General News

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24679, 24 September 1945, Page 4

General News

Report On Local Government , The report of the special Parliamentary Committee on Local Government is now almost ready for presentation to Parliament. This committee was appointed last year after the passage of the amendment to the Local Elections Act, but it did not really start work until this year. It visited most of the important centres in New Zealand and took a large amount of evidence. The report is expected to be a long one, containing some interesting recommendations.—(F.O.P.R.) Advice From the.Bankers “Give it to Kelly,” yelled a section of the crowd on the embankment at Lancaster Park last Saturday, after P. Callanan, who, by his goal-kicking had scored 16 points in the South v. North Island game, had missed several easy shots at goal when playing for Canterbury against Otago. Kelly in turn missed some very easy shots, and the crowd advised the captain, McKenzie, to “take him off” qnd to give Cassidy and Fitzgerald a shot. Neither player could do much better, however, and when Fitzgerald did convert a try the effort was greeted with ironical cheers. When the cheering had died down, a lone, loud voice advised the captain to “give the next one to. the ball-boy.” Timaru-Christchurch Train The reinstatement of the TimaruChristchurch train cannot be granted at present, according to advice received by the Temuka Borough Council from the district traffic manager of New Zealand Railways. Coal stocks were low and the position had to be closely watched to maintain the running of the present trains. The council’s application had been recorded and would be considered as soon as coal stocks had been built up to allow the running of additional trains. 1 Coolness in Time of Trial Speaking at the thirty-second anniversary of the Canterbury Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association on Saturday night, Mr A. I. Cottrell paid a tribute to the calmness when under stress of the English civilians. During a theatre performance he had attended in London the alert was sounded, and within a few minutes the roar of a flying bdmb could be heard. This noise drowned the voices of the actors and actresses, but not a line of their parts did they miss, and not one of the audience left the theatre. The incident showed the character of Englishmen and women in th’cir time ef trial, said Mr Cottrell. Pictures . For City Gallery Three pictures bequeathed to the Robert McDougall Art Gallery by the widow of Henry la Thangue, R.A., which have been stored in England during the war, have now arrived in Christchurch and will be hung in the gallery. In her will Mrs la Thangue left pictures to several New Zealand galleries which had acquired her husband’s works. The pictures for the Christchurch gallery are “Village Fountain,” “Provencal Fishing Boats,” and “Plover on the Marshes.” Conduct on V-J Day "I cannot omit some reference to the manner in which so many people, particularly young people, expressed their sense of joy on the occasion of the victory over Japan,” said the Right Rev. W„ J. Simkin, Bishop of Auckland, in his address. to Synod. “What happened in Auckland and in other places brings shame to us when we recall It. 1 do not and will not blame those whose conduct we so deplore. The main cause is in the system of education and training, which does not place first the recognition of God, but seeks to build up a national character on a purely secular system.” Gelignite Supplies Advice that becatise of the extreme shortage of supplies from the normal source, Australia, arrangements had been made • to obtain a shipment o£ A.N. gelignite from the United Kingdom. was received from ‘ the M^ n * ster of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) at a meeting of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union recently. Because of the heavy freight and insurance charges permission had been granted to increase the selling price of this grade until all stocks had been sold in New Zealand. This should be accomplished by the end of October, when a reduction in price could be expected. It was probable that Australia would be able to resume its position of sole supplier to thjs market soon. If so. prices would probably be reduced to those obtaining before the recent increase. New Ships Planned Plans for a new cargo vessel to re* place the Puriri, which was lost in the Hauraki Gulf in May, 1941, while employed as a minesweeper, have been forwarded to England by the Anchor Shipping Company, Nelson. The new vessel will be fitted with twin screws, have a carrying capacity of approximately 1000 tons dead weight and will be propelled by the latest type of Diesel engines. Accommodation for both officers and crew will be spacious, well appointed, and situated amidships. Plans for a new passenger steamer for the Nelson-Wellington run are algo under consideration. "Suffering” a Chimney Fire “I do not know what suffer means,” stated a defendant in the’ Auckland Magistrate’s Court, when asked to plead to a charge of “suffering the chimney of premises to be on fire.” “I have often .wondered, too,” remarked the Magistrate, Nt J. H. Luxford. “It is about time we got a new word; these old words die hard in law.” After it had been explained to her that the charge meant she had allowed her chimney to catch fire through her acts of omission. defendant admitted she had not had the chimney swept for about two years. “That amounts to suffering,” commented the Magistrate, in imposing a fine of 10s. Wives Who Stay Away During the hearing of divorce proceedings in the Supreme Court, Auckland, Mr Justice Callan again took occasion to issue a warning to wives who ignore restitution proceedings brought against them, and then when divorced expect to obtain maintenance from their former husbands. The woman who offered no answer or objection to restitution proceedings, he said, should understand that these were final, and she was putting herself in the position of a woman wrongfully deserting her husband. Such a woman would never get maintenance from the’ Court. “Husbands,” he said* “are not bound to provide for their wives who stay away without rhyme or reason. The respondent had better consider this before she finally decides not to return.” T.B, Cure Claimed ' Dr. Anthony Salle. Assistant Professor of Bacteriology at the University of California, announced recently the discovery of a bacillus extract known as subtilin which will kill the tuberculosis bacilli, according to an Australian Associated' Press message. Definition of Dogma In reply to an interjection that he should define “dogma.’* the Rev. L. O’S. Beere. vicar of All Saints’, Ponjonby, told the Auckland Synod that he had seen “dog” defined as a “hairy animal’’ and “ma” as an abbreviation for “mother,” and hence dogma was simply a polite name for a female dog. This was the best definition he could -give on the spur of the moment, he added amid laughter. Samurai Swords Two Japanese swords of special interest have been placed on view in the main hall of the Otago Museum. They are of the type which were formerly carried by all Japanese samurai or officers, but now usually form part of the dress uniform only. The large, or samurai sword, has a long, sharp blade more than three feet in length. The hilt, which is bound with cotton thread, iI large so that it can be wielddd with both hands. The short sword was not used in fighting except to cut off the head of a slain opponent, but was reserved for use in ceremonial suicide, or hara-kiri. Suicide by such means meant a very painful death, but was considered a privilege of the samurai class, and was performed unhesitatingly if the order was given. It was a means of escape from falling into enemy hands, a means of criticism of some official abuse, or was carried out in an endeavour to turn a liege lord from some action contrary to his good name or fortune.