LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 7, 8 July 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Pacific Cable Board announces that owing to the large increase in week-end traffic it is not expected that delivery in the United Kingdom of all such messages will be effected before Wednesday of the following week, possibly later.

In speaking at the meeting called by the Rotary Club" in support of the Young Citizens' League last evening, Mt. 6. A. Troup spoke cheerfully of the increasing interest which is being taken, in work which deals, with the best interests and development of children and young people. He said that in the past, it had been very hard and discouraging for social workers, for the interest was lacking, workers few, and yet an immense field for work. Such a gathering as appeared in the Accountants' Chamber last night was a. wonderful encouragement, and he regarded it as a sign of the times.

In describing the geological formation of the site of the City of Christchurch, Mr. Dudley Dobson, until recently city surveyor of Christchurch, said that at no distant date Banks Peninsula • was an island. The site of Christchurch was a river fan, arid in different parts there existed evidences of the various rivei beds. For a long period the Waimak.riri worked northward and formed the swamp . that at one time existed from Kaiapoi northward to Woodend and Rangiora. Indications of submerged forests had been found at the foot of the Cashmere Hills and at Sockburn.

Human nature is very perverse. Tell a man that he cannot have a certain thing, and that is the very thing he will crave for and strive to obtain. That was the spirit presumably that dominated certain University students at Dunedin on Wednesday (reports the Otago Daily Times). It had gone forth that the telephone exchange this year would be impregnable to any attempts to effect an entrance by the students. Locks had been strengthened and every avenue of apapproach blocked. The authorities viewed their work with satisfaction. Every attack on the portals would be brought to naught. At first it seemed that the authorities were right: Many despei-ate attacks were launched on the citadel during the day. Staircases were explored, manholes exploited, roofs crept over. Each attack was defeated. Then a trio of desperadoes essayed what looked like the impossible. A ladder, a window. Hope was not dead. Up went the ladder and up went the' window, and Ley presto! success was achieved. The authorities humorously accepted the situation. Next year, however, the windows will be locked, but the student will no doubt again attempt to storm the stronghold of ike tclephon- girls.

' When asked by a reporter of the Nelson Mail to give his impressions of the Cawthron Institute, Major Belcher, of the British Empire Exhibition Mission, said : "I have spent one of my most interesting mornings since leaving England. I think that the scope of the work, as well as the actual work being carried out, is perhaps the most important scientific contribution in relation to plant life in the whole of Australasia. Dr. Tillyard, in the entomological section, and Dr. Curtis, in the mycological isectign, are themselves engaged in forms or research which may have a most farreaching conclusion,, from the commercial •point of view, in the development of orchard diseases throughout New Zealand. I have visited ■ various research farms which are carrying out purely agricultural work, such as the one in Victoria is carrying out, but I have seen no institute which is carrying >ut the same research work in rolatior to orchards, and don't know if we have anything in England like it. The result of this research work oucht really to bo shown in tho Empire diseases section of tho exhibition, and I hope it will. Tho exhibition itself ought to be made tho occasion of an Imneria! conference in order that the' work being done at Nelson enn become known in other part, of the F.mviire where fruit culture is an important commercial problem. I can only hope that the exßinnle of Mr. Cawthron will be followed' by some other New Zealand benefactors,"

The Postal authorities have received cable advice from Melbourne that the Paloona left at 4 p.m. on the 6th inst. for Wellington. She carries 210 bags of mails, including 77 from Australia, 92 from United Kingdom, S from Africa, and 36 parcel receptacles.

Discussing tree-planting at a recent meeting of the River Trust Domain Board, the Chairman said that there were many low hills around Wanganui which were now growing gorse, and which were absolutely ruined for growing any other crop except trees. Mr. M'Gregor: "There is a fortune in it to anyone who planted even ordinary pines. In 33 years time the land with trees would be worth £1200 to £1500 per. acre." He added he was having 15,000 trees planted on some land up-river this season.

The Mayor of Auckland states in connection with the half ton of cocoa and milk in tins received from the Wellington agency of Qadbury and Fry's, Ltd., as a gift to the Auckland unemployed, that he has used the following agencies for its distribution:—The Salvation Army's workmen's homes, Sister Esther, Sister Hannah, and Adjutant Gordon. "All these social workers advise me that there is a large number of unemployed on their books, and that the gifts will be most acceptable for the relief of those in these circumstances," said Mr. Gunson.

The system of dividing sessions into three divisions, which has been in operation for the last twelve months, was discussed by the Canterbury College Students' Association at a meeting this week. A motion in favour of the return of the two-term system was moved by Mr. H. L. Lucena, who was of opinion that the three-term system broke the sessions up too much and made it impossible for engineering students to get employment during the vacations. The seconder of the motion, Mr. R. JComrie, stated that the present system involved North Islands students in a lot of expensive travelling to and from Christchurch. After discussion the motion was lost by 130 votes to 70.

