General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22269, 7 December 1937, Page 10

General News

Equipment Went Too Far Over-carried to Sydney by the Matson liner Monterey when she passed through Auckland on November 26, part of specially-made radio equipment sent from the United States for Pan American Airways stations in New Zealand will not reac'h Auckland again until the liner returns next Monday. Though the delay is causing inconvenience, it is not expected to result in the postponement of the HonoluluAuckland flight scheduled to begin about December 15. The absence of part of the equipment was not immediately discovered. It was at first thought that the whole of the consignment of goods for Pan American Airways had been landed, and it was not until unpacking was begun with a view to assembling the sets that vital parts were found to be missing. It was then learned that they had been overcarried to Sydney.—Press Association. Five-Day Week for U.S.A. Staff "The five-day week is one of'the greatest boons we have received," declared Mr A. W. Mewton at the meeting of the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association last evening, when a proposal to institute a five-day working week for the office staff was under consideration. The motion, put forward by Mr H. W. Wilkinson, was discussed at length, the opponents of the proposal pointing to the number of members whose working hours prevented their conducting their business with the association on days other than Saturday. Other members declared that many of those who came into the association's office on Saturday mornings could, possibly with some slight inconvenience, just as easily do their business on other days. "They are, in effect, denying to others the privilege they enjoy themselves," said a member of the executive. The proposal that the association's office be open from 8.30 to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday and closed on Saturday was approved. Mr D. W. Russell intimated that he would later move that the same privilege be granted to all servants of the. association. "More Real Freedom in New Zealand" "On my way home I reflected that there is more real freedom in New Zealand than in any of the countries I had visited," remarked Mr Joseph Green, of Riversdale, Southland, on his return home recently. Mr Green has just returned from an extended tour of the United States, Great Britain, and Europe. After visiting many countries, he had been convinced that few people in the world understood the meaning of the term freedom as it was interpreted in New Zealand. "Of course, I had not heard much about what was going on in New Zealand at that time, but I will still say that even yet there is more personal liberty here than anywhere. New Zealand is a pretty good place in spite of tax collectors and politicians." Light Work for Unfit Men To provide work of a lighter nature for men who are unfit because of their physical condition for the ordinary labouring work offered, authority has been given by the reserves committee of the Dunedin City Council to make application to the Labour Department to employ 20 men for four months under the department's scheme whereby they pay wages of £4 a man a week, leaving the council to find the balance of 10s Id. As no financial provision has been made in the current year's estimates for the balance of wages required the matter has been referred to the finance committee for favourable consideration. The work at which it is proposed to employ these men consists of weeding, cleaning up, and other similar work in the Botanic Gardens and recreation reserves. Sydney Anzac Day Parade When the Maunganui sails from Wellington on April 19, she will carry nearly 700 returned soldiers, many of whom knew her as a troopship during the war years. The returned soldiers, representing nearly every branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association in New Zealand, are to travel to Sydney to take part in the special observance of Anzac Day during the celebrations of the Commonwealth's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. So many applications were received by the Dominion executive of the association from men wishing to travel with the contingent that the chartering of another ship has had to be considered. The Maunganui will take 692 returned men, as follows:—First-class, 253; second-class, 162; third-class, 77; and 200 in hammocks. Patient Carried by Air Another example of the great service that air travel can provide for formerly isolated districts was given on Sunday when a sick patient from Westport was conveyed to Christchurch by air for hospital treatment. The trip was made in the Marlborough Aero Club's Waco machine and a landing was made at Christchurch exactly one hour after leaving Westport. The North Beach aerodrome at Westport was used without difficulty. The patient was Miss E. Rogers, of Westport, and she was accompanied by her sister, Miss Kit Rogers, and Mrs S. A. Wingate. Combating Insect Pests Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the Employers' Federation, who returned to Wellington yesterday from a health trip to Panama, said he was much impressed with the measures taken there to eradicate flies and insect pests. The results achieved were an object lesson to the whole world. He suggested that if this could be done in the tropics, it was something the Health Department should take up in New Zealand, where the people year after year, particularly in summer, were suffering from flies and other insect pests.—Press Association. Education System Praised Commenting that August of this year marked the sixtieth anniversary of the introduction of the secular system of education into New Zealand, Mr A. S. Richards, M.P. for Roskill, speaking at the annual parents' day and fair of the Mount Albert District School recently, paid a tribute to the work of the school committees. "It is to the entire credit of approximately 16,000 men and women on school committees in New Zealand that, without hope of reward or remuneration, they give their time and ability to the children," said Mr Richards. "No grander or nobler work could any man or woman undertake." Marist Brothers' Labours "An interesting aspect of the residence at Russell built for Bishop Pompallier nearly 100 years ago is that it was built by Marist Brothers," said the Rev. Brother Tarcisius, director of Sacred Heart College, Auckland, at the reunion celebrations of the college Old Boys' Association recently. It was also recalled by Brother Tarcisius that the first Marist Brother to come to New Zealand was trained by Father Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers, who also was a confrere of Bishop Pompallier. Universality of English Speaking of his tour through France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany on his return home recently, Mr Joseph Green, of Riversdale, Southland, who has just returned from abroad, said he had been greatly surprised to find how few language difficulties there were for tourists in those countries. In Switzerland he iound that practically every hotel waitress could speak English fluently, and the same thing applied to French and German hotel workers. He had asked a Swiss waitress how it was that she could speak English so well, and she replied that practically every girl who wanted to get a position at tourist hotels found it necessary to take a special course in English. If they could not speak English they had little hope of obtaining work. That was generally the only language -qualification absolutely necessary. Mr Green said he was told that there were special. training institutions for the teaching of English to Continental hotel workers. It was a welcome surprise to find English so universally understood, and sometimes he received a shock when he found waitresses and waiters of foreign birth who spoke better English than he did himself.