SIDELIGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 95, 23 April 1934, Page 11

SIDELIGHTS

DOMINION V AFFAIRS

THE LECTURING SEASON

FIRST GEOLOGISTS

(From "Tha Post's" Representative.) .LONDON, March 23.

The "Birmingham .Post" publishes a letter from a Christehureh resident, and heads' ('lie paragraph "A New Zealand Jeremiad." Tho writer has been in the Dominion for 25 years, and he says times are worse now than they have ever been, with more than 80,000 unemployed over 21 years of age.

"Everything is sacrificed," he writes, "for the benefit of the big agricultural interests, and it "is heartbreaking to see the results of this policy. Nothing can stir the Government to action; they have even given themselves an extra year's office to further their own ends. I am of the opinion that this country is heading towards revolution, as they arc breeding a race-of Communists."

1 wonder (tho editor adds) what other of our New Zealand readers have to way in relation in this Jeremiad.

A party of schoolgirls limited to 25, aged 17 to 19, are to make a tour j under tho -auspices of the Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women. The party is to leave England for Australia, via Panama, New Zealand, and Fiji, at the beginning of August and return before Christmas. The voyage back will bo via Suez. The charge for the round trip is £150. POWER OF ROTARY. At the luncheon of the Hampstcad Rotary Club, Mr. Sydney W. Pascall, ex-president of Rotary International, delighted members with an interesting account of the experiences and impressions gained by him during his year of office as president of Rotary International. Taking theni on his travels through Europe, America, New Zealand, Australia, India, and Malaya, the dominant note that he struck was that of friendship. This friendship was extended to him wherever he went, and emphasised the growing power and inlluence of Rotary for the good of the world. The true Rotary spirit of service was also noticeable, and Rotary was working in every country, in the ways best suited to that country. "Who knows," said Mr. Pascall, "but that Rotary has stumbled through friendship on a power that will move the world." SIR JAMES HECTOR. "Nature" reminds its readers that I Sir James Hector, the first director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand, a post he held from IS.GS until 1905, was born at, Edinburgh'a century ago on March 10. The son of a 'writer to the signet, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy?and the University, and in 1850 took tho degree of M.D. After acting for short periods as assistant to Edward I'orbes and Sir James Simpson, in 1857 he was, through Murchison, appointed surgeon and geologist to Captain John Palliser's expedition to British North America. During this expedition lie discovered Hector Pass, in the Rocky Mountains, and directed attention to the evidence of glaciation and the existence of erratic blocks. In 1860 ho sailed for New Zealand to take up the appointment of geologist to the Government of Otago. Tho services of yon Haast (1524-S7) and. yon Hochstottcr (1820-S4) had already been secured 'by the colonial authorities, and it was by these three men, together'with J. W. Hutton (IS3C--1905), that the geology of tho islands was first unravelled. The writer gives a brief summary of Sir James Hector's eariVr in New Zealand. LECTURES ON NEW ZEALAND. This is the season when many lectures arc being given on New Zealand in various parts of the-country.

During the past week Mr. Edward IS wen, a New Zealand school teacher at present employed by the London County Council, was speaking at Rochdale on farming methods. He maintained that in this respect New Zealand was about twenty years ahead of the Mother Country.

At the meeting of the Women's Institute at Belton, Miss Rothenberg, of the Victoria League, spoke of "The Maoris." ' At tho Cnffley meeting of the Women's Institute Miss Stops gave, a talk on the formation of the New Zealand Institute, and the lives of women in the- Dominion.

An interesting lecture, entitled "A Botanist in New Zealand," was given by Professor W. A. Sledge,. Ph.D., of Leeds University, before the Sclby Scientific, Society.

It should also bo mentioned that Mr. Joseph Foil, representing the New Zealand Shipping Company, devotes his whole time to lecturing on New Zealand. Three or four times a week he delivers lantern lectures in various parts of the country with the object; of attracting tourists to the Dominion. The lectures arc arranged by the shipping agents in the localities visited.