NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 130, 28 November 1929, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

University Amendment Bill. The Hon. H. Atmore, Minister of Education, has received the following letter fr^m the Eegistrar of the University of Otago:—"At the meeting of the council of the University of Otago, held on Tuesday last, reference was made to the New Zealand University Amendment Bill and to the improvements to the legislation which have been effected. It was thereupon resolved that a letter be writtn to you, expressing the council's warm appreciation of this legislation, and particularly of the perseverance and tenacity which you displayed in getting this legislation passed through the House." An Important Government? Accusing ,the United Government of being impotent,- Mr. H. OF. Johnston, Beform candidate for the Hutt seat, stated at his meeting at Lower Hutt last night that only a half-hearted attempt had been made tJ get the Petone and Hutt Gas-lighting Amendment Bill through last session. The Government had not been successful in getting one Bill of importance passed, yet it had complained that the session had been a long and tiring one, and that was given as a reason why an extra £100 should bo voted to members. A voice: ""What about the unemployment question? ' Didn't Sir Joseph Ward put that through? Put that in your pipe and smoke it." Children and Flowers. When opening the "Wellington Horticultural Society's rose show yesterday afternoon, the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) suggested that in the flower shows there should be special classes for children, even if it meant an overflow into the Concert Chamber. It was among the children of to-day that the society would find its members to-mor-row, and they should be encouraged. It was not so long ago, he remarked, that children were prone to destroy rather than to cultivate flowers, and the changed outlook might be taken advantage of. Keep Up to Scratch! Tho repayment of loans made by the New Zealand Hugby Union to affiliated unions was discussed by the Management Committee last evening. A request was made by one of tho minor unions that it be permitted to forego its repayment of £100 for the current year, and this prompted the chairman (Mr. S". S. Dean) to remark that the small unions should not be allowed to lag behind in meeting their obligations. "You want to keep the pressure on them or they will certainly slip," added Mr. H. H. Sterling. The committee agroed that unions should keep up to the mark in repaying loans made by the- controlling body. Broadcasting Church Services. That the broadcasting of church services has not tended to cause smaller congregations, but, if anything, increased them, was an opinion expressed by the Eev. J. R. Blanchard at the annual meeting of St. John's Church last evening. ' It was now an established fact, he said, as Mr. J. C. W. Reith, director-general of British Broadcasting had recently stated, that no portion of broadcasting activity was more universally acceptable and appreciated than the religious service. It reached the bed-ridden in private homes and hospital wards, and the isolated settlers of the backblocks, and for a vast number it was the only preaching they would allow themselves the chance of hearing. One was constantly hearing of listeners who actually joined in the singing of the hymns and knelt to the prayers, while ono knew of others who regularly dispatched a weekly contribution as an offering to some charity or church fund. It was truo that people owed to_ God something more active than sitting before the fire with tho headphones on, but he believed that that something more would come from many. It was certain that the regular broadcasting of church services was doing a lot to disabuse many people of the prejudices and misconceptions they had harboured concerning the church. He felt that he ought to say a public "thank you" to the excellent service rendered by 2YA, Wellington. Wadestown and the Civic League. A paragraph in tho annual report of tho Wadestown and Highland Park Progressive Association to the effect that the committee had decided to affiliate with the Civic League, and that while the action was opposed by some, the majority of the committee was of the opinion that it was in the best interests of the district, gave riße to some discussion at the association's meeting last night. It was contended by Mr. A. E. Parlane that tho paragraph did not truly represent the position. The committee had decided by a small majority to affiliate with the Civic League, but it had not been at a full meeting of the committee and the speaker contended that the majority of the committee were not in favour of the step. Mr. P. Martin-Smith supported Mr. Parlane's remarks, stating that it was contrary to the aims of the association, which were the advancement of Wadestown, that it should associate itself with a body whose interests were ostensibly political. The following motion, put forward by Mr. Martin-Smith, was carried narrowly: "That it be a recommendation to the incoming executive .to cancel the affiliation with the Cftvia League.*?

