NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 58, 12 March 1929, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Assassinated by Politicians."

Eeferring to the 1925 conference on settlement and migration, over which he had also presided, Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, who was voted to the chair by the similar conference opened at the Dominion Farmers' Institute to-day, said that it might be wondered what had become of that fine body of people." Well, without going too far into the matter, he would only say that it had been "assassinated by politicians." Ho hoped that the present conference would not meet with the same fate. New Post Office Wanted. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. D. M'Kenzie) stated at the meeting of the Borough Council last night that the Posti master-General (the Hon. J. B. Donald) 1 was to visit Petone very soon to inspect the Post Office. The building was in a very bad stater-it was "tumbling to pieces V—and for both public and staff was congested, especially on pension days. A new Post Office was needed for Petone, and the Minister was coming to look into the matter. Attempted Suicide. A determined attempt at suicide was made by a middle-aged woman ,who jumped off the Surfdale "Wharf, Auckland, on Sunday, night. As a crowd of picnickers was ../ boarding a ferry boat to return to the city, the woman broke through shouting, "I want to go! I want to go!"' A young seaman belonging to the vessel, L. Pierotti, dived in and after a struggle managed: to make a line fast to her wrist. Still screaming that she did not want to be saved, the woman was hoisted on to the wharf, and was thence taken aboard the boat. By the time Auckland was reached she had recovered from the shock of her immersion and was taken home by friends. Prosperous Canada. • " In pursuance of the Canadian Government !s policy that all its trade commissioners should return at frequent intervals to tour the industrial centres so as to keep abreast of the times, Mr. L. H. Boss, Canadian Trade Commissioner for Australia, was a through passenger by the Aorangi, which arrived at Auckland yesterday. Interviewed, Mr. Boss said that Canada had never been more prosperdus than at the present time, but exports had declined as far as'the Commonwealth was concerned. This was largely due to bad seasons and lower values in Australia. "Strikes," said Mr. Boss, "always have a bad effect on trade, and there certainly has been far too much industrial trouble in the Australian States.'' Speaking of the paper industry, Mr. Ross said that experiments were being made in Tasmania'with hardwoods, but nothing great had been achieved so far. In Canada there was over-production in this important industry, and all manufacturers by mutual consent were curtailing manufacture. Amicable Settlement Needed. That the Petone Borough Council does not intend to have a repetition of argument which took place.last winter between the various sports bodies regarding the use of the gates to the Recreation Ground was shown at the meeting of the council last night, when letters were received from the Wellington Football Association and the, Wellington Eugby Union, the former body applying for the right to charge at the new Kensington avenue entrance, and the latter expressing the hope , that the entrance would not be used. Councillors considered that the bodiea concerned, including the Hockey Association, should be asked to come to an amicable agreement among themselves as to the use of the' gates, and a motion to that effect was carried. Going to Waste. Thousands of pounds worth of cocksfoot seed were going to waste in New Zealand every year, stated Mr. A. Leigh Hunt in his opening.! address at the land settlement and migration conference to-day. An authority had informed him that the value of the cocksfoot thus going to waste was about £250,000. Yet the Dominion imported £70,000 worth of cocksfoot seed, not nearly so good as our own, from Holland every year. He was told,' and he believed it, that the unemployed worker could earn s£l'a day in the months of Novembor and .. December cutting cocksfoot seed. And why did they not do it? Because they'were not organised. That was,the reason. For tha Native Born. When speaking at the opening of the new open air baths at Flock House on Saturday, the Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C., chairman of trustees, referred to the proposals of the Government for the training of New Zealand-born boys on similar lines to those adopted at Flock House, says the "Manawatu Daily Times.'' He understood that proposals in this direction were in train, and the trustees of Flock House would gladly give the full benefit of the experience they had gained, in order to help such a scheme. One thing particularly he'hoped would not be overlooked, and that was the after care of the boys. A Flock House boy knew that so long as he lived, he had the sympathy and advice of the trustees to fall back upon. Debt Cancellation Societies. While believing that America's gold is more a menace to world peace than was Germany beforo the war, Mr. D. J. Kogers, of Palmerston North, who has just returned from a business tour abroad, told a "Manawatu Times" reporter that there was apparent in America to-day a growing opinion that the United States should make a friendly gesture by cancelling the British and Allied war debt. In conversation with passengers on a Cunard liner, he had been told that societies had been formed throughout America, which were conducting an organised campaign in favour of debt cancellation. Lecturers were being imported from abroad, and efforts were being made to educate the great mass of the people to an appreciation of the advantages of such a course. Among the business class of America, as far as he had been able to judge, there had been no .expressed animosity or antagonism towards the British Empire,' while there was no doubt that the advocates of debt cancellation | were gaining ground.

Lower Hutt Buildings. The building report for Lower Hutt for the past month shows that 51 buildings were erected to the value of £35.014, of which £26,300 worth was for 2a. wooden Swellings. Commenting on the report, the Mayor said that had the report been delayed for another 24 hours another record for the borough would have been established. As it was, Lower Hutt stood in the position of sixth for the Dominion. The engineer remarked that a record would be established during the coming month. Hutt Valley Postal Service. A complaint that the postal service between Wellington and the Hutt Valley was inadequate was made by Councillor E. N. Campbell at the Petone Borough Council meeting last night. He said he thought the time had arrived for a two-hourly delivery between the city and the Valley, and suggested that a mail car should run between the G.P.O. and Upper Hutt. Councillor V. E. Jacobson said it had to be admitted that it was a good service that delivered letters in Wellington if posted'at Petone by 1.15 p.m. the same; afternoon. Councillor J. W. Longman considered that the postal arrangements were very satisfactory. It was decided to make representations to the Postal Department concerning Councillor Campbell's complaint. Abundance of Water. "Four years ago," said Councillor Hobbs at last evening's meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, "we used to think it a very exceptional thing if we pumped 15,000,000 gallons of water in five weeks, and now, during the last five weeks, we pumped 38,358*280 gallons, which shows how the borough has grown." "Yes," remarked the Mayor (Mr. W.,T. Strand); "we have reason to be proud of the fact that I think we are the only local body, in this neighbourhood at any rate, which has not placed, during this summer, a restriction on the water used for hosing purposes. I am sure the fact has been greatly appreciated by the citizens and especially those with gardens." House Designs. "Has the council power ? " asked Councillor A. F. Roberts at last evening's meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, "to restrict in any way the type of dwelling that is erected in the borough? I notice some that look more like hen-coops than dwellings." "Unfortunately," replied the Mayor (Mr. W. T. Strand), "the council has not yet the power, but I believe it will come in the future. The Dominion has got an excellent head to its Town. Planning Department in Mr. Mawson, who gave us a splendid address on the subject at the Wanganui conference, and if his Views or only a half of them are carried out it will be a splendid thing for every borough in New Zealand." ■.',,"■ „:■■■. Town Planning Conference. Another step towards the preparation of a comprehensive town planning scheme for the Hutt/Valley was the receipt at the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last night of a letter from the Director of' Town Planning (Mr. J. Mawson), signifying his willingness to confer with councillors on the subject. Accordingly, a conference is shortly to be held at Petone between Mr. Mawson and members of the local bodies interested from Eastbourne to Upper Hutt. A letter from the Eastbourne Borough Council expressing agreement with the town-planning scheme, but saying that it ought to be deferred until after the municipal elections, was "received."