General News

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22822, 22 September 1939, Page 8

General News

Levy on Wool The levy on wool for the coming season is fixed in last night’s Gazette at 6d a bale, 3d a fadge, and Id a bag or sack. The levy is payable on wool produced in New Zealand which, during the season-starting on October 1, is exported from New Zealand or delivered to a wool manufacturer for use in New Zealand.— Press Association. Centennial Sports Activities A decision to carry out the full programme of sporting events arranged for Christchurch during the celebrations was made at a meeting of the Christchurch Centennial Sports Committee yesterday. The committee was of the opinion that it was in the interests of everyone to carry on with the full programme of sporting events. High Yield of Wheat A yield of 112 bushels of wheat an acre from a field of seven and a half, acres, reported this year by Mr J. Grant, near Otautau, Southland, has been, fully established by the Wheat Research Institute. The institute considered the reported yield so remarkable that inquiries should be made, and confirmation was received from the Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture at Dunedin, both of the measurements of the field and the total yield. “The variety happened to be Cross 7,” stated the quarterly report of the director of the institute (Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf), presented; to the Wheat Research Committee yesterday.. “It is, however, not purely an accident that it was Cross 7, because it is doubtful if any other wheat grown in New Zealand would have stood up so as to allow the harvesting of this great weight of grain.” War Bursaries Extended The award of bursaries is broadened by the War Bursaries Regulations issued with last night’s Gazette. They provide for the award of a. war bursary to a pupil otherwise qualified who is attending a public post-primary or private post-primary school. The bursaries are now also available to a university student who is paying his own university tuition fees. Previously a war bursary was tenable only at a State post-primary school and was available only to university students who had a umversity bursary.—Press Association. ‘ Enlistment from Northern Territory - A young man who formerly attended the Sumner School is now travelling from the Northern Territory to enlist with the New Zealand forces. He is Mr Alexander Smith, son of Mr T. Smith, lighthouse keeper at Godley Head, Mr Smith has been working on the Alexander Station, in the Territory, and did not hear of the outbreak of war until nearly a w>eek after hostilities began. He at once sent a cablegram to his father, saying that he was returning home to enlist. It will take him about three weeks to reach Christchurch. Handcraft Examination Regulations covering the certificate examination for handcraft teachers are issued with last night’s Gazette. Previously the schedule of examination subjects included some of the subjects of the training college entrance examination syllabus (now abolished), and also some of those for the teachers’ Class C examination. The subjects for the latter examination were recently altered and new regulations have been issued providing a revised schedule of examination subjects for handcraft teachers sitting for the certificate examination. —Press Association. Production of Vegetables To increase the production of in private gardens, the Canterbury 'Horticultural Society decided at a meeting on Wednesday night to call a public meeting of residents of Christchurch in the first week in October to discuss the matter. The meeting will be addressed by Mr M. J. Barnett, Superintendent of Parks and Reserves, and by Mr W. J. Humm.Import Regulations The desirability of convening a national conference of those affected by the import regulations was urged by the Auckland Bureau of Importers in a letter received at. a meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. As the sweeping nature of the regulations was being felt in a wider circle, the executive felt that such a conference should be called to enable representatives to meet the Hon. W. Nash. The letter stated that all branches of commercial life and private citizens were feeling the adverse effects of the Control of imports and sterling funds. The bureau felt that unless some attempt was made to impress- op the Government the need for altering its policy there would be no prospect of even an early relief from the damaging effect of the regulations on New Zealand generally. The president of the council (Mr A. Ely) reported that responsible bodies had been asked to send representatives to a meeting on Monday to discuss what steps should be taken in the matter of a national conference.—Press Association. Beer Boycott Ended The 'boycott of Auckland hotels maintained' by a large proportion of Auckland waterside workers for the last month ended, when an official meeting of about 600 decided that the position had become farcical. The ground for the boycott was that an unfair profit was being made by hotels- in reducing the size of “handles” after the imposition of the increase in the beer tax. Since the boycott was begun, weights and measures of beer have been stabilised, and this reason, together with the view that nothing was being gained by the men’s action, was responsible for the change of attitude. Uniform School Holidays The desirability of uniform school holidays throughout New.Zealand was suggested by_ the Taranaki Education Board in a letter received by the Auckland board. As a step toward this goal the Taranaki board proposed that each board should submit to the Education Boards Association its list of dates proposed for school terms and vacations next year, so that the association could present an abstract to all hoards for consideration. In agreeing to carry out the Taranaki proposal, members expressed the opinion that there should be uniformity of holidays not only among the primary schools but also for the secondary schools. • Marked Drop in Accidents One reflex of the limit placed upon the consumption of petrol for private • vehicles has been, the marked drop in the number of street accidents in all parts of the Auckland me^tropolitan area. During the last fortnight the customary number of collisions has dwindled to a very low point, and St. John ambulance drivers have been engaged almost -solely with the transporting of medical patients to and from the various hospitals. War and a Bronze Statue Through the outbreak of war delay may occur in the delivery of a bronze statue of a Maori chief which will stand at the base of the obelisk being erected on the summit of One Tree Hill, Auckland, as - a memorial to the Maori race. The sculptor, Mr R. O. Gross, has sent the plaster model of the statue to England to be cast, and cabled advice is awaited as to whether the war will affect delivery. The proposed date of the unveiling is January 28. “Germany Loyal to Hitler” - "The German people do not desire war any more than we do, but their rulers do.-But do not labour under any delusions. ; The German people are just as loyal to Hitler as we are to King George VI <so do not expect any results from the dropping of leaflets.” These remarks were made to the New Plymouth Rotary Club in an address by Dr. P. C. Davie, who .recently returned from a trip to Great Britain and the Continent. “In New Zealand we were rather inclined to criticise Mr Chamberlain and his policy and lean towards the more impetuous Mr Anthony Eden’s ideas, but in Great Britain I found few sharing these views,” he continued. “Last September the people of Great Britain were nervous. They realised that as a nation they were quite unprepared for a war. Before I left opinion appeared to be changing and I feel that out here in New Zealand people are more nervous than they are in the Homeland. Great Britain has made great progress with her preparations during the last yeao,”