Income Tax All Hound. "I am in favour of income tax all round, so that everybody pays according to capacity to pay," declared Mr. H. F. Johnston, the Reform candidate for the Hutt seat, in answer to a question at his Lowor Hutt meeting last night. Hedgehogs in Taranaki. Hedgehogs are becoming very plentiful in South Taranaki, and it is not unusual to see their mangled remains on the district highways, victims of the ever-increasing motor traffic, says the "Hawera Star." In a twelve-mile run from Eltham to Hawera, a motorist noticed three dead hedgehogs on the roadway. Their spines sometimes penetrate pneumatic tires and gradually work through to the tubes. Believer in Daylight Saving. "What is your attitude to Daylight Saving?" -vas a question addressed to Mr. H. F. Johnston, Reform candidate for Hutt, at his Lower Hutt meeting last night. Mr. Johnston replied that he had been one of the chief advocates of daylight saving. "I am very much m favour of it," he said, "and I am m favour of the full hour." (Applause.) * Future for Boys. ■ Some advice to the boys of New Zealand was given by the Governor-Gene-ra], Sir Charles Fergusson, at the farewell to Their Excellencies on Monday (states the "New Zealand Herald") Sir Charles urged boys to go on the land, not only to develop the eountrv ,but to demonstrate their self-reliance and to improve their positions in life. He referred to the opportunities that were presented to New Zealand boys in other parts of the Empire, and said that every year 600 or 700 vacancies occurred in the overseas Civil' Service. Any New Zealand boy of character and education had a chance of being selected for one of these vacancies. He repeated his appeal to the boys of New Zealand not to drift into city occupation, but-to do their part in developing the country. Serving the Empire. Are New Zealanders' who show marked ability in one or another of the spheres of learning, and-who go abroad, lost to this country? Are they not assisting in the wider sense of working for the Empire? This was a point touched upon by the Governor-General m an address to the Eotorua High School, pupils on Monday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). Sir Charles said he had read a statement deploring the fact that a number of New Zealanders who had qualified for various degrees had gone abroad, their services thus being lost to the country. That had pained him a great deal. "Was it not a parochial outlook? Their horizon should be broadened so as to realise that these men were not lost to New Zealand, but were serving the Empire in a wide sphere. His Excellency strongly urged the cultivation of a wider outlook on life so that parochialism did not enter. They should take pride in the fact that men conia be trained here to occupy positions abroad. The Foreman's Mistake. The jury filed slowly into the Hamilton Supremo Court on Thursday, after considering for an hour their verdict in a claim for nearly £400 damages, says the "Waikato Times." The lawyers hastily donned their wigs and gowns and took their places expectantly at the solicitors' table; the witnesses and Court habitues swarmed back into the Court and pressed forward against the rail. His Honour took his seat on the Bench. "What say you, gentlemen," asked the Registrar, of the jury. "Are you agreed upon your verdict?" "Yes, sir," answered the foreman solemnly. "Do you find for the plaintiff or the defendant?" "For the defendant," answered the foreman, firmly. Counsel for the plaintiff looked crestfallen; counsel for the defendant smiled benignly. His Honour seemed astonished. "For the defendant?" he inquired, looking over his pince-nez. "Yes, for the defendant, your Honour," repeated the foreman. His Honour commenced to enter judgment accordingly, when his attention was arrested by the frantic gesticulations of a juryman at the other end of the line, who was endeavouring to catch the eye of the foreman. Not being successful in this, the juryman in question took upon himself to reverse the verdict. "For the plaintiff," he called out, "for the plaintiff." "Yes, for the 'plaintiff," chorused the reremainder of the jury. "Is it for the plaintiff or the defendant?" asked His Honour!, "Oh, yes, for the plaintiff, I mean," hastily added the foreman, apologetically, to the obvious relief of counsel for the plaintiff, -who now smiled graciously on the jury. Counsel for the defendant sighed audibly. The Eatana Movement. As the result of Eatana 's recent tour in the North Island the movement has taken a new lease of life, says a Wanganui paper, and preparations are being made for holding at Christmas one of the largest gatherings ever held in the pa. In order to provide accommodation for the expected visitors three large meeting "houses have been brought to Ratana from Parawanui, and they are jiow being reassembled. Part of the material is to be utilised for extensions to the dining room, which will accommodate 1000 people at a sitting. The exhibits have been removed from the old museum building, and this accommodation also will be used. A new building has been provided for the museum, exhibits, which undoubtedly constitute the most valuable collection of Maori curios in the Dominion." Addresses at the pa are usually given on a site adjacent to Eatana's former residence, where there is a certain amount of seating accommodation. More seating is to be provided, so that the area will resemble a stadium on a miniature scale. In the enclosure it is proposed to have various competitions, such as poi dances, hakas, choir singing, etc., and to award special prizes. This alone should attract a large number of both Maori and pakeha visitors during the holidays. Special luncheon rooms are to be set aside for the benefit of pakehas, and this year the pa will be thrown open to them without the necessity of obtaining admission passes. A member of the executive was asked why Eatana had failed to put in an appearance the other day at a feast at Temuka. His reply was that, much as he and his party would have enjoyed the hospitality of their southern friends, time did not permit of a southern tour, and advice was sent according!}'. Preserving the Koala. The Australian koala, or "native bear," of which the artificial Teddy bear is a replica, famous throughout the world as a rare specimen of ancient fauna, has been almost exterminated owing to the value of its fur. Strenuous efforts are now being made to secure a sanctuary for it at West Pennant Hills where it is hoped that by planting the flora on which it feeds the species may be saved. This flora consists of about ten kinds of gums. Many attempts had been made to breed the koala in captivity without success until the noted Australian animal expert, Mr Noel Burnet, took the matter in hand and successfully demonstrated that it was possible. This gentleman, writing to a member in New Zealand of the organisation formed to save the koala makes an interesting reference to the opossum. He states: "In Australia our 'possum seldom eats bird eggs. His natural food is leaves, but when the forests are destroyed then he is obliged to raid orchards for fruit, and the same might apply to the opossum in New Zealand. You have denied him (to a large extent) his natural eucalyptus food, therefore he -will try something £}§& such as eggs.*?