NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 203, 25 May 1944, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Harbour Finance The half-yearly report on the finances of the Wellington Harbour Board was presented at its meeting 2 c ? ter d a f y ’-q 7(wi returns show a gross surplus ot ±3<99, but after the usual appropriations to the insurance funds and a small sum to the repairs and maintenance account, there is a loss of £1750 on the six months working. It is not permitted to make public at present any figures relating to the volume of trade, tonnages, and so forth.

GOO Guineas for N.Z. Cow. The highest price paid tor a New Zea-land-bred Jersey cow in the Dominion tor many years was given this week at a sale at Tauwhare, when the four-year-old cow Tolgarth Illusion sold to a bid of 600 guineas. The .buyer was an Australian residing in Victoria. Farmers’ Union Policy. Action to formulate a more vigorous policy for the union was urged by Mr. E. R. Bird at the Auckland provincial conference of the Farmers Union held recently. A committee of five delegates was elected to report on the question ot the reorganization of the union and to indicate a policy of action. Petrol for June. The Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan, announces that the Mar Cabinet has decided to continue the petroi ration for private motorists at the haltcoupon rate for the month of June and accordingly coupon number 1- will- be available at half its face value. Power for Factories. Concern is being expressed 'by manufacturers in Auckland at the shortage.ot electrical power. Priority for new installations is understood to be confined to the armed forces or work connected directly with, the forces, and factories engaged bn essential work do not come under this category. Protests by Local Bodies. , The Lower Hutt City Council and the Hutt River Board have decided to send a deputation to the Minister of Works to protest against his decision to retain for industrial purposes a defence building on the reclaimed area at the Hutt estuary The council considers the building unsuitable for industrial purposes, and as not complying with townplanning principles. National Savings. . . ’ A total of £22,188’ invested m the Auckland postal district last week in national war savings accounts brought the amount for the current financial year to £131,958, or £19,097 m excess. of the proportionate amount of the annual quota. The objectives were reached by 29 sub-centres. Receipts in the Auckland metropolitan area totalled £18,629, which was £6579 over the weekly quota. Forty-one Tears on Board. Mr. W. H. Field next month will have completed 41 years’ service on the Wellington Colleges Board of Governors It. was stated at this week’s meeting of the hoard that Mr. Field was appointed. Government member of the board on June lb, 19.03, and had been reappointed every five years since that time. This period constitutes a record for the board, and is probably a record for any . secondary education board in the Dominion. # Farms Not Popular. “As soon as you mention to returned men about working on dairy farms they, well—they just take to the scrub,’’ stated a representative of the Hawke’s Bay Primary Production Council at a sitting of the No. 2 Manpower Appeal Committee in Hastings, The representative was explaining to the committee the difficulty encountered in securing labour for dairy >. farms in the district. Deserted Ship. Jointly charged with deserting an overseas ship and with boarding a ship in port without a permit, 'William Leathern. * a greaser, aged 43, and William Campbell, a seaman, aged 32, pleaded guilty to both charges before Mr. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. They were each sentenced to imprisonment for one month on the desertion charge and were convicted and discharged on the other charge. Picture Theatre Lighting. In view of the shortage of electric power the matter of the exterior lighting of picture theatres has cropped up In Auckland. It was stated at a meeting of the Auckland Power Board that the controller, Mr. F. T. Kissel, had granted normal lighting to the theatres. Mr. S. J. Harbutt said that with the present need. for the conservation ot power he felt that the board should ask the theatre proprietors to reduce voluntarily the heavy exterior lighting of their premises. . Bewildered Pigeons. Numbers of pigeons who for years have roosted in the old.wooden tower at the Bowen Street end- of Parliament Buildings, have been greatly disturbed by the demolition work which is rapidly removing this historic landmark from the city. Bewildered by the loss, of their home the pigeons circle the scaffolding again and again before realizing that there'is now no place, to land. 11 inally they fly away to other buildings. Comb-out of Grade A Men. The desirability'of a stricter comb-out of grade A men for service overseas was expressed by several speakers at the annual meeting of the Waikato Returned Services Association. . The following resolution was carried unanimously: “That the Minister of; Defence be informed that the Waikato R.S.A. is of opinion that the time is long overdue for a strict comb-out of all occupations to provide replacements for men who have already rendered long and honourable service.”. ,

Domestic Help. The manpower officer was now. doing the best he. could to secure, domestics for householders, particularly Jn cases oi grave hardship or, the illness of mothers, said the manpower officer’s representative at a sitting of the Auckland Manpower Industrial Committee. This policy did not apply to cases of “wealth reqniring more people in the house,” but there were many instances where domestic help was genuinely necessary, and it was in these cases that the manpower officer was endeavouring to secure assistance.

Weight of Sacks of Flour. “Is it compulsory under the award tor these men to have to lift 2001 b. sacks of flour?” asked the foreman of a jury during the hearing of a claim for damages bv a truck driver at Auckland. “It is a heavy lift and must require a strong man to do the job,”. commented Mr. Justice Fair. The head, storeman, who was giving evidence, said he did. not think specially strong men were picked for the work, but some men could not do it. bo far as he knew the Drivers’ Union had made no complaints. There was a standard weight of 20011). for flour sacks.

