NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Cruise Ships. / As convener of the transport committee,- Mr. A. R. Hislop reported to last night's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce that, as a result of representations made by the president, vice-president, and himself in the matter of obtaining more generous treatment for the Port of Wellington by shipping companies operating cruiseWps, satisfactory progress had been made. A further report would be presented to a later meeting. "We are making distinct progress," Mr. Hislop added, "and we hope as we go along ;to have something more definite to give you." " • . Appreciation of Refereeing. It is usually the lot of a referee in any branch of sport to come in for considerable criticism at some time' or other, and a letter from the Johnsonville Club to the management committee of the Wellington Rugby* Union last night, containing appreciative ,remarks about the standard of refereeing in the two senior games played by the club, was rather a -Surprise. "The committee," the letter, states, "at first felt somewhat diffident about placing this appreciation on record since* it has not desired that our reasons should be misconstrued. However, since criticism is far more often the lot of referees, it was agreed that the expositions which we have so far seen merit at least the expression of our satisfaction." The letter was forwarded by the union to the Referees' Association.

Government' Offices. The necessity of providing commodious premises for Government Departments with which the general public has business was stressed by the Minister of Pensions (the Hon. W. E. Parry) in replying to a deputation yesterday. "There is no' doubt," said Mr. Parry, "there has been overcrowding in the past in many of the Government offices where large numbers of the public had business daily. I' found this overcrowding to be notable in more offices of the Pensions Department than I care now to remember. Gradually we are giving the pensions registrars much-needed new offices and when new offices cannot be obtained extra space is being provided for the staff and the public." It was the Government's policy to house the Departments properly, added the Minister. New Rail-cars. ' "Excellent progress is being made at 'the Hutt Valley railway workshops both in the manufacture of new standard rail-cars for general use and in the preparation of multiple units for the Wellington-Johnsonville line," said the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) last evening. "In a recent visit to the workshops," added the Minister, "I was greatly impressed by the strength and beauty of the design and workmanship displayed in the six hew standard rail-cars.- These are a revelation of what our own railwaymen can do in manufacturing vehicles which, include all the features most desired by passengers travelling by rail, and I am sure that when the new rail-cars are put into service they will be very popular on the lines where they operate."

Heating: Schools. In future schools will be provided with mcdern heating appliances where required without school * committees having to find one-third of the cost. At a meeting of the Wellington Education Board this morning a memorandum was received from the Education Department stating that twothirds of the cost of up-to-date heating appliances would be found by the Department' in approved cases, the other third to be found by the board from the grant for the maintenance 'of school buildings. The chairman of the board (Mr. W. V. Dyer) commented that the new arrangement would relieve committees of the necessity of finding one-third of the cost. He had always considered that should be done.

Aerodrome for Wairoa. An argument in favour of the establishment of an aerodrome in Wairoa was advanced at the Wairoa Hospital Board's meeting, when the secretary stated that the board had been extremely fortunate throughout the Reriod of the flood crisis in that no serious cases had had to be sent out of the district for treatment. Had there been urgent need for specialist' services, or treatment not available at the Wairoa Hospital, the situation would have been distressing, as the town was Completely cut off from Napier and the south. In such an emergency, the possession of an aerodrome by the town perhaps would mean a matter of life and death to a patient. The board members decided to accord strong support to the proposal to establish an aerodrome in Wairoa. It is stated that six months must elapse* before the Esk River bridge destroyed in the floods can be replaced by a permanent concrete structure, but it is hoped to finish a temporary bridge in a day or two. Traffic requirements of the Napier-Wairoa route are becoming increasingly urgent with the progress of rehabilitation work.