NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Issue 17, 20 July 1936, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

An Opinion of the 40-Hour Week.

"I notice by your1 newspapers that you have a 40-hour week here," said Mr. Edgar Josephson, an' American manufacturer, at Christchurch (reports "The Press"). "The people seem to complain of rising prices, but it is only natural that they should rise. If a 40-hour week was any good, why not a 30-hour, a 20-hour, a no-hour week. It will not accomplish what is sought, any more in New Zealand than in the United States. Roosevelt promised such things in America There was a 40-hour week under the National Recovery Administration, but the Court threw it out. I hope Roosevelt will be licked in the election but I am afraid he will not. It is useless for a Government to promise people things for nothing. A Government has no ( more money than the people give Virtues of a Witness. • Counsel's description of a witness who said he neither smoked, drank, nor gambled, as "possessing all the virtues," was questioned by Mr. Justice Callan in the Auckland Supreme Court (states the "New Zealand Herald"). "He does not put those forward as a proof of all the virtues," his Honour said, "but merely as factors helping to keep expenses down." "Not Travelling That Road." "What about that printing press you were going to use for money?" said Mr. W. C. Kennedy to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W E Parry, when the Minister was replying to a request for financial assistance to sports bodies, (states a Te Aroha correspondent). "I want to.tell you" said the Minister, "that even the printing press must have the brakes put on it, too. It can only be used in ratio to the quantity of goods we can produce. The money available in any country, whether printing-press money or any other kind of money, is limited by the annual production wealth of the country.. We have to keep the exchange in terms of money in ratio to the goods we produce. I want to disabuse the minds of those people who think that all we have to do to set money is to use the printing press; This-Government is not travelling along that road." Response to Unionism. The effects of compulsory unionism upon the membership of unions is illustrated by the statement of Mr G Davis, secretary of the Auckland Drivers Union, that since October last the membership had grown from 105 to between 1600 and 1700 drivers states the "New Zealand Herald" The urge for membership had waned in the last day or two, he said, and the staff was glad of the respite from the busy period since the beginning of the month. ■.:"■-. Pensioners as Tenants. "If I had known the tenants were old-age pensioners I would have made some inquiries before I rented them the flat to ascertain whether they could pay. the rent," said a landlord in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland reports the "New Zealand Herald."' "You are severe on old-age' pensioners, are you not?" asked'the Magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson. "Do you mean to say you would not let a room to such a person?" The landlord replied that he would want to be sure that he would receive his money. Waltakere National Park. A proposal to celebrate the Coronation of his Majesty King Edward VIII by constituting the Waitakere Ranges as a national park was put forward by the chairman of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand ■Institute of Horticulture, Mr. G. J. Joseph, in a letter received by the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at its meeting on Thursday states the'"New Zealand Herald." After the letter had been read, the president of the council, Mr. A. A. Ross, stated that the executive committee would be meeting local members of Parliament in order to consider the whole proposition, and it was hoped that the meeting would have some important results. "In order that the Waitakeres may be preserved as a permanent heritage of out" people, it is proposed that we celebrate the Coronation of King Edward VIII by constituting the ranges as the Waitakere Coronation Park," stated the letter., "The proposed park would extend from Titirangi to Kumeu, including roughly the whole of, the Waitakeres. Of this 15,128 acres are already owned by the City Council as water supply reserves, and 5250 acres are reserved as public parks, while the Harbour Board owns 1000 acres, which it would be prepared to-donate. ■ The Government is also prepared to support the scheme generously, and has already acquired three blocks that would otherwise have been sold to the miller. It is estimated that the cost of acquiring the remaining land necessary for the scheme would be about £40,000." Kidnappers Sanctuary. The 1935-36 visiting season at the Cape Kidnappers bird sanctuary is now closed and the 1936-37 season will open about the end of October (states a correspondent). About 75 per cent, of the usual number of birds are back at the cape and have begun nestbuilding operations. This year the birds are fully a month earlier in returning than last year. At this stage of the nesting period the birds are very timid, and it is important that they should not be disturbed by visitors. ' ■• ■ Bank Clerks' Union. Christchurch bank officers have decided to form an industrial union and to apply for its registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr. G. G. Littlejohn presided over a meeting held on Thursday when the attendance was about 350. The decision to form a union was reached after the case for doing so had been explained by the Hon. G R Hunter, M.L.C., and after alternative proposals submitted by a representative of the Bank Officers' Guild had been rejected. At' the beginning of the meeting, states a Christchurch paper there was some opposition to the pro^ posal to form a union, and a representative of the guild submitted alternative proposals. After Mr. Hunter had answered a large number of questions about the working of a union in practice much of the opposition was withdrawn. He mentioned that it was the wish of the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) that the bank officers should form a union. The resolution to form a union was reported as carried by a very large majority.