Workers’ Ultimatum. Notice' of their intention to resign unless gumboots were provided by the end of the month was received by the Christchurch Drainage Board from eight employees ou Tuesday evening. The board has been seeking permits to buy gumboots for about a year, but has been advised that supplies are not available. Members on Tuesday evening gave figures o£ gumboots available for sale in shops if permits were presented, and it was agreed to point out to the Minister of Supply that the board’s needs could be met througfi the regular channels if permits were granted.—P.A..

Family Found House. A friend of his would provide a rentfree house for two months for the family of eight whose case had been mentioned in “The Dominion” yesterday, said Mr. Will Appleton lust night. The house contained a living-room, two bedrooms, sleeping porch, and kitchen, with electric light, open fireplace in living-room, and coal range. Tank water was used so water facilities would not be the best; probably this could be rectified. “I assure you I am not setting Up in business as a housing bureau, but just showing what can be done when there is a will,” he said.

Well Borers Strike Gas. While boring for water in the Waikato recently, the operators of a wellboring plant struck a pocket of gas at a depth of 125 ft., which forced mud and water through the casing and to .a height of 35ft. above the ground level in a spectacular eruption. The gas was intentionally ignited and flames replaced the water. The operators had no difficulty in extinguishing the flames, hut the deeper the bore was driven the stronger became the pressure of gas. The. gas is believed to have originated in decayed vegetation. • The borers had not had a similar experience in many years of operations.

FUTURE OF EMPIRE

Dangers Of Bureaucracy Stressed TEST OF THE PEACE* “Today, the keynote of our sentiments toward the Empire is a feeling of intense pride,” said Mr. G. G. G. Watson, addressing members of the Royal Empire Society at their Empire Day luncheon yesterday. “We are proud of its record of haying spread over a large part of the surface of the earth those principles of honour, honesty, fair-dealing and freedom for which it is renowned. .... “It is- the most wonderful political system in. the world. In days when the would-be despot of Europe and his horrible imitators in the East are proclaiming a new order of conquest, brutality and bestiality, and seek to shackle that new order of degradation on their piteous victims, it is well to remember the new order which Britain and her Allies, it they work in harmony, mutual trust and forbearance in the peace to come, may develop and expand among all those peoples of the world who are found receptive of the fundamental principles of spiritual, social, economic and political justice.” ' , , n t In the years between the two Great Wars, said Mr. Watson, it had become fashionable for a vociferous minority ot pedantic intellectuals, of rebellious, adolescents. and- muddle-headed visionaries, to decry the Empire, to belittle its achievements and even to attack the very principles on which it was built. Ihougn many of them were misguided or sincere, it could not be denied that their efforts tended to draw people’s minds from the principles which had made the Empire great, and blinded their eyes, to the struggle which was to come.. It might have been that the first incipient symptoms of the decay of the Empire lay in the apathetic materialisms, teaching and preachings of these people, but such symptoms had been totally arrested and drastically eradicated by the . ordeal of war. The ordeal of war had raised the peoples of Britain to the very zenith of achievement in the preservation of the principles of justice and freedom. Growth and Evolution.

The Empire as it existed today was not the product of conscious planning or written constitution, but was the result of growth and evolution. It was maintained by a process of free and trank consultation, mutual give and take, and tolerance and forbearance, between the component'units of the Empire. “For mv personal part, declared Mr. Watson, “I hope that nothing further will be heard of the proposal recently mooted for a permanent secretariat, m that direction lies the rule of the bureaucrat. The members of a permanent secretariat tend to formulate rules ami precedents. as distinguished from the freedom. elasticity and adaptability which come from the free, frank and frequent interchange of views of the ever-changing personnel of the political .leaders of different parts of the Empire. We must remember that whatever the failings of the present system of relationship, it has worked well.” . If the same system of consultation, mutual give and take, forbearance, and goodwill in pursuance of a common ideal could be extended and developed, not only within the Empire but in the■ Peace to come, to our great Ally, the United States, was it too much to liope that the British Empire might, in the fullness tm •by the same process of growth ana evolution become a partner of an AngloAmerican Commonwealth which would ensure the freedom of mankind for centuries t 0 The"future of the Empire lay. not only in the hands of statesmen and leaders, but in the hands of its common P e °i?te’ With victory and peace would come the time of testing. Mere the people goin„ to hold fast to their past virtues or were thev "Ding to sink into a bog of apathetic materialism? Were they to Stand on their own feet and work for all that was right and good in life? Or were they goin" to allow their lives to lie ordered, regimented, and planned only too often had no qualification for such a task other than a blindl zeall for regimentation or a lust for the 1 ~ which the planner had over the panned. Were thev going to insist on living their lives thei? own way. or were they going to fall into a clamorous mob demanding rights and forgetting duties? Were they going to look to the State as the universal provider of benefits, or were they going to rely on their own enterprise to ensure not only their own welfare but also the heln necessary for the weak: ■Were they going to insist, throughout the Empire, in sweeping away in the times of peace all those forms of control and interference with individual liberty which were necessary in time of war. but which were anathema to the lover of freedom and liberty in times of peace, or were they going to succumb, as a .people, to the strangling grip of a powerful and deeply-entrenched bureaucracy R nde ■which democracy would perish from the face of the earth and from the Empire. “Are we going to measure happiness and success in terms of material comfort and indolence, or in terms of achievement in work done to the best of our. ability, and in accordance with a high ethica.l and moral code? Are we going to strive and fight for what we believe to be n„ht in our national life, or are we going to acquiesce in what we know to be wrong. Those are the questions which win demand answer as soon as peace comes. Upon how the people of the Empire answer those questions will depend whether the Empire of which we are so proud will flourish, or perish.

