NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Yesterday in Parliament. The passage of tho Government Bailways Amendment Bill was tho main result of yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives. In the afternoon, the Prime Minister tabled reports of investigations by tho Department of Industries and Commerce into the costs of flour and bread production in New Zealand, and these will be discussed in the House to-day preparatory to the pronouncement of the Government Js policy regarding import duties. His earlier denial' of a. rumour that the extension of the lifo of tho present Parliament was contemplated was repeated by Mr. Forbes when roplying_ to an urgent question by Mr. J. O'Brien (LaTsour, Wcstland), the Prime Minister making it clear that the Government had not originated tho rumour and that it had no intention of altering the arrangements for holding tho General Election at tho .normal period at the end of the year. Tributes were paid to tho late member for Hauraki (Mr. A. W. Hall), and a resolution was passed expressing high appreciation of Mr. Hall's services. .As a mark of respect, tho House adjourned until 7.30, when further consideration in Committee was given to tho Railways Bill. The main interest centred round tho South Island Main Trunk, Messrs. E. F. Healy (United, Wairau) and T. Makitanara (United, Southern Maori) voting against tho Government in accordance with election pledges. The Labour members joyously hailed tho "rebels," and, while congratulating them on standing to their guns, inquired whether they would receive tho same treatment as had been meted out to Mr. G. C. Black. The Coinmittoo stage of the Bill was completed at 1 a.m., and the'measuro was passed shortly afterwards. The House rose at 1.30 a.m. , .. . , . , Liquidated Securities. "Coming from the earthquake area, I have recently had to face special difficulties," said Mr. George M'Leod, the newly-appointed manager of the Christehurch branch of the Union Bank o£ Australia, Ltd., at a gathering of tho bank's clients. "One. morning," lie continued, "I woko up to find that 76 acres of my good socurity had slipped into the sea. I hope you won't play any of those tricks ou mo hero.' Protecting the Oyster. • Poachers aro not tho only things the Marine Department has to contend with in protecting tho oyster, says an exchange. Tho most recent report on the fisheries snys: "A great effort was made during the past year to get rid of the; 'borer' pest, which is still so abundant as to take considerable toll of young oysters. When the bods are densely stocked with young oysters,, the 'thinning' thus effected may bo comparatively negligible, but with sparse reproduction the 'borers' count as a very considerable adverse factor. A system of paying borer pickers by contract has resulted in a substantial increase in the number destroyed without unduly adding to the cost, but this method is not everywhere applicable. In addition to the common borer (Thais scobiita), which is small in size but abundant in numbers, another gastropod enemy of the oyster is being dealt with. This is tho large welk-liko mollusc Thais succinta, commonly known by its Maori name, 'pupil.'- Over 11,000 of these were gathered and dostroyed during the season." Newtown School. The necessity for a new school building, particularly for the infant department, is stressed in the annual report of the Nowtown School Committee. The report states that the committee had nothing definite to report on the matter. The former Minister of Education (the Hon. B. A. Wright) had given his assurance that tho present side would bo retained for tho now school. At a conference between the Minister of Education, the Education Board, and the committee, the decision to retain the present sito was reviewed. On representations being inad(> to the Minister ho agreed to view the three sites Nowtown West, Nowtown East, and the present ono—and as a result of his inspection he reserved his decision. Up to the present time it had not been received. A Whistling Fire.: A weird whistling noiso like that of thousands of green logs burning was emitted by tho petrol fire at the Hornby dump when it reached its height about 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, tho sound steadily increasing till it resembled tho lower noto of a very powerful fire siren (states"the "Christchurch Times"). No reason could be definitely advanced to account for it, though some people thought that it was caused by many burst drums simultaneously spraying jets of burning petrol at pressure, and others that it was due to tho fierce draught of cool, moist air that was drawn up, acting as a chimney to the central column.of hot flame. Masses of whitish gas, apparently petrol vapour, gathered every few minutes in the centre of the fire, mounting till they reached the air, when the whole cloud exploded and floated flaming into tho sky. Another peculiar phenomenon was that, when there was no wind, the pillar of fire did not go straight up, but swept round with a circular movement like an inverted waterspout. . ■ Mounting Hospital Costs. In an editorial article on "Hospital Expenditure," tho "New Zealand Medical Journal" says: "Many times during the past twenty years this journal has protested against tho mounting costs of hospital expenditure, which-are oat of all proportion to the increase of population. In many cases tho buildings are far too elaborate and ostentatious. There, are too many hospital boards, and not a few members of the. boards pride themselves on the size of the hospital rather than on its efficiency, of which they are . poor - judges. There are quito sufficient beds at the present time in the public hospitals of New Zealand, and no increase is necessary for the next decade. ._. The present financial depression in New Zealand is greatly to be deplored, but it will be a blessing rather than an evil if it teaches us that hospital expenditure cannot continue to increnso at the present rate, and that efficiency and economy aro not incompatible."

