General News

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21954, 1 December 1936, Page 10

General News

♦ Slackness in Speech A rebuke on slackness of speech was administered by Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., from the bench of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. A defendant in a traffic case mentioned a “cobber.” He was asked by Mr Mosley if he had lived always in New Zealand. On admitting that he had, the defendant was asked what school he had gone to. “Timaru Boys’ High School,” he said, “Well, you never heard that, word there; what do you mean by it?” asked Mr Mosley. Defendant said he meant a friend, if the magistrate would like it that way. “I would very much like it that way; use proper English when you come before a court of justice,” Mr Mosley said. The Harewood Aerodrome Fourteen tenders have already been received by the Christchurch City Council for the work to be done immediately on the Harewood aerodrome. The tenders close on Wednesday week. The work to be done includes levelling, grading, and surfacing a flying field 800 yards in diameter. Legislation Affects Schools An adverse effect of recent legislation on pupils in secondary schools will be brought to the attention of the Minister for Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) by the Canterbury College Council. The high schools and hostels committee reported to a meeting of the council yesterday that through the desire of employers to engage juniors at a lower age and at a minimum wage many secondary school pupils were leaving to take up positions. Many of these pupils would benefit by remaining at school and were thus losing the advantages of a continued secondary education. Inland Swimming The forming of a life guard corps for the protection of inland swimmers was mentioned at a meeting last night of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Life-Saving Society. Speaking of the worth of such a corns in Canterbury, Mr M. E. Lyons said that here there was no great incidence of fatality with inland

swimming. The most valuable work could be done on the beaches. Members spoke lightly of the scheme, calling up possibilities of patrols being assigned to guard the Waimakariri groynes and like places. However, it was decided to fall in with any such scheme, which is being mooted by the New Zealand council of the association. Interest in Labour Experiment The great interest people in Australia were taking in the progress of the New Zealand Government was mentioned by Archbishop O’Shea who returned Vo Wellington by the Awatea yesterday, after a stay of several weeks in Australia. His Grace said that the Australian people did not always secure adequate reports of what was happening politically, but they were watching New Zealand very closely. The success or failure of the New Zealand Government would have a big effect on politics in Australia. In conversation' with people from other Dominions, he had found that the New Zealand Government’s experiments were being closely followed in Canada also.—“ The Press” Special Service., Air Ambulance for Auckland Action has been taken by the Auckland Aero Club to obtain a modern ambulance aeroplane

to serve the Auckland province. Tire scheme has been approved by the committee of the club and enthusiastically endorsed by the Auckland branch of the St. John Ambulance Association. A special machine lias been ordered, and within a few weeks the club will be operating a fully-equipped aerial ambulance, capable of bringing sick and injured in remote country districts within easy reach of the most skilled medical and surgical treatment available in the city.—Press Association. State Enterprise in Architecture Concern at the expansion of some of the Government and local body architectural departments was expressed in the annual report of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, which was presented to members of the branch at the annual meeting. It was stated that the increased grant for public buildings had made it necessary greatly to increase the staff of the Government department. and it was felt by the committee of the branch that a bettor course would have been for the Government to place at least some of its architectural .work in the hands of private practitioners.—Press Association. Need for Practical Life-saving The need for practical life-saving, and a warning against allowing competitions to develop into pot-hunting events with a “star performer” complex, were stressed by Mr W. H. Benson, president of the Waimairi Beach LifeSaving Club, at the annual meeting last evening. “I desire to sound a note of warning,” said Mr Benson, “against the possibility of pothunting and the ‘star performer’ complex being allowed to take root an' 1 spread, as has been the case in many other forms of sport. Some of the world’s greatest athletes, including our own Jack Lovelock, have strongly condemned this objectionable feature of modern sport, which is damaging the club and team spirit. Too much attention has been given in the past 'to the inter-club contests.” Mr Benson considered that much more valuable work could he accomplished by assisting members in practical work in the water. Grants for Coronation The possibility of the Government making giants to districts for the erection of halls and for providing other amenities in commemoration of the Coronation of King Edward next year was mentioned by a reporter at Hamilton to the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon.

W. E. Parry) yesterday. “Grants of this kind,” replied the Minister, “were made in New Zealand in. 1911 for the Coronation of King George, and similar action will probably be taken for the Coronation of King Edward, though at the moment I am unable to give definite advice. The question has been before the Cabinet. It is necessary to settle these matters well ahead and no doubt the Prime Minister will be making an announcement shortly.”—Press Association. Memorial Gateway to Westport A proposal to build a stone archway over the main highway into Westport at McPadden’s Hill, a short distance beyond the western end of the Buller bridge, as a memorial to Richard John Seddon and the pioneers of the Buller district has been put forward by the Mayor of Westport (Mr J. Kilkenny). A design for the suggested archway, which it is said could be built from Cape Foulwind stone at a cost of ,£SOO, has been prepared by Mr A. McDonald, a Westport architect. The Mayor suggests that the archway should be built at the time of his Majesty’s Coronation next year. It is proposed to incorporate in the archway the bell from the clock tower of the old Post. Office, which was erected to the memory of West Coast’s first and only Prime Minister. The plan shows (lie principal archway 36 feet high with smaller openings for pedestrians on either side. The Mayor said that the archway would make a fine gateway to Westport. It is understood that he 'proposes to make an appeal to local bodies and the citizens to raise the necessary funds to carry out the project.