Apparently there is no limit to people's patience with students when they set out on their annual revels (remarks the Otago Daily Times). The great majority keep their pranks within bounds, but there are always a,few who impose on good nature and abuse tho wide latitude given them. Probably a good many business houseß had the experience of one establishment which was invaded by half a dozen grotesque figures headed by^ a top-hatted gentleman with an angular and scantily-clad "lady," whom he freely introduced as his wife. After having passed a few jokes with the men assistants about, the' pair proceeded tiili-^ gently to search out all the girls on the staff and subject them to an introduction and kissing ceremony. ' While they climbed over counters and poked here and there into private offices th 6 performance was followed by a keenly interested and much amused crowd of assistants and customers.

An attempt will probably /be made shortly to salvage the scow Haere, which was blown ashore on the beach seven miles south of Cape Maria Van Diemen on 24th June. Mr. W. G. Lowe, of the firm of Bailey and Lowe, has been instructed by the underwriters and owners of the Haere to inspect the vessel, with a view to salvaging her. He left Auckland on Wednesday night by the Manaia for Whangarei, and will travel thence overland via Whangaroa to the Haere. Mr. Lowe has had considerable experience in salvage work (reportß the New Zealand Herald). About 12 years ago, he salvaged the 6Cow Bravo from within one mile of where the Haere is ashore. This will be Mr. Lowe's second trip to the Haere under similar conditions, for he salvaged her some years ago at Karamea Spit, on the west coast of the South Island. Should he deem it advisable to salvage the vessel this time, Mr. Lowe will return to Auckland for gear and men for the work.

Of' the 26 survivors of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment now remaining in New Zealand, 11 assembled at the Queen Victoria monument in Albert Park, in Auckland, on Tuesday, in commemoration of the 59th anniversary of the .arrival of the regiment in New Zealand. The 18th Royal Irish served for seven years during the Maori War, and returned to the United Kingdom in )870, with the exception of 300 men, who remained to take up land. In addition to the 11 survivors, there were at Tues;day's parade four women who came out with the regiment as soldiers' wives, and two men who were born in the regiment. Colonel J. Cunningham, of Wanganui, spoke t_\ the assembly, and his references to the deeds; of the Royal Irish in France in the Great War were listened to with keen attention. A luncheon was supplied for the veterans and friends by courtesy of the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. ColourSergeant Forsythe, of Wanganui, was in charge of the arrangements, and veterans attended from various parts of the North Island.

It is the general practice in indictables cases heard in the Lower Court to take the evidence of witnesses down on the typewriter. In a Court where the acoustic properties are not of the best, and where witnesses through nervousness or other causes speak in-a quiet tone, solicitors engaged in the case and the Magistrate' at ; times have the utmost difficulty in properly gripping the story told. There was a case in point at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court this week. The typewriter was clicking loudly during the tendering of evidence from a person who spoke by no means clearly. Mr. C. S. Thomas, a solicitor engaged in the case, mentioned the disability he was under, and this drew from the Magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson, a reference to the dictaphone. "If we had it installed, to take down the evidence, the only thing that would be missed would be the personal tones of witnesses," he remarked. He said that the use of such an instrument, for instance, would enable the Grand Jury to hear any evidence they wished over again. Mr. Thomas: You could just call for the-record. The Magistrate said that he had no doubt that in time the use of the dictaphone would come. "It will have one very good effect;, too. It will teach witnesses to speak out so that they can be heard," he said.

When the funds derived from the " Poppy Day " campaign were allotted to the various Returned Soldiers' Associations in the Wellington district for distribution, it was not generally anticipated that some of the amounts would be unclaimed, but apparently there are some districts in the North Island in such happy case that they do not require the money (says the Manawatu Daily Times). The funds ear-marked for the benefit of unemployed ex-soldiers in ! Masterton, Waitara, Eketahuna, and • Marton are ■still held by the district secretary, Mr. Nielsen. The reverse side of the picture is presented by the Hastings branch, which in a letter making claim on the small residue held m reserve for contingencies, states that it has sixty workless men on its books. Of this lrombei, twenty have been secured employment by the tree-planting and streets improvement scheme instituted by the Borough Council, the "Poppy Day"fmids having been subsidised £ for £. . The Hastings R.S.A. appeals for a further grant, so that at least ten othe; married and nearly destitute men may be afforded a chance of participating in the scheme, and the secretary also states that a local public relief fund has been opened, the amount so, far raised being £90. It is hoped the fund will eventually reach £550, the amount aimed at.

Although the actual figures have not been disclosed, it is understood that the recent revaluation of the borough of Palmerston North has resulted in the unimproved value being increased from £1,600,000 by about £1,000,000.

