NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

', "Morals of the Unemployed." "Why is it men who arc given work visit the nearest hotel as soon as ■ they are paid, while clean-living men ■ cannot get work?" was the question contained in a letter to Mr. E. T. Bailey, officer in charge of the Labour Department, Christchurch, which was read at ' a meeting of the Unemployment ComI mitteo (reports "The Press"). Mr. ; Bailey's reply was that the Unemployment Committee did not purport to control the'morals of the unemployed. The, writer of the letter had stated that he had been out of work since 14th Dccem- j her, and Mr. Bailey's comment was1 that he should be thankful that, like many of the unemployed, he had not ' been out of work for many months. Racial Problems. In the course of a short address on > "The Bacial Problem in Australia" at ; the luncheon of tho Wellington llotary , Club yesterday, .the.Kcv. N. S. Miller, ' of Adelaide, referred to tho progress ■ and unrest of coloured races in the East, ■ especially those of India, China, and : Japan. He expressed the opinion that - it was time that those who lived in the loss densely populated parts of the ' earth asked themselves if the founda- • tions on which they built their confi- ; dence were secure and unassailable. ■ The time had come when wo must cdv- ' cate ourselves as to the distribution of 1 the races of the world. Sooner or later • the interests of. tho situation would I develop themselves to such an extent that we would have to give an account of our trusteeship of the lands we occupied. Tho speaker thought that counl tries like Australia and New Zealand ! should open their doors, especially to • tho people of Northern Europe. ' A Commendable Issue. ' Tho first issuo of the "Hawkcs Bay '■ Tribune" in its original sized sheet I since the earthquake is of peculiar in- . terest, and a brave evidence of the Has- , tings spirit which encourages "Busi- ' ness as Usual" as an antidote for "earthquake nerves" and lethargy. > Advertisements cover tho first page, ■ and are a strong indication that the . business houses arc not wasting time "in ' reopening under the changed conditions. A motor firm announces that it ■ is "carrying on business in usual premises with a skeleton staff for all ur- ! gent repair work," a building society urges readers to take shares in its new '■ issue, a firm stocking timber, spouting, ; cement, etc.,- says "No profiteering; prc-quake prices will be maintained if possible." Many of tho advertise- ' incuts ask patrons to use the back entrance, indicating that the front is not yet clear of debris (elsewhere in tho issue it is mentioned that the lump of masonry blocking tho "Tribune's" front door is calculated to weigh 12J tons). Beal estate agents, a dentist, , photographers, a dressmaker, fishmongers, etc., announce their now addresses or emphasise that they are still, to be ■ found at their old ones. Tho advertisements alone make the 'Tribune's" ' new issuo an interesting publication. The news columns arc naturally taken : up with earthq.uako matter—even the i I.idy editor's remarks bear on the all important subject, and givo sensible suggestions for tho making of broth 1 and the stops to take to combat in- ; vasions of flies and fleas. The whole issuo is pregnant with tho desire to relegate tho past, fnce up to the prci sent, and plan for tho future. News- • paper work is not tho loast arduous of ; iH'ciipntioTis in normal times, ami thp staff whii'h is producing the "Tribune" just now surely deserves <i "pat on the iuiuk" for its successful efforts at rc--1 habilitutioiis

Goats on Mt. Egniont. Goats numbering 3912 have been destroyed on the Mount Egniont mountain reserve1 since the intensive campaign of destruction was commenced two years ago. The ranger reported to tho Egmont National Park Board last weuk that 311 goats had been killed this season. Tho attitudo of farmers adjacent to the reserve was not sympathetic this year, and several of tiiem had declined to permit tho board's employees to shoot over their properties. The report pointed out that good results * had already followed the destruction of the post. The regeneration of the undergrowth from the Waiwakaiho Gorge to the ranges was remarkable, and it was anticipated that in a few years the forest in this locality would bo completely regenerated. Coastal Rise Near Gisborne. Half-way between Taumotu Island and Pa Hill, about a mile and a half from Gisborno harbour, examination has revealed the raising of the foreshoro by eight to ton feet, dozens of small "geysers," tho water of which tastes fresh, but is accompanied by inflammable gas, and tho upheaval of a submarine forest, as the result of tho earthquake a fortnight ago. Soundings in the harbour itself and in tho roadstead show no change. The locality is close to an inlet known as Sponge Bay. For about two miles tho foreshore has risen between eight feet and ten feet. Half-way out to the island a reef formerly covered at low water is now visible at high tide. At the southwest end of this reef is a large pool, about fifty yards by twenty yards, of dirty, milky-coloured water, which at low tido is a mass of small springs, from which inflammablo gas escapes. Low tide uncovers a largo number of sframps of trees, which appear to have been cut off or broken off. Some of the stumps aro four or five feet high, and they aro embedded in black, sticky mud. Strange to say, campers along Kaiti beach, between Sponge Bay and Gisborne, hardly felt the big earthquake. Brick Schools Banned. "We have been expecting something of the sort for some time," said Mr. G. Peulington, architect to the Canterbury Education Board, when the instructions issued by the Hon. 11. Atmoro (Minister of Education), that all construction work on brick school buildings should cease, were referred to him (states the "Christehurch Press")- "111 oul' district, that is Canterbury and Westland, out of a total- of 392 schools only 24 aro of brick, two of concrete, and two of stone," he said. ''It is interesting to note that only five- of tho brick buildings aro two-storied. There are no brick school buildings_ now under construction in our district, as we rather anticipated the order." Most of the brick buildings, said Mr. Penliiigton, were fairly old, but a few wero of recent construction. At Kaiapoi the school was rebuilt, because tho mortar in parts was rotten. All tho brick buildings vvcro looked over frequently to sco that all was in order with them. "Brick buildings, if well 'tied' with steel rods, will stand up to a severe shock,", ho continued. "Our buildings have a nineinch inner wall of brick and a four and a half inch outer wall. There is no doubt that in future we will construct our school buildings of wood." Pish for Australia. Hopes for the development of a considerable export trade in New Zealand fish to Australia arc entertained by Mr. E. Robertshaw llallett, formerly of Auckland, who arrived in Auckland from Sydney by the Maunganui yesterday. Mr. Hallctt, who is accompanied by Mr. A. E. Forster, has invented a new method of packing and freezing iish for export, and his firm proposes to establish a factory at Thames and export large quantities of New Zealand flounder and snapper to Australia. "I spent a year in the United States recently perfecting the refrigerating system," Mr. Hallett' said. "It is an entirely new departure from ordinary methods of refrigeration. The fish is filleted and packed in cartons, and then the heat is drawn out of the packago until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees below** zero. The fish is not broken down in any way under tho new process. Tho fillets maintain their usual appearance and flavour for about four months." The factory which it was proposed to erect at' Thames would cost approximately £10,000, Mr. Hallett said. Arrangements would be made with Thames fishermen, for a regular supply of fresh fish. In Australia, the ordinary fish caught by trawlers was not of good quality, said Mr. Hallett, and really good fish could only be obtained at a price which, to most, people, was almost prohibitive. "There is no doubt that if New Zealand fish can be obtained fresh there will be a heavy demand for it in Australia," Mr. Hallett added.