General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22492, 29 August 1938, Page 10

General News

“Plenty of Work Available” “Plenty of work is available for every ablebodied man in New Zealand, and quite a number of jobs are being worked short handed, said the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. i. Armstrong) on Saturday. He was replying to a question by “The Press” if further schemes for the absorption of the unemployed were being formulated. The statement that worn, was available for all did not apply to the cities alone, Mr Armstrong said, and it might pc necessary for some of the men to go from then homes. However, the Government had had time to arrange decent living conditions lor workers in the camps. For young men, openings for employment were presented in the forestry plantations, where camps were ready for occupation. “The True Scientist” “The true scientist should be characterised by an attitude of self-criticism and an honest endeavour to prove his own theories wrong, said Mr R. A. Falla, curator of the Canterbury Museum, in an address to the Society for Imperial Culture on Saturday. Mr Falla traced the development of biology from the early “speculative” stage, to a recognition of the importance of accurate observation, and in modern times to experimental work. _ The essence of scientific method was the testing of hyppthesis by experiment and still more experiment.

Reciprocal Publicity

A good example of publicity for New Zealand and other Empire goods is given by a poster issued for display in English factories by the Reciprocal Trade Federation of the United Kingdom, a copy of which has been sent to the Lyttelton Harbour Board. The poster, boldly designed in green and black, bears the followms legend, printed over maps of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand; —“Orders from South Africa. Southern Rhodesia, Australia, and New Zealand are now, or have recently been, on hand at our works. You can help this firm and its agents to secure further orders if you will buy South African, Australian, and New Zealand butter, cheese, meat, honey, canned fruits, dried fruits, and Rhodesian but you must please ask firmly for them. Escaped Prisoner Arrested Smart work by Constable Frost, of Ohakune, was responsible for the arrest of a prisoner who escaped from Waikune prison camp, about four miles from National Park railway station, on Saturday afternoon. The prisoner was Sydney Joseph 'Samway, aged 36 years, who was serving a sentence of 18 months for breaking and entering. Sanvway escaped shortly after 1 o’clock on Saturday, but his absence was not discovered until 3 p.m. The prisoner walked through two miles of bush to Erua and then followed a roadway to HorOpito, dodging into the scrub when any motorist passed. Constable Frost, who did not learn of the escape until 8.20 p.m., apprehended the prisoner as he was about to board a north-bound goods tram at Horopito railway station at 9.15 p.m.—Press Association.

Salvage Efforts Fail

Two attempts to refloat the Auckland Harbour Board’s tug Te Awhina during the weekend were unsuccessful. Tides backed up in the harbour by the easterly gale were an obstacle on each occasion. Rain reduced the number of spectators on Saturday, but yesterday afternoon the salvage work was watched, by several thousand people on the western viaduct.—Press Association. Conservation of Forests An indication of the extent to which the Government is carrying out the programme of forest conservation is given by the setting aside of large area as a provisional State forest in Neison. The area, which is described in a notice in the Gazette, consists of 2147 acres—s2s acres of Crown land and 1622 acres of national endowment land—and is situated in the Takaka and Collingwood Counties. Lack of Standards in Industry The obvious waste which arose from lack of standards in industry, resulting in the manufacture of a superfluous diversity of types of goods and duplication of stocks, was evident in this country, states the annual report , of the New Zealand Standards Institute. In all pians prepared by the Bureau of Industry, consideration had therefore been given to the question of standards, and it was pleasing to report that the interests concerned had been quick to recognise the benefits to be derived from the application of the standards principle. Consequently, a number of industries were making every endeavour to formulate satisfactory standards. Protection for Oats A recommendation that the oat industry 'be subsidised by the Government to show a reasonable return over the cost of production until a reduction is made in costs, was approved at a meeting of the Southland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union. The meeting also approved of another recommendation that the Government prohibit importation of oats a payable price was reached in New Zealand. It was stated that Southland had a favourable climate for growing oats, and that if a payable price was fixed the country would be flooded with home-grown oats. The executive decided to forward the recommendations to the North Canterbury executive, which operated in the greatest oat-growing district of New Zealand, with a view to enlisting local support. Position of Mining Industry

“The mining industry is up against it in every way to-day,” said Mr G. Thompson at the annual meeting at Dunedin of the Nevis Sluicing Claims, Ltd. “The Government will not assist it the Mines Department is not very sympathetic, while rising wages have proved a problem." In four years wages had, shown an increase of 25 per cent., while it was almost an impossibility to obtain experienced men. “Four years ago one could obtain very good men at 14s a day,” said Mr Thompson, “but now all one can obtain is some mighty useless men at 18s a day.” Specifications for Town “Clerk" The unfortunate effects of a typist’s error were related in a story tqld against himself by the Town Clerk of Invercargill (Mr W. F. Sturman) at the luncheon of the Invercargill Rotary Club last week. When he was Town Clerk of Petone the corporation installed an electric town clock and the specifications for the clock were prepared in the Town Clerk’s office From habit, the typist substituted “town clerk” for “town clock,” with very unfortunate effects, for the specifications then provided that the town “clerk” should have a dial not less than six feet in diameter and hands three feet long fixed in certain positions and actuated by electric impulses. Mayor’s “Vast Knowledge” Writing as “a student of globular facts,” a citizen of Indianapolis, United States, Mr Frederick C. Myers, in a letter to the Mayor of Invercargill (Mr John Miller) said: “As a student of globular facts, and as you are situated some miles from the States round the world, I wonder if you could tell me from your vast store of knowledge if any ship ever came to your port of a bee-line from Cape Horn, South America. and if you have ever heard of any Antarctic expedition that ever traversed the South Pole and landed at the nearest land point in Africa. Ido thank you for the answers to the foregoing questions, and if I can be of any service or answer any questions for you I shall be only too glad to do so, about the United States of America, and so on. I thank you.” Dunedin Turns “Flat-conscious" Dunedin is gradually becoming flat conscious. Blocks of flats are springing up in most districts near the city, and the owners are having no difficulty in letting them, irrespective of rent costs. It is noticeable that many of those who are renting flats are persons from northern cities who have been transferred to Dunedin business houses. With the exception of the Government and council houses,/there are practically no private residences available to tenants just now. One house agent said that the number of persons who inquired for flat quarters in the city’s business buildings was amazing, and he suggested that if the owners of these buildings were to add another storey to their premises solely to be let as residential areas, they would have no trouble in finding tenants.