NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 55, 8 March 1929, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Railway Finance. With two months to ellipse before the close of the current financial year, the revenue of the New Zealand Railways for the period, as shown by the latest uvailablo Working Account figures, amount to £6,683,425, as compared with £6,573,870 at the corresponding stage last financial year, and the expenditure £5,748,394, as against £5,619,402 for last year. This represents a surplus of revenue over expenditure of £935,031 for the ten months of 1928-29, and £904,384 for the correspending period of 1927-28. A decline is shown of 90,566 first-class and 309,400 second-class passengers carried, while road motor services have gained patron-1 age of 1,818,702 more passengers than during the preceding corresponding ten niontlis. Season tickets increased by 25,122. Divine Call to Politics. "Is not a cull to the St.atu as Divine a call as to that o fthe Ministry?" asked the Hon. A. ,7. Stallworthy, Minister of Health when speaking at a function at Trinity Methodist College (telegraphs "The Post's" Auckland correspondent). He added that it was as clear as daylight to him that the call to help in the polities of his country, was a Divine call, and lit. believed the highest conception of patriotism and citizenship was in response to that call. i Light for Cricket. The frequency of appeals against the light in this season's cricket has created an impression that batsmen are becoming nervy. The question of making appeals regarding the suitability of light for play was a subject of discussion at the last meeting of the AVellingtori Cricket Umpires' Association, and the outcome is that for the remainder of the season the umpires intend to insist upon batsmen having the authority of their captains in making appeals against the light. The rule on the subject states that "the umpires may decide, on appeal from the captains, should the latter disagree, that there is not sufficient light for play," but it has been a custom in Wellington for batsmen to make the appeal. Premier With Coat Off. It is seldom that a Prime Minister delivers an address with his coat off. But this is what happened at the Rotary Club lunch at Gisbornc the other day, reports a Gisborno paper. Just prior to Sir Joseph Ward rising to address the gathering, the president of the club had been fined for omitting to | wear his badge. Some of the members then followed a usual custom in hot weather of removing their coats. Sir Joseph, with a smile, also began to "peel off." "I have noticed that you have just fined your president for a breach of the rules," he said, "so I will take off my coat too, and so avoid any call against me in the way of taxation. (Laughter.) A breesy, interesting, and most optimistic speech was then proceeded with, Sir Joseph appearing to thoroughly enjoy the novel experience of delivering an address in his shirt sleeves. A Long-Felt Want. Speaking at the turning-on of thegas supply for Johnsonville and Malcara yesterday, Mr. F. Moore (chairman of the Johnsonvillo Town Board) said that it would undoubtedly meet a longfelt want. He was quite sure that the' people of the township would appreciate the gas for all domestic purposes. He was told that the applications were already rolling in very, very fast indeed, indicating that the Gas Company would be ■well repaid for ihe manner in which it had tackled the job. The turning-on of the gas constituted another milestone in tlie progress of Johnsonville. They already had water, electricity, and drainage, and he hoped when the new tunnel was completed the railway line to Johnsonvillo would be electrified, thus adding further inducements for people to go to Johnsonville to live. On behalf of the residents, he heartily thanked the Gas Company for supplying the township with gas. Old Fort at Paremata. The question of acquiring as a public domain the land at Paremata upon which are situated the ruins of the old Imperial Port is to be further considered by the Government. Mr. W. H. Field, M.?. for Otaki, has been advised by the Minister in Charge of Scenery Preservation (the Hon. G. W.'Forbes) that in July last the Scenery Preservation Board passed a resolution recommending that an area of approximately one acre, containing the site of the ruins, should be acquired by the Crown and reserved for historic purposes; under the provisions of the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908. "At the present time," the Minister added, "there are no funds available for the acquisition of the land, and the matter •will' be brought up for consideration, along with other proposals throughout the' Dominion, when the scenery preservation estimates are being prepared. In the meautimo tho Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington, is being asked to obtaiu from the owners of the laud particulars as to the price at which they would be willing to sell the area of approximately one acre recommended by, the- Scenery; Pteee?mttioa Boa-wt,'*

