NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 14, 16 July 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

State Lottery. | A proposal to urge Hie Government to run a State lottery, which was considered by the national conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday afternoon, met with a mixed reception' Those in favour of the proposal argued that a State lottery would keep money from going abroad, and those opposed to it stated that such a lottery would encourage gambling | and was not an economically sound method of raising revenue. The proposal was rejected. Not Big Eaters. "On the average, cooks don't eat as heartily as people away from the food in other departments of hotels," remarked an assessor at the Conciliation Council yesterday. "They work amongst food all day, and the aroma seems to spoil their appetite." River Erosion Menace. ' The problem of river erosion and the preservation of bush in all watersheds of the Dominion were discussed at today's session of the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, and remits urging the Government to take action were adopted. Several speakers expressed alarm at the ever-increasing damage resulting from river erosion and urged the Government to include in its public works policy a comprehensive scheme of effective river control. Farmers' Inferiority Complex. Do farmers suffer from an inferiority complex? The president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union (Mr. W. W. Mulholland) thinks they do, mainly because of the disadvantages country children suffer from an educational point of view. Farmers had never learned that they were the equal of the man in the city, he said last night. They looked upon the city man as a superior being. Sole teachers at small country schools were asked to 'perform an impossible task. Another point was that country children were debarred from taking part in organised games, which were an important feature of the development of the youth of the country. The conference passed a remit urging the Minister of Education to proceed with the survey of country' education with the consolidated school system as a goal. The Next Health Stamp. This year's Health stamp (one penny postage and one penny health) will be issued on October 1, and will be withdrawn from sale not later than the last day of February, 1938. The format is vertical, the stamp being similar in shape and size to the Anzac stamps. The design depicts a youthful tramper standing on a rocky promontory, and the high lights and shadow give a very pleasing effect. The words "New Zealand" are boldly shown at the top of the stamp, and the value—ld postage, Id health—is superimposed upon the design below the figure. The design was prepared by Messrs. G. Bull and J. Berry, both of Wellington, and the stamps are being produced by the Note Printing Branch, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Melbourne. More Accidents Attended. A slight increase in the number of accidents attended by the Wellington Free Ambulance last month as compared with June of last year is recorded in the service report placed before the board today. The figures for last month, with the figures for the corresponding period of last year in parentheses, are as follows:—Accidents attended, 127 (120); transports, 880 (1246); slight office cases, 9 (4); serious office cases, 4 (3); total, 1020 (1374). The total milage of the cars during the month was 8399, as against 8704 in. June, 1936 Until the end of June the total number of cases handled by the ambulance was 82,283, and the total number of miles travelled 751,572. Dominion's Newspapers Praised. "As far as 1 can see you are fortunate in New Zealand in that you have reputable, clean newspapers," said Sir Percy Meadon, Director of Education in Lancashire, in an address at Christchurch (reports the "Press"). "I notice that they give more space to education than the English newspapers, which shows that they have influenced opinion." The speaker referred to the dangers to independent thought of newspapers which did not take a "balanced view." He had "tested" certain English newspapers by this standard at the time of the armaments inquiry. He had found examples of over-emphasis on the side of State manufacture of arms, and also on the other side. "It might be called the gentle art of suppression, or emphasis— or distortion," he said. Newspapers and Education. "The interest that the newspapers of New Zealand take in education is wholly to be commended," said the Director of Education in Lancashire, Sir Percy Meadon, in an interview at Christchurch (reports the "Press"). The results of the assistance given by the newspapers had readily been noticed by the delegates to the New Education Fellowship Conference, because everyone in the Dominion whom they had met had shown a lively interest in many aspects of education. "Some of the newspapers at Home are also good," Sir Percy added; "but I wish we could say it of all of them." A French Spy! Queer ideas of the physical appearance of individuals of other nations seem to have been held little more than 100 years ago, according to a story related by Dr. I. L. G. Sutherland, Professor of Philosophy at Canterbury University College, in an address on "The Idea of Bace," states the "Press." "During the Napoleonic Wars the French were popularly believed in England to be something other than and less than human," Dr. Sutherland said. "At that time a performing chimpanzee, dressed for its performance, escaped from a travelling menagerie. It was arrested in a district near London and was very nearly hanged by the country people as a French spy." Head to Waikaremoana. A marked improvement has ■ been made to the highway between Te Whaiti Point, 53 miles from Rptorua, and the junction of the road with the lake at Waikaremoana, a distance of about 95 miles, said the touring manager of the Automobile Association (Auckland), Mr. R E. Champtaloup, when speaking of the condition of the road linking Waikaremoana with Rotorua. The major portion of the reconstruction work has been 'completed, and one noticeable feature is the section along the heights of the Huiarua Ridge, which was extremely tortuous, but now offers ' fairly good visibility and easy curves," he said. "Approximately one hour has been cut off the travelling time from Wairoa' to Ruatahuna. A heavy construction programme is still in progress at Mount Tarapounarnu, and, as blasting is also in progress on the face of the hill, delays must be expected at odd times. Taking into account the very wet climate in these bush-clad regions, the actual condition of the travelling surface is quite reasonable, but for the time being the road is not being recommended for tourists unaccustomed to that particular type of country. Additional reconstruction is to be put in hand immediately between Mokau Falls and the Lake House, and, as the length of road has a good deal of wet papa face, it is thought that travelling conditions will be difficult during that work. The narrow and winding section on the Wairoa side of the Lake House to (hu outlet is also to be reconstructed by widening and cutting back corners and generally improving visibility."

