General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22120, 16 June 1937, Page 8

General News

A Department Defended "There is a prejudice against the Public Works Department, not altogether justified, that it is extravagant," said Mr C. J. Talbot, a member of the Main Highways Board, addressing the No. 13 District Highways Council yesterday on State highways. "The departmentnow has an opportunity to show the local bodies that it can carry out works just as cheaply and efficiently as they can. lam sure, from my knowledge of the department, that we will have jolly good State highways up and down the country." Dangerous Cycle-racing The danger to motorists and to cyclists in road races held on the hill roads over Gebbie's Pass and through Lyttelton and Sumner was emphasised at a meeting of the Canterbury Cvcling Centre. The president (Mr C. D. Doyle) mentioned that he had read a report suggesting the holding of such a race. He moved as follows: "That this centre dissociates itself from any organisation conducting a race over this course, because it is not fair and is dangerous to motorists using the roads." The motion was carried. "We would be blamed if there were any accidents," Mr Doyle remarked. Modernising Auckland Hospital Two plans for the modernisation of the Auckland Hospital, prepared by the Hospital Board's architect, and an Australian firm of architects, are to be considered by the board at a special meeting to be held on Tuesday. The board decided on this course after a report of the meeting of the select committee set up to consider the building programme had been made by the chairman. The board agreed that the meeting should be open. "We might as well put all our cards on the table now," remarked the chairman.—Press Association.

New Motor Ship Due on Friday On her maiden voyage from England, the Union Steam Ship Company's new motor ship Waiana will arrive at Auckland on Friday, under command of Captain A. H. Howie. The Waiana, which was launched from the 'yards of Alexander Stephen and Sons, Ltd., Linthouse, Glasgow, on February 25, will replace the steamer Wingatui in the east coast cargo trade. The Waiana, which embodies several modern features designed to facilitate cargo handling, is 320 feet in length, with a beam of 48 feet. Her gross tonnage is about 3300, and her dead weight carrying capacity 3850 tons. On a draught of 19ft 6in her service speed will be 12 knots. Dangerous Studs on Football Boots Composition studs on football boots have been banned by the New Zealand Rugby Union. In a letter received by the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union last evening it was stated that on more than one occasion such studs had proved dangerous because of the material breaking away and exposing a metal screw. Affiliated unions were asked to advise players that these studs should not be worn, and it was decided to instruct referees to make an inspection of boots. "Spring-cleaning in England" The practice of "spring-cleaning," which also seemed to include the painting of houses each year, was particularly noticeable in England, said Dr. H. G. Denham in an address—"Some Impressions Abroad"—at a recent luncheon meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, over which Mr J. A. Henry presided. The speaker said that in one village the citizens even scrubbed the pavements in front of the houses in preparation for a special festival. Mayor Goes by Air Some questions about the preference of the Mayor of Rotorua (Mr T. Jackson) for air travel and whether the extra expense was borne by the council were asked at a meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council. Mr Jackson replied that he paid the difference between the cost of the air trip and the railway fare. Actually he had saved two days' hotel expenses in Wellington by travelling by air. Councillors expressed themselves as satisfied with the Mayor's explanation.

Consolidation of Unions Two conferences have already been held by representatives of the 11 timber workers' unions in the Dominion to arrange for the consolidation of these unions, and another conference is to take place in Wellington on June 25. It is expected that this conference will complete the formation of a New Zealand Timber Workers' National Union, with the present district unions as affiliated branches. If a national union is formed it will control all activities for securing awards or conducting disputes, and this, it is considered, will have the advantage of providing uniform wages and conditions, and of reducing the time spent by conciliation commissioners and the Arbitration Court on timber workers' disputes. Significance of Emotion "In recent years emotion has been taking on a new significance in the account which psychology endeavours to give of the mental life of man. Through many investigations and many discoveries we have come to recognise the central place which emotion has in life." said Professor I. L. G. Sutherland when speaking on ''Psychology and Literature" in a lecture, the second in a series on "Literature and Life," arranged by the English Department of Canterbury University College and the English Association, and held last evening at the Little Theatre, Canterbury University College. "This was long overlooked, since philosophers and academic psychologists tended to be almost exclusively concerned with the intellectual aspects of the human mind. AH this is now changed. The emphasis has shifted and we see that emotion bears 'upon life at every point in both its normal and abnormal manifestations."

Coronation Medals Two of the first Coronation medals to arrive in New Zealand were received this week by two Auckland holders of the Victoria Cross, Captain Judson. New Zealand Staff Corps, and Lieutenant Bassett, who is manager of the Upper Queen street branch of the National Bank of New Zealand. Neither of them was on the New Zealand medal list, and their medals were posted direct to them from Buckingham Palace, the envelopes bearing the Crown and Royal monogram, and the Palace date stamp. The enclosed sheet states that the medal is forwarded "by command of His Majesty the King," to be worn in commemoration of Their Majesties' Coronation. May 12, 1937." Neither of the recipients expected to receive the medal, and its arrival was a pleasant surprise. Apparently they had been left out of the New Zealand list because the authorities were aware that medals would be sent direct from England to all holders of the Victoria Cross throughout the Empire. It is thought that Victoria Cross holders were singled out for special honour in having their medals disnatched from Buckingham Palace, as it is unlikely that all the thousands distributed ip Britain could have been sent out in that way.

Trials of a Radio Pioneer A paragraph under the "Twenty-five Years Ago" heading in the "Dominion," Wellington, of a few days ago recalled that the PostmasterGeneral of 1912 (the Hon. H. G. Ell) made it clear that his department had no intention of licensing private experimental wveless stations in New Zealand. However, several years before this announcement Mr S. W. Moult, now a resident of Wellington, built and operated his own station. Mr Moult began the construction of his apparatus in the laboratories of Nelson College, where he was educated, in 1907, and completed it in the workshops of the Welling ton corporation tramways at Newtown. In 1909. before there was a Government wireless station in New Zealand, he intercepted mes sages from the first ships fitted with wireless on their way to the Dominion. When a Government station was erected an act was passed prohibiting the construction of wireless apparatus, and Mr Moult received several instructions to dismantle his set, although it was in operation bpfore the adoption of the legislation. In March, 1914, a further act provided for the compulsory dismantling of all private stations. That the possibilities of wireless had then captured the public imagination was shown when in 1910 Mr Moult exhibited his sending and receiving apparatus in a shop window in Cuba street, Wellington. Such crowds gathered that traffic was obstructed and police action was taken to terminate the exhibition.