NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 22, 27 July 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Yesterday in Parliament. Tho proceedings in Parliament yesterday were exceedingly dull. All of tho afternoon was taken up by members urging the particular claims of their districts in regard to tourist facilities, and from the numerous speoches made it would appear that the Tourist Department might fittingly issue yesterday 'a "Hansard" as a valuable publicity pamphlet. Where it failed to draw votes. it should attract tourists in unlimited numbors. Wild rabbits and their depredations were discussed at great length in the evening, when the Eabbit Nuisance Bill came up for second reading, and every kind of remedy short of leg-roping was put- forward as a means of getting the bunnies to reduce themselves in numbers. Babbits and noxious weeds are favourite subjects of discussion with farmer members, and last night they one and all agreed with Mr. Lysnar's dictum that rabbits are peculiar animals. It was evident from'the speeches that when the Bill is in Committee many members will do their utmost to make the lives of tho rabbits more unbearable than they are at present. Leaving the rabbits, the Houae proceeded to consideration of how best to provide for the licensing of auctioneers, j and after this subject had been, debated for an hour .the adjournment was taken seven minutes after midnight. The Legislative Council met for a short while in the afternoon and adjourned till Wednesday. Training Nurses. Speaking at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday, Mr. F. Castle (chairman of the Hospital Committee) in announcing that Miss West-Watson had commenced duty as tutor nurse, pointed out that it was not perhaps generally known that the Hospital was\ a training school for nurses. The appointment of a tutor sister meant that probationary nurses would receive six weeks' training before going into the wards. Initiation Ceremonies. At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington College Board of Governors a! circular was received from the Education Department -drawing the board's attention to the fact that complaints had frequently been made by parents of the rough treatment of new boys in the course of "initiation ceremonies." One case had been noted of a boy who had been permanently injured, and the board was asked to take any steps possible to see that such ill-treatment was not permitted in the colleges under its jurisdiction. The circular was forwarded to the headmasters of the boys' colleges. Radio in Hospital. The Wellington Hospital Board agreed yesterday "That the thanks of the board be expressed to the committee of the Wellington Amateur Eadio Society for its efforts in raising sufficient funds to supply a wireless installation in various parts of the Hospital. "This is now working perfectly and is highly appreciated by tho patients." The chairman said he regretted that there appeared to be an impression on tho part of some members of the society that certain remarks made at the last meeting of the board showed a lack of appreciation of the efforts of tho society in connection with the provision of a radio installation for the benefit of hospital' patients. On the contrary, said Mr. Luke, the board highly valued what the society had done. Dr. H. B. Ewen (Medical Superintendent) said that four wards in tho old building and three wards in the children's hospital had been provided with tho apparatus, and an extension had been installed in tho nurses' home. Wiring had beon dono in the new wards. Ho understood that tho complete installation in the Hospital would cost an additional £700. Wanganui River Service. "I think you will agree that it is unthinkable, and certainly to tho great disadvantage of the city and district, that tho river service, which has been iv existenco for some 40 years, should be abandoned," said Mr. J. H. Burnot (chairman) in his report to tho Kivcr Trust Board (states tho "Wanganui Chronicle-"). "It is not at all likely that any private company will tako it up. Tho only public body that can como to the rescuo is tho River Trust Board, which already has tho necessary authority, but the situation is full of difficulty, and will require serious consideration."