Parents and School Matters, Tito Jack of interest displayed by parents in regard to school matters is commented upon in the annual report of the Kewtown School Committee. The report state 3 that with the assistance of the parents the committee -would bo able to raise a far greater voice in matters connected with the school and school work. The welfaro of the pupils was not a duty devolving on the school staff only. Instead.of largo attendances at the annual meetings there wcro very poor ones, and this meant that there was little or not opposition at elections. Ambulance Service Praised. I In the days when the Hospital Board maintained its own ambulance service that branch of work was a nightmare to members, said Mrs. A. M'Vicar, one of the Civic League candidates for the board, speaking at Mornington last evening, but now'the city has the benefit of a splendid service and the Hospital Board has none of the worry. "The ambulance," said Mrs. M'Vicar, "is in the hands of men who arc thoroughly trained and who do the work excellently. One never hears a complaint of their work, and the whole service is one of which 'Wellington can be proud." Eoyal Naval Volunteers. H.M.S. Wakakura, which is used for the training of members of the Koyal Naval Volunteer Beserve, arrived in port this morning from Lyttelton, and berthed at the Clyde ,Quay Wharf. The Wakakura will take detachments of the R.N.V.B. for a week's training in the Marlborough Sounds, leaving on Saturday with the first detachment, and returning the following Saturday. She will leave again the same day for the Sounds. The Wakakura will be in port from 9th until 16th May for overhaul. Commissioned-Gunner T. E. Brooker, 8.N., is in command. Tribute to New Zealand. Whilst recently iu ; Englaud, the Key. V. G. Bryan King attended tho Empire Conference of the Bed Cross at St. James's Palace, and there lie met a delegate who said to him: "I understand that you are a New Zealander, and I feel that I must say something to you. I wish to pay a tribute to New Zealand that is ' well deserved. I was on tho staff of Guy's Hospital for years, also an examiner for the Eoyal College of Surgeons, and it seems to mo common honesty to express my admiration of the men who came to me from the Otago Medical School. Their training must have been wonderfully intensivo and extensive. They know their work thoroughly, were never at a disadvantage, and could always bo depended on. They were men to be trusted. I don't know any of your professors, but they must be of outstanding ability in teaching, otherwise they would not turn out men of such high calibre." Mr. King adds (states tho "Auckland Star"), that he was told that the Otago Medical School had the highest percentage of passes for fellowship of the" Boyal College of Surgeons and the Boyal College of Physicians amongst tho schools of the Empire. Education Economies. Minor economics, forerunners of greater ones to come, are announced in this month's "Education Gazette. •Tho' Department notifies that owing to staff wastage through doath, marriage, or retirement being loss than was anticipated,- the number of entrants to the teaching profession next, year will probably bo materially reduced, and it may bo necessary to retain some of tho probationers appointed this year for a second year in the schools. Tins, however, will not lengthen their four-year period of training. No definite pronouncement upon the subject, states the "Gazette," can be made till later in the1 year. The supply .of freo'books to secondary school pupils in straitened circumstances has been discontinued, but free books are still availablo tor primary children where conditions warrant, the issue, though increased caution in authorising them is now urged upon teachers. Formerly it has been the custom of the Department to send to tho bigger public schools tho annual supplement of the "New Zealand Gazette," giving: details of schools, .staffs, ana salaries throughout the Dominion. Teachers may still obtain this supplement for 2s a.copy. . Length of Service. At the conclusion of the meeting of Mornington electors addressed last ovening by candidates for the City Council a question was asked as to how the length of service given by Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, the Civic League and Batcpayors' Association candidate for tho Mayoralty, compared with that of Mr. M. F. Luckie, tho independent candidate. In reply, Mr. Hislop said that perhaps the question was unfortunate, for both he and Mr. Luekie had avoided personal references, but the question had been asked, and tho point was of some importance. Both he. and Mr. Luckie had first taken their seats at the council table in 1913, and Mr. Luckie had given continuous service \ip till the present, Ho himself had in September, 1914, asked leave of absence from the council in order .to avoid a by-election, and had gone to tho war, where he had served for four years. On returning to Now Zealand ho had had to undergo hospital treatment and had also to get back into business, and so had not rejoined till 1927, when ho had topped the poll. In 1929 he had again headed the poll. "I think I can say>" concluded Mr. Hislop, "that if it had not been for the break during the war I would have had quite as much service to the city to my credit as my friend."