NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

State Lottery. - "The Labour Party has. never considered the question at all," said Mr. E.Semple, M.P., at his Ly'all Bay meeting last night when asked for his view on the establishment of a State lottery. He added that such a question would be left to. the individual vote. Political Speeches Over the Air. An indication that if the Government intended broadcasting political speeches then the Labour Party would demand the same right was given by Mr. R. Semple, M.P., when speaking at Lyall Bay last evening. In view of the rei ception the Prime Minister received at Wellington, said Mr. Semple, the Government was considering broadcasting political speeches. "If they are going to do that, we are going to demand a fifty-fifty bargain with them," he said; If the Labour Party-were deprived of their right, there would be a "Donnybroolc" in Parliament. ; Health Camp Campaign.\ The organiser of the health camp campaign wrote to the meeting of the Petone Borough Council asking for permission to hold a street collection day on Friday, October 4, as part of the Dominion-wide campaign for rais-^ ing at least £10,000.f0r health camps Already arrangements had been made for the setting up of over 1000 committees in New Zealand for the carrying out of this campaign. The counqil was asked to consider the matter of purchasing health stamps in' support of the scheme. It was decided to grant the request for a street day and to hold over the question of the purchase of health stamps until .the; next meeting. Forestry League's Work. "If public forestry is to succeed and to be established in its proper niche in the public economy of New Zealand it must justify its existence and serve adequately every department of the public need," remarks Captain L. Macintosh Ellis', ex-director of the State Forest Service, in a letter to the New Zealand Forestry League, congratulating it upon its work. "This public service not only consists; of wood crop production but also soil and water conservation, wild, life, and: recreational management. T note in the annual report that the league has devoted very considerable attention to the recreational phase or aspect of forestry and this is certainly to the good, for in so doing it helps to inculcate in'the people a greater ,love and appreciation of the torest as a; living thing':" Improved Railway Service. "During the last few years the, Department has gone through a crisis' it has never gone through before," said Mr. G. H. Mackley, general manager, New Zealand Railways, at the annual meeting of the Wanganui branch of the Railway Officers' Institute. "I sincerely hope it will never have to face a similar period again. I now believe that the railway service is coming into its own, and that the turning of the tide will bring happier days than we have experienced during the past few years. The introduction of rail cars, and the fast, clean, and comfortable services that will follow this step, will, I'm sure, mean the commencement of "a new day so far as the New Zealand Railways are concerned. No announcement previously made by the Department has been met with so much satisfaction by the travelling public, and no decision reached by the administrators has been so well received as that of the announcement that we intend introducing the rail car to New Zealand." Fog- Signal for Timaru. The need for a fog signal for Timaru was emphasised in a letter received by the Timaru Harbour Board from the Timaru office of the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., states the Christchurch "Press." The letter stated that for some years the company had considered that the Timaru harbour would be well served if a fog signal were provided for the guidance of ships. Recently attention was drawn to the position by one of the company's vessels (the Wingatui), which could not make port on account of heavy fog and Jack of signals, and ' consequently lost a ; 'day's loading. The vessel was carrying transhipments to the Vancouver steamer, and failure to connect .would have been a serious matter to shippers. Timaru, being in a bight, was more or less a dead end for navigation, little margin being allowed for errors between the entrance and the beach, and masters of vessels in fog had considerable anxiety in picking up the entrance. On the recommendation of the standing committee it was decided to leave the matter over to be discussed by the harbourmaster (Captain H. C. White) and the engineer, when the latter; offices was appointed,

Preferential Voting:. "We ax-e certainly opposed to the Government interfering with the electoral law on the eve of an election," said Mr. R. Semple, M.P., speaking at Lyall Bay last night. "It would be an expression of cowardice on thenpart to interfere with the electoral law this session." "Opiate" of Treacle. The ingredients of a first-class sensation appeared,to be developing at the Thorndon station yesterday. .When a butter-box was accidentally broken, tins marked with Chinese characters were found, and the dark, sticky substance inside some of them led to the supposition that they contained opium. Customs authorities and the police were notified, and when two men arrived to collect the box detectives asked them to take a walk to < the police station. There it was that the drama crumbled—the tins contained nothing more exciting than treacle, and further investigation, disclosed that other tins contained ' dripping. Tribute to Lovelock. Anl appeal to sportsmen throughout New Zealand to recognise the achievements of J.E. Lovelock, one of the Dominion's most distinguished athletes, has been launched by the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club, Christchurch. In a«letter