NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 51, 7 September 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Wellington's Water Supply. When the Wellington City and Suburban Water Supply Amendment Bill was called on for second reading in the House of 'Representatives last night, Mr. P. Eraser (Wellington Central), who is in charge of the measure, moved that consideration should be held over in order that tho Wellington City Council and the Water Board might have an opportunity of considering the position. Ho moved in that direction in view of tho recommendations of the Local Bills Committee and the Lands Committee that the Bill should not bo allowed to proceed. The motion was agreed to. ....... . . .. :. ■ , Lift Accidents, ' .' : ..'.',','.';". •,'..,'-.- 1 The: annual report of the Marine Department states that there were ten ae-. cidents to lifts during the past year, three of which resulted in the' death of a like number of persons. There is a, noticeable improvement in the safety devices now being fitted by first-class makers, to passenger lifts, but the Department encounters difficulties in obtaining reasonable protection for somo types- of gOods 'lifts. During the year tho number of . inspections of lifts amounted to 40,957, an increase of 1734- I over the provio.us year 's total. The number of now lifts, installed was sixtyseven, and of new cranes twonty-six, an increase of twenty-eight and six respectively'with the previous .year's numbers. Pending the preparation of moro comprehensive instructions regarding the-safe-\v6rlring-of lifts, it; was considored. desirable to issue instructions during the year dealing with gates and doors for lift-wells and cage's. Lyall Bay School. In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon Mr. T. Forsyth (Wellington East) asked tho Ministor of Education if, in view of tho urgent need for additional school accommodation ' in tho Lyall Bay district, owing to ; the' overcrowded state of. the present school, ho would authorise the immediate construction of a new school in Tirangi street, where a sito had been purchased somo time ago. Mr. I'orsyth asked that vtn endeavour should be made to have the new school ready by the beginning of tho next school year. The Hon. E. A. Wright, in replying, admitted that tho Lyall Bay School was overcrowded. It had been thought that tho orection of now schools at Mh-amar North and at Eongotea would relieve the position at-Lyall Bay, but such had not been the case. It was impossible to provide any further accommodation in the present sito of the Lyall Bay School. Ho would go into the matter and when tho specifications had been prepared he would ask Cabinet to iiiako.a grant for a new school, which he was sure, was needed. Had Never Heard of Christchureli! "Tho treatment of tho English tourist in Germany is honest and kindly, which is more than can bo said of some other European countries," said Mr. I* 1. T. Boyee, a Christehurch business man, who has just returned from a trip iibroad, to a representative of the Cliristehurch "Press" on Wednesday. "A Now Zealander, however, is not often met with, and no.one I happened to meet on tho Continent had heard of Cliristehurch. I hope that has now been corrected in a few cases."

A Slip of the Tongue. A slight slip by counsel in his choice of a, word was quickly noticed by Mr. Justice- MacGregov in Iho Supreme Court td-diiy. "This case has been partially heard, your Honour," began counsel, "and ." "You mean partly heard,, don't .you"" queried his Honour. "Of course, your Honour," replied counsel, "partly and impartially." Potatoes from the Sounds. During the present week a new source of potato supplies has apparently been discovered, Te Mahia Bay, Marlborough, sending to Wellington several tons of now potatoes, which realised £.28 per ton at auction. Hitherto most of Wellington's supplies of early potatoes have come from the Auckland district, but it appears evident that' the Sounds district is going to be an active competitor for the Wellington market in tho future. . Several parts of the Marlborough Sounds district are growing other early vegetables, and it is probable that ix steady trade will be maintained in this direction, particularly in tho early part of the season. Te Maiiia Buy has hitherto been considered more of a tourist resort than anything else. Gisborne Man's Crash. After crashing from a height of 1000 feet in a Moth airplane near Sydney, while on a holiday visit, Mr. W. Gadduin, of Gisborne, considers he is fortunate to be alive. He returned by the Ulimaroa on Tuesday, and hobbled down the gangway on' crutches (says the "New Zealand Herald"). Mr. Gaddum