NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 22 April 1926, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Munificent Gifts. Subject to the approval of the Government, the Jubilee Institute for the Blind (Parnell), will receive £5000, and the Knox Home for Incurables (West. Tamaki) will receive £3000, from the Auckland Savings Bank, states a Press Association message. These donations were announced by the president at the annual meeting of the bank. During the past twenty years the bank has presented £80,000 to various objects, and to-day's gifts bring the total to £88,000. Empire Preference. The subject of Imperial preference was briefly touched upon by Sir Alex. Roberts in the course of his remarks at the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last evening. What New Zealand wanted, he said, was the individual preference of the people of the Old Land. If we could only influence them to demand Empire goods we could let the question of' Empire preference rest. There was one thing we muat realise — that the buying power of Great Britain was not what it used to be, and anything in the nature of legislation which would tend to make the cost of living creator in the Old Country was going to be a very great burden upon the whole population there. Auckland Hospital Buildings. A departmental inquiry into alleged errors and extravagance in connection with the erection of buildings at the Auckland Hospital is to be held not later than 20th May. Advice to this effect was conveyed to members of the Hospital Board last evening in reaponce to a request made to the Department of Health. A Suburban "City." The hope that when the census _fig- ! ures were compiled, Mount Albert might be able to claim the proud title of ! "city" was expressed with becoming diffidence by a member of the Borough Council on Tuesday evening. The Town Clerk, however, said that, taking the last census figures and making allowance for the number of new dwellings erected, the 1 population of the borough appeared to be about 17,000, instead of the required-20,000. Members agreed that Mount Albert's chances of ! being designated a city would be much ' brighter by the time the next census j came round. "Very Good Judges of a Baceliorse." "Some people think that it is impossible to bo blind and happy at the same time," said Mr. H. E. Vaile, chairman of trustees of the Jubilee Institute fer the Blind, in a speech at Auckland. '' That is a completely exploded theory. Some of our inmates j are particularly fond of music. Others like reading, and others games. Some, oven, are very good judges of a racehorse—at all events, they think they aTc." Another Picture House. Wellington is to have still another picture theatre, in one of the main | I streets of the city. It is announced ! that negotiations have just been con- j j eluded for the purchase of a valuable ] site in Manners street, near the Willis | street corner, with the object of erecting a large and up-to-date cinema house. A syndicate embracing New Zealand and Australian capital is behind the venture. Winter Show Building. Messrs. Watson, Gooder, and Lee, architects, have furnished the Wellington Winter Show Association with a report on the proposed permanent exhibition building. The site has three frontages, to Hutchison road, New road, and the southern end of Wallace street. The architects report that owing to tho irregular nature of the ground, most of the foundations would need to be carried on piles. In buildings devoted to exhibition purposes, it was explained, the principle of circulation was Jan important consideration. Unless a definite sense of direction in the seI quence of apartments were provided tho visitor was apt to wander aimlessly | about, and thereby chance overlooking certain parts. Tho fewer tho number of apartments opening off each other, the more definite this direction would be. The lighting arrangements provided for all main apartments being crosslighted and ventilated from opposite sides. On the main floor, every apartment would be top-lighted by a continuous skylight the full length of the ridge, a system giving a full, even distribution of light to all parts. In its main outline the building would be monumentally simple and effective by reason of its largeness of sc.le. The architects recommended that the system of construction best suited would be a skeleton of either steel frame or reinforced concrete, witn panels of either brick or concrete. The roofs would consist of steel trusses covered with asbestos or iron, and.left open on the under side. Access to Wadestown. Access from Wadestown to Highland Park and vice versa is roundabout for people in a hurry—and generally people are; and for a long time residents havo shortened the distance by walking through the tramway cutting, about a third of the round-by-the-road walk. There is, however, no footpath through tho cutting, and the going is fairly rough, and recently the localll Progressive Association approached the Tramways Committee with a request that a proper footpath should be laid down by the side of the tram fraek. To that request a reply has been, made by the Tramways Manager (Mr. M. Cable) to the effect* that tho tram tracks traverse a private right-of-way, not