General News

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21290, 9 October 1934, Page 10

General News

Tents in the City Area The erection of tents in the city without permission having first been obtained from the City Council was the subject of a report from the by-laws committee to the coun-1 cil's meeting last night. The com- j mittee stated that it was contrary to the by-laws for a tent to be erected < in any portion of the city without permission having first been granted by the council. Several instances ; had been brought to the notice of the committee where owners of properties had erected tents without first applying for permission. Each application was reviewed on its merits, and permission was granted only in cases where the committee felt that there were satisfactory reasons submitted for the request. *

Citrus Fruit Embargo

"Knowing what I do, I think that the New Zealand Government has been justified in adopting the attitude it has taken up over the embargo on Australian fruit," said Mr E. Mueller, representative in New Zealand of the South Australian citrus fruit growers' organisation, when discussing the quotas yesterday. "If it were not for the controversy over oranges, New Zealanders would to a man be behind their Government." Mr Mueller said that the New Zealand Government was trying to extract from the Australian Government only what was its due. He felt that eventually the people of New Zealand would know the full facts, and would thank the Government for the stand it had taken.

Programme of Tar-Sealing A sum of £3500 has been placed on the current year's estimates for tar-sealing streets, and in addition there is a sum of £I6OO available from the unemployment relief loan, making a total in all of £SIOO, stated a report before the City Council last night. A schedule of streets which are to be tar-sealed has been prepared by the city engineer and approved by the works committee, the total estimated cost being £5035. In preparing this schedule, the amount allocated to each ward is approximately in proportion to the total mileage of streets in the ward, with a slight increase in those wards where the proportion of sealing is low. The report was adopted.

Concerts on River Bank A suggestion that mid-day concerts should be held on the banks of the Avon, near the Bridge of Remembrance, was made by Mr R. B. Owen at a meeting of the Christchurch Beautifying Association last evening. Mr Owen said that some city workers enjoyed their lunches on the river banks but others apparently preferred to stay in their shops or factories. A concert might induce more of them to come out and enjoy the beauty of the river and the sunshine. Mr E. Egglestone thought the concert might defeat its own object as city workers went to the river for peace, rest and quiet. It was decided to ask the City Council for permission to organise some concerts.

Terns, Not Godwit A paragraph in "The Press" yesterday stated that godwit had been noticed collecting in thousands on the rocks at Ngamotu Beach, New Plymouth, recently. Mr Edgar F. Stead states that the writer in the Taranaki "News," from which the paragraph was taken, had obviously confused the godwit with the white fronted tern. The birds would be collecting there preparatory to nesting either on the rocks or close to them. Moreover, they were in their full summer or breeding plumage. They are the commonest tern in New Zealand waters, and nest in colonies. Duty on Cast Iron Pipes Recently the Christchurch City Council was asked by the Auckland City Council to support .-n endeavour to have the duty on cast iron pipes reduced or removed. A report on the request was received by the council at its meeting last night from the City Engineer. He said that even without the duty cast iron pipes were dearer than steel, and the nature of Christchurch soil made it necessary to use cast iron pipes. However, the water supply committee reported that it considered New Zealand manufacturers of steel pipes were entitled to a reasonable protective tariff. The report was adopted.

Weather and Work Though industrial psychologists have worked out the business loss caused in other parts of the world by oppressive weather they have not so far reduced to tabulated form the interference with trade caused by a hot nor'-wester in Christchurch. A small Diece of amateur research yesterday showed that it might be considerable. Lying on the banks of the Avon is as good an antidote as any for a nor'-wester. Inspection of the stretch along Park terrace showed that three obvious message boys and a young labourer who had been sent on an errand had discovered that. By the river actually in the city other message boys were suppressing their consciences and enjoying the coolness. In one side street three more were eating icecreams. Others-, no doubt, had found other spots on which to rest, out of the heat. Insufficient data were collected to make an estimate of manhours of work lost, but the amateur scientist who made the observations wasted a pleasant 30 minutes.

Collecting; Cones A new industry which employs boys or men knocking down cones from pine trees to collect seed has been undertaken by a Burwood man. He applied in a letter received by the New Brighton Borough Council last evening for permission to gather cones in the Pleasant Point Domain to collect the seed for planting. He required 300 sacks of cones and offered a royalty of 4d a sack. The Mayor (Mr E. A. M. Leaver) explained that the cones were knocked down with a hammer; no damage would be done to the trees at all, nor would future growth be affected. Several councillors foresaw large numbers of persons helping themselves after seeing the Burwood man collecting his cones, and since 300 sacks at 4d each would bring only £5 the council decided to refuse the request. "The Art Union Habit" "New Zealanders have got the art union habit." declared Mr T. W. Patterson at the meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association which last evening discussed means of raising funds for the association's ground, Wilding Park. Mr Patterson said that the members of the public were so accustomed to putting small sums into art unions thSt they took them all as a matter of course. He strongly urged the claims of art unions in the campaign for funds.