said ho hired a private Moth foe a' pleasure flight, the pilot being Mr. J. Ilutledgc. They left.the Mascot Airdrome, and had not been long in the air before something happened, and the airplane crashed to the ground. Mr. Gaddum was thrown clear, and sustained a fracture of tho leg and severe cuts about the face. The pilot was very badly injured, losing an eye, and being extensively cut about the face. The Danger of Extinction. ■Another whitebait .season has begun and nothing has .been done? to regulate the taking of these fish, which-are peculiar to New Zealand waters (says the Christchurch "Press"). Mr. D. Hope, Curator to the. Canterbury Aclimatisation Society, told a "Press" reporter on Tuesday that tho present . policy, long-continued, would bring about the extinction of a valuable national asset Commercial interests in the whitebait industry were ruling, and the Government, the only .authority of which notice would be taken, was. short-sighted enough to turn a deaf ear to those who warned that conservation was , necessary. Two of New Zealand's most valuable assets, its native fauna and its native forests, had been.well on the way to extinction before, the Government thought of interfering, .and whitebait, were rapidly going the same way. ".There are those who say that whitebait in New Zealand are not diminishing, for more wore caught last year than ever before," said Mr. Hope. "This latter is true, because there were more fishermen last year than ever before. Half the West Coast were whitebait fishermen last year, and many of them were supplying fishmongers. But whitebait will not stand before these wholesale depredations year after year. I have observed.them closely for years, and old Canterbury settlers will know that 'once it was only'necessary' to go to any of the rivers to obtain all the fish one required. Where in Canterbury'can this bo. done to-day? It is only the virgin streams in the south of the AVest Coast of the South Island which, having never been fished, are maintaining- the supply of the rivers oji the coast further up. Thero were twenty tons of whitebait transported to Christchurch from the West Coast last year." . . . ■ Shouia the Zoo Be Retained? A letter was received from the Wellington branch of tho S.P.C.A. at the meeting of the Northland Progressive Association last evening, urging that tho association should support the society in asking the City Council to take a referendum on the subject of tho Totontion ;of the Zoo. During the: discussion, Captain F. A. M'Jndoe remarked that nowadays, with moving pictures, there was less need of a Zoo than ever. Footpaths were, in his opinion, a good deal more important than zoos. The meeting decided that the association's delegates should bring tho question up at the next meeting of the Civic League. The City Council has 'never formally discussed the question of tho abolition of tho Zoo, though on many occasions individual councillors have pressed for a full discussion. The council has, however, decided that ratepayers shall be asked, at the time of the' next council' elections, to sanction Sunday charges. •• If the majority answer is in favour of Sunday charges, Parliament will be asked to give legal sanction, but Parliament has made it clear that it will not grant permission unless the citizens say yes first. Trams and Buses to Northland, Tram and bus services came in. for a good deal of discussion at last 'evening's mooting of the Northland Progressive Association. It has been stated fairly gonerally at Northland that the laying of the tram tracks had been postponed indefinitely, but the chairman, Mr. S. E. Lambert, stated that he had made inquiries of the Tramways Department and had been told that tho work would be" started almost immediately. ■■■ Mr. Lambert stated also that he had asked the Tramways Manager, Mr. M. Cable, whether the buses would continue to run'after the tram service had been established. Mr. Cable had replied that somo buses, would still be kept on, between Northland and To Aro, the machines passing through parts of Kolburn not otherwise- served. In reply to a quostion as to whether the Northland buses paid,: the chairman said that at least the Northland-service lost less than any other, for no bus service was a paying proposition. The consumption' of petrol and the wear and tear on' hill runs were very heavy. The rumour that tho laying of car tracks was to be deferred was mentioned to the Mayor by a "Post" reporter yesterday. Mr. Troup said that nothing of tho sort was intended by the council, and as soon as tho retaining wall and work connected with it were finished track-laying would be commenced.