Tho Weaker Sex.

"When a vicar meets the men of his parish through the Church of. England Men's Society, they realise that he is] a man and not, as some think, a 'hulfpie' woman. When they see him in the pulpit they are sometimes not sure what he is," said Canon C. W. Turner, of Te Aroha, at the Waikato Diocesan Synod. The remark, however, | was capped by the story told by the Vicar-General, Archdeacon G. H. Gavin, who recalled a general knowledge test attempted by Maori girls, when one candidate replied to a question as to what was the weaker sex by answering, "The clergy." Acorns for Sydney. The Royal oak tree growing in the Botanic Gardens at Christchui-ch has received some prominence in Sydney recently (states the "Press"). The Australian Forestry League has been collecting seeds of trees of historical interest to plant in an arboretum and round the grounds of the Gladesville Domestic Science School at Huntley's Point, and acorns from the Royal oak tree were among them. This tree, known as the Albert Edward oak, was planted in July, 1863, to commemorate the marriage of H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and was the first tree planted in the gardens. It has an approximate height of 75 feet and a branch spread of 96 feet. Among the other seeds to be planted with the acorns it is hoped to have some from trees propagated from the original Lone Pine at Gallipoli. Tunnel Road Project. No success has yet attended the efforts of the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce to complete arrangements for the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) to inspect the route over which it is proposed the Lyttelton-Christchurch tunnel road should be constructed (reports "The Press"). The Minister arrived in Christchurch on Friday from the West Coast, anil it was hoped that he would be able to carry out' the" inspection. Advice was received, however, that his time was too limited to allow the. inspection to be made. The secretary of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr.J. Roy. Smith) explained that the Minister, had suggested that he should be given an opportunity to inspect the country over which the road may go. Mr. Semple had anticipated that he would be able to do this during his visit to Christchurch. Working: VPeek for Cabinet. "We have worked 17 hours a day, and on seven days of the week, preparing the 40-hour week for people" remarked the Hon. R. Semple, speaking at Tuahiwi,. Christchurch, on Friday (reports the "Press"). "There's no employer on God's earth I would work more than eight hours a day for We could not do it for personal gain. That means that there must be, in this great conflict between right and wrong, some kind of force working in the souls of men which makes them stand up to the stupendous tasks set them." ..'■■, Sea Cook's Hobby. Most men who follow the sea culti- £ at?,r a,, hobby of some kind and Mr. W. K. WUnams, who is cook on the coastal motor-ship Breeze, has long since become proficient in the art of making model galleons (reports the Wanganui Chronicle"). His latest is an excellent piece of workmanship measuring 19in long and 22in from top of. the main mast to the keel. The model is a bpamsh galleon in miniature with the old style high poop and low forecastle. It is complete with fightingtops and side-lanterns, and has three masts. The galleon mounts 22 guns arranged on the port and starboard siqes, and two cannons astern It is carved from soft red pine and the sails are finished in gold. The completed model is striking to look at and lacks nothing in detail. Mr.' Williams has mav?£-f Tv? 1 similar m°dels, and has exhibited his work in South Island