NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Life of School Committees.

Opposition to the biennial election of school committees is expressed by the Wellington School Committees and Educational Association in its annual' report. "Although a saving may have been gained by the Education Department," states the report, "much more has been lost in local'interest by members of committees and parents." Cost of Living Rising. This week's contributors to the increasing cost pf living in New Zealand include advances in wholesale prices of a proprietary line of baking powder by 6d' per dozen; kerosene up 8d a case; canned toheroa soup up Is 6d per dozen for the large pack. Building a chicken house will be more costly than it was a month, ago, a rise/of 8 per cent, have been made on netting, and staples to fasten the wire and netting have been advanced by £2 per ton. The rises on individual articles may be small, but the cumulative effect on a number of articles —some indispensable—will be found to be great. Single Casualty in Chinese War: The Chinese preferred to settle all their disputes through negotiation, said Dr. T. Z. Koo at a lecture in Auckland,' reports the "New Zealand Herald." While he was a railway official in China, his station was surrounded by trenches for six months, dilring which the sound of firing never ceased. However, there was only one casualty. "The Chinese soldiers," said Dr. Koo, "would place" their rifles-to their cheeks and then joke with the man next to them while they fired. They were quite content to know that all the time discussions were going on between the officers of the ' opposing forces;" . Fishing Inquiry. The Fisheries Investigation Committee, which was set up by" the Government to investigate' the fishing industry, has been about nine weeks in the South Island, and during that time has heard the evidence of 120 witnesses, representing every phase of the sea fishery industry: The chairman of the Committee (Mr. J. Thorn) stated last night that the .Committee l-had visited Bluff, Stewart Island, Invercargill, Dunedin, Oamaru, and Timaru, and had commenced its sittings, in Christchurch. The taking of the remaining evidence in Christchurch" would be completed when the Committee returned there in a few days' time, Other places in the 'South Island the Committee had yet to-visit were Greymouth, Westport, Nelson, French Pass, Picton, and Kaikoura. The indications were that the Committee would be in the South .Island until early in June. Asked whether details of the North Island itinerary had yet been arranged, Mr. Thorn said the present intention was to visit Napier first, and from there proceed to Gisborne, Whakatane, Thames, and Auckland. The Wellington sittings would be the last.. ' The complete investigation was expected to take from four to five months.- ■ ,