a public, roaci, and that an element of danger would be introduced by the construction of a footway. In view of tho fact that the Tramways Department would be held liable for.damages in the event of accident on its right-of-way, it was unable to accede to the proposal made. The association has not been altogether satisfied with the reply, as , the "private right-of-way" is at least public insofar as it is under the control of the City Council, and it is proposed to take the matter further. Mr. Cable has advised the association that his department cannot favourably consider the erection of a shelter at Moorhouse street at present "on account of tho finances being straitened .is the result of private bus competition." Advantages of Export Control. "This gct-rieh-quick policy of trying to do too much at once often lands a country like air individual, in trouble," declared tlio Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nos worthy) at the Chamber of Commerce dinner last night, in advocating -a steady, hardworking, progressive policy in regard to the shipment of our produce. Both the meat and dairy control boards, set up to regulate the shipment of produce, said Mr. Nos worthy, had already bad an advantageous effect upon tlic Dominion. "We should feed the London market," lie said, "with a regular and even supply of our produce, in preference to tho olct system of dumping—sending four or five ships, all loaded to the hatches, t.> arrive at Home ports together—as happened last season and the season before. That is not (.lie way to secure steady, even tenure of the market. Commerce is 'ike the individual. A steady, hardworking, progressive policy that is content with a fair thing is the policy that in the long run will make the nntion, as it will the individual."

More Trade Commissioners. The appointment of more New Zealand Trade Commissioners abroad was commended to the Government by Mr. M. Carr at the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last evening. The appointment of Commissioners iv those places where New Zealand had very little trade, he said, would add very materially to the prosperity of the Dominion. Trout Too Happy. That fishing throughout New Zealand is going from bad to worse through the rivers being overstocked was stated at last night'a meeting of the Council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, says a Press Association message from Chrintchurch. Mr. Edgar Stead said:' "Wo have not at present sufficient natural enemies of fish. The trout is naturally designed to withstand tho depredations of his natural enemies, but he has not enough enemies. Fishing here is going to go from bad to worse." [ Utopia! "My earnest hope," remarked the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nosworthy) at the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last night, after referring to the present fortunate position of the United States, where it was said there was no unemployment, "is that tho day will come when the British Empire will be so organised that it will not have any unemployment within its boundaries, and when it will be richer and more prosperous than ever the United States will be." Basis of Butter-fat Payments. At the annual meeting of the Taranaki Friesian Breeders' Association, the following resolution . was carried:— "With a view to following on the recommendations made by the Control Board delegates and other authorities on return from abroad, this branch of the New Zealand Friesian Association deems it very advisable that a conference be called between the Friesan, Shorthorn, and Ayrshire breed societies, for the purpose of discussing the steps necessary to combat the present method of paying out on a butter-fat basis for tho manufacture of cheese." It was stated that the high tested milk had a greater proportion of butter-fat, but'the higher tho test the less the proportion of solids necessary for cheese. Senor Bidone's Suggestions. In the course of his speech at the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last night, the Consul-General for the Argentina (Senor Bidone) commended immigration as a means of accelerating ' the progress of the Dominion's primary and secondary industries. Good immigration for New Zealand and Argentina, he said, were weighty currencies J of human and moral energy, which enriched the country, and for England would have the salutary effect of bloodlotting, which often was a reversion to life. Let us not forget that to Europe we owed all our brains, blood, and colour. The hand of Europe erected the Cross of Jesus Christ in South America and in the Pacific; in our universities every science and every useful book was European, and Europe was our best market. The ideal would be to balance the two worlds in the distribution of men and food, and then the universal confraternity would be _ not only a divine truth, but also a positivej reality. "Another suggestion which appears to me opportune to make," said Signor Bidone, "is that New Zealand, which is rich in maritime fauna, contribute to international legislation to regulate fishing in the high seas; then there will be future food for humanity, after meat, cereals, and other food products of the soil are insufficient, for