LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 41, 17 August 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"Liberal" writes to The Post urging that Wellington, as the Seat of Government, should ' give to Mr. Massey. on his return, a reception in keeping with the importance of the mission which took him from the Dominion.' There could be no more important work than that on which the Imperial Conference was engaged; the ■•endeavour to bring peace and goodwill to the world. New Zealand's representative at such a gathering should, the correspondent' thinKs, be received by all the citizens, without distinction ■of politics, class, or creed. "Liberal" suggest* that the Mayor should call a public meeting to arrange such a reception. !

While the R.M.S. Marama was at San Francisco, on her last voyage/ three hundred bottles of whisky were discovered by the ship's officers hidden on the vessel. The lot was commandeered by the .United States revenue officers.

"I often think vj.e impaired a lot of hearts in Egypt," said Dr. H. J. M'Lean in the course of his "Exercises" lecture last evening, "especially when one thinks of the r work a horse did and a man did. I went away with a mounted regiment, and-I found that our horses weren't allowed to be galloped for weeks after their disembarkation. The men had their 901b packs up in a-couple of days!"

A letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs, read at' the Patriotic Societies' Advisory Board meeting yesterday; contained the following-:—-"It has been noticed that owing to the liquid assets of some societies beng depleted, the tim« has como to consider the sale of securities, and ait the present time it is unlikely tliat they can be realised upon to advantage. It is undesirable that there should be any loss under this head* ing, and I shall be glad to hear from your board as £o whether it is not deemed desirable that, as far as possible when the sale of securities be>comes necessary, they be first offered to the National War Funds, Council at the ruling market rate, thus ensuring the value of the securities being fully conserved." The board approved of the Minister's suggestion. ,

" Do we a« a nation devote too-much attention k> sport?" asked Dr. H. J. during his Red Cross lecture last night. " The tendency of late years has been towards too many competitions, and when, one considers the number or teams touring the country all contesting for trophies presented by individual donors; the whole thing seems hardly commensurate with the benefit received. Recreation is, after all, only a change of occupation, and when watching the Spring bok match here. I was struck by the tremendous amount of energy used in games. If that energy could be applied to something more useful things might be different. But then one could hardly^ picture our footballers working on tie roads!"

AH the Prime Ministers of the Dominions have contributed messages of goodwill to the American Supplement published by The Times on 4th'July. Mr. Massey writes (says The Post's London correspondent): " Looking back, as British citizens, nearly a century and a half, we now get a proper perspective of the events which resulted in the birth of the American nation, and we'are able with the^ friendliest feelings and most genuine sentiment to join with our cousins across the Atlantic in the celebration of their anniversary of independence. We trust that the amicable relations which at present exist may never again be disturbed, and that the two nations, each under its own form of Government, but learning from and respecting the other, may continue to be a blessing, not only to their own citizens, but to, humanity as a whole. There can be no more satisfying vision than that of the two great-English-speaking nations with a common ancestry, with the same traditions and the same ideals, moving forward in close accord, and acting up to the principle expressed by the British poet: 'They must be free or die who speak the tongue that .Shakespeare spoke.' I congratulate The. Times on the sentiment expressed in the publication of a fourth of July number.'"

Interesting reference to the Japaness question in America was made by Mr. T. M. Wiliord, M.p;. in an interview. "The Jap question looms very large in America to-day, "i" 6aid Mr. Wilford. "All the papers aYe full of arguments pro and con; anil the Disarmament Conference has met with general "approval everywhere. I can't help 'feeling that, like the sun in the sky, the Pacific Ocean was made to be a world asset, and not for any particular nation. Perhaps this Disarmament Conference may clear the placid waters of x pugilistic ships. 'The motto of the world,' says Mr. Hoover, 'should be service" and not slaughter.' To the Western States of America the Ja/panese question is vitally important.' Last year George Shima, a Jap, fixod ths pric*. o! potatoes for the State of California. In the Imperial Valley, the Japs have practically obtained complete domination j white in the fruit' markets and in the production of vegetables they may be sakl to have cornered everything. The week before I left the'inhabitants at Turlock rose and expelled the Ja.ps; put them into motor-cars, drove them out of the place, and shipped them by rail somewhere. The Federal Government got to work, arrested the offenders, and most of the Japs returned. But the tension is very high in the West, so far as tlie Japanese are concerned."