LORD BLEDISLOE’S MESSAGE

The president of the Empire Day Movement, Lord Bledisloe, has issued the following Empire Day message: ‘‘On this notable Empire Day our hearts must be full of profound thankfulness to our fighting men, drawn from every part of the world-wide British Commonwealth, whose valour, endurance and heroic sacrifices have brought victory in sight and saved the world from slavery and the Empire from disruption. . Let us prove ourselves worthy of their great , achievements by pursuing with sincerity and vision, within our own sphere of influence and endeavour —be it .great or small —the cause of human welfare, contentment and happiness in days to come. “The steadfast solidarity and comradeship of British peoples throughout, this war have not only saved the Empire—they have saved the world. This solidarity and mutual confidence will be more than ever needed in the task of establishing on a sure' foundation an enduring peace. Just as in 1940, all freedom-loving nations looked to us for salvation and leadership and did not look in vain, so will they look to us again in the hour, of victory. Empire Day reminds ns that our Empire citizenship involves responsibilities commensurate with its abounding privileges. These we must shoulder resolutely with a supreme confidence in the future greatness of the British Conimonwealtb and Empire and a full realization of the immeasurable service which it can render not only to its own peoples, but to all mankind. Appeal to Youth. “Boys and girls of the Empire, you arc living in stirring times. Many changes will take place both in your own country and in the wide world beyond. Air transport and radio communication will bring the earth’s scattered territories ever nearer to you. What concerns their inhabitants will concern you. too. and affect your daily life. Develop, therefore, a well-informed interest in world affairs and specially in those of the British. Empire which is your own special heritage and will become one of your greatest responsibilities in the adventure of life upon which you are embarking. “There is opening up before us all the vista of a brighter, nobler and more righteous world beyond the clouds of war —a world where selfishness, oppression, injustice and want will be buried in a new-found liberty, based upon the foundations of a living faith. Let us all earnestly strive, with stout hearts and unsullied ideals, to aid in the building of that better world, firmly refusing to allow the present unparalleled unity of the British Commonwealth and its brave Allies to be shaken in putting our hands to the God-sent task of perpetuating peace upon earth and promoting good will among men.” WREATHS LAID AT STATUE Representatives of the Victoria League, the Wellington branch of the Royal Empire Society, and the South African War Veterans’ Association yesterday morning made their, annual pilgrimage to the Queen Victprigj>t/itMe__bq-_

tween Kent and Cambridge Terraces, Wellington, iu commemoration ot EinA large wreath of laurel leaves, berries, and copper toned chrysanthemums was placed at the base of the Pedestal by the president of the Wellington branch of the Royal Empire Society, Mr. L. O. H. Tripp, 0.8. E., who read an Empire Day message from the society s chairman, Lord Clarendon, and council, as follows“ With the fifth Empire Day of the war the struggle reaches its climax. Whatever the trials and difficulties of the past years they have throughout been lightened gloripusly by the unfailing constancy and the combined effort of all parts of the Empire and Commonwealth, which have proved to a distracted world how splendid has been the cohesion, how magnificent the unity ot purpose of at least one of the warring peoples, those who owe allegiance to the British Crown. The example has brought encouragement to all and hope even to the enslaved. With the blessing ot Irovidence, this unity has already led us through immeasurable dangers; it will, we pray, do so to the end, and help to bring our peoples a decisive victory, won by common sacrifices, common devotion to the ideals of freedom and justice and by the unshaken steadfastness of their, forces on sea, on land, and in the air. “For long the battle was fought alone. Even then there was no looking back or slackening, rather a greater intensification of effort. Now, with mighty allies, there can be no longer any' doubt that the great, purpose for which we have fought will be achieved. History will record that it is to the Empire and Commonwealth that in no small degree freedom owes her survival. Let us go on .fearing nothing, whatver lies before us, proud of our great past, proud . of our shining present and armed with the knowledge that with unity and the great principles for which we have striven as our watchwords, even the greatest powers for evil that the world has ever known will batter but*n vain against our heritage.” . , ~. .. As the initial event m the. Victoria League's Empire Day’ celebrations, the president, Mrs. J. A. Doctor, tendered a laurel wreath surmounted by a Vshaped emblem composed of red, white and blue delphiniums, geraniums, hydrangeas, and dahlias, and made by a member, Mrs. C. E. Carter. A special delegation of approximately 20 South African War veterans paraded at noon, when a third wreath was placed bv Mrs. J. Anderson, wife of the presi- , dent of the South African War Veterans Association.