General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22194, 10 September 1937, Page 12

General News

Construction of Rail-cars “Because of the difficulties experienced in obtaining the necessary materials from abroad the rail-car construction programme which we have in hand has been unfortunately delayed,” said the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in a letter to the Whangarei Borough Council in reply to the council’s request for the installation of a rail-car service between Whangarei and Auckland. The Minister said that the council might rest assured that the claims of the North Auckland area for a railcar service would be fully considered in conjunction with the requirements of other localities. Summer Camp for Children The summer camp for children in the Christchurch district and portions of the West Coast will be held at the Rangiora racecourse, according to a decision reached yesterday at a meeting of the Christchurch Central Council of the Federation of Health Camps. The camp will be opened some time in November or December and will continue until February or March. It is anticipated that about 100 children will be in the camp for the greater part of the summer, and preparations are to be made accordingly. A Train “Hold-up” “How they stopped a Queensland train in the middle of a black soil plain is an incident,” says the “Warwick Daily News,” “that will be recounted many times on the return of the visiting New . Zealand bowlers to their home city of Nelson. On August 26 the party, which had been travelling by motor and bus through New South Wales and Queensland since June, left Dalby, but between the North Downs town and Bowenville the heavy vehicle became bogged. Queenslanders would not have dared to do it; but the New Zealanders stood on the nearby railway line and waved arms and newspapers until the driver of an approaching train brought it to a standstill. The 25 members boarded the train and, calling ‘au revoir’ to the bus driver, continued their journey to Toowoomba, where they paid the rail fare of 6s each. The bus reached Toowoomba later, and the following day the New Zealanders resumed their trip to Warwick by road.” American Influence on New Zealand The extent to which the United States was influencing New Zealand by “the export of ideas” was mentioned by Mr A. J. Campbell, lecturer in history at the Christchurch Training College, in an address to the Workers’ Educational Association last evening. Such things as American films and books undoubtedly influenced the ideas and thoughts of New Zealanders, he said. In addition the American influence could be traced in such things as junior high schools, which were an American idea, in Rotary clubs, which were definitely of American origin, and even, perhaps, in the Prohibition movement. Driving Schools Criticised “You must not go near the water until you can swim. These driving schools are just the same—you must not go near the school until you have had a conviction.” This statement was made by Mr F. W. Johnston at a meeting of the South Island Motor Union last night when he attacked the principle of establishing driving schools as being “just like putting the cart before the horse.” “To qualify for the school you first have to commit an offence,” he said. “These people are not taught to drive. They are just put through a fairly perfunctory test and they get their licences. Then they get into trouble and they are sent to these schools to learn to drive. After being given a licence to drive on the highways these people commit offences and are then given lessons in driving.” Visits by Overseas Boxers "If we want to get first-class boxers to come to New Zealand we must give them a sufficient guarantee,” said Mr G. Bush, the Auckland delegate, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Boxing Association, which was held at Greymouth yesterday. The conference was discussing a proposed amendment to a rule dealing with the maximum purse to be given to professional boxers in any contest in the Dominion. The remit was opposed by the president, Mr A. Beban, who said that boxers would not come to this country if they were not given a sufficient guarantee. “In most classes we have not got sufficient local talent to give the imported boxers a good fight,” Mr Bush added. The remit was defeated. Advertising a Tax If the executive of the South Island Motor Union has its way, every petrol bowser in the South Island will soon carry a placard bearing words something like these: “Every time you buy a gallon of petrol you are paying the Government 10id in tax.” The executive heard the suggestion made last night by Mr J. S. Hawkes, whose main contention was that only such prominent placards would impress upon the public the amount it paid in petrol tax. The suggestion will be considered by the annual meeting of the union later in the month. Advertising New Zealand The provision of a comprehensive exhibit, featuring the scenic attractions of New Zealand, at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco in 1939, was urged yesterday by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Members said that the Government should be prepared to spend something on tourist attractions, and such an exhibit would be a great advertisement for New Zealand, and especially for the Centenary in 1940. About 20,000,000 people were expected to visit the Golden Gate Exposition, and among them would be persons who could possibly be attracted to New Zealand to form their own opinions of the country, scenically and commercially.—“ The Press” Special Service. Electrified Fences An unusual request was received at a meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board when a letter was received from a Ngatea consumer inquiring about the possibility of employing a scheme (stated to be in use in America) of electrifying fences to prevent stock from straying. This scheme does not seem to have been considered as yet by any supply authority in New Zealand, but the Thames Valley board considers that it would be an unwise procedure because of the extreme susceptibility of cows to electric shocks, even comparatively slight shocks in many cases being fatal. Mammitis Control Good farm management is the dairy industry’s best weapon in the battle against mammitis, according to Dr. G. F. Hucker, professor of bacteriology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, who addressed the Federation of Taranaki Dairy Companies at Stratford. He was able to tell the meeting of no cure for the scourge. If he knew the cure of mastitis, as it was called in the United States, he would never have been let out of New York, said Dr. Hucker, There were three kinds of mastitis. The first was a septic sore throat type, which was relatively rare, but once it entered an industry it was a difficult problem. There had just been a sore throat epidemic in England which had been traced to cheese. There was another type in which the cow became exceedingly ill jand had to be destroyed. The third type was common the world over. Better Insurance for Boxers The provision of a more comprehensive insurance fund for the assistance of amateur boxers in the Dominion, who suffer injuries while fighting in contests, was discussed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Boxing Association in Greymouth yesterday. The association at present conducts an insurance fund, but this, delegates claimed, did not, allow sufficient reimbursement to boxers thrown out of work through injury. Mr A, F. Stacey (Christchurch) said that boxers at present did not have enough protection if they were injured in a bout. Although the council was trying to do the best possible to build up a fund whereby boys in future would benefit, this was not enough. He suggested that the New Zealand Association should get quotations from insurance companies for such a scheme. The association agreed to make a recommendation to the council to investigate the proposal.