NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 86, 12 April 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Little. French and Less Latin." "Many children whose parents are not in very good financial circumstances are sont to secondary schools, whero they mix with tho boy whose people are in a position, to financo him in tho pursuit of an academic career, with a view to setting him up in one of the professions," said Mr. W. H. Sadd, at the monthly meeting' of the Wellington School Committees' Association last evening, when ho suggested that copies of a pamphlet issued by a Christchurch school, setting forth tho advantages of tho various trades, should bo distributed among boys lcaviag tho primary school. "Such child, ren," ho went on, "find themselves with a smattering of French, Latin, and such subjects, and whilo they have not wasted their time in one way, they have- in another." The committee decided ito recommend • tho Education Board to print and distribute a similar pamphlet. Ideal Homes. . . "Quite a wonderful show, and in somo features uniquo," writes Mr. Lcn M'Kcnzie, of Wellington, in reforenco to the "Daily Mail's" Ideal Home Exhibition, which ho attended while in London. "Wo were rather disappointed in tho houses," Mr. : M'Konzio states. "There were six built to instruction; ono, a copy of an old English country homo in almost every detail, was fino in respect to its decoration, but it had too many side passages 'for the colonial idea.- There was another built on rightangles, which was good, and had tho colonial sun porch—something almost unknown or neglected in England/This house, I considered, one of tho best and more within tho public reach as to price (£1750), whilst tho ■ country homo waa £4000. Thero was another built of stone (£1480), which, to my mind, waa tho bost for genoral purposes. This was set out in real laboursaving fashion. Tho lowest priced houso was £850, aud quito good of its kind, but the thing that. appealed 'to other colonials and myself was the der tachablo bungalow, which can be taken anywhere. This is somewhat similar to many of our seaside cribs, but rather more elaborate—price £195, or with land £350. Already a small colony of those bungalows has been erected at Bed Hill, Sussex." Stolen Cars. The disappearance of motor-cars from parking places in tho city at night is.still prevalent, according to tho Wollingtoii Automobile Club, and the City Council is. to bo approached on the matter.. Eeporting. to the . club last ovening, Mr. H. 0. Stott ■ stated that there, seemed to be agitation among motorists; they thought cars should bo protected .on popular . parking' places. The. >matter had givon'tho committee considerable thought in the past, and it was found impossible to take any action, as the council refused to allow a man to patrol the parks if he received i any fees from motorists. On tho other hand, the Corporation was willing to allow the club to put a carotakor on duty, but that would mean that the club would be responsible for any car stolen if a ticket. was issued. Mr, Stott added that he had sont a-man, who was out of work, to a parkin <* place, wherq ho had collected 9s in aS afternoon and £1 in an evening, but tho Corporation had warned him off. Members agreed that they could not afford to isaue tickets if they wci-n to be legally responsible for the custody, of cars, and it was eventually decided to approach tho City, Council again in regard to the matter. ." j

Cawthron Institute. : The members of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Eesearch will be I going to Nelson next week, after the council meeting on Tuesday, in order j to inspect the Cawthron Institute. Royal Tour Film. The final instalment of the film, depicting the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to New Zealand was forwarded to London yesterday. Now that the .Government" Publicity Office has completed its work on the film the results of its efforts are to be shown las one continuous whole. . To-morrow morning, in .the presence of the Minis.ter, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, under whose jurisdiction lies the Publicity Offlde, a copy of the film will be screened. Judging by the sections' already exhibited, the whole should make a subject worthy of record. Eatanaism—A Blind Alley Business. The prevalence of Bataua doctrines among the Maoris of the Par North was discussed by Archbishop Averill on his return to Auckland from a tour of the northern portions of the diocese. In various parts of the North the Maoris were still much divided between the orthodox Church and the "church" of Batana, he said. Te Kao, on the ; southern arm .of Parenga, Harbour, had for long been a stronghold of Eatanajsm, and still was, but there were evidences that their influence' was waning. The Anglican Church had two Maori clergymen at Te Kao and their work undoubtedly had a great deal of influence over the local people. In some settlements in the North not a single Eatana follower remained, although there were still a good many at To Kao and also in the Kaikohe district, where Mormons were also in evidence. Mormonism, however, seemed to be. definitely receding. One of the serious aspects of Eatanaism was the fact that its followers were sending money to Eatana's bank in the Wanganui district, expecting to get large returns. In the meantime, they were Seing impoverished, and.were doing themselves a great deal of% ,harm. "I am hoping," said Archbishop Averill, "that most of them will come back to the Church when they see. that'Eata : naisin is a blind alley business and will not lead them anywhere." In the Wrong Pla.ce. : ■ Some people do not appear capable of