received at last night's meeting of the Wellington Hockey Association, the Pioneer Sports Club stated that it was endeavouring to raise a sum of money to purchase a piece of plate to be suitably inscribed, and it was intended to arrange for this to be presented in London at a gathering of the All Blacks. "As we wish to close this appeal at the end of August, prompt action on your part will be greatly appreciated," concluded the letter. '. ■' V ; Sanctity o£ Contracts. "I am the last to suggest any unnecessary interference with the sanctity of contracts,, but I am bound to point out that the position as it developed had become .absolutely impossible and that the steps ■■we have taken* though novel, are by no means unique," stated the Prime Minister (the, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) in an address' at Eangiora last-night. "Similar expedients have been resorted to by practically every farming country in the world, and to an extent even greater than in New Zealand. It has been contended that matters could have been straightened out under the normal procedure of foreclosure and bankruptcy, but this course would clearly be disastrous. It would have involved so many and would have led to such' chaos that no Government could have allowed it." "A Dangerous Occupation." Cycling seems to be eligible for classification as "a dangerous occupation," judged on the figures for Christchurch accidents since June 1, involving cyclists' (states the "Christchurch Star-Sun"). Up to Friday last two cyclists died as the result of collisions with motor-cars. Seven were admitted to hospital with head injuries. Injuries to the legs, ankles, the pelvis, and a broken collar-bone were responsible; for the admission of five more to hospital. Four,were, treated as outpatients as a result of collisions with,cars. One was. admitted to hospital with a fractured thigh as a result of colliding with a tram, and one with head injuries as a result of a collision between a car, a van, and a cart. In addition there were several minor accidents involving collisions with pedestrians, or simple falls from cycles. Forty-Hour Week. A feature of the celebration of Labour Day, October 28, by the Wellington Trades and Labour Council this year will be to emphasise the movement for a 40-hpur week. Committees will \je' appointed to organise various activities. The establishment ofl a 40-hour week has long been Labour's objective in New Zealand, and Mr. F. D. Cornwell, secretary to the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, who represented New Zealand Labour at Geneva, the gist of whose speech there was recently published, will," on his return report fully to the council on the Geneva \proceedings. Mr. Cornwell will arrive in Sydney on September 5 on his way back to the Dominion, and while in Australia will investigate the operation of its apprenticeship laws., "They Envied Us.'.' Very warm admiration was expressed by the Australian delegates to the trade conference in / London for the efficient organisation of primary production in New Zealand, according to a statement made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, at Christchurch yesterday (states the "Christchurch Star-Sun"). The New Zealand delegation was fully armed with statistics, ready to answer any question at a moment's notice, and could say definitely; whether any proposition advanced was or was not acceptable .to the New Zealand producers and exporters.. The Australian delegation, on the other hand, had frequently to cable for information, and its members were, obviously sincere in their praise of the efficiency of the New Zealand organisation. "They envied us," said Mr. Forbes, "and our organisation w?s also the subject of favourable comment by English Ministers." Captivity ■Unwelcome. Californian quail. do not apparently breed well, in captivity, but increase rapidly in suitable surroundings if unmolested. Attempts have been made at the Wellington Acclimatisation Society's game farm at Paraparaumu, to breed these fine little sporting birds, but they were not a success. On the, other hand a covey of, quail which was not molested in this sanctuary formed the habit of coming to the back door of the curator's house for what they could pick up. This covey has increased considerably. Quail, like many native birds, soon know whether people are friendly or otherwise. During the early summer last year a pair took up their quarters in rough cover near an Upper.Hutt garden, and when a well-known pink flowered rambling weed was seeding, lived more in the garden than elsewhere, sunning themselves with full crops on the rubbish heap only a fevv yards.away from the industrious gardener, and not showing the slightest signs of alarm. Robberies in Schools. The sequel to a series of robberies that had been carried out during the previous two or three weeks in several of the Dunedin city and suburban schools was heard in the Children s Court'on Saturday morning, when two youths, 17 years of age, were charged with having broken and entered the Normal, St. Clair, Anderson's Bay, Musselburgh, and Macandrew Road Schools and stolen £9 Os 4d in money and fis worth of goods (states the "Otago Daily Times"). Chief Detective Young stated that the offenders, both of whom had previously been before the Court, had spent the money on taxi drives and horse rides. Both lads were placed under the supervision of the Child Welfare Officer for two years. Another boy, aged 15 years, appeared before the Court charged with having broken and entered the Arthur Street School and stolen a cashbox and 9d in money, and with stealing a bicycle and chain. As he was already under the care of the Child Welfare Officer, his case was adjourned sine die.