NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Christmas Shopping Hours.

Christmas Day falls on Thursday, and the preceding Wednesday will be the late shopping night. Friday (Boxing Day) is a holiday, and, on tho Saturday, butchers, grocers, and drapers will be open' till 12.30 p.m. It is likely that most of the pork butchers' shops will bo open on Saturday afternoon. Grey Warbler's Song. "We all hear the songs of the birds, but half the time we aren't conscious of them," said Mr. Johannes C. Andersen when lecturing to the Society for Empire Culture on "New Zealand Birds and Their Songs" at Christchurch on Saturday. "This was brought home to me once when I was paving a visit in Wellington. I told the owner of the place that she had a grey warbler in the garden. 'No,' sho said, 'I've never seen the bird.' Thereupon I whistled tho grey warbler's song to her, and a week later, when I saw her again, she said, 'If I could catch that bird I'd wring its neck.' She'd been hearing nothing else but the grey warbler's song all the week." Stick to Co-operation. Asked at Te Aroha if he was a disciple- of Empire Free Trade, Lord Baruby said he did not believe in catch phrases, says the "Waikato Times." He did advoeato freer trade within the Empire, however. "From what I have just seen," ho said, "it is obvious that Now Zealand's prosperity is indissolubly bound up with # that of Britain. Preference, therefore,* is essential. In England we are heading towards a change in our fiscal policy, that must be on the lines of increased inter-Im-perial trade on a mutually advantageous basis, and in which preference must be playing a big part." Lord Barnby added that he was also struck with the high type of factory manager in the dairy industry. They had the" smallest details of production at their finger tips, and it was a pleasure to converse with such intelligent and energetic men. "It is an eye-opener for me to know that tho interests of agriculturalists are collective, and that all these factories are founded on the basis of co-operation," he added. "New Zealand is steering a course away from old-fashioned individualism, which still holds sway to a large extent in England. I would tell New Zealandevs to stick to co-operation." Earl Jellicoe Unable to Come* "I am sorry to say that it would be quite impossible for me to visit New Zealand to speak ,at public meetings," writes Earl Jellicoe from London, under date of 28th. October, in a letter to Mr. R. Darroch, secretary cf the Wellington'- Navy League. After the Dominion conference of the Navy League some months ago, Mr. Darroch forwarded a report of the proceedings to Earl Jellieoe, and at the same time invited him to visit New Zealand on a lecture tour. "I have so much to do here in connection with tho British Legion and a host of other things," said Earl Jellicoe, "that a visit to New Zealand, much as I should like it, is out of the question. I have always hoped to go back, but see no prospect of being able to afford the time." Slump and Uplift. One of the brightest and most vigorous personalities in Sydney, writes a correspondent of the "Argus," is tho Rev. R. B. S. Hammond, whose church in South Sydney is the mecca of many of the Destitute. (The Salvation Army is the principal medium for the relief of distress, if one excepts the benevolent associations which are endowed by the State. The City Mission is next; the St. Vincent de Paul Society is an important agent also, and tho Smith family does much.) Mr. Hammond accomplishes a. great deal by his own efforts. He is a large man with an engaging smile. One meets him on the Martin place corridor of the General •Post Office with a bundle of letters in his hands. The letters will be from the relatives of wayward ones and from men who have been lifted out of tho gutter, who write to express gratitude and perhaps to enclose a contribution to assist others who are as they were. There are cheques from, sympathisers with his work. His Excellency the Governor (Sir Philip Game) learned something about the work on 24th November, when ho opened what is known as "Hammond's Hotel No. 6," whore Mr. Hammond shelters and feeds destitute men until they get work. He often iinds that also. A condition ho makes is that the men, who arc all single, shall bo registered at the Labour Bureau. The number that has been befriended in that way is very large. Despite all this work, Mr. Iliiinniond finds time, to conduct the prohibitionist paper "Grit.'?

Destruction of Deer. What must bo considered successful results in regard to.the destruction of doer in the back country behind Hanmcr Springs are being obtained (states tho "Christchurch Star"). Two men operating in the vicinity ef Lake Tennyson, tho head water of the Clarence River, have shot a total of 546 head, and they recently delivered a tally of 300 tails at the forest ranger's office. Another two men, operating on the Tarndale, adjoining the lake country, are reported to have secured over 500 head. This party effected a sale of fifty spotted fawn hides, which have a very fine appearance when tanned and dressed. The two forestry employees operating to the north-west as .far as the dividing range, have experienced twenty-five days of rain and snow since they left for camp in mid-Oetobor, and their bag has suffered accordingly. Story of the Mararoa. Some of tho Wellington residents who are seeing the Mararoa as > she lies in Port Nicholson awaiting her doom may have been amongst the guests of tho Union Company on the day that this vessel, then the show ship of tho company, made her excursion outside Otago Heads, says the tiunedin "Star." It was an experience to be remembered. The excursion took the form of a gigantic and elaborate outing, to which three or four hundred leading citizens were invited. Mr. Mills (now Sir James) accompanied the party and superintended it in a princely manner. Tho guests were at their gayest over the luncheon, and revelry was being planned for the afternoon when suddenly a summer fog enveloped the vessel and one could hardly see from bow to stern. The vessel had to be slowed down and feel her way. As hour succeeded hour with no sight of tho land, everybody began to -feel uneasy about getting home in time. Ouco an approach to what was taken to be tho Heads was ventured on, but a tiny rift overhead served to guide the vessel to the comparative safety of the open sea. The day waned without sign of the fog clearing till dinner time drew near, and theu the stewards set about preparing a set meal out of the ship's reserve stores. Eventually the captain got his bearings and groped his way in without mischance, tho guests being much relieved to set their f cot .ashore again. Millions Out of Work. Reference to the depression in the United States was made by Mr. L. A. Baehelder,' American vice-consul in Auckland, who returned by the Port Hunter from Few York, states the "New Zealand Herald." Mr. Baehelder has been away for about a year, most of the time being spent in the New England States. Mr. Baehelder regards tho depression in the United States as part of a worldwide movement and not duCj to any particular~eause. The cost of living 'has been going down in a marked degree, and the necessities of life aro now quite 10' per cent, below the level at which they stood a year ago. The number of unemployed in the United States is probably about 5,000,000, although it has been estimated to be as high as 10,000,000. The President and the Governors of the States are doing all they can to provide work by anticipating the necessities of each part of the country and voting money to be spent rapidly. ,