"Weak Mortals." "We are very weak mortals outside the Press," remarked Mr. I<\ W. Freeman (president of the Canterbury Automobile Association), supporting to-day ■•i proposal that the Press should be admitted to the conference of the North . and South Island Motor Unions, held at tho Wellington Automobile Club. Why Not the State? Referring to the case of, an ex-pris-unor, who after :i start on a Government jub, had been turned away, on the ground that no ex-prisoner could occupy a Government job, the lion, registrar (Mr. I. Salek) at the annual meeting 'of the Justices' Association last night, said that he had always understood that a man could not be punished twico for tho same offence. He did not suggest that such ;i man should be placed in a position of trust, but when it was a case of manual labour, or in the Railway shops, he thought it was very wrong to turn such a man away. Firms of contractors frequently gave such men positions, especially when their dependents were hard pressed. The traditions of justice would be better served by the Government acting similarly in suitable cases. About Witnesses. Whether or not Mr. 1\ K. Hunt, S.M., has found in his experience that there is a wide distinction between male and female witnesses, he made it his business 'in the Magistrate's Court this morning to ascertain who tho witnesses were in a ease in which counsel for tho complainant asked for an adjournment owing to a witness being in hospital. "How many witnesses have you got" asked Mr, Hunt, turning to counsel for the defendant. "Six, sir," was the reply. "Six," said Mr. Hunt, "and how many of them are women?" "Three, sir," answered counsel with a smile. Mr. Hunt: "Oh, I sec. Three of them." The case was adjourned to the Hutt Court. Very Like New Zealand. As showing that tho Parliamentary machine does not differ very much in its manner of working in any clime, the Prime Minister at the Gisbornc Rotary Club lunch tho other day, narrated his impressions of a sitting of the Italian House, says an exchange. "I have never forgotten the incident," said Sir Joseph, "for, although I did not understand a word that was spoken," I thought I was back again in the Parliament of this Dominion. It turned out that the Minister of Public Works was defending a certain item of national expenditure. A tower had fallen down and it was being re-instated. About a quarter of the work had been completed at an expenditure of about £10,000 and the Opposition were complaining bitterly over what they described as waste and extravagant expenditure. His appeal for fair play was so extraordinarily vigorous that it came to my mind that it would resemble the late Mr. Seddon and the late Mr. John H'Kcnssio rolled into one (if that could have been possible) defending their Government in connection with expenditure which they knew was quite justified." (Laughter.) Divided Interests? The turning-on of the gas supply for Johnsonville and Makara was ono more turn of tho wheel of progress, said Mr. E. Windley (chairman of tho Makara County Council), thanking Sir Harold Beauchamp, on behalf oi' the people of Makara, for turning on the gas for that area yesterday afternoon. Makara district had made remarkable progress in the last five years, and what its advance in tho next five would be \it was hard to estimate. There would soon be a big trading centre, for example, at Tawa Flat. Mr. Windley added that, as n member of an Electric Power Board, he must say ho felt his position at that moment. (Laughter and applause.) But electricity, he recognised, could not satisfy everybody. Many people had wanted to be able to turn on the gas, and now they had the opportunity to do so. He congratulated the Gas Company on giving the people a service of that kind. Naturally, they wished the Gas Company success. It was out to serve the public and it deserved success. The gas companies, he felt, were not getting a. fair deal in some respects. ■, Gas had to compete with the electricity supplied from another source, an untaxed source; and he thought it unfair that private enterprise should be taxed while public enterprises were not. The same sort of thing was going on in other directions, and it was not in the interests of progress. He'hop-_ ed that beforo long they would have" gas as far as Tawa Flat. On behalf of the .people of Makara, he thanked tho Gas Company for what it had done to make life a little more worth living. (Applause.)