NEWS OF THE-DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 10, 11 July 1936, Page 8

NEWS OF THE-DAY

I Tram Hits Parked Car. An illustration of the care necessary when parking cars to see that they are. as close as possible to the kerb was afforded early this morning in Cuba Street, when a tram hit the side of a car which was parked too far out from the 'kerb and ripped away the running board and mudguards. The Centennial. l The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, has convened a conference of representatives of all local and public bodies, to be held in the Concert Chamber at 2.30 p.m. on August 3, to discuss'the New Zealand centennial and the arrangements to be made for its celebration in the Wellington province. This conference will be followed by a further discussion between provincial representatives to consider the celebrations for the Dominion as a whole.' Nearby Farmers. A meeting of the Wellington Nearby Farmers' Association was held in private yesterday afternoon. It was stated today by Mr. J. Purchase that the meeting decided to ask the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Labour to receive a deputation from the association'in relation to the position of nearby farmers, as a result largely of the new legislation. Entries for Competitions. A record number of entries has been received by the Wellington Competitions Society for its festival next month. The entries closed last week; and the checking shows that there are a total of 3900, compared with 3700 last year, when a record was established. The instrumental entries total 198, vocal entries 930, of which nearly 700 are seniors, the choral classes 17, of which seven are church choirs,- the original song composition 32, elocution 1160, fancy dancing 1100, national dancing 350, and the grand opera contest 20. The secretary stated that there had been a considerable increase in senior competitions, and a slight falling-off in the junior sections. The decreased entries in the junior classes, he said, might be due to the recent controversy on the advisability of children entering competitions. In the vocal section 75 per cent, of the entries were for senior classes. The secretary added that while the majority of the entries came from the city and suburbs and the Hutt Valley, there was good representation from all parts of the Dominion. As a result of the increased entries, it might be necessary for the society to appoint extra adjudicators. New Factor in Transport. "The rail-car is undoubtedly an important new factor in the transport problem of the Dominion," declared the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) on his return last night from an inspection of North Island railways in the rail-car Maahanui, in which he and his party covered in a fortnight about 2500 miles. "The railcar has remarkable flexibility, is very speedy, and its comfort is indicated by the fact that it was possible to carry a considerable volume of departmental business as the car sped along. It is very clean, provides a clear outlook, and promises economical operation, so that rail-cars can be provided in large numbers wherever the conditions are suitable for the running of such units. The rail-car's utility was greatly impressed upon me by the quantity of inspection work which it was possible to do in the brief period of a fortnight since the tour started. The work also had to be interrupted in order to enable me to keep a South Island engagement, but every important part of the railways in the North Island, as well as some uncompleted lines, was visited. The rail-car really served the purpose of a tramcar, a service bus, and a private motor-car, and excelled all of them in certain feaLtures,"

Maoris and Hygiene.

The need for the instruction ' of members of the Maori race in medicine, nursing, and home science is recognised by the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union, which at its conference yesterday afternoon approved of a remit from South Auckland, that in order to encourage Maoris to study medicine and nursing, the Government be asked to inaugurate some form of scholarship for Maori students, anil another from Otago supporting the scheme sponsored by Dr. Cook, medical officer of health, Whangarei, and Miss M. I. Lambie, head of the nursing service and director of division nursing, in which selected Maori girls should be given a home science training in order that they may be employed by the Health Department as assistants to district nurses to conduct practical courses for Maori women in the fundamentals of hygienic living and home crafts. Decadence of Maoris. "The Urewera is the home of one of the hardiest races known to anthropologists, but all who have the interests of the Native race at heart will deplore the decadence of the Urewera Maoris," said Mr. R. G. Dick, in an address on a surveyor's impressions of the Urewera country, at a meeting of the anthropology and Maori race section of the Auckland Institute and Museum (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). The last of those who remembered Te Kooti had passed away during the last few years, said the speaker, and the younger generation, for reasons of employment or romance, was moving elsewhere. Thus all that was admirable in Maori art and culture was gradually being lost. The great need for forest conservation in the district was stressed by Mr. Dick, who said that on account of the heavy rains and the numerous watercourses abnormal floods had serious effects on the Rangitaiki Plains. Practically the whole area was under dense forest, but, except in one district, large patches of timber suitable for milling were not common. "Where deer are plentiful the bush is almost parklike," he said. The undergrowth has been j eaten away and creekbeds showed signs of scouring. This was natural, as much of the country was at an angle of from 25 to 45 degrees The destruction of the deer would be in the interest of forest conservation. "The Veteran." , Although over thirty-six years have passed since young New Zealanders went to South Africa to take their share in the Boer War the latest issue of "The Veteran," the official organ of the South African War Veterans' Association of New Zealand, indicates that the men who ,served in that war I are still youthful in spirit. "The I Veteran" is a bulky booklet of sixtyfour pages containing brief records of the activities of former South Africans from the far north to Invercargill. While the membership of the various branch associations is small compared with the branches of the Returned Soldiers' Association, it is apparent that the ex-contingenters take a keen interest in one another and are' working together more than ever for the good of the less fortunate of their comrades. New Wanganui Post Office. Evidence that Wanganui c*i2ens may look forward to seeing a new post office erected in the near future is provided in a recent request from Wellington, states the Wanganui "Chronicle." The Chief Postmaster, Mr. W. G. Cooper, has received instructions to prepare estimates of the space likely to be required for the various departments in the new building, which is on the urgent list. In addition to the public counters and other necessary premises, provision, has to be made for the mailroom, thel telegraph operating room, the privatebox lobby, and the money order and Post Office Savings Bank. Supporters of Slimming. "Apparently you all want, to try slimmis^," was the jocular remark passed by an official of the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union at its annual conference yesterday afternoon, when a decisive vote was given against a remit from the Wanganui provincial executive "That we view with alarm the increasing use of weight-reducing preparations and urge the Government to have these preparations analysed, and that the sale" be prohibited when such preparations are found to be injurious to health." Supporting the remit, a delegate said she had heard of an instance in her district not long ago of a woman dying through taking a weight-reducing preparation. That preparation, the speaker believed, contained worms. (Laughter.) Mrs C Mclntosh (West Eyreton) pointed out that the Government's reply would be that the preparations conformed to the Pure Foods and Drugs Act, and Mrs. N. Adams (Clevedpn) said that the harm was caused not by their use but by their abuse.