General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 8

General News

Brothers to Meet After 40 Years Although he has travelled extensively throughout the world since his retirement from the Army some years ago, Colonel A. F. Wall,, of Epping, Essex, England, who is visiting Christchurch, has not seen his brother, Mr Frank Wall, since they were boys together at Epping, more than 40 years ago, but he hopes to meet him in Auckland shortly. Colonel Wall, who is a County Magistrate and deputy-lieuten-ant, saw members of his brother’s family when he visited New Zealand two years ago. Since leaving home, Mr Frank Wall has been engaged in commercial activities in Australia, New Zealand, and the Friendly Islands. ’ 7 Many Cars on Summit Road A continuous stream of cars passed over the new Summit road from before noon until late yesterday afternoon. Many trampers also took full advantage of the invigorating weather to visit the road, and they are likely to be the forerunners of many thousands to walk over the summit. A great deal of praise was given by trampers and motorists alike to the very helpful road signs. Dredge to be Towed to Wellington A tow to Wellington of the Eileen Ward, the Marine Department’s suction dredge at Westport, will be made by the Government steamer Matai, which is expected to arrive to-morrow for this purpose. This action has been found necessary, as a major defect has developed in the dredge’s machinery, which cannot be repaired at Westport. The Eileen Ward has been in use in the harbour for many years. Municipal Conference Enthusiastic praise for those in charge of the New Zealand Municipal Conference at New Plymouth was offered by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr J. W. Beanland) when he returned during the week-end after attending it. He said the New Plymouth people had gone out of their way to do their best for the visitors and had succeeded admirably. Indian Cyclist at Empire Games “Tell us about the Indian rider at the Games” was a request made to F. J, Grose, the New Zealand representative cyclist, in the Pioneer Sports Club’s rooms on Saturday night. “His style was scarcely orthodox,” was the reply. “The seat of his bicycle was well down on his bar, and that and his strange manner of gripping the handle bars made his appear,ance very amusing. When he was in action his strange position made his visibility very poor, and when he rode in the bunch he had to keep bobbing up to see where he was. This was awkward, so he would keep either ahead or behind the bunch, out of harm’s way. On one occasion he was behind, and, in his effort to catch up, he bobbed up too late and bobbed over. We didn’t see him again,” concluded Mr Grose, amid a roar of laughter. Link with Bishop Selwyn With the recent death of Canon John Haselden of Auckland, the last diocesan link with Bishop Selwyn has been broken, says the “Church News.” Ordained in 1877, his whole ministry of 60 years was spent in the Auckland diocese. One of his most striking services was his work on Great Bander Island recovering and burying the dead from the famous wreck of the Wairarapa and caring for the survivors, in co-operation with the police. Since 1925 he had been Selwyn memorial chaplain at the Auckland Public Hospital. Children’s Tram Tickets Children under 14 years of age will now be able to travel on trams at the reduced fare. The concession previously applied only to children under 12 years, but the Christchurch Tramway Board has decided to extend the age limit. Rating Systems If a local authority wishes to alter its rating system under the present law a petition from at least 15 per cent, of its ratepayers must be received, and the proposal must be endorsed at a special poll. The Christchurch City Council seeks the simplification of this procedure by eliminating the need for a petition. At the New Zealand Municipal Conference in New Plymouth last week the Christchurch delegates submitted a remit embodying their proposal. The Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland) on his return during the week-end said that this remit had been adopted. The proposal would now have the backing of the conference and would go to the Government, with whom decision rested. Moving Pictures in Churches “The use of moving pictures in church services is becoming frequent in England,” states the “Church News.” “Recently a whole service was filmed, the main picture following the preparatory prayers and hymns taking the place of a sermon. It was, however, a secular picture suitable for the A religious film society has been producing films on religious subjects with some success, and it is expected that they will be generally available shortly. Some dissatisfaction has been felt at the results, however, and an Anglican Society is in formation to co-operate with the other, but to concern itself with Anglican subjects. The New Zealand Church Army has been given £SO by an anonymous donor with which to buy a projector and some films. It has been remarked that the Church has the finest stories o.f all literature to film.” Sailors’ Caps No caps cun be distributed among their friends by the 600 sailors of the visiting American cruiser Louisville while the ship it at Auckland. This friendly international naval custom was practised so extensively in Australia that when the Louisville arrived at Auckland her clothing stores were almost completely exhausted of replacements. The American bluejacket’s cap has apparently always been coveted by the temporary hosts of the sailors in strange ports, and so insistent were the demands in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart for these souvenirs that many ot the men returned to their ships hatless. The sailors had to wear their reserve caps and then after a while they had to draw on stores, until, at last, when the Louisville cleared Hobart, it was obvious that if the men were as generous in Auckland as they had been in Australia some of them would have to return to the United States without any head-covering at all, unless more were made in the ship s tailor shop. Frenchmen’s Souvenirs One of the officers issuing drivers’ licences for the Rotorua Borough Council had an interesting experience when he was asked to test and issue a licence to one of the junior oflficeis from the French cruiser Jeanne d’Arc, who was visiting Rotorua and desired to secure a rental car for sightseeing purposes. The visitor said that he was collecting as many driving licences as he could during the cruiser’s world-wide voyage as souvenirs. He showed several from different countries, the one issued to him in his own country having his own photograph attached. He was particularly interested in the copy of the Road Code which is issued with all licences granted or renewed in the Dominion, and said it would form one of the most interesting parts of his collection, as it was the first copy of the road regulations which he had received with the licence in any country which he had yet visited. New Zealand Pilots There were many New Zealand pilots going Home, and the authorities there had a very high opinion of them, said Dr. F. T. Bowerbank, of Wellington, who has returned from a trip abroad One of the members of the Medical Board had told him that it was very exceptional for a New Zealander ever to let them down. The standard in England was extremely high. He was pleased to find that the standard New Zealand had set for pilots, both for the Air Force and the civil air force, was equal to that laid down by the Royal Air Force.