NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 103, 28 October 1939, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Brisk Building in Hutt County. During September 37 building permits to the value of over £16,000 were issued in the Hutt County, Members of the County Council at yesterday's meeting, commented on these figures as being remarkably good, especially considering the present inport restrictions. The building returns for the month show an increase of £3406 over the corresponding month of last year. Large Whales Sighted. A party of fishermen from Kaitaia, fishing off the Whangaroa Heads, reported that they had seen two large whales a short distance from their boat, states a correspondent. The men stated they saw at least 30ft of the whales out of the water, their backs. being as high above the surface as the launch from which they were fishing. Leave For Employees. The New Zealand Counties' Association has agreed upon a scheme for regular employees on military service. Amongst the provisions agreed upon is one that stipulates that hormal annual leave shall continue to accrue. When the matter was under discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Hutt County Council, one member remarked that he had been informed by a high military authority that we were in for a long war. It was agreed that such a possible contingency should not prevent the local bodies concerned acting in uniformity over the matter, and the Counties' Association's recommendations were adopted. Trial Rail Trip. Yesterday, for the first time, a "X" class engine passed over that section of permanent way between Palmerston North and Woodville, states "The Post's" Palmerston North representative. The trip was purely an inspectional one and on board the train was a party of engineers who made an inspection of the line. For some years now strengthening work has been carried on over this section of the route, preparatory to the'"X" engines being used permanently for the run up to Hawke's Bay, and yesterday's initial trip by one of the big locomotives would suggest that they will soon be running.over the line regularly. A Glimpse of the Past. Wellington as it was in the year 1867 was the subject of an enlarged photograph which Councillor P. W. Vickerman presented to the Hutt County Council at its meeting yesterday. The photograph shows the corner of what is now Bowen Street, and where the council offices are now situated. Only one member of the County Council could claim to have been alive at the time when the photograph was taken. This was Councillor F. Bradey, the member for the Horokiwi Riding, who was born in Pahautanui in 1867, and whose grandfather owned the section where the County Council offices now stand. "I don't remember the photograph being taken, but I was two years old at the time and probably thinking of going to work." remarked Councillor Bradey, amidst laughter. Councillor Vickerman was thanked for his gift, which is to be suitably titled and framed. Philatelic Curiosity. • Thousands of first-fiight covers have been received by the philatelic section of Pan-American Airways in San Francisco for dispatch by the California Clipper on her first air-mail flight oa the next trip to New Zealand, according to advice received in Auckland, states the "New Zealand Herald." The date of the flight has not been announced, but it is expected that the machine will carry maD on both the outward and return journeys. Up to September 30 the office had receives 6500 letters for dispatch by the Clipper, to be posted at various points en route and taker back by her on the journey from New Zealand to America It is expected that about 10,000 of these letters will be received by the time the flight starts. These figures are exclusive of a large number of letters which have been received by the postmaster at San Francisco for direct dispatch by the Clipper on the outward journey Many philatelists are seizing the oppor. tunity to acquire a curiosity in covers —one which, according to the postmarks, will be posted one day and received at its destination the day previously. Letters addressed to Canton Island and posted at Noumea will be postmarked at Noumea on the day of departure and on arrival at Canton the date will be stamped oh the back. During the flight, however, the covers will pass over the international date line, thereby gaining a day, so that they will be "mailed tomorrow and received today.*

Today's Map. Laconic appreciation of the fluid state of modern history has been expressed by a Wellington business man by the addition of one word to a map of Europe hanging in his office. Over the map title "Map of Europe," he has printed "Today's." Appreciative Soldiers. Appreciation of the privilege of free admission to the Trentham racecourse extended to soldiers in uniform last Saturday is expressed in a letter received from a correspondent under the nom-de-plume, "A Soldier of 19th i Wellington Battalion." He writes as follows: —"May I be permitted through the columns of your paper to express j appreciation of this generous action of th 3 Wellington Racing Club? It was | an outing for both officers and men which many must have missed had it I not been a free show." I Carrying Materials on Bicycles. The ~" first case of a breach of the Invercargill City bylaw which makes it an offence for cyclists to carry materials on their bicycles so as to interfere with the safe handling of the bicycle was brought before the Magistrates Court at Invercargill on Wednesday. Mr. E. Stopford, chief traffic inspector, informed the Court that the bylaw was introduced to prevent the carrying of materials on the handles of bicycles. He knew of cases where lengths of piping, timber, and ladders were carried. Such a practice constituted a danger to traffic. "The publicity given to this case will probably check potential offenders," said the Magistrate (Mr. R. C. Abernethy). "Otherwise I will have to check them." Value of Rat Week. A report on. rat week in June was presented to the Auckland City Council on Thursday by the Town Clerk, Mr. J. Melling, and it was suggested that rat week should be made an annual effort, states the "New Zealand Herald." It was stated that the holding of the campaign was justified by the co-operation of all sections of the community. The amount of poison distributed throughout the combined areas of the city and suburban local bodies was equivalent to over 430,000 poison baits and, v/hile no definite information was available of the number of rodents caught, advices received were sufficient to indicate that the campaign was well worth while. In addition the Wide publicity undertaken must be regarded as having the cumulative effect of directing the attention of householders and citizens generally to the necessity for taking constant measures for the destruction of rats and to prevent their harbourage. Memorial for Eastbourne. An application from the Eastbourne ! Borough Council for approval of a Centennial Memorial in the form of a hall, to cost £6000, was before the j Wellington Provincial Centennial Celebrations Council yesterday afternoon. It was stated that the Eastbourne Borough Council had not contributed towards the funds of the Wellington provincial memorial at Petone, and this led to some criticism in view of the council's action in applying for a memorial for Eastbourne. The question was raised as to whether a principle was to be observed in relation to precedence of national, provincial, and local memorials, and also to the extent of the provincial council's powers in respect to an application for a local memorial by a body which had not supported a provincial project. It was decided to defer further consideration of the Eastbourne application and in the meantime to refer the application to the appropriate zone committee. Dethroning Kitlerism. "It is futile to talk of.-a.new bLeague of Nations with greater powers or of a return to wealth and security unless we are prepared to make our contribution to the removal of injustice and insecurity from national and international life," said Mr. L. W. Holt, president of the Auckland branch of the League of Nations Union, at a luncheon of the branch on Thursday, states the "New Zealand Herald." Mr. Holt mentioned that there were four principles of peace—democracy, an international order, restitution, and generosity. They were in the main admirable, said the speaker, but whether the people were prepared to implement them was another question. He-was in accord with the view that there must be disarmament with no expectation that Germany would remain uui armed while other nations were armed. There must be a new League of Nation.-; with the hesitations and half-commit-ments of the old, removed and there must be an end of the more senseless forms of economic nationalism. First, however, the menace of Hitlerism must be removed. "There are those who believe that this can be done only by carrying destruction into the homes and workshops of the German people,' Mr. Holt, continued. "Fortunately, this view is apparently not dominant in the minds of the authorities at the moment. There is, I think, no surer way of dethroning Hitlerism than the presentation to the German people of concrete evidence that the Empire stands for a new world order in which they will share with us, and with others at present oppressed, the best that this world has to offer."