Follow My Leader. "Ninety-nine per cent, of the women don't exercise any taste at all," observed Mr. Justice Beed, in the Supreme Court to-day, when the colour of a certain dress material which figured as an exhibit was being discussed. "They follow blindly like sheep, one after the other." More Critical Than Ever. "Women who buy in the retail shops are terribly critical, and if there is the slightest flaw in the goods they won't take them away," said an expert witness in the Supreme Court today. "They are more critical than ever before, in my experience." Unemployed Relief. Mr. G. Petherick, chairman of the Social Welfare Committee of the Wellington Hospital Board, stated yesterday that the amount paid for unemployment relief for June was £157, as compared with £227 for for the same month last year—a drop of £70. There was also another pleasing feature, and that was that the number of single men applying for relief had decreased as compared with previous months. Coal v. Weather. The large share which stoani electric plants have taken in the supply of the Dominion during the transition stage of hydro-electric schemes was gracefully acknowledged by the Prime Minister (tliD Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) when spoaking of tho growth of hy-dro-eleetrie power, to the Electrical Supply Authorities' Conference. In the Wellington province this acknowledgment will be welcomed, because the steam plants of the Wellington City. Council have been working long hours to assist Mangahao, and at present are largely carrying the burden of the supply to the district. . Hospital Land at Lower Hutt. An offeii has been made to tho Wellington Hospital Board to purchase five acres of land fronting Wilford street, Lower Hutt, bolonging to the board. The chairman (Mr. C. M. Luke) stated at a meeting of the board yesterday that a reply had been, aent stating that at present there was no intention of celling' the land or any portion of it. It was, said Mr. Luke, possible tKat a cottage or subsidiary hospital would at some future time be erected at the Hutt; and the land in question might or might not be regarded as the most suitable site, if such*a decision were come to. In any event, he thought it would be inadvisable to part with the land, because it was possible it might still be required for the purpose of a subsidiary hospital. A Dull Conference. "That barriers to free intercourse between this country and Britain are un- • worthy of our professions of loyalty ,to the Imperial ideal, and are not only unnecessary but subversive to the best interests of the Dominion," waa the text of a remit froniiAuckland brought up at the annual conference of the New Zealand Tanners' Union yesterday. "We may pass this resolution," said one delegate, "but how can we put it into effect? When it is a matter of sentiment you applaud; when it is a remit, you pass it and it goea into the waste-paper basket. When there is an ! opportunity to discuss things that really, matter —politics—discussion is barred." Ho added that the present conference was tho dullest he had ever attended, essentials being shelved. What was wanted were more extremists; without extremists little was ever accomplished. Without further discussion, the speaker having been told that he was wandering from the' point, the remit was passed. Dominion's Tourist Resorta. The tourist resorts of the Dominion wore discussed in the House of Repre-; sentatives yesterday afternoon on' the presentation of tho annual .report of the Tourist Department, members availing themselves of the opportunity of painting pictures of tho' beauties which wore to be found within their own electorates. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Ohinemuri) congratulated the Tourist Department on tho publications which it had issued in recent years, and remarked that these had done much to place New Zealand's attractions before the people of the Dominion, as well as people abroad. The many attractions which New Zealand had to offer should be exploited to the' utmost, as the tourist traffic meant much to the country. Mr. D. G. Sulli-" van (Avon) agreed that the tourist resorts of Now Zealand should be made known to people overseas, but at the same time every effort should be made to educate the people of the Dominion. New Zealand had a variety of scenery that was unrivalled by any country in the world. He' suggested that the people of New Zealand should bo provided with greater opportunities of. visiting the beauty spots of the country, particularly the workers who were unable to travel long distances. He suggested the Government should devise a scheme whereby the workers and their wives would be able to make an annual visit to one pf the tourist resorts of the Dominion. Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua) deprecated suggestions which had been made that tourists . were encouraged to * visit the North Island in preference to the South Island. He stressed the importance of an active advertising scheme to make the tourist resorts of the Dominion known throughout the world. Other members who followed dealt more particularly with the tourist resorts in their own districts! The report waa "talked out." Noxious Weed Research. At yesterday's meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, it was reported that Dr. D. Miller, having taken up his duties a_t Cawthron Institute, had been receiving supplies of various insect parasites from overseas, but, as this is tho quiet time of tho year, only a very small amount of trials with these consignments had been possible. The inseetary and laboratory had been submitted to a thorough overhaul in preparation for the coming season 's work, and it had been found necessary to replace a considerable amount of the brass gauze used in the interior fittings of the large inseetary. Advice had been received from Dr. TiUyard, who had been dealing with the matter of co-operation with Rothamstod and Farnham Royal. As a result of these suggestions, the committee will requiro to give further consideration to'the future plan of action regarding activities ovorseas. Tho approaching visit of Sir John Russell would afford an additional opportunity of discussing the position and the work at Bothamsted. The Pig Industry. ; ' Reporting on the pig industry investtigations being carried out by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research at" yesterday's meeting, the chairman said: —"The establishment of three pigrecording investigations at Lincoln, Massey College, and in the Waikato has met with a very good response. In all instances no difficulty has beon experienced in securing the ready co-oporation of farmers in the sehemo, and the recording officers will be fully occupied in weighing regularly the' large number of pigs whioh have beon offered for the tost. The large amount of information which will be gathered by this means should prove of very great use in the direction not only of guilding farmers in the economical use of pig feeding matorials but also will assist in the breeding and selection of tho most desirable strains of pigs for local and overseas markets. The successful development of the pig industry on a sound basis depends upon producing pork and bacon of tho highest quality by the economical use of available feeds and the breeding of the best strains of pigs."