NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 33, 9 February 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Red Cross Preparedness,

It was stated at a meeting of the Bed Cross yesterday afternoon that, in the eveat of an epidemic in this city, thero are 200 trained members of the society ready to take up relief work, and that many more were undergoing instruction. Unique Club Jubilee. Though not the first working men's club started in New Zealand, the Wellington Working Men's Club will be the first to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which will be observed in August. It is somewhat remarkable that the club has still amongst its members its first president, -Mr. Patrick Galvin, its first secretary, Mr. Vincent Claridge, and two members of its first executive, 'Messrs. J. A. Capper and Prank Jennings. A perusal of the list of members in 1877 reveals the names of many men who were, or who became, important in the history of the Dominion, while there are few names which arc not familiar in the commercial or professional successes of the city. Gas and More Gas. The progress of gas consumption in Wellington since the formation of the Wellington Gas Company in 1869 was referred to by Mr. M.' J. Kennedy in his presidential address at the meeting of the Gas Institute to-day. Gas was first supplied to consumers on 22nd. April, 1871. It took 28 years before the first hundred million cubic feet were used, this figure being reached in 1899. The two hundred million mark was reached seven years later, and the five hundred million mark in 1925. The sales for 1926 totalled 539 millions, showing an increase in consumption from 250 millions in 1907 to 539 millions in 1926, an increase of 100 per cent, in 18 years. Mr. Wilber's Generosity. The Hon. D. 3\ Wilber, of Oneonata City, who was United States Consul in Wellington for some years, and is well known to many residents in the Wellington and Palmerston North districts, is, .according to a recently-published American paper, bestowing some of his generosity on the city in which he lives. The city was badly in need of an up-to-date ambulance, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilber waited on the City Council just before Christmas and asked the people's representatives to accept as a gift to the city a most up-to-date and speciallyconstructed ambulance. The gift was gladly accepted, and Mr. and Mm. Wilber received the best thanks of the council for their thoughtful action. Mr. Wilber, it will be remembered, was the donor of the Wilber Cup to the Manawatu A. and P. Association. Cricket Manners. "Good Manners" writes to the Press to say that there seemed to have been a number of men at Eden Park on Saturday who liad-never been to a cricket match before; at least, that was the most charitable explanation of the demonstration against the Victorian, wicketkeeper, telegraphs "The Post's" Auckland correspondent. "Of course, it- was annoying," he writes, . "that Daere should go cheaply, but that did not in the least affect the .right of the wicketkeeper to appeal against the other batsmen. That the 'barracking' interfered with the play of the bowlers and the batsmen was less important than the discredit it brought on Auckland's reputation. I heard someone say that the visitors were used,to that sort of thing, but this is no justification at all. If some Australians like to behave badly at cricket matches, that is no reason why New Zealanders should.do so." Faster Tram Services. "Anything which brings about a reasonablo speeding up of the city's transport services is warmly welcomed by all who use Corporation tramcars" .(writes a correspondent, "Left Standing," to "The Post"), "for therebymost passengers will have less time in Which to stands thinking of the inoquetto seats on whieK a minority is seated. But to reduce running time by the casual observance' on the part of motormen and conductors of stopping places is not reasonable. No doubt my proper course is to lay a formal complaint with the tramways manager that a little girl, aged about three years, was carried on one stop .from her mother through the conductor of a car being in a hurry or otherwise engaged on Saturday afternoon, and that this morning, three intending passengers were left standing when a car forgot to pull up properly at a compulsory city stop; but to do that might result in trouble for two conductors when perhaps a dozen more are frequently just as casual."''.. Indelible. I When the Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, was at Netherton : this week, telegraphs "The Post's" 1 Auckland correspondent, a member of a deputation asked for improved drainage facilities, and while vigorously expounding his claim, said.that the flood water had washed away the improvements on his farm as well aa his grass and the money he had saved to make it [Productive. "I hope," said the Minister, "it did not wash away the mortgage." Coming Into Its Own. That gas as a fuel is only just coming into its own, in spite of hydro-elec-trical developments, was the opinion expressed to-day by Mr. M. J. Kennedy m his presidential address to the Gas Institute. Mr. Kennedy concluded his address^ to the delegates with these words: "Looking at the progress of the gas industry throughout the world, one is struck by the gigantic strides made in gas consumption. In the field of fuel the use of gas is only commencing; the day of coal and wood fuel ranges, also of coal £res and coppers, is doomed and m the field of industry, gas is rapidly replacing other fuels. The slogan of the gas industry should be: If it is done with heat, it can be done better with gas.' " Price Cutting by Builders. "Would you expect to get a house more cheaply by calling for tenders than otherwise!" a witness was asked in the Magistrate's Court yesterday telegraphs "The Post's" Auckland correspondent. "Yes,." was the reply "especially at the present time. There might be a difference of hundreds of pounds." Witness added he had never known more price cutting in the building trade than at present, and referred to an instance in which tenders ranged from £750 to £1200. The Right Spirit. After having visited about a dozen of the manufacturing houses and factories in Dunedin, the Hon. A. D. M'Leod (Minister of Industries and Commerce) at the dinner given in his honour on Monday night paid a striking tribute to both employers and employees, states the "Otago Daily Times." He said that although this was the first official visit he had paid to any of the four centres, he could say that nowhere in New Zealand had ho encountered such an admirable relationship between employer and employee as that which existed in Dunedin. The manufacturers of this city had a valuable asset in the cordiality which was to be found between workers and masters. He had never before seen the indignity of labour so cheerfully forgotten as in Dunedin factories, where there was apparent a keen personal touch between the two sections of the community—Capital and Labour. He had been particularly struck by the way in which the large numbers of -girls employed went about their duties.

