General News

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 12

General News

“Not Catching. Trout” An amusing incident took place yesterday afternoon when the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D G. Sullivan) and the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) were making an inspection of the borough of New Brighton. The Ministers and their party had strolled to the end of the Pleasant Point jetty. Turning to a man sitting fishing, Mr Parry askpd him what he was catching, “Catching cold,” was the laconic reply. After he had answered a few questions by Mr Parry about fishing in the locality, Mr Sullivan said to the man, “Do you know that you are talking to the Honourable Minister for Internal Affairs—Mr Parry?” “Well,’ 1 said that fisherman, “it’s just as well that I wasn’t catching trout, isn’t it?” . New Zealand School Teachers Praised “I have a great admiration for the work done by New Zealand primary school teachers under difficult conditions,” said Mr P. Lander, a teacher on exchange from London, speaking at a meeting of the Canterbury School Committees’ Association last evening. “Their work compares very favourably in quality with that done by English teachers, who are in many ways better situated. Your teachers are very hard worked and earn their money well. They are also far too much bound by examinations.” Mr Lander added that education was really free in England. Everything required by the child was supplied liberally by the authorities, even to pen and pencil. Waterside Trouble Ended After having refused work on the Wellington waterfront since the beginning of October, more than 300 non-unionists who normally regularly seek work have decided to respond to calls for labour, and are now working as usual. The trouble arose with the enforcing of stricter preference for unionists whereby non-unionists had to give wav to any union labour becoming available during the day.—Press Association

telegram. Attire in Baths “We can wear bathing shorts on beaches, even in Oriental Bay, but directly we cross the portals of the Te Aro baths when mixed bathing is in progress we must wear ‘full dress’ togs, said Mr L. Dawkins, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. Mixed bathing was freely permitted on the beaches about Wellington with the men wearing properly-cut shorts, of which there were many types available. On many beaches men were allowed to roll their full-length swimming suits down to the waistline Why could this not be permitted in Te Aro baths? It” was decided to write to the reserves committee of the council requesting that it be permissible for men to wear adequate shorts when bathing during mixed-bathing hours in municipal baths. Queen’s Loan to Chinese Art Display Special interest will attach to the forthcoming loan exhibition of Chinese art in the main centres of New Zealand, with the announcement that Queen Mary wishes to lend something from her private collection. Advice to this effect has been received by the organiser of the exhibition, Captain G. Hum-phreys-Davies, of Clevedon. It is hoped to open the exhibition at the Auckland Museum before Christmas. Recent additions to the collection of exhibits already in New Zealand include a very fine bronze statue of Kwarf-Now, the Chinese goddess of mercy, which belongs to Dr. Blaxland, of Sydney. It bears an inscription stating that it was made in 620 A.D.—“The Press” Special Service. Fathers and Mothers “The further the children get away from their mothers the better,” suggested a male speaker discussing the location of health camps at a Health Camp Association meeting at Stratford. “What about getting the children away from their fathers?” retorted a woman member. The first speaker, however, defied tradition by having the final word. “Get them away from their mothers and then fathers will be no trouble,” he said. Speed Limits in Wellington That there were approximately 30 different speed limits for seven local authorities about Wellington, inclusive of Wellington city, was stated in a letter from the Commissioner of Transport received at a meeting of the Johnsonville Town Board. It was said that the aim of the Government was that the motor laws should be simplified and reduced to the most important requirements, but that energetic action should be taken to have those requirements strictly enforced. “All-round Development” “No nation in the past has attained to the highest destiny by relying on its primary industries,” said the Hon. D. G. Sullivan (Minister for Industries and Commerce), at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, after Mr N. R. Wilson had spoken on the need for a sound immigration policy. “We must have all-round development. Immigration has received the attention of members of the Government, and we realise that the population cannot remain as it is if tne country is to develop. We will hesitate to introduce increased population from overseas until we can see the road clear to provide for their placing in the ordinary way in the national life of the country. Nobody would advise rushing. We want to do the job an orderly and commonsense way. , The problem is being recognised, and when the right time comes the Government will play its proper part in giving recognition to the need for increased population.” Grandeur of Milford Sound

Milford Sound was a sight seen only once in this world, said Mr L. Blackwell, a member of the House of Assembly of South Africa, at Invercargill. He had travelled extensively in Switzerland, the Austrian Tyrol, and Central Africa, but none of these places had provided him with the magnificent thrill that Mitre Peak and Milford Sound had in the cold clear air of the morning. It was a great pity, he said, that the main stream of tourist traffic passed it by, in spite of the publicity given by the Tourist Department. He had been told that not 1 per cent, of the visitors to New Zealand visited a sound that for grandeur and ruggedness could not be equalled in the world. Fortunately, the morning was fine and clear—which is the exception rather than the rule in this area —and Milford was seen in its true glory. New Zealand in Danish Eyes That very little was known in foreign countries about New Zealand was mentioned by Mr Johannes Andersen, librarian of the Turnbull Library, Wellington, who has returned to New Zealand after an extended tour. “I can make an exception in Denmark,” he said. “I was in close touch with one of the men connected with butter in Denmark, and he said to me that the only things Denmark had in her favour in competition with New Zealand were the distance of New Zealand from the London market and the distance of many of the New Zealand suppliers from the dairy factory. In Denmark they send their milk daily to the factory and make the butter from fresh milk. In New Zealand in some cases the cream gets to the factory a week old. He said that first-class butter could not be made from stale cream.” The National Game in South Africa “South Africans are just as keen about Rugby football as New Zealanders,” said Mr L. Blackwell, of south Africa, at Invercargill. It was definitely South Africa’s national game; cricket took second place, and a very bad second at that. When he left for Australia the trials had started to enable a team to be picked to play against New Zealand and Australia. Mr Blackwell, without setting himself up as a Rugby critic or prophet, said that the Springbok forwards appeared as good and as heavy as ever, but the backs were only solid, and not brilliant. Napier’s Fishing Industry

The hope that the Napier fishing industry would benefit soon because of Government activity was expressed by the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P. He said that since the Industrial Efficiency Act had been passed the way was open not' only for a full investigation, but also for action. The Minister for Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, had agreed to make use of this act to overhaul the fishing industry, with special attention to marketing, and Mr Barnard was hopeful that those dependent for a livelihood upon fishing, not only in Napier, but in other ports, would benefit accordingly. *