the necessities of the world." Argentina, he said, maintained that the extormination of the riches of the ocean should be avoided. j A Big Week. j The last paving week (which ended on Tuesday evening for convenience in costing, etc.), waa the best since the { commencement of surfacing operations ill the city and suburbs, approximate- | ly 10,000 batches, each of 6001b of material, being turned out from, the four plants. Upland road, Kelburn, was completed and the finishing touches were given to Bay road, Kilbirnic, today. Good- progress has also been j made with tho paving of Coutts street towards Salek street, at which point the work will end as far as this soason is concerned. Three miles of pavement lias been laid in the Trentham-Uppor Hutt section this season, and another mile will about see this year's work in that area ended. Preparation work is well ahead in Adelaide road in the length leading towards Athlstie Park, and this, with the lengths mentioned above and a few odds and ends, will keep the Eongotai and Trentham plants quite busy enough during the six weeks or so before broken weather puts j i end to paving work. The Day's Bay job will keep the Petone plant very fully engaged, but it should be possible to lay the pavement as far as Ferry road before winter, providing that motorists will take a reasonable view of the council's request tuat the road should not be used for pleasure tripping during tho working hours, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays included. The dust mill recently installed at Kongotai is giving splendid service, and has apparently solved all difficulties in regard to an adequate supply of the essential "filler." Already this year the area of pavement laid is equivalent to eighteen miles of standard width road, with still six weeks to go, as compared with last season's full total of nine miles. Our Loans from London. The development of our Dominion, remarked the president of the Chuuiber of Commerce (Mr. D. J. M'Gowan) at last night's dinner, had been largely dependent upon tho fact that loans liad been freely available in London, as well as upon England having been so openly accessible as a market for our produce. But we must not disregard tho position Great Britain was in today through her reduced national income. England had had colossal problems to face since the war, and the war wastage to bo renewed had been enormous. The net income of the Old Country available for reinvestment abroad had boon very much reduced, and, though New Zealand's name stood high on tho London market, we must not lean too greatly on that sourco for assistance if we desired to give the greatest help to tho Mother Country in tho solution of her post-war problems. Traders should take into consideration hi their future commitments the many loans falling due in tho next few years, for these might have some effect upon the financial markets. While conditions rcmaihec prosperous it was unlikely that there would bo difficulty in arranging finance to meet these loans, and there was no cause to anticipate adverss conditions. Taxing Motor Traffic. A resolution proposed and considered by the Hamilton Borough Council last evening (says a Press Association telegram) was to the effect that the Government should be asked to introduce ■ legislation giving ] 0 ».al 'bodies winch control, make, and maintain streets and roads power in the licensing of motor vehicles, public and priv^.to, to collect a fee sufiii'iontlv lii^l] to provide 80 per cent, of the interest and sinking fund oil loans for the purpose of making roads and streets capable of standing present-day motor traffic, and also for maintenance requirements. Tho council, after discussion referred the matter to its general purposes committee.

Palruerston Railway Deviation. "Everything is-ready and we will be starting soon," stated the Prime Minister (the Hon. J. G. Coates) when questioned at Palmerston on Tuesday in regard to the Palmerston North railway deviation. Gifts from the Exhibition. It was reported to a meeting of the Otago University Council that the Government had presented the Maori house at the Exhibition to the Museum, and the Fijian Commissioners had also presented, the Fijian house. Kingfishers and Trout. Kingfishers were reported at a meeting of the Palmerston North Acclimatisation Society to have made great attacks upon the young fish held in tho fish-pond at thtf Esplanade, with the result that when the pond was cleared last week only 1000 were found out of tho 10,000 liberated in it. The kingfisher being a projected bird, the society could not shoot them. The secretary^Mr. E. V. Lloyd, considered this bird was more destructive to fish than the shag. It went for young fish and disposed of at least fifteen each day. Shags would take eels in p-Ter-ence to trout, and thus did somo good, whereas the kingfisher was absolutely useless. Members considered the protection should be lifted. Auckland's Trams. Auckland's great love for riding whenever and wherever walking can be avoidec is in no danger of dy' g out. To-da,y tram car No. 200 went into traffic, so that there are now thirty cars, handsome and comfortable, of thelatest design on the track. There are always a few cars in reserve