General News

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21908, 8 October 1936, Page 10

General News

Government Works Appreciated * A letter of appreciation is to be sent by the 1 Canterbury Progress League to the Minister ; for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) for the Government’s provision in Christchurch of ’ three public buildings which have been long " needed, and for its assistance in the constn c- » tion of an airport. “We are not a political body,” said Mr M. W. Stevenson, who moved that the letter should be sent, “but the Gov- '■ ernment is giving Christchurch a new post . , office, new law courts, and a new railway sta- , tion. In all due respect to the Government, I think a sign of appreciation is due from this i league to the Government for what it has [ done.” Mr F. W. Johnston seconded the motion, ; which was carried enthusiastically. • Oil Production in America : The oii producing industry in the United , States is now in a very sound position, accord- . ing to Mr W. W. Lechner, an oil producer, of Dallas, Texas, who is on a visit to New Zealand, i He said last evening that the restrictions on , output to keep the prices at an economic level were proving a great advantage to producers. In Texas, the largest oil-producing state, wells ; which could produce 10,000 to 15,000 barrels of , oil a day were restricted to 25 barrels. Mr Lechner mentioned incidentally that the taxation for reading purposes in Texas was levied according to the length of road through a tax- ’ payer’s land. Mountain Experiences The remarkable feats of vision possible from | the New Zealand Alps because of the clear 1 atmosphere and the sudden transition' from mountain snows to luxuriant bush on the West [ Coast side are two of the things that impressed Mr Colin Wyatt, official delegate from the Sk’ ’ Club of Great Britain, during a ski climbing expedition in the Mount Cook region, from which he returned yesterday. “A thing I shall not soon forget is the astonishing nearness of the sea when we stood at a height of 10,058 feet on the Minarets and could look down and see the waves breaking on the West Coast beaches,” said Mr Wyatt. “We could even see the reflections of the trees in Lake Mapourika. Another memorable thing was to get off the snows of the Franz Josef slap bang into a jungle of tree ferns.” H.M.S. Achilles to Visit Port H.M.S. Achilles, the latest addition to the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy, will visit Lyttelton from November 13 to 17. Although the Achilles displaces only 7030 tons, she has a length of 554 feet and a speed of 32 knots. The cruiser will be berthed at the east side of No. 2 wharf. Fossilised Moa’s Egg Found A very rare find of a fossilised egg of a moa was made by workmen engaged in quarrying at lime works in the place generally known as “The Caves,” near Hastings. Unfortunately, the shell was fractured, but hopes are entertained that it will be pieced together, and the find should be one of considerable interest to geologists. The find was made by Mr J. L. Jorgenson, a quarry man for Lime Hydraters, Ltd., who had just fired a shot of explosive to bring down a part of a cliff face. He was engaged in picking off the protruding parts of the new face when his pick slipped through some soft material. A close examination revealed that the tip of the pick had pierced an egg shell, which was about five inches in diameter and which was later identified as a moa’s egg. The find follows the discovery of several old trees heavily coated in lime deposits, in- ‘ dicating that at one time in the far distant past there was vegetation at a considerably lower level than at present in that place. The egg was embedded in a large lump of rock, fossilised vegetation, and limestone.—Press Association. Charges for Irrigation The opinion that the Government would be “breaking faith with the Ashburton people” if it imposed other charges than water charges on land improved by irrigation, wSs expressed by Mr F. Coop, president of the Canterbury Proges# League, when the league’s executive considered last evening a request by the Ashburton County Council for support in its opposition to any extra charges. The council stated in a letter that farmers in the irrigation area were disturbed by the reported statement by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. ‘ Semple) that the Government would expect some return from successfully irrigated land, corresponding to the betterment of the land. Mr J. E. Strachan said that there was no hint that the Government would break its undertaking. If a man improved his land he expected some return from the improvement, and the same principle applied where the Government had done the improving. There was nothing in the Minister’s statement to be afraid of. It was decided, on the suggestion of Mr G. M. Hall, that further information should be sought from Ashburton, to make discussion possible at a later meeting. Americans Coming to New Zealand New Zealanders talk and act more like Americans than English people do. according! to Mr W. W. Lechner, an American visitor, who has come to the Dominion for the first time, and arrived in Christchurch yesterday. He had high praise for the tourist attractions of the country, and said that New Zealand would soon need more hotel accommodation, as Americans were becoming “fed up” with visiting Europe, particularly because of the present unrest, which sometimes made it impossible for travellers to know whether they would be able to leave for home. Many now preferred to go to Australia and New Zealand. Haast Road Approved The Canterbury Progress League has decided to join the Otago Expansion League and the Southland Progress League in supporting the effort to secure a highway over the Haast Pass, with the construction of the road from Weheka to Jackson’s Bay. The decision was held over from a meeting of the league’s executive a month ago, to consider further evidence in support of an alternative route from Jackson’s Bay to the Hollyford. At a meeting of the executive last evening the following resolution was reported by the highways and tourist committees of the league: “In view of the desirability of opening up the productive resource* and scenery of South Westland and of providing through routes to attract the tourists and the trade on which both production and settlement depend, this meeting commends the proposal to complete the Haast Pass road.” Mr G. J. Errington, of the Otago Expansion League, who was a guest at the meeting, expressed satisfaction at the decision. The expansion league felt that though the Haast road would satisfy the immediate need and was commercially the better route, the other route by way of the Hollyford would eventually be necessary to open up tourist attractions, he said. He believed that this would be the principal tourist route. House Shortage in Auckland Not for 20 years, it is said, has there been in Auckland such a shortage of houses for letting. Many of the larger agents have on their books not more than four or five dwellings, and if these remain unlet for a week then either the house is unsatisfactory in position or size or state of repair, or else the rental demanded is beyond the reach of the average person wanting a house. Agents were unwilling to hazard an estimate as to when the position was likely to be eased. The Government scheme, they said, , might help matters, but many houses would need to be built to bring the position back to normal.—“ The Press” Special Service. Letters on Coins Urging the Government to restore the letters “D.G.” on New Zealand coinage of the King Edward VIII. issue, the annual meeting of the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations vsupported action already taken by the Methodist conference and approved by Archbishop Averill. “The King does rule by the grace of : God,” said the Rev. J. A. Thomson, “and it was 1 regrettable that this recognition should have been removed when the last coins were issued.” The Rev. E. D. Patchett said the appeal to have the time-honoured letters restored would meet with general approval. “I wonder what was behind the dropping of the letters iry the first place, as there was.no decision of Parliament 1 to do it,” he added.