Since his return to England (cays The Post's London correspondent), Dr. A. S. Herbert, 0.8. E., M.D., B.S;, who was Government Balneologist at Rotorua for 17 years, has been devoting a great deal of his time to his book on the thermal districts of the Dominion. Messrs. H. K. Lewis and Co., who have had the printing in hand, have already produced two or three rough proofs oi the volume, which is to bo called "The Hot Springs of New Zealand," and in the course of a ,few days publication will be proceeded with. The first half of the book deals with ( the hot springs from a scientific point of view, and gives an oxplanatiou of all the ' thermal phenomena. The second half is devoted to the . science of balneology, tlio objeci being to create y a real interest among the medical profession in Great Britain vi the hot springs of New Zealand. Tlid rfew Zealand Government, ■ which is responsible for the production of the work, is to distribute 750 copies in Great Britain, and 750 copies in the Dominion.

In England, in the fourteenth- century, stated Dr. H. J. M'Lean, in the course of his Red Cross lecture last night, a, large number pf games were prohibited, notablyi football, tennis, and skittles. This was done to encourage archery.

That a certain amount of exercise was good for' both sexes was the view expressed by Dr. H. J. M'Lean in the course of his Red Cross lecture last night. There shoukl.be a definite curriculum in schools, he said. And when the size of the school permitted, there should be on the staff a trained games master or mistress. AH- teachers in smaller schools should have a knowledge of exercises, and playgrounds should be made to the greatest possible extent. Then we would produce a stronger, healthier, and- happier race.

"The collection of funds having ceased 'or, some time," stated the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W Downie Stewart) in a letter placed before a meeting of the Advisory Board of New Zealand; Patriotic War Belief Societies yesterday* afternoon, "the business of the various incorporated societies has now been confined to the granting of relief to soldiers a-nd their dependants, and the-heavy costs of auditing which' have up to the present been boTneJrom the Consolidated Fund under the provisions of the War Funds Act, 1915, should be very largely reduced, and I shall bo glad if ■your board will consider the advisability of the cost of such auditing being met in future from the funds of Ihi societies." The board agreed. *■

"Throughout the-Dominion, with the exception of the Wellington province, the administration of .war, funds is>confiried to not more than two or three incorporated societies, \vliile in the Auckland, Ha.wkes Bay, Taranaki, Marlborough, Otago, and Southland provinces, the whole of the fund* ar« vested .'ln on* provincial society, and administered by such organisation by means of imprest. Tliis arrangement. - works most satisfactorily, and with the minimum of cost. In the Wellington prorinoe there are no less than thirteen incorporated societies, and it would appear desirable that amalttamation should take place in certain districts." Th« foregoing is an extract from a letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs to the Advisory Board of the Federation of New Zeajand Patriotic War Belief Societies. Regarding this and other matters contained in the letter, Messrs. E. J. F. Aldrich, A. Macintosh, and R. W. Shallerass are. to make representations to the Minister.

Proposals for union between the Primitive Methodist, United Methodist, and the Wesleyan Methodist Churches of England have been under consideration for some time past, states an English paper. The 1920 conference of the Wesleyans directed the various May Synods throughout the connection to give the subject careful consideration, and report to the conferenceof this year. The Synods have met, and their findings are reported in the* press. Cornwall has done strongly against, Scotland is strongly for. In Manchester the, representative : session (which '.included laymen), wpnt one way* and the ministerial session went another. In Leeds a motion to proceed no further with the proposals was lost by only two votes, 84 being in favour and 86 against; the motion ultimately carried being to the effect that conference postpone acfSon for a year or two. Sheffield was against, London in favour> In districts where the general scheme is approved there is considerable diversity of view as to important provisions and many details. Some leaders regard the outlook" as hopeful for union ultimately,, but others assert that the cleavage revealed is so.serious and widespread that federation rather than organic union is likely to result.

Great as- is Auckland's need: f»r more houses, at the present time there is verylittle prospect of any immediate improvement in conditions. A year a-go (telegraphs The Post's ■special correspondent) there was great activity in the building trade, born of a renewal of coafidence after a long period of difficulty and national stress. To-day, however, trade is distinctly slack. Auckland's house-building programme has received a severe check, and. during the last four or five months' the number of houses that have been erected is altogether negligible as compared with the city's great and growing need for homes. It is generally agreed by those connected with the- trade that the unfavourable financial 1* conditions which have existed in the Dominion for the last few months are'almost entirely responsible for the slackening in trade. Money has been difficult to procure, and speculative building, which in the past did so much towards providing homes for the people, is practically at an end. On the other" hand,, a good many people who could find money to build are still postponing, doing so, in the hope that there will be a further reduction in costs/ "As a matter of fact," sadd one leading architect, "although there has been a slighti decrease in building costs during the last year or so,, it has not been anything like as great as some people^ expected. To my mind, there ifi little advantage to be gained by people who can afford to build refraining from doing so in the hope that there will be a still further reduction in prices." "Wages still are the most important factoi in any building programme, and there is little prospect of reduction in that quarter," said another a-rehitect.

