NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 106, 8 May 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

City Mission's Clothes Supply. ■In his annual report, the City Missiomer (tho Bey. T. Fielden Taylor) states that the demand for clothes of all Borts is quite beyond the power of the mission to meet. "We still sell clothes," ho says, "to those who have a little money but prefer to pay a little; the revenue so derived is an enormous asset to meet the deficiency on the work we are doing. During the year we gave away an enormous number of clothes. I would like to impress on tho public our diro need of receiving sucli clothes as they can possibly send all the year round." Many People Out Yesterday. After the wet weather during the week the bright sunshine yesterday was most welcome, and many hundreds of people took advantage of tho opportunity to bo out of doors. The fine drive around the foreshores of the harbour was popular with, motorists. Throughout the greater part of the afternoon a stream, of cars passed along the road from the Miramar Wharf to Point Halswell, and there were also many people on foot. It was a very sunny and pleasant spot. Another popular place was the road over Mount Victoria, and here, too, many cars were parked, their windscreens, as seen from the flat below, flashing in tho sunlight. A Bough Road. Some time last year a portion of the road along the Fetone foreshore just past the railway crossing was honed and tho bitumen surface was made smooth. For a time this portion of the road was excellent for riding upon, the surface being almost table-like; but recently the road has broken up badly, the bitumen being pitted with large pot-holes, and being anything but pleasant to travel over.. The honing of the road was an experiment by the authorities, but it appears that it was made too severe, with the result that the bitumen has broken up under the heavy traffic in this spot. Shooting the God wits. The opinion is held by the Mangonui and Whangaroa Acclimatisation Society that no immediate necessity exists for the protection of godwit (states the "Auckland Star"). During the past few months the birds have been quite plentiful on the northern beaches, and the opinion is held that in spite of the annual shooting season for this particular bird its numbers havo not appreciably lessened compared with previous years. Soldiers of Maiiy Wars. -One of the most interesting features of the Hamilton Beturned Soldiers' Association'a reunion on Thursday evening was the roll call, at which each member present rose and gave his name and the name of the unit in which he had seen active service (states the f New.Zealand Herald"). Bepresentatives of regiments recruited in all parts of the British Empire responded. One was an ex-King's sergeant who had served with the "Old Contemptibles," although ho did not ' announce this fact. Another had . been with tho famous 29th Division on Gallipoli. Several South African War veterans also responded. Vociferous applause greeted the name of James Tynan, a veteran of 88 years, who, a. friend stated, had served in the 3rd Waikato Eegiment in the Maori War from 1863 to 1867. Mr. Tynan, who was a picture of good health, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Kemarkable Escapes. Remarkable escapes from injury were experienced by two people on a truck which turned a somersault into a creek on Friday, at the foot of Schede'wy'g Hill, on the Auckland main north road about seven miles from Warkworth. The driver (Mr. C. L. Herbert), of Warkworth, and his wife, who was a passenger, were thrown clear and escaped uninjured. The mishap occurred when the truck had crossed a small bridge, which is below tho level of the road. As the vehicle was regaining the road, it almost collided with an oncoming motor-car and swerved, striking a girder of the bridge and somersaulting into a creek about 6 feet below tho Toad. ~ The truck, which was'owned by Mr. Herbert, sustained little damage, and was later driven to Auckland under its own power. Leniency Appreciated. "This may be one of the real cases in which leniency extended by tho Court has been appreciated," said Mr. Noble, speaking on behalf of George Nottingham, in tho Auckland Supreme Court on Friday. Six months ago Nottingham was given a further chance and remanded by Mr. Justice Herdman for six months on a charge of being found on premises unlawfully by night. Mr. Noble reported that Nottingham had been working hard and living a clean and respectable life. He was now in employment. His Honour said he was very glad to hear that .Nottingham had been behaving himself. The police and probation officer's reports were quite favourable. He would be allowed his liberty and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Winter Sports Meeting. Eleven boys' secondary schools in the South Island, and nine girls' schools, eight in the South Island and one in tho North Island, have so far entered for the secondary schools winter sports meeting to be held on the Tasman Glacier grounds this month, stateß the "Timaru Herald." The boys' schools which are entering teams are Christ's College, St. Bcde's College, St. Andrew's College, the Cathedral Grammar School, Christchurch Technical College, Timaru 8.H.5., John McGlashan College (Duncdin), Otago 8.H.5., Southland 8.H.5., Waitaki 8.H.5., and St. Kevin's (Oamaru). The Auckland Grammar School also may be represented. Amberley College, Sclwyn House, St. Margaret's, the Christchurch Girls* High School, Craighead (Timaru), Waitaki G.H.S., Otago G.H.S., Southland G.H.S., and Woodford House (Hastings), are the girls' schools which have entered teams in the meeting. Freedom of Speech. A decision on the question of academic freedom of speech has been made by the council of the Auckland University College, which has instructed the executive committee of the Professorial Board to ' handle all questions in that regard on its own initiative as its own particular duty, reporting to the council when requested, and on such other occasions as it might think it desirable to do so, states the "New Zealand Herald." In reporting on the subject, after observing the practices overseas during his recent tour of the United States and England, the registrar, Mr. M. Rocke O'Shea, said: '.'I would recommend that every endeavour be made to leave university consideration of any particular cases in the hands of a standing executive academic committee of deans of faculties as _ a place for consideration in the first instance. If Buch a standing committee were set up as representative of the academic side of the college, with inj structions to handle such questions as this on its own initiative as its own particular duty, there should be very little trouble in this regard. Most members of a staff are accurately estimated by their colleagues, _ and such judgment shduld carry sufficient weight to be accepted by the public." This suggestion was approved by the Professorial Board and has been endorsed bi the council ia th« terms Jarfkated,

