NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1931, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

Floating Dock's Progress. A cable received to-day by the Harbour Board gives the position of the floating dock now on its way to Wellington as (at noon yesterday) 13 degrees 25 minutes south and 143 degrees 40 minutes east. This position is practically in Torres Strait. The floating dock has therefore completed another stage in its long tow, ant, at the present rate of progress, should be here towards the end of the year or at the beginning of January. Sunday Tennis and Other Games.

The City Council at its last meeting discussed, without reaching a decision, the not quite new question of permitting Sunday tennis on municipal courts; probably the question will come up again this evening. The same problem has been before the Hastings Borough Council, but the councillors there have not made up their minds either. The Wellington Council is in rather an awkward position in the matter, for though Sunday play is discounted by the bylaws on city reserves generally, it is, in effect, encouraged at Day's Bay, where Sunday tennis revenue is quite a sum of money in a year, and at the municipal golf links at Borhampore, where again Sunday revenue assures that this city playground pays its way. Customs Tariff. "The Customs tariff has caused grave trouble in Australia," said Mr. L. Ashcroft Edwards, president of the British (U.K.) Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand, yesterday. "In one year, Australia paid £35,000,000 more for locally-made goods than she would have paid for similar goods from overseas. Protectionists speak of giving employment in our own industries, but think of the employment that could have been given by that £35,000,000 in Australia." Mr. Edwards added that the day was fast coming when New Zealand would lose the sympathy of British manufacturers, because she asked Britain to take all our goods, while the Dominion on the other hand discouraged Britain's goods by high tariffs. British Traders. Because the word "British" possessed a too-wide application, a proposal was placed before the British (U.K.) Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand yesterday that the name should be changed to the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives' Association. One of the qualifications for membership now is that 50 per cent, of the business must be with the United Kingdom, and the British application of the name was held to be too wide. Members were' sceptical of the possibilities of the change, however, and the meeting decided to defer it until members had ratified the proposal. Giving figures of British motor importations in relation to foreign, Mr, L. Ashcroft Edwards said total sales had fallen 58.3 per cent, in 12 months, and British by only 22.6 per cent. These are actually nine months' figures, which strengthens Britain's relative trade position. Penguin Ta&es a Walk. An unusual visitor to Petone was found by Mr. G. Coppard outside his shop at the corner of Jackson and Fitzherbert streets just after 10 o 'clock last night. It was a young penguin which was walking up from the beach some 300 yards away. Mr. Coppard kept the ■bird until this afternoon, when he liberated it from the Petone Wharf. He offered it to the Zoo, but as it is necessary to get a licence to keep a protected bird it was thought better to set the penguin free again. Ambulance Building. In all probability the work of erecting the new ambulance building will commence early in January next year. The acting-chairman of the Free Ambulance Board, Mr. G. Mitchell, reported at to-day's meeting of the board that the plans were now ready. Tenders for the erection of the building will be called on 28th of this month, and will close at noon on 14th December. Warning to Apprentices. The necessity for apprentices to attend classes at the Technical College was emphasised by Mr. T. B. M'Neil, S.M., to-day. "Apprentices must understand that it is part of their obligation when they are apprenticed to attend classes, which are to help them to learn their trade, and no excuse short of illness will be sufficient for not complying with the regulations," the Magistrate said, when fining Phillip Ludlow, a cabinetmaker's apprentice, 10s and costs 4s, for failing to attend the classes. 9 Problem of the Threepenny Fare. One of the main discussions at tonight's meeting of the City Council will be the question of retaining the threepenny long-distance tram fare. From the statement made by the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, it is clear that tramway finances are seriously threatened, and that, in place of the sound credit which used to figure, year after year, in the tramways accounts, a heavy deficit is certain. Practically every councillor who has mentioned threepenny fares, on the election platform or at the council table, has promised that the threepenny fare shall be the last concession to go, particularly in times of reduced salaries and wages, but the alternative is equally awkward, particularly in these days of other elections—the dismissal of a large number of tramway employees, to enable running expenses to be brought down to balance inadequate revenue.

Getting in Early. Early preparations ;i"G being made Cor holiday travel this year. The Limited express from Wellington to Auckland is completely booked out on the evenings of 23rd December and Christmas Eve, 24th December. 'Quakes Wear and Far. A very slight earthquake was felt by a few people in. Wellington at 9.16 p.m. yesterday. The record it left on the instruments at the Dominion Observatory, Kelburn, indicate that the centre of origin was about 50 miles away. A long distance 'quake was re-' corded yesterday between 3.30 and 4.30 p.m., and another one was coming in this morning. Where these are located it is too soon as yet to tell. Cornwell Cup Contest. The Wellington Provincial Yacht and Motor-boat Association was advised last evening that the Takapuna Boating Club, Auckland, had agreed to the next Cornwell Cup contest being held in Wellington. This contest is held annually, and is limited to crews of under 19 years of age, one crew of two boys from each port, and Takapuna class 12ft 6in centreboard boats are used, the predominating idea being to test the seamanship of the crews. The association has fixed Ist February as the date for the commencement of the contest. Trial races to select the Wellington crew will commence at Petone on 6th December. Lower Tares Tell. The increased business resulting from the reduced fares has been a complete surprise to the Railway Department. It was expected a fairly heavy loss would be entailed for some time after the reductions, but the results have more than justified the alteration, particularly on the Wairarapa line, where the passengers carried now are 100 a day more than at this time a year ago. "People are re-discovering the Wairarapa from this end," said an officer of the Department, commenting upon the situation.