distinguishing between an electric fuse-box and a postal receiving-box, although they are of widely different construction, says the "Oamaru Mail." So it comes about that they.have forced into fusion boxes letters which they hoped would be duly collected by the Post Office officials 'on their daily rounds. The electric fusion boxes are rarely opened, but lately ,an Oamaru official had to open one, and found quite a largo batch of letters inside. How long they had lain theye cannot be determined—they may have been there for months. No doubt their long rest in obscurity has caused disappointment to both writers and intended recipients. Waking Upi Mission Bay, of Kohimaramara, Auckland, though still the scene of a number of old landmarks, is a changed settlement (says an exchange). {The chapel, which has gathered a'good deal in the way of tradition with the passing of tho years, still stands on its original site, but the industrial school that was situated in the district has fallen into decay, and the .flying school of the war and post-war period is also being fast forgotten. r The district has been roaded, and at present a residenco costing £7000 is being built in an elevated position overlooking tho Hauraki Gulf. Plans for other residences are in hand, so that Mission Bay aiid : Orokoi are expocted to be the scene of building activity for many, months to come. Infectious Diseases. ' The Dopartment of Health has received the following notifications of infectious . diseases from tho hospital districts of tho Wellington Hpalth District for the week ending yesterday (tho figures for tho previous week being given in parentheses):—Taranaki-Horowho-nua: Diphtheria, 12 (10); scarlet fever, 5 (5); enteric fever, 1 (1); pneumonia, 1 (0); poliomyelitis, 1 (0); lethargic encephalitis, \1 (0); puerperal fever, 2 (0); pneumonic influenza, ,2 (0); fulminant influenza, 1 (0). ' Wairarapa- : East Cape: Diphtheria, 5 (0); scarlet, foyer, 3 (3); tuberculosis, 1 (1); pneumonia, 3 (1); enteric fever, 0 (5). Central Wellington: Diphtheria, 10 (5); scarlet fever, 12 (14); tuborculosis,. 1 (4); pneumonia, 2 (0); septic abortion,----1 (0); erysipelas, 1 (I). Nolson-Marl-borough: Tuberculosis, 0 (1). Waiting for Trams. Pedestrians desirous <of boarding tramcars whero tho roadway is wide, such as is the.case in certain parts of Lambton quay, have a habit of standing on tho roadway several feet away from tho footpath. Motorists consider this practice clangorous, and tho Wellington Automobile Club recently took up the matter, arid suggested that tho Tramways Department should erect noticos warning pedestrians of tho danger of standing on tho *road.; The Tramways Department replied to the offeet that they did . not think the boards would servo the purpose. The club also has a complaint regarding the parking of tramcara in Johnston street, and the Tramways Department is to bo asked to have the cars parked further away from the coriior' of Johnston street and Lambton quay. An Interesting Explanation. .A burning question in;' Palmerston North just.now is whether tho town shall remain Palmerston North or be called Manawatu. Tho matter was recently under discussion by tho Foxton Chamber of Commerce, and a.member of that body stated that twenty years ago ho was told by the lase Hare Eakeua to of Baiigiotu, that the name "Manawatu" was given to the particular place on the banks of the river near Hokowhitu by a Native chief and warrior during an advance by the Taranaki tribe on the Wairarapas. The chiof had described tho naming of the rivors ns follows, says the "Manawatu Daily Times": "On reaching the mouth of a largo river, which was in flood and backed up by the spring-tide, the Taranaki tribe had to wait several days until they made canoes or rafts. They namel tho river 'Whanganui,' meaning 'long wait.' The next stop was made at 'Whangaehu,' meaning 'long splash,' when they washed and splashed i . the water. Tho hoxt'stop was at 'Turnktna,' where, in order to cross the river, they had to fell a very-large tree. Hence 'Turakina,' meaning to 'knock down.' They made tho next halt at the 'Eangitikei,' meaning 'reaching'the sky.' Its banks were-so high they soomed to reach tho sky. The next stop was made at 'Manawatu.' This river was in high flood and the waters were rushing in waves that it almost mado their hearts stand still.-Hence'the name 'Manawatu,' nicaningj 'hearts stand.' The chief ordered his men to take a line across, and after soven men were drowned the eighth succeeded—hence the name 'Hokowhitu,' meaning 'sold i Beven,' " .■■••.'■ Lower Hutt Telephones. The Post and Telegraph Department |js to bo requested by the Lower Hutt Borough Council, on tho recommendation of a special, committeo,; to ostablish a local and also a Wc/ington City slot telephone in each of the following localities: Post Office, V.1.C.. Corner, Eussell's Store, Victoria street, and the Lower Hutt Bailway Station. When tho report was being discussed last' night, the Mayor remarked that tho eastern part of the borough was not boing served, but Councillor M'Bain, a member of tho committee, said that it was understood that the needs of this locality were not being overlooked by tho Department. -'- '■" "

