NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 189, 9 May 1934, Page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ordeal For “Baby” Cars Drivers of “baby” cars found their driving fraught with difficulties yesterday in the boisterous southerly wind. Motorists in the city streets were affected little, but away from the sheltered thoroughfares they found conditions trying. One driver, on reaching a point on the Hutt Road notorious for strong gusts of wind, found his car brought almost to a standstill, and he had to resort to second gear to get away again. Wrestler Out of Hospital. The French wrestler, Rene Michot, whose neck was injured during his bout with Dr. Freddy Meyer at the Wellington Town Hall on Monday evening, was discharged from hospital yesterday morning. Getting in Early. Mr. J. Guiniven, Mayor of Takapuna, Auckland, whose outspoken opinions on matters municipal and national frequently bring him into the limelight, announces that he will contest the Waitemata seat against the present holder, Mr. A. Harris, at the next general election. A Hole in One. Playing round with Miss Ena Hanson on the Miramar golf links the odther day, Mrs. J. J. Dalgleish did the fourth hole (187 yards) in one. Mrs. Dalgleish played her tee shot with a mashie iron, and the northerly breeze assisted a perfectly-hit shot to land, the ball on the green, and it disappeared gracefully into the hole, quite ignoring the pin. A temporary green is in use at this hole at present, but the tee has been moved back, so Mrs. Dalgleish’s shot had some character in it. High Exchange Opposed. Resolutions passed on the Government’s exchange policy at a recent conference of drapers and boot retailers in Wellington were as follow:—“(a) That the present rate of exchange is seriously affecting imports and retarding the normal flow of trade”; “(b) that the uncertainty in respect to the exchange rate is very unsettling to the trade and it is essential that there should, at the earliest possible date, be a return to normal conditions, with the control of exchange left, in the hands of the banks."

Books in the 00011(17’. “Opinion in New Zealand will eventually demand the sort of country libraries which have been so successful in England and in certain parts of the United States,” said Mr. Ralph Munn, director of the Carnegie Library at Pittsburg, who is making a survey of the Dominion’s libraries, in an address to suburban and country librarians In Christchurch. “In England they have what they call the ‘county library.’ They found that the small towns could not afford a proper library, but that by combining all the small towns and villages in each county a satisfactory library service could be maintained. In each county there Is a central library with branches in all the smaller towns and villages, and books and periodicals circulate from branch to branch.” To Aid Unemployed Teachers.

Two instructions to the 1934-35 executive to aid the position of unemployed teachers were endorsed yesterday at the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute. The first whs that every opportunity and ail resources available should be used to put the unemployed teachers on a footing in regard to pay and all other conditions identical with that of the teachers holding permanent positions. The second was that the money collected from a group assurance fund, above expenses, during the next year be set aside to assist rationed and relieving teachers in approved cases.

Phenomenon At Sea. While fishing off Waiheke last weekend, the occupants of two launches moored over a mile apart found the atmosphere so calm and still that conversation between the launches was engaged in without any considerable raising of the voice. While this is a fairly common experience on prairies, hills and deserts, the phenomenon at sea is usually believed to be the herald of electrical disturbances, and the storm last week amply supported this contention. As each fishing party returned with fairly large catches, it does not seem to be another fish story.

Japanese Spbrts Shoes. The impossibility of keeping cheap Japanese sports shoes out of the New Zeglapd market as conditions now obtain was pointed out by Mr. H. Plttendrigh at tlie recent conference of drapers and footwear retailers in Wellington. He said his firm had endeavoured to keep them out, but had found that impossible. When the firm began to deal in them they had adopted judicious advertising and propaganda in favour of British goods throughout their selling organisation, but in spite of that they had found that 65 per cent, of the trade was done in Japanese cheap lines and 35 per cent, in better quality but more expensive British cheap lines. If it had not been for their advertising and selling policy the business would have been 90 per cent. Japanese. Office in a Trailer.

Napier is having a' little joke of its own over building regulations. The council has a by-law which forbids the erection of timber buildings in a certain fixed central area of the borough, much like Wellington’s “brick area” by-law. One company there wants a new office, and wants it in wood, but the council have given a flat refusalround one. The company replied by hauling along a properly registered trailer to the site and opening up the office promptly in the morning—round two. The Mayor of Napier has stated that the council is not down and out yet, and that it is waiting for a report from its officers before going on to the third round. The company declares that it had no idea of outwitting the council over the by-law, but set up office in the trailer as it was the only thing to do.

Maoris’ Practical Faith. The practical interest in church work by two young Maori men in the North Auckland district was mentioned in a recent address by Bishop Bennett. The two young men were working in an isolated district, he said, and had to cart cream on Sunday. To make up for working on Sunday they decided to put aside the money they earned on that day for the erection of a church. In this they had been encouraged by their aged mother. That was about two years ago, and the church was now completed, and he would have the pleasure of consecrating it shortly. . This was concrete evidence of the faith of the Maori people. Bishop Bennett also instanced another case of some Maoris building a church by themselves, and furnishing it by work of their own hands. There was great spiritual development among the Nlaor: people, and it gave him great encouragement in his work.