or on the stocks for repairs, but with the full fleet of 200 cars in commission the tramways could be transporting at one time nearly 12,000 passengers. Last year the tramcars carried between 59,000,000 and 60,000,000 passengers, which with 200 cars all running would run out at over 800 passengers per car per day for the whole year. The average was probably nearer 1000 rides per day on each car in actual commission. Fewer Pennies Saved. According to tho officials of the Auckland Savings Bank, the oldtime habit of saving pennies is in danger of dying out. At any rate the penny bank department of this popular institution is the only one that does not show progress; indeed, its records show retrogression. The president, in his annual report to the board of directors, says the indications are that thrift is not now inculcated into children, or at least its effects are certainly not apparent in the penny branch. Ghandi's Doctrine. Evidence of a new trend in the Ra- i tana movement is apparent in the difficulty that is being experienced in the Taupo district in getting the followers of Batana to accept their census schedules. Some have refused point blank to aeeept schedules, but wiser counsels may yet prevail. A number of Ratana supporters have declared that they will not attend a meeting called under The Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1924, to go into the question of the Lake Taupo fishing rights, but it is not anticipated that the proceedings will be hampered by their absence. Batana has a considerable following in the Taupo country. It is difficult to obtain any information from Batana's disciples, but apparently they are being influenced in the direction of adopting the non-co-operation tactics followed recently in India by the followers of Ghandi. Waikaremoana Scheme. The contract between the Government and the Poverty Bay Power Board for the supply of power from Waikaremoana has now been signed, and everything is now in readiness for the Waikaromoana hydro-electric scheme to be put in hand. The work will entail an expenditure of about £750,000, spread over three years. As a first instalment it is proposed, to erect a single 50,000----volt line to Waikaremoana, and a duplicate 110,000-volt. line to connect with the line from Mangahao at_ Napier. The Waikaremoana power is to reinforce the Mangahao supply when that is working under full pressure. Local Pride. The need for citizens to show more open pride in their country and their town was referred to by the president of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr. D. J. M'Gowan) at last night's dinner; "Somehow," he remarked, "we seem to possess a modesty that does not permit us to extol, spontaneously and on every occasion, the region we In ! in. Whenever we praise New Zealand our local pride shou!d allow us to add a few words for our Home town. Though Wellingtonians may be silent r- d lacking in voice as to Wellington's fine climate and healthy atmosphere, its up-to-date city and well-equipped harbour and its many other attractions, those who go abroad and see other muchvaunted and advertised places always return with the opinion that 'Wellington is good enough for us.' Tho spirit may not have been prevalent in years gone by, but it is moro evident nowadays, and testifies to a healthy pride in the city where we live and have our being. . . . My term as president has impressed me with the scope there is ahead for the chamber to keep the city and surrounding districts in the forefront, and to see that Wellington is kept in large type 'on the map.' " Different Eating Systems. "There are seventeen different areas in' tho Southland Electric Power Board's district," said Mr. R. Kennedy, who appeared for the board in a case before the Full Court, this morning, "and the system of rating varies. Some areas arc rated on the unimproved value, some on capital value, and some on annual value. Under the latter are one county, seven boroughs, and one town district. Under capital value are three counties, one borough, and two town districts, while under annual value arp one borough and two town districts." Mr. Justice Stringer: "You have to adopt a universal form amongst aJI these people, while they, for their own purposes, may have varying systems?" Mr. Kennedy: "Yea, we want them all rated on capital value." Mr. A. Gray, K.C., for the At-torney-General, contended that the Power Board, having adopted unimproved value, could not rescind that and adopt the capital value system without a poll of the ratepayers. Tho Court reserved its decision on this point. It is the desire of many of the residents oil Wadestown and Highland Park to have their own district tennis court and bowling green, and a movement is on foot to have them in the near future. A suitable spot for the grounds has been selected, and the owner has consented to desißt from cutting it tip into building sections pending developments. lii the meantime,' an active. cfinva3s of the district is being made by those ■interested, and already a fair sum has been collected, including a cheque for £,25 from Sir Harold Bcauchamp. Tho Reserves Committee of the City Council is to bo asked to aid the scheme on similar lines to those in other parts of the city.