Condemnation of the proposal that girls should jfilay Rugby football was expressed by Dr. H. J. M'Lean during his lecture on "Physical / Exercised" at the Bed Cross Rooms last night. Dr. M'Lean said that he did not believe in any kind of fpotball for girls. It was far too strenuous. And Rugby football was absolutely out of the question. "I believe," said Dr. M'Lean. "that both sexes should indulge in some games and exercises. The pbint is: how far should it go? The subject has been keenly debated; but many opinions have been expressed, whose owners have had at the base of their arguments no true knowledge of female anatomy. Some of them have been, based, on sentimental reasons!' Some say that dancing is all the exercise that a girl needs. But, in my opinion, what is sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose. Of course there is a great difference between the genteel Early Victorian maidens. and the dashing Rugby players of to-day! The value of certain exer6ise for girls is admitted., with restrictions! Rough games like football are utterly unsuited to girln. One should not attempt to discountenance the danger of knocks, blows, bumps, and collisions that must occur. These will npt be slight, as girls always introduces an intentness to things that they do. From the standpoint of pathology these things cannot be^ ignored. Such ,1 game would tend to produce a masculine woman—and I do not think she is the ideal one. Would such sport and its effects be for the good of the race, morally or aesthetically?" In conclusion, Dr. M'Lean said he considered that all games, with the exception of football and boxing, could be played by girls. Hockey was the most strenuous pastime that a'girl could play with impunity.

The Hon. W. JDownie Stewart was accorded a civic reception at Nelson yesterday. Referring to tjie' educational prospects of Nelson, the .Minister said he believed that in this connection alone there was a great future before the town. It was possible, whether it had great industrial possibilities or not, to make Nelson the Mecca for students from New Zealand, as well as from Australia. Nelson did well to take a pride in its institutions. It had generous citizens.

Postal services (stated the Postmaster- ' General yesterday) will be adopted to the 'new railway time-table. The Minister said he was not prepared to incur extra expense in the carriage of mails at the present time. If there were existing motor services on routes affected by the railway reductions, he would be prepared to consider the advisability of making uso of such services, but he had no intention of making arrange- . ments that would involve substantial increase Jn expenditure, as this would de; feat the purpose of the reduction, which was economy in expenditure. Payments made by the Post Office to the Railway Department for the carriage of mails are annual payments based on the mileage of the various liries. They do not depefitVupon the number of trains run on . the lines, and the reduction in services, therefore, will not mean a saving to the Postal Department in this respect.

The needs of the back-block soldi^ settlers were stressed by Mr., Hope Gibbons, of Wanganui, at thelWar Relief Advisory Board Conference yesterday. ,"It would be far better to give these men work instead of increasing.' their:, indebtedness through further loans," he said. In the back-blocks the men \yere willing to work on the roads, and this was the right work to be done,.-'now fehat they'were exepriencing hard times. The work on roads adjacent to their own blocks was urgent, and 'the men ' wished to do this and -asked that they be paid for it instead of having their rents remitted and receiving further loans. The position of the back-block man was very bad.. He could not pay interest or rent, and if the store would.. not give him credit he would not get his "tucker " Mr Gibbons thought the Minister of Public Works shoujd be urged to give work, where possible, to soldier-settlers on /roads in their .own * districts. Mr. W< Power (Tarariaki) said thai the position was similar in Taranaki. As others, however, were of opinion that, the matter should -not be pressed, Mr. Gibbons's proposal waa dropped., ... • ' -. „ ' . Great pleasure at the progress made by returned soldiers on the Tiratu settlement, near Dannevirke, is expressed 'by the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of ' Lands, who has just returned from a visit to the settlement "My visit has confirmed the good impression I formed when I, inspected the property 'prior to its selection in' August, 1919: I stated then that in view of the quality of the land and the conditions under.which the ; men, would take up their sections, the successful tenants should consider themselves very fortunate. Three years ago the land comprised a 5000-acre' sheep run. To-day it is a well-established settlement of thirty-four" 1- settlers, most of whom are dairying. The Department has been fortunate in securing settlers of a very fine type, in whose success I have every confidence. Although they''have been in possession of their sections for less than two years, permanent improvements of a substantial nature are visible on all sides. With the assistance advanced under the Repatriation Act they have erected a three-vat co-operative dairy factory, which will deal with the ' milk of. 600 cows. ,The factory occupies a site in the centre of the block, and is,/ equipped- with the latest appliances for the manufacture of cheese." ■