NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Realists" In Politic*.

"If a person says, 'We must stop war —but we must build armaments to defend ourselves against those who believe in war,' then he is called a realist," said Professor J. Shelley, Director of Broadcasting, in an address to the Society of Imperial Culture at Chnstichurch on Saturday evening (reports the "Press".) "It is a political word for opportunism. Of course, our friends at Geneva may give the word some really deep philosophical meaning; but I think they just mean 'facing the facts,' and psrhaps it would be better if they said so." Museum Director's Tour. The director of the Dominion Museum, Dr. W. R. B. Oliver, will leave New Zealand next March for an eight months' tour of the museums of the world. This is made possible through the generosity of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which has made a grant to cover expenses. Similar grants have previously been made to enable the directors of the Auckland and Dunedin Museums to travel abroad and study museum work and museum methods, the policy of the Carnegie Corporation being to encourage and advance cultural interests in this amongst other ways. Dr. Oliver will go to the United Stales first before visiting England and the Continent. A Novel Contract. The informality of the first contract for the construction of a track through the Cannibal gorge and over the Lewis Pass was cited for the amusement of contractors by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) at the official opening of the Lewis Pass Road on Saturday (reports the "Press"). This contract, made by the Reefton County Council many years ago, contained a Clause to this effect;. "If there is anything which is not in the specifications but ought to be, the contractor shall do the job that ought to be specified without any extra cost whatever." Mr. Semple asked how modern contractors would like to face a contract like that. In addition to this the contractor was paid in promissory notes. "Danferoua People." "The sort of people who would come to a meeting like this in an old sports jacket and with no tie on—dangerous people." In these words Professor Shelley, Director of Broadcasting, referred to artists in an address to the Society for Imperial Culture at Christchurch on Saturday evening (reports the "Star-Sun"). The artists were the people who broke through the existing conventions, he said. "While we civil servants are trying to establish and arrange society—and, of course, v/e know!—and trying to make everything cut and dried, here are these terrible people making us look foolish," he added.1 Just as the relations between the individual and society could never be finally expressed, so these problems of the artist's point of view could never be solved. Modern Army Transport. The King Edward Barracks at Christchurch has seen many changes, but the most remarkable are those introduced by modern mechanisation (remarks the "Press"). The transport section of the First Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, moving from the barracks on a recent evening afforded an interesting example. Eight powerful lorries moved^silently out into the dark streets, each complete with its, crew and with 20 men of the troops as passengers. The care and skill with which the drivers handled their heavy machines was an example to motorists who drive with excessive speed and unnecessary risk. Over a long drive each lorry maintained its position, and took part in Various manoeuvres at a safe, steady speed. The transport section has proved a favourite with volunteers with the necessary motoring qualifications. A few vacancies still exist but it is expected that the sec-tion-will be up to full quota within the next few weeks. Pictures on Christmas Day. Following the hearing of representations from the Motion Picture Projectionists' Union last night, the City Council decided to restrict its permission for the showing of pictures on Christmas Day to the evening session only. Mr. R. J. Reardon, speaking for the union, said that the men objected to the principle of being called away from their families on Christmas Day in the interests of companies whose aim was profit-making, but as Christmas Day this year fell on Saturday, the big day in the motion picture business, the union, 'after discussing the matter with the foiir main companies, had agreed with those companies that under the circumstances they would not object to the evening showings only. With very little discussion the council decided that as the main companies had agreed to the union's proposal the screenings should, as requested, be confined to the evening session, between 7.30 or 8 and 11 p.m.

Art Today., "If;I were lecturing 80 years ago, I would be able to tell you exactly what a picture is," said Professor J. Shelley, Director of Broadcasting, to the Society of Imperial Culture in Christchurch on Saturday evening (reports the "Press"). "But in these days I think it could be summed up in the phrase, 'God only knows.'" He had been asked to speak on trends of modern art;;but the direction taken by modern art might be compared with a cycle u^heel, in which the trends would be repivesented by the spokes—in other words,(there was no direction at all. > A Visit to Tongariro. With Ruapehu and its climbing and skiing facilities so much to the fore, little is heard of its companion Tongariro, states "The Post's" Wanganui representative. Recenjtly a party of Otaihape and Tong,ariro Tramping Club members spent an interesting three days on the The "south" crater and the "red" crater were explored, and ; the hot rocks proved of intense iriterest. Glissading in the "south" crater'was exciting, and the party returned to Taihape determined to explore 'vAorangi" beyond Pukeokahu a further ridge of Tongariro next Sunday.) Soccer in California. News of Joe Kftesock, the veteran Association football representative, has been received by Ijffr. Sid Drew, honorary secretary of the old Tramways Football Club of Auckland (reports the "Auckland Star").«Kissock, who played for Bury, in the English League,, before he came to New Zealand, and began his career wlith the Queen of the South Club in Scotland, is now playercoach for the Saqramento Club, near Los Angeles, California. Describing Soccer conditions^ver there, he writes that the code is "flourishing, with the added excitement? that it is played very energetically indfeed, with reserves waiting to take; the place of players who become incapacitated either on account of injjucies or exhaustion. "There's a whole regiment of reserves oh the line," hie writes, "and we certainly get a kick out of the old game. I often wonder-what they would think about the rule »rei unlimited reserves at Home." ' Export of Asparagus. The annual teport of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research makes reference to the experimental consignments of New Zealand asparagus which were shipped to London in cold storage in order to test the practicability, of developing an export trade to'Areat Britain. In conjunction with the main purpose of the experiments, which was to test the keeping-quality of the asparagus under cold-storage conditions during. the requisite perilpd and its after-storage life, the effects of different methods of wrapping andj packing were examined^ Arrangements! were made, through the Department's scientific liaison officer in London, to have the asparagus examined on, arrival by the officers of the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Statitpn, assisted by Mr. L. W. Tiller. The' bulk of the asparagus was also submitted for examination by Covent Garden merchants. The results of experiments were, on the whole,- most encouraging. The asparagus arrived in good condition and was considered to be suitable for the United 'Kingdom market. The only Criticism of importance had reference to the overmature Character of a considerable proportion ctf the heads and. the necessity for stricter attention to. grading for size. A .number of points in connection witir the effect of maturity on the storjage life of asparagus ancf the optimum conditions for transport also await investigation, and it is proposed to give attention to these during the coming year, utilising for this purpose the) t experimental cool store : attached to the Dominion Laboratory 1 , '■,■-. .:,'•: