NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CCX, Issue 145, 22 June 1933, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Prince of Wales'* Birthday. Tomorrow, June 23, is the thirty; ninth birthday of his Royal, Highness the Prince of Wales. .Prince Edward, the eldest son of the present King and Queen, was born in 1894. Ho was christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David. The first four names are family names, and the remaining three were bestowed upon him as links with the component parts of the British Isles, rthe names, being those of the patron saint 9of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.' Legal offices will be closed tomorrow in celebration of the Eoyal birthday, but in no other way is the anniversary observed in New Zealand as, a holiday. The King's Regulations do not provide for the firing of a Koyal ,Salute :on tho.. Prince's birthday. '" ■' "'■ " ' ; "• ■ . Winter on West Coast. / . The opinion is widely expressed that tho present winter is more severe, on the West Coast than those for several years past, reports the "Grey.River Argus." As yet, however, thei amount of- snow on the ranges is not-abnormal. N.Z.R.S.A. Conference. c An impressive touch was given at the conclusion of the conference of the New Zealand.Returned Soldiers' Association last night. After all the business had been' disposed of, the big gathering, presided over, by General Sir Andrew Russell, rose, % and sang lustily the National Anthem. Another noteworthy incident'in last night's session was the enthusiasm displayed by the delegates over the re-election of Sir Andrew Russell as, Dominion president. 'Spontaneously,' and, it was-evident, with great sincerity, the delegates sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.'' Sir Androw suitably replied. Events of the Past. At any big gathering of men \here is usually to be found a humorist or two. The conference of the Now, Zealand-Rd turned Soldiers' Association, which concluded last night, was no-exception; in fact, the proceedings—as it is not unnatural to expect'when returned men get together—were often enlivened by the wit of some of the delegates; "One in particular, frpin Canterbury, established something of a reputation in this respect. He was in good-form, last evening. Among, other subjects upon which his comment amused the gathering was a proposal that the wives and families should accompany New. Zealand ex-soldiers on, a suggested pilgrimage to the battlefields overseas: Facetiously ho suggested thiit the "wives and families" should not be included in the party. Ho said ho visualised complications and maintained that no ex-soldier would have tho pluck to visit Arnientieres again with a wife and family. (Loud laughter.) The objection was not sustained, the Temit being adopted in its entirety. ■'.'.' B.S.A. Revenue. The "budget" presented to the annual meeting of delegates to the Dominion Council of the Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday by the special Committee appointed to go into the matter was adopted without alterations. The estimated revenue for the coming year Was '£.3501 15s 4d, including £2088, Bs-4d;from the Poppy Day levy, and -£1333 '•7s. from capitation fees. ;Qn the expenditure side ,£522. ,2s ; J.6L will ibe fallowed ,as the Poppy D.'ay-rebate, & 100' for travelling expenses, £1312! 4» f P ( r salaries,- £900 for the "Review,'? and. £175 to the badge account. The-'.'•'budget", provided for an estimated surplus 6i ;£ 3 4s 9i' ' ■ ' -. '•' .'-. .•". ■■ ' ■■.'.- '■'■■ i- ' Democratic Government.,"The founders of the New Zealand Legion committed Jn.e Legion • to. one. thing only, .democratic; g'oyernnient/' said Mr.'A. W. Fre"e : 'at ajLegioji' meet-; ing at Kclburn. Tn,e Legion's sole aim, he Baid, was efficient,gove^hinent, government that would prdmbto social justice, economic efficiency^ and individual liberty. To reach maximum efficiency, democratic government? must be based on a conscientious and educated electorate and pro\ide air executive .authority which would not be'subject to , effective sectional pressure. ' The measure of a government's efficiency was, however, not its form but theslaws it made. The Legion, was, therefore, concerning itself with three things—the education of the electorate the aboli-. tion of party government' which was the creation of sectional interests, and the formulation and advocacy of legislative measures. No measures would be advocated by the Legion until all Legion centres had been consulted.