AmoUuia ou Slip. The old coal-hulk Amokuni has just completed an overhaul on the Patent. Slip, largo quantities of. marina growth being removed from her cop-per-sheathed bottom. Formerly well known on the New Zealand coast as a training ship, and before that as a warship, the Amokura still retains in her gutted and tarred hull some of the fine lines that distinguished the Navy's vessels in the days of sail. "And in Spain." In speaking to a proposal in support of a State lottery at the conference of the New Zealand Fanners' Union yesterday afternoon, one delegate said that Queensland and the Irish Free State received a great deal of revenue from lotteries. Another delegate interjected, "And in Spain." This unexpected support was adopted by the speaker, but his remark, "Yes, in Spain," was received with a roar of laughter, and another delegate commented that there was certainly a gamble going on in Spain at the present time. First Aid on the Roads. Wellington traffic officers and Automobile Association patrolmen were well versed in first aid, stated Mr. C. Meachen, secretary of the Wellington Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association, today. For the past seven years traffic officers had been well equipped in this respect, and it was anticipated that by the middle of next month all the men recently appointed to the Wellington Traffic Department would have passed their first-aid examination. The Commissioner, of Police was most sympathetic towards the work of the St. John Ambulance Association, and 125 probationers at present in training at Trentham had been examined in first aid during the past week by members of the medical profession. Firstaid kits for emergency use ,on the roads of the Dominion would be supplied to the 52 highway traffic inspectors recently appointed by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple). A Question of Terms. "Slang is not always acceptable in court, but it is frequently very apt and appropriate," observed Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today. "There is a slang term which seems to be particularly appropriate at the moment," continued Mr. Luxford. "What has apparently been happening with these unemployment frauds can only be described in the American term, a 'racket'—a vicious 'racket.'" Later a witness used the phrase "putting him in the pot." Mr. Luxford asked whether that meant "putting his pot on," and he was told that that meaning was correct. Counsel subsequently used the term "pipping on him," and an inquiring look was seen on Mr. Luxford's face, but when a witness later used the. term "scrounger" several times in quick succession, a smile of recognition appeared, and the term was accepted without question. Sale of Huge Bullock. Estimated to weigh about 15001b and standing about level with the top of the cattle stalls, a huge white Shorthorn bullock was sold for £17 at the Westfield stock yards, Auckland, on Wednesday, states the "New Zealand Herald." The beast was six years old, and had an undefeated record in Aucklan provincial show rings. It was an attractively finished animal, raised by Messrs. Pile Brothers, of Opotiki. Several large steers were sold last September for similar prices, which were then reported to be the highest for over three years. Buyers also showed interest in the sale of a Hereford heifer, weighing about 10001b, but as it was too fat for butchers' requirements it realised only £7. Draining: Lake EHesmere. After negotiations extending over a period of years, the EHesmere Lands Drainage Board, in conjunction with the Canterbury Progress League, has been able to complete arrangements with the Government for the provision of a permanent outlet to Lake EHesmere, states the "Press." The scheme provides for the construction of a mole some 14J chains lone, the sea end being in a. depth of 30ft of water. This information was supplied by Mr. F. Coop, speaking'on behalf of and with the authority of Mr. H. J. Macartney, chairman of the EHesmere Lands Drainage Board. "The mole will be built of rock to be taken from the vicinity of Birdling's Flat, and will be conveyed to the site of operations by tramway line. .The height of the mole will be 18ft above the mean sea level, and the batter Will be 13ft by one, with a width of 12ft at the top of the mole," said Mr. Coop. The scheme is estimated to cost approximately £120,000, and it is , considered that between 200 and 300 men will be employed for the three years the work will take to complete. The Body Vilified. Christianity's advent was responsible for the disappearance of Greek physical culture, according to Dr. Cyril Norwood, president of St. John's College, Oxford, who gave an address on the importance of physical training in education, states the "Christchurch StarSun." "Christianity has taught that the flesh was only evil," said Dr. Norwood. "I do not think that contention exists in the Gospel, but it smothered previous conceptions and vilified the body." He added that from the arrival of Christianity dated the distinct separation of the body, the mind, and the spirit, the body being given the position of by far the least importance. That contempt of the body had been potent in shaping the present system of education. No organised games were known in the schools of England until the middle of the nineteenth century. Rapid development had followed until what had been called the tyranny of games reached its height near the end of the century. A great deal of nonsense had been talked about the effect of those games on character, but the mass was still not catered for.