Bankruptcies. In the first three months of 1933 the bankruptcies in New Zealand were 38 less than in the same three months of last year (89—127). In. March, taken alone, there was a decrease of 15 bankruptcies ..compared with March of last year (35—50). More Promising. "The railways (reports the Government Statistician) show a more promising outlook during the latest fourweekly period for which statistics are available. The balance of operating revenue over expenditure is still being maintained at an increasingly favourable margin. The close of the tourist season struck an optimistic note with a much higher complement of overseas visitors than was the case a year ago. In fact, the whole season has been considerably busier than last season." Nothing if not Thorough. The Government is nothing if not thorough, remarks the "Marlborough Express." Even road metal has been taken into consideration by those who are administering the sales tax. At a meeting of the Awatere County Council last week a letter was received from the Customs Department stating that the exemptions relative to rubble, as set out in. the first schedule of the Sales Tax 1932-3*, will be regarded as embracing any form of broken stono of irregular" shape, each as road metal or screenings, but tarred stone or gravel was not admissible as rubble. Blenheim's Meat. The suggestion has been made to the "Marlborough Express" by a wellknown stock auctioneer that the next few weeks are likely to witness a phenomenal increase in the price of mutton on tho Blenheim market. He said that, as a result of tho dry , season, very little fat stock was now available in the province, and he believed that before long the market p"rice would have doubled itself. As against this, howover, he thought plenty of beef was available, so that there was .a likelihood of more beef than usual being consumed. Remarkable Grape Vine. A remarkable grape vine, believed Jo ,be the largest in New Zealand, is growing at the residence of Mr. H. O. Westcm, "Tho Lindens," Mt. Pleasant (says the "Marlborough Express"). It was planted by Mr. Western as a cutting nineteen years ago, and now runs right round the house, in addition to which it has been trained over a series of pergolas. The "total length of th,e vine is estimated at well over four chains. It has borne crops of from 700 to 8001b of grapes for many years. On Tuesday, when the crop was shifted for wine-making purposes, the weight of grapes was returned as 8731b. 8.8.A. and Politics. The recent trouble in the Auckland Beturned Soldiers' Association was mentioned at the annual reunion of the Hamilton association on Thursday evening, when the guest of honour was Major-General Sir Andrew Bussell, president of the New Zealand Beturned Soldiers' Association. In responding to the toast of "The N.Z.E.F." Sir Andrew said the E.S.A. would carry on the ideals for .which, its' members had fought in the Great War. Those who struck the discordant note in' Auckland were a dwindling minority. Bcferring to the past work of tho association, he said the Government had proposed to reduce pensions by £135,000, bnt as the result of representations made by the association, Cabinet had decided to make a reduction of only £62,000. He did not think any further reduction would be attempted. The membership was steadily increasing, and now stood at 17,000. Tho introduction of politics would undermine the good the association was trying to do, and should be discountenanced. Sir Andrew spoke of the Canteen Fund, "and said that £1500 a month was now being distributed to deserving cases by the trustees. The grants made were of very great assistance, and it,. was ; the trustees' business to conserve the fund as far as was possible consistent with the .maximum use being'made of it. Building Barometer. With a total of only 90, the number of permits issued in New Zealand during March for the erection of new dwellings nevertheless exceeded the total for February by 42.9 per cent., and that for March, 1932, by 38.5 per cent. The number of permits issued for all classes of building construction also showed an improvement, equivalent to 40.6 per cent, over February, but only 4.8 per cent, above the figure for March, J932. "For the first three months of the year (reports the Government Statistician) permits for dwellings were down by only 5.6 percent., but total permits declined by 10.8 per cent., from the figure for the corresponding portion of last year." The values of all classes of construction work for which permits were issued during March reached an exceptionally high total, one which had not been attained for very many months. Bnt — "this is largely duo to the issne of a permit for the erection of the National Museum and Art Gallery in; Wellington, which would considerably augment the total value of all permits issued." Seal Estate Ebb and How. March figures show more real estate business than in February, but not to much as in March of last year. The Government Statistician reports:—"A further increase of 18.4 per cent, in the number of transactions in real estate wa« recorded during March. The total was, hovever, still 2.6>per cent, below that for March, 1932. Town and suburban properties included in the total show an incrcaec of 14.5 per cent, over February, but a decrease of 7.4 per cent, from March, 1932." The March figures enable him to sum up the financial year, and he adds: "Now that the financial year has terminated, it is seen that this class of business suffered a shrinkage in total transactions of 9.3 per cent, for the year. As far as. town and suburban properties are concerned, the diminution of business was slightly greater, 10.6 per cent. As regards the consideration received in these transactions, the proportionate decrease amounts to 16.6 per cent, for the year. Mortgages registered show a 12 per cent., increase over February, but a 16.7 per cent, decrease from March, 1932. Discharges Tecord similar movements of 8.7 per cent, increase andi 14.9 per cent, decrease respectively. For the complete financial year registrations are down by 26.1 per cent, and discharges by 23.9 per cent."