Mr T. Auton, chairman of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, last evening. Mr Auton remarked that he was sincerely of the opinion that the financial theorist and the economist had played far too important a part in the great catastrophe of the depression and had, perhaps, by their activities actually increased the steepness of the fall in prices. "I feel that the accountant, with his practical outlook, could play a very valuable part in meeting the problems of to-day," added Mr Auton.

Silt from Waimakariri. I The amount of silt carried in suspension by the waters of the Waimakariri river during an ordinary year amount to 1,000,000 tons, said Mr H. W. Harris, engineer to the Waimakariri River Trust, during an address on river control to the members of the Philosophical Institute last evening. The weight of the silt compared with the water discharged was 1 to 2000, the speaker added. Last year's total had been only 600,000 tons, while in one year it had amounted to 3,000,000 tons. Local Bodies' Loans. One of the great weaknesses of local body borrowing which should be remedied by legislation was the system of making debenture issue after debenture issue on the same security, the later issues remaining on the same basis as the earlier ones, although the security had not improved in any way, remarked the chairman of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants (Mr T. Auton) last evening. The Thames Harbour Board and «the Thames Borough Council were example of this weakness both of them having ..defaulted on their payments of interest after making successive issues of debentures over a long period of years. The very prudent investors who had bought the debentures in the early days had suffered to the same extent as those who had invested later. Great Western Highway. Work is progressing on the formation of what may be known as the Great Western Highway, the road that relief workers are making, under the direction of the Public Works Department, from Te Anau towards Hollyford and the West Coast. The leading gang is now well past the middle of Lake Fergus, and will probably be abreast of Lake Lochie by Christmas. That will enable holiday-makers to travel by motor to a point within two miles of the Lake Howden Hut; which can give shelter for about 20 campers. From Howden to the Greenstone, a serviceable track leads to the shores of Lake Wakatipu. A glorious tour, new and charming, is thus on the point o£ being opened to pleasure seekers who enjoy the open-air life.—"The Press" Special Service.

Family of Builders. It is an interesting coincidence that the firm which has secured the contract for the new State Fire Office in Christchurch, Messrs B. Moore and Sons, Ltd., has been indirectly connected with at least two of the buildings which have been erected previously on the site for the new one. Many years ago Mr Ben Moore, senior, who is still connected with the firm, was responsible for the erection of the brickwork of the first building on the site, used as tramway sheds. Later, when Mr Moore was a partner in the old firm of Moore Bros., he was concerned in the erection of the present State Fire Office on the same land. That building was built by the firm for the Dunlop Rubber Company. Now Mr Moore's sons have secured the contract for the construction of a handsome new State Fire Office of six storeys on the same site. One of the partners in the present firm, Mr S. J. Moore, is the president of the Canterbury Builders' Association. His Own Medicine. A suggestion that "the doctor should try a dose of his own medicine" was made by' Sir Stephen Allen at the sitting of the Transport Licensing Authority over which he presided yesterday. It was being argued whether rearranging the Hanmer service-car time-table so that cars left there at 7 a.m. would cause much inconvenience to tourists, and Mr E. S. Brittenden, for the Railway Department, contended that the hour was not unduly early. It would not hurt tourists or anybody else to have to get up early once in every six months or so, he said. "All right," said Sir Stephen, "suppose I arrange for to-morrow's sitting of the Licensing Authority to begin at 7 a.m., and for a Railway Department matter to be the first case heard?" His retort was greeted with laughter from all present. Waimakariri River Mouth.

Although the formation of the seashore at the mouth of the Waimakariri river is constantly changing, the shore is now almost exactly the same as it was in 1360. Mr H. W. Harris, engineer to the Waimakariri River Trust, told members of the Philosophical Institute last evening. The actual mouth shifted about a chain a month, he said, and endeavours were being made to stabilise it. Mr-Harris added that he did not consider that there was the slightest possibility of shingle from the river being transported to Brighton beach should the stabilisation efforts prove successful. The Coldness of Stone. Solid stone walls, such as those of the old Provincial Council Chamber, give a building p splendidly massive appearance, but they make it very cold. Those persons who attended the sitting of the Transport Licensing Authority in the chamber yesterday had occasion to complain of this, for the day seemed too warm to justify lighting the large fires which are the only means of heating { t nowadays, and yet very little oi the sun's warmth penetrated the walls, which are sft 6in thick at the base and 2ft 9in thick 25 feet from the ground. When it was first opened in 1865 the building had a very efficient system of central heating by hot water pipes, but this-has long since fallen into disuse.