NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 56, 29 November 1929, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

A sad double drowning accident at the Municipal Baths in Woodville on Wednesday evening reminds us of the advent of what some of the London newspapers described in their headlines at the beginning of last summer as “The Drowning Season. Lhe victims were a youth and the recently-appointed custodian ot the baths, who, one would have thought, would have been an expert swimmer and life-saver. The tragedy calls attention to the great importance of encouraging in every possible way the teaching ot swimming and life-saving, preferably in the schools. Were it practicable to do so, this instruction should be made compulsory. That should certainly.be the case where facilities are available.

Those who met Field-Marshal Sir William Birdwood when he visited New Zealand can well understand the affectionate regard in which he is held by all ranks of the Indian Army, as recorded in yesterday’s cablegrams. He possessed the personal touch in a remarkable degree. With a glittering staff behind him, he could yet put the private soldier at his ease and talk with him as man to man. A good many returned soldiers could relate how they swam with him at Anzac Cove or in Lake Timseh, on the Suez Canal, and did not realise until afterwards that they had been on neighbourly terms with “the General.” So it came about that in a war which practically ruled out personal leadership, General Birdwood was yet regarded with affection and confidence by his men. He was thus able to get the results that follow from the combination of military science with human contact.

Very gratifying is the progressive increase in New x Zealand’s butter exports to Canada. A considerable outlet for our pioduce has been found in both the East and West Coast ports. Butter sold in Canada is so much weight taken off the British market, a field in which there is already severe enough competition. So far this season this Dominion has sold more butter to Eastern Canada than in die whole of last season. The value of this and other alternative markets for our produce cannot be over-stated. Another outlet with possibilities exists in the Orient and East Indies. At the present time, in fact. New Zealand butter finds its way to Yokohama and Shanghai by the circuitous and expensive route through Vancouver. The initiation of a direct cargo service to the East Indies. Singapore. China, and Japan should be carefully considered by the Government. Encouragement given in this direction should prove more profitable than subsidising the Bluff steamer service at the rate of £36,000 a year.

It will be impossible for the Government to ignore much longer the increasing pressure of the school committees’ opinion as to the inadequacy of the allowances granted to them for the cleaning and unkeep of the school buildings. Tn yesterday’s Dominion theie were published strong protests from three different districts Tim tenor of these would suggest that if the justice of their claims is not soon recognised, and acted upon, the committees may refuse to carry on. In reply to previous representations on the subject the present Government has pleaded shortness of funds. But, as one school committee-man pointed out in yesterday s report of an indignation meeting in the Te Aro district, this, stringency did not prevent it from offering £38.000 for the Scots College buildings and land at Miramar; or, to quote from the speech of the Reform candidate at the Hutt (Mr. H. F. Johnston), from presenting members of Parliament with a bonus which, as the speaker put it. might have been put to better use in the schools. It is impossible on the present pittance doled out to the committees, to keep the schools hvgienically clean, yet in such condition as the schools are ’he pubF is compelled to send its children to them or be fined. Howevr. the Hutt by-election may probably quicken the conscience of the Government in this matter.