NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Busy Telegraphs.

fl,,H™+h I ? ? business transacted during the first nine months of the current financial year amounted to 12,014 - ??L?Q egram\rd toU communications 214,659 more than for the corresponding period of 1935-26. The revenue was £580,667, au increase of £8939

A Musical Library.

by Mr T •" °^ % ei£t °£ 539 Volumes X .LeJ"». Bafly, a special music aHi J/^° be at the Auckland Public Library. The sift was accepted by the City Council last night, telegraphs "The Post's" Auckland correspondent. Mr. L. A. Eady, in a letter to the council, stated that the ™a ? £? enr^ Spired b^ a suggestion made at the Libraries Conference, and fi. A?, x°. oks had been compiled by the Chief Librarian, Mr. J. Barr after consultation with Mr. Maughan Barnett, Mr. John Tait, and Mr. Cyril Towsey. It was estimated they would cost £250, and. Mr. Eady said his rather,-Mr. Lewis R. Eady, had agreed to purchase the books and he himself would undertake to keep the collection up to date. The question of housing the volumes and the handling would be left to tho Library Committee, a request being made that the collection be named the "Lewis Eady Music Section." Miss E. Melville, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Eady for his gift, said the section would be a valuable addition to the library. The gift showed the value of the Libraries Conference, from which the present offer had arisen.

Accuracy in Statistics,

Speaking at the conference^ of Power Board secretaries, Mr. Malcolm Fraser (Government Statistician), in urging that statistic returns be made as accurate as possible, commented that he did not pretend that all Dominion statistics were absolutely accurate, yet they were correct enough for the basing of deductions and making preparations for the future, as was the chief aim of agricultural statistics. It would bo a good man, for instance, who would get the Dominion wheat returns within a quarter of a million bushels of the correct amount. To get 100 per cent, accuracy would mean increasing the cost of tho returns, and the question to bo answered was whother this added correctness would secure any better purpose than the 90 per cent, accuracy that was being obtained at present. He did not think it would.

Naval Reservists on Ships.

According to one of the traditions handed down from the days of Nelson, or perhaps before, and still adhered to, a merchant vessel may not fly the blue ensign, the flag of the Naval Reserve, unless she has as member of her crew a certain number of reservists, the number being determined from time to time by the authorities. This :s the explanation of a notice appearing in' the "Gazette" this week to the effect that the number of reservists who must form part of the crew in order that a ship may be eligible to fly the blue ensign will for the year 1927 be eight.

Fireblight Menace.

Beferring to the southward spread of fireblight in the North Island, Dr. Tillyard, of the Cawthron Institute, stated in Nelson that, probably within a year, if not already, the disease would be in Wellington and its suburbs, and its extension to Nelson when that happened might be only a matter of a few months. It would be extraordinary good fortune if its arrival could be staved off for only two more years from now. "I feel it my duty to repeat the warning given, to. Nelson fruitgrowers five years ago: you cannot have successful orchards and hawthorn hedges," continued Dr. Tillyard. "You will have to choose one or the other. If you decide to keep your hedges, then you must also recognise that pear-grow-ing will have to be given up as utterly unprofitable, while apple-growing will have to undergo a further severs handicap, which may easily destroy any possible margin of profit remaining in the industry to-day."

Unanimous Consent.

A hardy old chap, retired from the sea and turned farmer, appeared as a deputation at a meeting of the Waitemata County Council recently, and briskly said that he would take up but two minutes of the local body's good time. "The road near my place " he began, and then he told of the damage that had been done by floods and slips Politely the councillors heard him to the end, but instead of an appeal for a grant to put things right, the old-time mariner gave the councillors the shock of their lives by his peroration, which was: "And all that I ask is that you will let me put'the road right at my own expense." Metaphorically they fell upon his neck. Three councillors rose simultaneously to move that the request should be granted, and when the motion was put it waß the heartiest collective "Aye" heard in the meetineroom for a long time. "Good-day!" said the veteran as he made for the door. The council's farewell was enthusiastic.

Erection of Sheds and Garages.

The Public Works Department wish publicity to be given this case as a warning to others," saia Mr. T. Lockie who appeared for the City Council ii( the Magistrate's Court proceedings against Sydney Smith for failing to obtain a buildiag permit to erect a garage. Mr. Lockie explained that the defendant applied to the City Engineer for the usual permission to build the garage in Mem street. The street was exempt from section 170 of the Public Works Act, subject to a condition that no building be erected within 33 feet of the centre line of the street. The building superintendent applied for permission under the Act, but when a Government inspector went to view the site for the garage he found that the building was in the course of erection. The Public Works Department thereupon refused to give permission. The Department asked that Smith be prosecuted under the city bylaws, and not under the Act. "The Public "Works Department wishes it pointed out, " added Mr. Lockie, "that persons in such cases where the centre line of the street has to be taken into account cannot erect gaarges and sheds without the sanction of the Department first being obtained.'' The Magistrate (Mr. J. H. Salmon) convicted the defendant and ordered him to pay costs.