General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23002, 23 April 1940, Page 8

General News

Observance of Anzac Day “The Press” will not be published on Thursday, April 25, Anzac Day. £59 Loan to Government The Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Ex-Royal Naval Men's Association decided at its last meeting to lend the New Zealand Government £SO for the duration of the war and for six months thereafter. The branch is only a few years old, with a comparatively small membership. Dawn Parade A dawn service of remembrance, arranged by the Australian Returned Soldiers’ Association, Christchurch, will be held on Thursday, Anzac Day. The parade will assemble on the west side of Cathedral square at 6 a.m. and at 6.30 a.m. march to the war memorial in the Cathedral grounds. A scripture reading will be given by the Rev. Alex. McNeur, C.F., and the Anzac Dedication by Mr L. E. Vernazoni. Wreaths will be placed on the memorial by representatives of the Australian and New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Associations. The dedication of the wreaths will be performed by Captain E. E. Lloyd, patron of the Australian Returned Soldiers’ Association. Also included in the service will be the singing of “There is no Death,”’by a choir conducted by Mr V. C. Peters. “A Man of the Future” , “Wherever I go round the country, Mr S. G. Holland is looked to as a man of the future, a man of promise,” Mr F. W. Doldge, M.P.. said to Christchurch members of the National Party last night. “Don’t misunderstand me. We have in Mr Adam Hamilton a leader who holds our real affection and obtains, and deserves from us, a great loyalty. He is a great leader in these difficult times when we and the people of New Zealand look for leadership, sane and sound. When I talk of Mr Holland as a man of the future and of promise. I am simply saying what the people are saying and .what we all in our hearts feel. He is a robust politician of the type we need in this country to-day. a man in whom I have immense faith for the future.” Wood from City Reserves An important activity under the control of the reserves committee cf the Christchurch City Council is the cutting and disposal of firewood grown on its many reserves near Christchurch. The present output of wood from the Bottle Lake plantations, for instance, is as much as 20 cords a day, and at its meeting last evening the council authorised the purchase of a new engine for driving the circular saw employed there. This new Diesel engine will cost nearly £ 190. The present engine has been found incapable of coping with the demand. Disabled Soldiers’ Pensions The fact that a former soldier should be accepted for service in the war will in no way affect his right to continue to collect the war pension granted because of his disablement in the last war, according to advice received at last evening’s meeting of the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association from the secretary for war pensions (Mr H. Digby Smith), Dr. F. L. Scott commented that this would obviously be the case for members serving in home defence units, but the president (Mr A. E. Haynes) said that the reference was to men on overseas service. Dr. Scott replied that there must be a mistake somewhere, as men disabled in the last war would hardly be on overseas service in the present war. City’s TrAvn Planning The Christchurch city town planning scheme, although prepared provisionally »more than three years ago, has not yet reached the stage of final approval. It was reported to the Christchurch City Council last evening, by the Housing and Town Planning Committee, that after a conference between the Town Planning Board and representatives of the committee, the scheme had been amended and sent to Wellington “to be further dealt with by the Town Planning Board.” • War and Hospital Building The possibility of military necessity involving increased capital expenditure by hospital boards was mentioned by the chairman, Mr Allan J. Moody, at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital JBoard. He indicated that this had already been considered by the authorities. “Any outlay on hospital building for military purposes should not be thrown on the hospital boards, but it should be a matter for the Government,” Mr Moody said. “It should be met from war expenses instead of coming from the pockets of the ratepayers and possibly the Social Security Fund.” Mr Moody thought that if the board adopted a firm attitude the Government would in the end give support to the policy he advocated.—Press Association. Work in City Parks The staff of the Christchurch City Council reserves department is now busy on one of its big annual tasks—the returfing and repairing of the many cricket pitches in the various recreation grounds under its control. These pitches naturally become well worn at the end of a season, and need close attention. The croquet courts at Elmwood, St. James, and Spreydon Parks are also being renovated and top-dressed and the larger parks are being top-dressed with fertilisers and scarified with the turf aerator. Men are also working on a new bowling green at Woolston Park. The city has allocated 43 grounds for football and hockey this season and two are still available. Anzac Day Service The citizens’ united memorial service on Anzac Day, to be held under the auspices of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association, will take place in the King Edward Barracks. The service will begin at 2.30 p.m, with selections by the association’s orchestra, followed by the Dead March in Saul. The hymns will be “O God, our help in ages past” and “For all the saints,” and the Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. J. A- Julius) will lead a prayer in commemoration of the fallen. The lesson will be read by the Rev. W. E. D. Davies, C.F., and the president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association (Mr A. E. Haynes) will deliver an address. An Early Anniversary An anniversary ceremony at Akaroa 50 years ago is recalled by Mr R. Eyre. Mayor of Ngaruawahia, who was a gunner in the Lyttelton Garrison Artillery at the time. On August 11, 1890, members of the Lyttelton Garrison Artillery and the Lyttelton Band visited Akaroa in the paddle-steamer tug Lyttelton, and hoisted the flag at Green Point in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the British landing. On Saturday Mr Eyre attended the centennial celebrations at Akaroa. Dog Attends Householders’ Meeting Though he had no power to vote, one of those p r esent at the householders’ meeting at the Phillipstown School last night was a smooth haired fox terrier. While householders and committeemen discussed matters of school administration the dog sat impatiently with them for intervals on the low desks in the inrant room, and did the rounds now and again for some patting and scratching. Then came ballot time and while scrutineers were out of the room counting votes for the new committee, the householders were entertained by watching the dog run after pieces of barley sugar. These, when he had sought them out from under the chairman’s feet or under the tiny infant-room chairs, he crunched up and ate. paper and all. Shrinkage of Wood That there was a shrinkage, of nearly 10 per cent; of the 1500 cords of firewood sold during the last financial year was shown in a statement presented at a meeting of the Selwyn Plantation Board yesterday. This was regarded as excessive and the chairman (Mr N. C. Kensington) said that as the expected shrinkage was only about 5 per cent., it was probable that some of the wood had been taken from the reserves. The acting-superin-tendent (Mr E. A. Cooney) said that he did not think that much wood was lost from the stacked cords, and the large shrinkage was probably the result of most of the stock being 18 months to two years old.