Battery Camps.

The men of the 19th Battery, New Zealand Artillery, who have been in camp at Foxton, broke camp yesterday and returned to town. They were replaced b\j the men of the 17th Battery, who will remain in camp for eleven days.

Tariff Revision.

Th« Wellington Industrial Association, Mr. F. Campbell presiding, yesterday heartily endorsed the views expressed by Mr. A. W. Beavan in Christchurch regarding the proposed tariff revision as being a most important work. Upon this subject Mr. Beavan had remarked that the question of manufacturing under mass production conditions was an important one as affecting preferential tariff and rates against older countries outsido the Empire. He considered that every section of the community must be fairly dealt with by the Government, and that the primary producers' interests and the workers' interests were all bound up with the manufacturers' interests.

Mails by Sydney Boats.

Complaint was made at a meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce last evening of. delay in the sorting of the mail from Sydney by the Maunganui on 31st January. Several members asserted that the fault did not lie so much with the postal officials as in the loss of time in carrying out the medical inspection of passengers. Nothing could be done in connection with the mails until after the visit of the port health officer. Mr. CM. Bowden said he did not wish it to go out that the chamber was opposed to medical inspection; but, generally speaking, attention should be drawn to the annoyance to which passengers were subjected under the existing .conditions. The Chief Postmaster said he was unaware of any delay on the part of tho Postal Department in the sorting and distribution of the mails received by the ■Sydney boats. A committee was anpointed to make inquiries, and also make representations to the proper

Trade With Belgium., That there is plenty of scopo for trade between New Zealaand and Belgium is the opinion of Mr. A. Nihotte the newly-arrived Consul-General for Belgium. Antwerp, he pointed out was a thriving port and the acknowledged distributing centre for Central Europe, and .60 per cent, of the tonnage entering, the port was British. Belgium could do with the Dominion's exports of meat, butter, cheese, fruit, and wool, and could supply in return many manufactured articles from her factories. Mr. Nihotte, who has been in Australia for some years, remarked that this was the first time that Belgium had sent a permanent Consul to Xew Zealand; this was a sign of the growing importance of the Dominion in the eyes of the European countries. .■•!■:■ ■ -

Church for New Settlement,

The clerk of the "Wellington Presbytery stated at last night's meeting of that body that he audit. Emery had visited the new settlement on the Eiddiford Estate in the Hutt Valley. They were in agreement regarding a site for a church on the "Waiwetu road, near the public school. It was anticipated that there would be a large population in the district in course of time. The Rev. James M'Caw said he thought they should consider a site further towards the racecourse, in. which district settlement was rapidly going on. Tho matter was referred to the Finance and Property Committee, with power to act, after consulting the church people of the district.

Immigration and Capital,

_ Speaking at a meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce last evening, Mr. A. L. Hunt said that for many years migration to this country had been advocated, and the chamber had at times given its support to that advocacy. Immigration, however, should be conducted under a system carefully thought out and conducted to meet tne needs of the country. Although increased population was wanted, the lack of proper system was shown in the complaints of unemployment in c.rtain districts. What was wanted was plenty of free British capital coming into the country as well as people. The council appointed a committee to consider and report on the question of immigration and. unemployment, consisting of Messrs. J. K. Simpson, Mitchell, Hunt, Cuthbertson, and Bowdeh.

"Injustice to Ireland."

A possible injustice to Ireland was averted in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. Paterson, counsel for the Grown, had read to the jury an-extract from Taylor's work on evidence, telegraph's "The Post's" Auckland correspondent. "I hope the jury will not accept that authority as-final, your Honour," said Mr. Sullivan, for the defence. "It is a work which states that the most lying peoples in the world are the Russians, the Orientals, and the Irish." "I think, Mr. Sullivan, we can withdraw the observation so far as the Irish are concerned,'' said Mr. Justice Stringer, with a smile. "With other peoples we need not concern ourselves."