NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Diseases of Stock.

The losses as the,result of stock diseases in this country amounted to at least £5,000,000 a year, said Mr. W. W. Mulholland, Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, at Wallaceville yesterday. There were costs in farming that were preventable and this was one of them. At least part of this huge sum could be saved and the responsibility was not so much on the Department of Agriculture as on the farmers. The problem could only be met by all pulling their weight.

Over £20.000 a Ye-rr.

The visiting economist, Mr. Colin Clark, had estimated that the New Zealand farmers had an average income of £1000 a year, said Mr. W. W. Mulholland. Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, at Wallaceville yesterday. Mr. Mulholland stated that the wheat growers in the South Island did not make £1000 a year, so it must be the farmers of the North Island who were doing so well. The Minister of Finance (the Hon. W Nash) interjected that he knew one' sheep farmer who was making over £20,000 a year.

Tent Catches Fire.

A hurried escape in their night attire when their tent caught fire was made by Mr. and Mrs. J. Anderson, of Auckland, at Manaia on Wednesday night, states an exchange. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, who were on a camping tour, were camping at the Manaia motor camp,- and it is thought that the fire started by the falling of a lighted candle. The tent was destroyed, but practically all the contents were rescued. Mr. Anderson received bad burns to his arms and side of the head and was attended to by Dr. Rosa Collier.

"Whanganui's Name."

Referring to the controversy which has been renewed regarding the spelling of "Whanganui," Mr. L. J. B. Chappie, in the course of his address to the Wanganui Tourist and Development League, said that it might be a matter that could very well be taken up at the Centenary celebration, says an exchange. The name had been changed originally from "Petre," and since then had been misspelt. It would be a good idea to see to it that on the celebration of the city's centenary the name should be correctly spelt with the letter "h" in accord with the true Maori meaning.

Remarkable Escape.

Stories are still being told of remarkable escapes during the phenomenal rain last Friday night and early on Saturday morning, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." A roadman on Wharerata Hill was lying awake listening to the storm in the early hours of Saturday morning, when suddenly he heard an unusual noise. Realising its significance, he leaped from his bed, and, grabbing a bundle of clothes, rushed out of the door into the pelting rain only a moment before his hut was lifted by a big' slip and turned completely over. The roadman spent the hours until daylight in the scrub on the hillside. Farmers Not Growlers. He had found that farmers did not grumble more than other people, said the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) when speaking at the farmers field day at the Wallaceville Laboratory yesterday. Stressing the need of the Government to be in touch with those who had grievances, Mr. Nash said he thought the Government had done a lot, comparatively speaking, for railwaymen and other workers, but plenty of complaints were still being put forward. On onr occasion the Prime Minister and he had been discussing matters with railwaymen, who expressed appreciation of all that had been done for them and then said, «B U t " and took two and a half hours .0 explain what was still wrong. Another time .he was speaking with forty or fifty farmers who started off by saying they were grateful for all that had been done for them, "But " and here followed two hours of complaints. Oratorical Devestiture. The official party accompanying the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) on an inspection of the damaged camp area at Kopuawhara on Tuesday wore overalls, as it was raining, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." A member of Parliament was addressing a gathering at No. 3 camp. He had loosened the straps on his overalls, and was still wearing his overcoat when he was speaking. Gradually the overalls began to slip. The audience noticed this, and began to smile. As the overcoat hid other garments, it was thought that the speaker was losing the only trousers he had. The mirth increased as the overalls drooped lower, and the politician was at a loss to know why he was being laughed at. There was a veritable shriek as at last the garment fell to the floor.. The laughter was continued when the -Minister said he had heard of a man talking himself out of a job. but never before had he heard of one talking himself out of his trousers. Eastbourne Horticulture. A proposal to form a horticultural society in Eastbourne is outlined in a circular sent out to residents by Miss M. Wood, of Mnhoe S'.reet. who advises that a meeting to consider the matter will be held on March 1. Mrs. Knox Gilmer, president of the Wellington Horticultural Society, will preside. The circular states that possibly annual, half-yearly, or quarterly flower shows r-ould be held. Some gardeners at Eastbourne raised blooms that were the equal of anything seen at shows, but for lack of desire or because of the difficulty of trans"/ orting blooms to the Wellington or the Hutt shows these flowers were never exhibited. Conditions in Eastbourne were such that blooms were often past their best when the Wellington or Hutt shows were being held. A vegetable section was not the least of the attractions of horticultural shows and there were many vegetable gardens in Eastbourne. Also, those interested in floral decorative work would welcome opportunities to practise the art. "Apart, however, from the competitive element, garden lovers have much in common and a society which could be the medium whereby these gardeners could meet and talk and have lectures and discussions on problems peculiar to our own district would All a distinct need in Eastbourne," the circular concludes.

Public Works Spending.

"The Public Works policy of heavy spending continues," says the annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. "Following an expendi■ture programme of £10,450,000 I'or 1936-37, the Government proposes to spend £17,367,000 during 1937-38. This has the effect of reducing unemployment, nevertheless unemployment figures are still too high, and chambers of commerce maintain thai industry, rather than public works, should be given an opportunity to absorb the unemployed, leaving public works to take the load in depression years when industry is forced to lighten." "Erewhon" as a Test. Wellington residents who entertained midshipmen from tho French training cruiser Jeanne d'Arc found that their guests had a fair command of English and that it was largely unnecessary to. introduce into the conversation such phrases of schoolboy French as seemed relevant and understandable. One of the midshipmen explained to his host that the translation of extracts from well-known English works formed part of the entrance examination for the naval college, and he mentioned that Samuel Butler's "Erewhon" was included in the list. He expressed regret that the itinerary of the Jeanne d'Arc did not take in South Island ports, since "Erewhon" had stimulated his interest in New Zealand and the South Island in particular.

Highway Round the Hills.

A lifetime of human energies and thousands of pounds have gone to the making of the paved stretch of motor highway from the Sign of the Kiwi to Evans Pass, which will be opened by the Hon. R. Semple, Minister for Transport, this afternoon (states the "Press"). Thirty years ago Mr. H. G. Ell, whose name is a part of the history of the city's hills, strode across the peaks with a surveyor, pegging out an easily-graded track where it was his ambition to see a coach and four sweep by. He died while still endeavouring to realise his ideal—a Port Hills-Akaroa Summit road—and now a nine-mile section of the road is at last to be opened. Motor-cars will pass this afternoon over a modern highway commanding an allembracing view of the city, the plains, and the harbour, which has hitherto, been denied to everyone but trampers. Mr. Ell's ambition is by no means fully realised. He planned a winding road iround the hill-tops, from the Godley Head to Akaroa, and the nine-mile stretch, although possibly the most important, is only a small section of the whole highway. Soon more miles | will be added with the tar-sealing of the Kiwi-Gebbie's Pass section, but at GebNie's Pass the road erids abruptly, and it may be years before it is resumed.