NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 14 September 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Yesterday in Parliament. The whole of yesterday afternoon in the House of Representatives was spent in denouncing the present system of levying taxation on heavy motor lorries. Some of the country members claimed that a readjustment of business by. motor proprietors would solve their difficulties materially, and they opposed any change being made, not, at least, until an exhaustive examina- j tion of the problem of motor taxation was first of all made. ■ In the evening the Licensing Bill caino on for second reading, but the debate was a dull one, though lengthy, all of the speeches being a repetition of arguments which have now grown hoary with age. The second reading was agreed to on the voices, but it was made manifest that when the Committee stage is rcachod the real battlo over the Bill will be waged in earnest. The House rose at 2 a.m. Local Bodies Loans. I'orty-sevon applications for loans totalling £1,117,525 were dealt with at a meeting of the Local Government Loans Board on Tuesday. Loans for £.909,----247 were sanctioned, the balance, £208,----278, being either declined or referred back to the local authority concerned for further consideration. Publicity for Water Bill. Sharp criticism has l>ceii levelled against the City Council and its officers by Mr. D. R. Hoggard, of the Hutt County Council, on the ground that members of other local bodies concerned in the city and suburban water supply scheme were not afforded adequate information when tho Water Supply Bill was being drafted. At last night's meeting of the City Council, Councillor H. D. Bennett asked the Mayor whether a copy of the Bill had- been made available either to the City Council or to any member of tho Water Board before it was submitted to Parliament. Mr. Troup replied that the Bill, which was a short one, had been advertised in full on three occasions in the daily papers and had been supplied to members of the council. Naturally it was expected that representatives of the various other bodies would supply their own councils with information and get copies of the Bill. He could not see that any reflection could be cast upon tho officers of the council in view of the fact that the Bill had boon fully advertised. Wireless Aids Healing. 'Radio entertainment certainly imparts a spirit of cheerfulness to lis-toners-in —a condition of mind which is most desirable for the permanent healing of body and mind," states the appeal which has been issued on behalf of Hospital Wireless Day in Auckland on 28th September. "It is of interest," says Dr. C. E. Maguire, tho medical superintendent, "to know the experience of hospital authorities in London and in Sydney. They state that the use of wireless in their hospitals is proving of immense value to the pati.ents. It brightens the dull routine of hospital life and renders the patients much more hopeful and happy. It is a moans of inducing sleep, and prevents in some measure patients from brooding over their afflictions.. In other centres no difficulty has been experienced in raising funds for the same object, and the people of Auckland will not, we feel sure, be behindhand in supporting such a worthy object as the lightening of the afflictions 'of the sick and suffering in their great hospital." The Success of Optimism. "I cannot imagine any young man going out to face life with any degree of success unless ho is a confu-med optimist," said tho Mayor, Mr. 6. A. Troup, when addressing tho members of the Optimists' Cliib at their inau- j gural luncheon yestorday. "This club must succeed because it is formed of young men. The young man dreams his dreams; tho old man sees his visions of tho past. The young men look forward; the old men back to days that are gone. Sometimes you have a young man whose whole outlook is one of pessimism. That is all wrong. The man who counts in. the world to-day is the one who can convert his dreams into realities. The optimist is tho man who sees the good in everything and does his best to make his dreams living realities. The truo optimist must bo an intense worker. I want you to remombor that when you turn your thoughts to the future of Wellington. I have lived here 40 years and have witnessed its romarkable growth and development. I oxpected it to progress when a young man, but many things have happened in Wellington that I never dreamed of." The man who was continually finding fault and who had no faith in tho future of his city was the greatest enemy of progress. "In our public men," he concluded, "we must havo optimism. We must have men who bolicvo in their city and love their city, and we must endeavour, as far as possible, to have men with visions of practical things."-

Public Service Superannuation. Tho Dominion Executive of the Association of Federated Superannuated Public Servants of New Zealand has been notified, in response to its application, that the eost-of-living bonus granted to superannuitantH whoso allowance does not exceed £100 per annum will be continued for a further term of six months from 30th September. The Tasman Flyers. The president of the Wellington Trotting Club has received advico that Flight-Commander Kingsford Smith and his companions have accepted the invitation to be the guests of the club at the Spring Meeting to be hold at the Hutt Park to-morrow. If circumstances permit, opportunity will be provided to extend to the Hying men a welcome from the sporting public of Wellington. War Tablets in Churches. In tho course of an address on Sunday at Papakura the Hoy. W. C. Wood mentioned the dedication of tho Holt Memorial Tablet by the Archbishop, saying every parish church ought to bo to" the parishioners what Westminster is to the nation, by placing memorials upon the walls of tho church to those who have been good and faithful, being dead they will yet speak, states the Auckland "Star." The Archbishop's theme in dedicating the tablet was that tho late Mr. Percy William Holt was | a man of high ideals and service, and had sought both as a citizen and church man to contribute very willingly; this was evidenced by his gifts to the town I and church. The Paving Contract. Tho City Council, after a discussion in committee, approved of the recommendation of tho local Highways Board that tho tender of Messrs. MacKcnzio ! and Duncan, should be accepted for tho surfacing in hot-mix of approximately four miles and a quarter of the main road from Johnsonville to Tawa Flat and tho mile and throe-quarters of the Ngahauranga Gorge road. Messrs. J. and F. Duncan were until recently in tho employ of the City Council, both in charge of district paving operations; Mr. MacKenzie is also a former member of the city staff. The price tendered cannot be announced until the usual formalities are complied with, a matter of a day or two. Company Law Revision. Among the remits that the Wellington Chamber of Commerce is submitting to tho annual conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand is one advocating that New Zealand company law should be revised and brought up to date in accordance with present-day requirements. Great Britain and other Dominions in the Empire have taken the opportunity to revise their legislation dealing with companies, and New Zealand is much behind-hand in this. Amendments to the Companies Act in tho United Kingdom have recently dealt with such aspocts as sharehawking, publication of abridged prospectuses, responsibility of directors, formalities connected with the passing of special resolutions, and the clauses dealing with private eonrpanies and debentures. In New Zealand instances have been experienced which point to the need for amendments, and this has been very pointedly brought out in some cases where debenture-holders have entered into possession, and the rights of creditors have been adversely prejudiced, and there is a danger that the opportunities with private companies in this may be abused, though all legalities may havo been observed.