NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 195, 15 May 1936, Page 2

NEWS IN BRIEF

Centenary Plans . A statement that another conference would probably be bold shortly to discuss the question of the centenary celebrations in 1940 was made at the meeting of the Wellington City Council last night, by the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop. He said that since the conference which decided that there should be an exhibition in Wellington and other appropriate celebrations in other parts of New Zealand a great deal of information had been gathered and compiled into reports which would enable the conference to approach the problem with information which would enable it to come to definite conclusions. There had been no undue delay as asserted at times in the newspapers. New Position Created. The addition of the office of assistant secretary of labour to the administrative division of the Labour Department is announced in this week's Gazette issued last night. Larger Milk Factory. Authority was granted for application to be made to the Local Government Loans Board for the raising of a loan of £13,300 for extensions and alterations to the Rahul factory by the Wellington City Council last night, on the recommendation of the milk committee. The city engineer was authorised to prepare the necessary plans and specifications in order that tenders might be called as soon as sanction was obtained. Aerial Travellers. An urgent flight: to Christchurch was made yesterday by Mr. K. Smith, assistant pilot instructor to the Wellington Aero Club in the Waco cabin plane, his passenger being Mr. P. McEvedy, a student at Massey College, whose mother died yesterday in Christchurch. Mr. E. Uverton, a member of the club, was also a passenger. Mr. S. Gilkison, of Invercargill, flew a Southland Aero Club Moth to Wellington yesterday with Mr. A. McDonald as passenger. Melrose Access. A conference between residents of Melrose and members of the tramways committee of the Wellington City Council will be held shortly to discuss the question of tramway access to Melrose. The city engineer and other officers of the council are preparing reports on the subject for the committee, including a model of the-district. A deputation from the district waited on the last meeting of the council to urge that the trams be extended to Melrose.

Burned by Cigarette-Lighter. Burns to his left hand were received by an 11-year-old boy, Gordon Robertson, who lives at Takapau Road South, Tawa Flat, when he lit a cigarettelighter about midday yesterday. While he was filling the lighter some of the petrol overflowed on to his left hand, and as he lit it the flame ignited the spirit. He was taken to hospital by the Free Ambulance.

Freedom of Speech. The New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association, which concluded its annual conference at Wellington yesterday, passed this resolution unanimously on the motion of Mr. R. G. Ridling, principal of the Wellington Technical College: ‘‘That this association offers its congratulations to the Prime Minister upon his determination to remove all restrictions upon freedom of speech and his assurance that section 39 of the Finance Act of 1932 is to be repealed.”

Scenic Attractions. “New Zealand’s scenic attractions need no ballyhoo,” said the Hon. F. Langstone at the Wellington Travel Club inauguration yesterday. “They do not need it, because they are 100 per cent. Tourists can do them in a hop, step and a jump—from Auckland to Rotorua, to Wairakei, to Waitomo, to Mt. Egmbnt; and then in the South Island that fairyland on the West Coast—the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, the fiords, the lakes, the mountains—a beautiful.world in miniature.” Few Educationists.

Technical school teachers in conference at Wellington this week unanimously approved this remit moved by Mr. G. J. Park, principal of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, Auckland, and seconded by Mr. R. G. Ridling, principal of the Wellington Technical College: “That the attention of the Government be drawn to the fact that representatives of education are called to membership of the Legislative Council on rare occasions only and that in the opinion of the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association, the appointment of members of the teaching profession would add strength to the Dominion’s legislature.”

Wellington Fortunate. “The Wellington City Council has been more fortunate in the matter of Government subsidies than most othet local bodies," said Cr. P. Butler, when the question of the continuation of employment of relief workers was discussed by the council last e night. Due to the negotiations conducted by the Mayor and councillors with the former Minister of Employment, Cr. Butler said Wellington had received as high as £3 a week a man, which meant that the city was actually paying some of its workers at the rate of sid. an hour, the balance being paid by the Government.

Rubbish Removal. The Wellington City Council last night authorised the city engineer to notify all manufacturers and retailers of household refuse bins that after the lapse of six months only bins of a standard design, bearing the official stamp of the corporation, were to be sold, such bins not to cost more than 10/- each. The council also decided that occupiers of premises with over two cubic feet of trade refuse a night be required to use additional bins at a cost of 12/6 a quarter for each additional bin used. Cr. W. Appleton told the council that some firms had been having rubbish carted that they never paid for. '

Burglars Make a Mistake. Burglars who entered premises in Manners Street must have received a rude disappointment when they found that the fanlight through which they had climbed had let them into a comparatively unremunerative beauty • parlour, when they had designs on more valuable loot in an adjacent shop. This is actually what happened, according to the evidence of two prisoners who gave evidence in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday as witnesses for the defence of a third man whom the Crown alleged was an accomplice. The evidence of both these witnesses was punctuated by some humorous comments, and for a time the peaceful atmosphere of the court was disturbed. One question by counsel for accused provoked a remark by Mr. Justice Blair: "Do you suggest they were there getting their hair waved?”