General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 10

General News

Diseases in Stock “A very serious problem for the farming community to-day is the increase in disease in stock, and it is one which calls for more urgent scientific investigation,” said Mr A. Ward, in his address as retiring president at the twentyseventh annual conference of the South Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Timaru yesterday. The increased carrying capacity of land, had brought in its train more disease and losses in stock, and particularly was this the case with sheep. It had been estimated that out of the Dominion’s 30,000,000 sheep last year 2,000,000 were lost through disease. A very startling fact indeed, this was by no means the total loss, as there was also the setback to flocks caused by diseases which were not necessarily fatal. It would appear to warrant the expenditure of much greater amounts and more extensive research than was at present the case. Interrogation of Nurses The view that the statement of the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister for Internal Affairs, about the interrogation of the nurses for Spain by the police before their departure from Auckland, was more or less satisfactory, but that the concluding portion was misleading and should be cleared up, was held by members of the Christchurch Spanish Aid Committee at a meeting yesterday. Members of the committee were unanimous in the opinion that there was no doubt the police had exceeded their duty in interrogating the nurses about their political views. It was decided to communicate to the Auckland Spanish Aid Committee the views of Christchurch members on the statement of the Minister. “Wliat’s in a Name?” “What’s in a name?” and the quick answer, “Not much,” were heard at a meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society last evening. Some members objected to the name “fish committee” for a new committee. “Something fishy about it,” was murmured. In succession, members suggested “trout committee,” “piscatorial committee,” “aquatic committee,” “fish conservation committee,” and “incubation committee.” Only Mr A. W. Parrott _ commended the simple title of “fish committee,” which was, in spite of the more ornate tastes, tacitly adapted. Family Precedence and Power “Within the family, for parents as for children, there is more restriction of liberty than outside it,” said Dr. R. R. D. Milligan, in speaking of the three cries of democracy—liberty, fraternity, and equality—in an address entitled “Aspects of Government” to the Royal Society of New Zealand, Canterbury branch, last evening. “That is why it is a school of manners, good or bad. The family is a hierarchical system, not democratic at all. Father, mother, eldest child, youngest child, hired servant, dog, cat. mouse; this is the order of precedence and power.” No Trees for Farmers Farmers will not be able to buy shelter trees through the Canterbury Progress League this year, "for the State Forestry Service has told the league that it has no trees available for sale. In recent years trees have been bought at 2s a 100 from the State Forestry Service through the league. In an effort to ensure a supply for next* year the league is to make representations to the department. Orange Deadlock Ended The deadlock over oranges has been ended through negotiations between the Cook Islands Department and retail fruiterers. The Government has agreed to reduce the price by Is a case. This makes the price from 13s to 20s, according to count. The amended price was accepted by the Retail Association, and oranges wili now be available to the public at from four to six a shilling. Law and Equality “There is some vagueness about these matters,” said Dr. R. R. D. Milligan in discussing law and equality during an address—“ Aspects of Government” —to the Royal Society of New Zealand, Canterbury branch, last evening. Dr. R. S Allan presided. “The connexion of ideas about law with ideas about equality is interesting,” he said. “Equal access of all citizens to public justice is a rebound of the idea that public justice shall have equal access to all citizens. Equal access, in this case, does not necessarily mean equal dispensation. It is only one of the doors in the house of justice. There is much vagueness about these matters, ‘All men are equal in the sight of the law’ is a phrase which can mean something definite if we take a good deal of trouble with our definitions. It does not, for example, mean exactly the same as the phrase ‘every man equally enjoys the protection of the law.’ So long as a rich person is able to hire more eminent counsel than a poor person can, equality in the intention of the law is frustrated by unequal conditions of which the law takes no notice. It is obvious that such equality as our national society expresses in its laws exists for reasons which have to do mainly with social cohesion.” A Concession to Christchurch In response to the representations of the Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland), the Lyttelton Harbour Board agreed yesterday that the remaining £9OO of its £IOOO grant to the King George V Memorial Fund should be paid through the Christchurch fund. The first £IOO of the board’s grant was paid direct into the Government’s special fund. * Help for Crippled Children The large increase in the number of children crippled as the result of the infantile paralysis epidemic has created new problems for the New Zealand Crippled Children Society. Among them is the difficulty of transporting children from their homes to the hospital for treatment. The society is anxious to hear from motor-car owners who will volunteer to carry out this work. Motor Cases as Garages A statement that the construction oi garages out of motor-car cases would be forbidden was ♦made at the meeting of the Upper Hutt Borough Council. It was stated that these could be used for fowlhouses, but they would not be countenanced for garages. Cr. J. Purvis said that the appearance of the borough would suffer if poorly-built garages were allowed. Guidon for Otago Mounted Rifles An appeal is at present being made for contributions towards the purchase of a guidon for the Otago Mounted Rifles, a regiment which has a long and honourable association with the history of the province. The committee is aiming at the collection of £2OO, and the amount now in hand is £llO. Colonel J. Cowie Nicholls, who was the first commanding officer of the regiment, has offered to subsidise £ for £ any further contributions towards the raising of the sum required. Disabled Soldiers’ JVork The work of an interesting organisation .to assist disabled soldiers and sailors was outlined in a letter of appeal received at last evening’s meeting of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. The letter stated that the work began after the war with only one disabled man. He had no hands and was taught to paint textiles with brushes tied to the stumps of his arms. Fifty men were now employed in work of this nature and all of them were 70 per cent, disabled. The Royal Family in recent years had patronised t’ae products of these men, not from •a humanitarian viewpoint, but because of the intrinsic value of the work. An exhibition is to be held of some of the products in Christchurch and support was .sought. The president, Mr H. B. Duckworth, asked members to assist either by purchase or by attendance at the exhibition. Large Property Deal One of the largest property deals negotiated in the Wanganui district for some time concerns Messrs T. O’Neill and Son’s sheep farm* at Kakatahi, which has just been bought by a Wellington syndicate for £105,000. The property, which is of more than 7000 acres, lies near Field’s track, off the Parapara road, between Wanganui and Raetihi, and is first-class grazing land, typical of much of the country inland from W» K^ —'