Exemption Trom Sales Tax. The Red Cross Society has received a letter-from the Comptroller of Customs stating that exemption from the sales tax applies in vespoct of chemicals, drugs, ami similar preparations used in connection with the Bed Cross Home. Regret jvas, expressed that .exemption could not' apply to ail goods purchased' ,by the society... i' No .Politicians in R.S.A. ■ The following 'remit was passed practically unanimously at the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday, without discussionI.: —"That this association^ reaffirms that portion of its constitution making the association non-political and -non-sectarian, ."and" considers that any departure :from this would have disastrous effects upon the future welfare of the association and greatly hinder the association in its work and the attainment of its ideals." For Ex-Imperial Soldiers. . At a meeting of the executive of the New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John • yestferday, the : chairman, Sir Alexander Roberts, said that a further grant of £250 had been received from the Joint War - Finance Committee, in England. This gr,aut, through exchange,' amounted to £311 ss. On a previous occasion the amount given was divided between the four centres in equal proportions. The following disbursements of the grant had been made to exImperial soldiers: Auckland, nil; Wellington, £78 18s lid; Canterbury, £6 14a sd; Otago, nil. The executive resolved to allocate £100 to Wellington, and the balance on receipt of applications from, other centres. Eastbourne Remiss. It cost the Poto7i.e Fire Board about £?• 10s to extinguish a fire in the engine of one of the Eastbourne Borough Council's buses in Jackson Street, Petone, recently, according to a statement made by the superintendent of tho Potonc Fire Brigade (Mr. J. P. Gaynor) at a meeting of the board on Tuesday. Mr. Gaynor said that it was usual for the brigade to receive a donation^ from those whom' it had helped, but in this instance it had not oven, received a lotter of thanks. He questioned whether it was the brigadc'B duty to attend such fires, and expressed tho opinion that it could refuse to turn out. Members agreed that the least the Eastbourne Borough Coun. cil could have done was to express thanks to the brigade.' Pilgrimage to Battlefields. It was decided last evening at the conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, on a remit from the Gore branch, that local associations should bo circularised with, a view to ascertaining the possible support that would be accorded a pilgrimage to Egypt, Gallipoli, -the battlefields of France and Belgium, and to the British Isles. The proposal is that tho N.Z.R.S.A.- migllt;- undertake the pilgrimage-^ in , from two to thr"ee years' time if "tho su'ppbrt promised is sufficient to warranf. the-chartering of a vessel to convey'-* party consisting of New Zealand ex-so,ldiers, their wives, and families. • • > Maori rights a Stag. ■ A sensational fight took place on Mr. Earl Vaile's "Broadlands" property on Sunday between- a big twelvepointer stag and a Maori (states the Rotorua correspondent of tho "Auckland Star")- The Maori was alone wlien he encountered the animal, which immediately attacked him. A desperate struggle followed. ' The man had only a sheath knife, but he fought it out and seized the enraged animal by the horns, eventually throwing it and; killing it with,'his knife. .It was the fiVst animal of the kind seen in the locality. Ragwort and. Worts. , ".What i 8 this ragwort? I've heard a lot about i,t, but I'm not sure what it is. Is it a kind of fowl food?" asked a delegate amidst laughter at the annual conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association' when a remit concerning the price of sodium chlorate, which is used to eradicate the weed, was being considered. Another delegate replied that ragwort had first appeared in Southland, where it had a certain food value when used as ensilage. "Mr. Chairman, if sodium chlorate will eradicate ragwort,'.will it also remove other kinds'of'■•wartef'1 asked another ' delegate, causing, . renewed/ laughter. * ' ( ' ', Brisk Rugby Busdnew. Complaint was' mad,e, some little time ago of wasto of time at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Etfgby Football Union. There can be no such charge, however, against thfe way iv which the business is handled at the meetings of the New Zealand Rugby Union's management committee. As an illustration, a recent meeting.of the committee had much, business to be dealt with—outward, and inward correspondence,' covering matters 'from various'unions throughout the Domin-ion-^finaiice," reinstatements (of' which there were''many), -questions, rolating to tours, the Ranfurly Shield, etc. There .were also overseas matters for consideration. "We are starting the business now," remarked the chairman (Mr. S. S. Dean) at 7.35 p.m., and less than an hour later the business, in open meeting was concluded., Twenty minutes sufficed to dispose of the several subjects taken in committee, and at 8.45 p.m. the chairman was able to declare tho meeting closed. It was speedy work, and yet nothing was pushed through unnecessarily^ , Last night's sitting, however, was* not so brief, certain matters ■ heing given lengthy consideration (mainly in <jommittee). Sanctity of Anzac Day. Railway services on Anzae Day was a matter considered at ;the conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers ' Association last .evening. The following remit, moved by the Dunedin branch, Was adopted: "That this council, whilst not disagreeing with the present railway facilities on Anzac Day, views with apprehension any increased services which will tend to deprive the day of its sanctity." ' ' • ■ Currency Reform. The following remit, which was passed' at the annual meeting of the R.S.A. last year, was reaffirmed at. the conference yesterday:—"That in view of the acute want in a land of plenty and the evident dissatisfaction with tho existing monetary and credit system as revealed at this Dominion council meeting of delegates, the New Zealand R.S.A. urges the setting up of a tribunal presided over by a Supreme Court Judge to hold a full, open, and immediate inquiry into the operations of the Newv Zealand monetary and credit system and possible.alternatives thereto with a view to mooting the legitimate requirements of trade, commerce, and iiuliistry.,. and to provide the maximum .stimulus .in the-effort to meet, our overseas obligations?' Sale) of Poppies. At the annual R.S.A. conference yesterday dt was d<scid2ii to instruct all local associations tiat no poppy should bo sold on Poppy Day for less tha» Is. The decision 'was reached on -a ballot, by 59 votes'to 50. It was also decided to devise a suitable emblem, for children only, to.be issued free through the schools, as a-gift from the N.Z.R.S.A., and to ask, the children to contribute pennies for the purchase of poppies to make wreaths for Poppy Day. ,On the suggestion of Sir Andrew Russell (president), it was decided to obtain from local associations particulars of their organisation for the selling of poppies, with a view to organising a comprehensive schemo for Poppy Day.