NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 73, 30 March 1929, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Air force Graduates.

Having completed the A course training at the Royal Australian Air Force No. 1 Flying Training School at Point Cooke, 2S graduates received their wings at a graduation parade at Point Cooke on 14th March. They were congratulated by the chief of the air staff (Air-Commodoro R. Williams); The group included two officers, four airmen pilots, and 19 cadets. Six of tho cadets will shortly leave for England to undergo training with the Royal Air Force. The instructional courso began in June last year, and the successful graduates have satisfactorily completed all sections of the comprehensive training.

New Laws Become Operative,

Two Acts passed at the 1928 session of Parliament—the Auctioneers Act and the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act—come into operation on Monday next (Ist April). The Auctioneers Act, besides consolidating the existing law, also revisea.it and brings it up to date. Auctioneers aro to be licensed by Magistrates instead of by local bodies, and are to bo required to provide a bond for £500 before being permitted to carry on business. Tho Act also prescribes that all moneys received by an auctioneer on behalf of a client must be paid into a trust account, as a protection to tho public. The Public Besorvos, Domains, and National Parks Act is also largely a consolidating measure, but alters the principal Act materially in some respects. The Governor-General may revoke the reservation over any reserve, subject to Parliamentary sanction in tho case of reserves set apart for public health or recreation, the proceeds from which, if they aro sold, must be invested in the purchase of lands for a similar purpose. Another section relates to the number of days in the year on which a charge may be made for admission to public reserves.

Express Train Delays,

New methods of train control, designed to reduce delays of the expresses, are übout to bo introduced by the Railway Department (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). My. G. G. Stewart, officer in charge of the railway publicity branch, stated before returning to Wellington that it is intended to arrango the crossing of drains from a central control office, which will tend to prevent local decisions upsetting the handling of principal trains. The system was tho latest employed abroad, but would need to bo adapted to New Zealand conditions. Other improvements which should facilitate a speedier handling of expresses include the duplication of tho main line between Horotiu and Frankton and tho construction oC two new sidings, one between Mercer and Whangamarino and another in tho Ohalnino district.

One View of Jazz,

Speaking at' a lecture given to members of the New Zoaland Amateur Arts and Literature Association on Thursday, Mr. I<\ H. Dawn, who presided, quoted some striking views given by Mr. Cyril Scott in a. recently published book. "The stronglysyncopated music of to-day," writes Mr. Scott, "even jazz, is an effort to express the spirit of the age. So far, to a great extent, it has failed, but it serves one useful purpose: it breaks up conventional ideas regarding music."

Regional Broadcasting.

The British Broadcasting Corporation is gradually extending the regional system, stated Mr. J. H. Owen, who returned to Wellington by tho Rangitiki on Wednesday. In time, he said, the regional system would probably be within the reach of all in the British Isles, though some listeners who had been listening only within the radius of the existing stations would have to improve their sets slightly. There was no comparison, said Mr. Owen, between tho quality of the service of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the American programmes. Tho announcing and the musical and entertainment quality of the English programmes were immeasurably superior.

"Very Suspicious of This."

The not' uncommon practice in the Auckland Supreme Court of lawyers seeking to have undefended divorce cases heard without proper fixtures having been arranged beforehand received a sharp check from Mr. Justice Blair on Wednesday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). When Mr. Singer sought leave to mention a matter of undefended divorce, his Honour said there were a groat number of these cases coming at odd times. "I get very suspicious of this," he said. "I cannot understand why they cannot be brought at ordinary times. There must be very special reasons if I am to take these except on the right day." "There is one case, sir, where " Mr. Singer began, but his Honour rose to leave the Court, saying: "I am not going to discuss it now."