NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 270, 11 August 1938, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Civic Charter

A civic charter was granted to the Wellington Regiment by the Wellington City Council last night, the mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, stating that the regiment would be known as the City of Wellington’s Own.

Park Renamed. A recommendation from the reserves committee that Vogeltown Park be renamed Mornington Park was approved by the Wellington City Council .last night.

£l2 Conscience Money. Tlie Secretary to the Treasury advises that he has received £l2 con-science-money. It was for unemployment tax, and was sent in by some person whose identity is not known.

One-Way Traffic. The recommendation of tlie by-laws committee that one-way traffic only be permitted in the portion of Ballance Street between Customhouse Quay and Featherston Street, the traffic to move from Customhouse Quay to Featherston Street, was approved at last night’s meeting of the Wellington City Council.

Post Office Square. The formation of a garden plot at Post Office Square at an estimated cost of £62 for the removal of footpath flags and the reconstruction of the brick kerbing, subject to tlie Wellington Beautifying Society paying the cost of soils, shrubs and labour for the laying out of the garden, was approved at last night’s meeting of the Wellington City Council. Trees On Evans Bay Road. In preparation for centennial year and the exhibition, shrubs are to be planted along Evans Bay Road, Wellington, which is expected to carry a good deal of traffic at the time. A start was made yesterday with the work of planting, under the supervision of the director of parks and reserves, Mr. J. G. MacKenzie. Native shrubs will be filanted on the hillside from Oriental Bay as far as the patent slip.

Maunganui's Cruise. The Union Company has received a wireless message from its cruising liner Maunganui, stating that she left Apia at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and was calling at Niuafoou yesterday. She is due at Levuka this morning, and at Suva late this afternoon. The Maunganui will leave Suva on Saturday night for Auckland, where she is due on August 17. A passenger who was down with measles has now recovered.

More Flats Wanted. “A number of blocks of concrete residential flats have been erected during tine year, but it is safe to say that the fringe only of this type of building has been touched, and that there is room for many more fiats in the city area in addition to all the houses that can be built in the suburbs.” This statement is contained in the report to be presented to the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand on August 17. No “Whispering Campaigns.”

A denial that the luncheons were free and given as bribes to business men to join the National Party was made by the chairman, Mr. H. F. Toodgood, at yesterday’s business men’6 luncheon at the National Club. No one who attended, he said, was asked to put up his baud and say he belonged to the National Party, and no one was asked to join the party. There were no “whispering campaigns” at the luncheOns—the speeches admittedly had a political flavour but the Press was always present. Kauris in Waitakercs.

“In many parts of the Waitakeres the regeneration of kauri areas can -be seen in progress." said the lecturer iu botany at Auckland University College, Mr. T. L. Lancaster, when speaking at a meeting iu the college ball called for the purpose of discussing the project of'a Waitakere centennial park. Many seedlings were to be found in the ti-tree scrub. These and other forest tree seedlings were making good growth and the areas, if left alone, would eventually become bush-clad again.

Avoiding Pedestrians At Night. The necessity for pedestrians iu the country to walk on the right-hand side of the road at night so that they faced on-coming traffic was emphasised by Mr. A. E. Ansell at the meeting of the Automobile Association (Otago), - Dunedin, on Tuesday night. Mr. Ansell pointed out that the annual report of the Transport Department showed that 84 persons were struck while walking in the same direction as traffic, while only 17 persons walking in the opposite direction to traffic were hit. Members present were shown a white belt, in the back of which was a small red reflector, Mr. J. L. Passmore explaining that it was desired that pedestrians should bear such a belt at night and so help motorists.