The old saying, "It is the small things that count," has some application in regard to the reticulation of the district for hydro-electricity, remarks the Manawatu Daily Times. In this work, 100,000 insulators; at about 2s each, and 15,000 at about 8s each, will be required.

. A Palmerston resident travelling in Australia had opportunity recently, while in Tasmania, of seeing the proportional representation system in operation, and was astonished at the amount of counting, re-counting, elimination, and addition, that is required after the poll. In Franklin electorate, six members were required, axid 17 were nominated. To decide the winning six, required 107 counts.

Mr. R, Masters (Stratford), in the course of his remarks in the House of Representatives last night, said the Minister of Justice tried to make out that there was some sort of alliance between the Liberal Party and the Labour Party. The telegram which had corns from Auckland (a report of a resolution passed at a meetmg of the Labour Party) was clear evidence that there was no form of alliance between the partes referred to in respect to not running candidates for certain seats in order not to assist each other in that way.

"We'must beware of the great danger of having ignorant people in our midst," said Mr. J. Caughley, Director of Education, in the course of his lecture at the Auckland Winter Show on Tuesday, "and a man must be considered 'ignorant if he does not go beyond tne sixth standard' in our primary schools. No nation'will ever rise to high levels l/j having- 20 per cent, of the population as; its leaders and good thinkers and allow the rema'ung SO per cent to follow ignorantly. The nation which comes to the front is the front, is the one which has 100 per cent, qi its people thoroughly educated.''-

"The 'neighbouring' of employer and employee is very difficult at present for many reasons, there being fault, on both sides," said Mrs. M. H. Chatfield in her address on "Neighbours" to senior Cadets at the Community Club on Wednesday night. "If you are placed in the position of an employer later on, see that you treat youi employees as you would wish to be treated if you were in their place., .That is a safe rule, and comes. from the greatest Socialist who ever lived upon earth. If you are an employee, give of your best, and be as ashamed of a poor day's work as you would.be of robbing a till. These are jus* two ways of being dishonest, and the only thing to choose between them is the fact that ont is punishable by law, and the other is:not." • /

"Damned silly, that's what it is!". That is the opinion of Mr. E. L. J. Heesemaii on the. system of setting a minimum' wage (states the Christchurch Sun). Mr. Heeseman, a union assessor at a sitting of the Conciliation Council, regarding the retail chemists' assistants' dispute, criticised the system, say-' ing that the best plan was that by which the employer paid the man what he Was worth. That was done in England, where Mr. Heeseman had worked before, and he had always found the system a satisfactory one. The minimum wage system in New Zealand protected the lazy and incompetent man at the expense ;of the proficient man. Of course,: this statement, coining from a worker, had the secretary of the union, Mr. R. D. Martin, up in arms. Later, Mr. Heeseman exploded another bomb, to the discomfiture of Mr! Martin "He said that the workers were willing to have their wages reduced whenever i s price of living fell. "No, no," mid 'Alt'. Martin emphatically, turning on his colleague. "No, no." '■'■"'.

A; suggestion by the employees that', if the sheep industry could not pay the present, rates of wages, it should bo allowed to collapse, was not taken kindly by the representatives of the Canterbury sheepowners in the Arbitration Court this week (states the Christchurch Sun). Mr. W. H. Nicholson, for the sheepowners, asked the Court to look at the question from the point of view of the community as a whole. "I would suggest," said Mr. Nicholson, "that it would be far better that these men should be -allowed to continue their employment at a reduced wage, especially when everything is found for them, rather than that they should be rendered idle and forced to keep themselves in idleness in town. The employers in this industry, taken generally, are equally as hard workers as the men employed, and surely have an equal right to claim the consideration of the. Court regarding their means of living. I ask your Honour to take the broad view of the situation as it affects the industry generally, and not only as it affects one .'section of workersemployedin.it,.".

"In a good old Book which is read very little nowaday? a great piece of advice is given, 'Take heed when thou standest lest thou fall'; and that, I think, is a warning against conceit and 'cocksureness' " said Mrs. M. H. Chatfield in a talk to senior Cadets on the subject of "Neighbours" at the Community Clul on Wednesday evening. "The person who is perfectly satisfied with his or her conduct or character is in ? most dangerous position, and not likely to progress in fineness of character or life. 'The thing that if best 'worth while' in the world •is the upbuilding of a good and splendid character. Money may bf used rightly so as , to be a blessing, but far more often it is the reverse. Thr old fathers of the Anglican Church, in compiling the Litany which is still used, place mon.ey in a most extraordinary position when you come to think of it. They say, 'In all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, Good Lord Deliver TJs.' A most curious grouping of events. Just think it out, and see if you .can understand what was in their minds, and apply it. to the .struggles that are going on in the world to-day." Ca-piain B. G. Hayward, late commander of the Wiltshire, is at present in Wellington. He leaves for England by the Rimutaka next Friday.