Railway Station Names. The -new railway stations H Lower Hutt will, on the recommendation of the Works Committee of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, be named "Waterloo" and "Woburn," "Waterloo" being in the vicinity of Waterloo road. The station on the Petone side of the river will be named "Cuba street." Hutt road Ramp. At last night's meeting of the Pctone Borough Council, a letter was received from a resident complaining of the state of the Hutt road ramp. The writer said that he had understood that the road would be left in the same state as what it was when the work was commenced, i.e.. tar-sealed. The road surface, however, resembled a dnst heap. The borough engineer( Mr. A. Cowie) reported that the Public Works had repeatedly broken up the surface of the road, and they were responsible for it "being repaired. The snrface of the ramp was still sinking, and it would be a mistake to apply bitumen until the settling process was completed. Councillor V. .lacobaon said that the horse traffic my3t be considered. It would be a mistake to put a smooth bitumen surface on .the sloping sides of the ramp. Councillor Sharpe remarked that some of the pot-holes would bo likely to break the springs of motor vehicles. It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the borough engineer, who would confer with the Public Works Department. Free Ambulance Service. The Mayor of Lower Hutt (Mr. W. T. Strand) informed his council last evening that-at a meeting of all the I local bodies around Wellington it had been unanimously decided to inaugurate the free ambulance service. There had been no two opinions on the question, and it had been decided to appoint a manager approved by the gentleman who had come from Newcastle to report on the question. A letter was received 1 from the Mayor of Wellington, thanking the council for the in-, terest it had taken in the matter. Later in the evening the council decided to make an immediate grant to the ambulance committee of £50, and also to hand over to the same committee, when it was ready, the ambulance van at present used by the Lower Hutt Borough, providing the Defence Department, which owns the van, raised no objection. A Pacißc Arcadia. That Tanning Island is as near an approach to a perfect climate as can bo found on the earth is the opinion of Mr. K. G. O. Whitelaw, who, for the last two years has been on the staff of the Pacific Cable Company. Mr. Whitelaw, who is on his way to Sydney, remarked that the island, which measures about 14 miles by 8, is nowhere more than six feet above sea level. Its temperature remains nearly constant throughout tho year at abont 77 degrees, Ihe south-east trade winds keeping the island comparatively cool in spite of the fact that it is only four degrees north of the Equator. There are between 35 and 40, white people and nativo_ servants connected with the cable station, and there are some 150 native and five or six whites concerned with tho copra plantation that covers the great part of tho island. . Tho natives belong to the Gilbert Islands. Theymake good servants and workers, and are kept there under indenture for a term of three years; and are then returned to. their homes if they wish to go. . ■ :' '■ ■: : ■'■. An Old Redoubt. O "Tinakori" writes: Seeing that the old face of our city is changing, your fine article on the old suspension bridge and .gully at Thorn don., is. timely.. .It was my pleasure many years' ago to meet nn old whaler, Johnston by name, butiknown as Scotch Jock, who at one time resided at Waikanae, and in his early days was well acquainted with this particular locality before-and following tho date of settlement. He gave-the name of the stream as Takawai, and said that an hotel by that name was situated on the crest of the hill above tho old Junction Brewery and Esplanade Hotel. Ho stated that tho gully was used as a natural dafonco work by the Maoris, and afterwards by the first soldiers and settlers. A few yards further back, inside the hedgod fence at the corner of Fitzherbert terrace and Hobson street, the old redoubts and trenches can still be seen. Within recent times a portion was filled in and turned into a tennis court. Tho thick hedge. has hidden these early defence works for many years. A visit to the spot will repayany interested persons. Other earthworks wero situated along a depression since filled in on the opposite side of Hobson street. Further, my informant told mo ho was on a ship called the Sobraon, bound for Sydney with passengors, about 1840, and was wrecked without loss of life inside Barrett's Beef. He mentioned that a lady passenger handed him her baby boy and" went off ashore and left the child, which, being unclaimed, was adopted by a Mr. Kobertson, of Wellington. As I have failed to.find mention of this wreck, Rome of yonr readers may know* of it. Also I would like to know what became of Wharepouri'B monument that stood at Ngahauranga. ' Basketball Grounds. Mention is made in tile annual report of tho Wellington Ladies' Basketball Association of the need of permanent basketball grounds. During the .past season the Hutt School, PetoneSchool, Brymay, Wesley Hutt, Wesley Petone, Knox, and Johnsonville grounds wero granted free to. the < association, and four courts were rented from New-1 town, Berhampore, South Wellington, and Clyde Quay School..' Committees. The "New Zealand Sports Protection League is continuing to make representations to the City Council'with a view of providing permanent.grounds for the association. A deputation from the I league to tho council at tho end of last 'season had beon very sympathetically roceived, and it' was confidently hopod by basketball authorities that during the coming.year something would be dona to provide grounds' f.or a woman's sport which is steadily advancing in standard of play and popularity..

On the recommendation of the Beserves Committee the Lower Hutt Boroough Council last evening alloted the playing areas on the recreation ground as follows:—Rugby grounds, 1 and 2; Association ground ,3, and hockey 4 and 5. The rents to be the same as last year. The committee regretted being unable to satisfy all demands.