General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22017, 15 February 1937, Page 8

General News

First Coating of Snow Over the week-end the weather throughout Canterbury was boisterous, with heavy showers. In the clear spells yesterday the first coating of snow of any thickness could be seen from Christchurch on the ranges, and it reached well down the slopes. Sports were cancelled all over the province on Saturday, the high wind and frequent showers making conditions equally unpleasant for performers and spectators. Seasonable farm work has again been delayed in several country districts. There was practically no work on the Lyttelton waterfront on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon several passenger launches were badly buffeted. When the tide was high seas were being swept over the wall of the Gladstone pier, and also over the extension recently made to the oil wharf. The Wahine was an hour late in arriving from Wellington yesterday morning.

Bees by Air Mail Some queen bees were recently dispatched from the Geraldine post office to a destination in the North Island. 1 Although this was the

first time that the air mail has been used for

this purpose from Geraldine, a reporter learned ~that it was the practice of beekeepers in different parts of New Zealand to exchange queen bees in an effort to maintain a high quality in the strain. One beekeeper said that in the past he had imported queen bees from America. If a trans-Pacific air service were established, beekeepers would undoubtedly use it to obtain queen bees from the United States and Canada at the end of the season there. Living Conditions of Maoris There is apparently room for improvement in living conditions of Maoris of the Arowhenua native reserve at Temuka. In an interview, Mr Namana Waaka, of the Arowhenua Pa. said that conditions were bad in certain northern districts, particularly the Waikato, and some move was on foot there to have those conditions bettered. At Temuka the position was not so bad, but water supply and drainage problems needed some attention, and several private applications asking for steps to be taken had been sent to Wellington. Compared with other places at least, Temuka was not suffering from overcrowding of houses, but it could not be denied that there was room for improvement. Economies in Education The old saying about history repeating itself was illustrated by Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P., last evening in speaking on education in New Zealand. Quoting from an educational work he said: "Rigid economy was practised. The grants to public libraries were stopped; school committees' capitation was stopped and an order-in-council was promulgated raising the entrance school age to six years. The grants to the four training colleges were all stoppe.l. Every department suffered an J the poor teachers' salaries sank." That, he said, was an account of the effect of the depression on the schools in 1880. There was such an outcry at the time, however, he added, that the raisk.j; of the school age was eventually not carri*- '. out. Mr Roosevelt and the Court The opinion that Mr Roosevelt would not proceed with his proposals to reorganise the American Federal Supreme Court judiciary if he found that public opinion were strongly against it, was expressed by Mr W. T. Barnard, a member of the American bar who has retired from practice and who arrived in Auckland last week by the Rangitiki. "We have a very bad practice in the United States of presidents giving out proposals which they do not intend to pursue if there is a public outcry." said Mr Barnard. "There is nobody so astute in the States in getting on the popular side as Roosevelt, and he is evidently merely testing public opinion." Mr Barnard said a reorganisation of the Supreme Court was not made an issue at the presidential election because when there was a suggestion of it being made one there was a violent public reaction. • ' Sea Lions for Auckland Now that normal shipping services between the United States and New Zealand have been resumed, three sea lions which have been on order for the Auckland Zoological Gardens for a considerable time are to arrive from San Diego Zoo soon. Only one of this species is possessed by the Auckland Zoo at present. Other early arrivals will include a small consignment of mixed finches from Western Australia. Dominion's Air Service The Government's policy of safety first in its preparations for the establishment of air services in New Zealand had more than justified itself, said the Minister for Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) when speaking to a deputation from the Southland Progress League. This was shown in the fact that Union Airways' aeroplanes had flown 1,000,000 miles arid carried 25,000 passengers without an accident. The Government's aim was to "go slow" and profit from the experience of other countries when introducing any comprehensive scheme of air services. Lake Changes Colour An unusual manifestation of thermal activity is reported from Waiotapu, near Rotorua, where, after recent slight earthquake tremors, a kind of minor eruption apparently took place in the Led of the Echo Lake. Although the water of this lake was previously notable for its vivid blue colour, it is now a slate grey, with one darker patch near the centre. It is assumed that a mud spring has broken out in the floor of the lake and that the dark patch indicates the location of the spring. Fences and Beauty

The opinion that the erection of fences would spoil the appearance of the bush along Hongi's track, between Rotorua and Whakatane, was expressed by members of the Rotorua County Council when the suggestion, which was made by the Lake Rotoiti Scenic Reserve Board, was under discussion. The Under-Secretary of the Lands and Survey Department advised that the suggestion had been made to the department by the board, but the writer considered it inadvisable to mar the scenic beauty of the bush by erecting fences. It was decided to suggest to the Rotoiti Scenic Board and to the Tourist Department that steps should be taken to repair the notices next to the "wishing tree" and other points of interest. These explain something of Maori history and legend attaching to the various spots and are of particular interest to visitors.

Dairymen Seek Bonus A meeting of the Drury branch of the Farmers' Union decided to ask the Government to pay a bonus at the end of the season to compensate for the increased costs of production and manufacture of butter since the guaranteed price came into operation. It was also decided to urge the union to take definite steps over the. action of the Minister for Labour in the freezing dispute settlement. It was stated that an injustice had been imposed on farmers in the way of losses and increased costs.

Destruction of Bush "I was impressed during the journey by the wanton destruction of bush on the hill sides, in most cases, it seemed, to no useful purpose," said the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., of Napier, when referring to his recent cycling tour from Auckland to Napier. "Much of the land was apparently considered desirable for agricultural pursuits in the early days, and the settlers, with this object in view, set fire to the bush and burned off great tracts of it. The necessity for a carefully planned policy of afforestation was made very evident to me, in view of the occurrence of slips and other troubles caused by the denuding of what should be magnificent bush areas." Late Opening of Schools Because of the heat, primary school children should not begin their school year, before the middle of February, and one mid-year holiday should take the place of the two term holidays, in the opinion of the chairman of the Hawke's Bay Education Board (Mr G. A. Maddison). At a meeting of the board he moved that* a recommendation in these terms should be made to the Education Department, but his motion was withdrawn in favour of another that he should raise the question at the board's March meeting to enable it to receive full consideration. •