NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 113, 14 May 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Coming Session. A Gazette Extraordinary issued last night summons members of the General Assembly to "appear- for the dispatch of business" at Parliament Buildings at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, June 13. Lower Hutt Hospital. Approval of the intention of the Wellington Hospital Board to apply for authority to borrow approximately £254,250 for the erection of a 120-bed hospital at Lower Hutt was given by last night's meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews). "The effect on our levy next year will be to reinstate it to what it was last year," he said. Planting Along Highways. The Minister of Public Works and Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, has written to the Wellington Beautifying Society thanking them for their offer of 16,000 young trees for planting along the new coastal highway and the Hutt Road and has stated that he will be very pleased to attend any planting ceremony the society might arrange. Last night members discussed further the allocation of the' balance of several thousand trees ready ! to go out from the Mount Crawford nursery. Some applications were received by letter for trees for private | properties, but the society does not! supply for planting in other than pub- I lie roads and reserves. j Achieving Giddy Heights. ! "Some of us achieved that giddy height and found it not outside our intellectual capacities," remarked one speaker at yesterday's conference of women teachers. She was referring to the presidency of country branches of the New Zealand Education Institute, on which body, so it was maintained, women teachers were not fully represented, there having been at this year's annual meeting the disproportionate representation of 15 women to 64 men. The position was serious, said another speaker. It was almost symbolic of the women in New Zealand, and it seemed to be getting into the fibre of the being of women teachers. Women were dodging their responsibilities and had been accused in high quarters of being afraid to tackle responsibilities. The grading list was so balanced that ■women had no fair chance of obtaining responsible positions. Lighting Centennial Memorial. Following the receipt of a bill of £6 16s for lighting the Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial for one month; the reserves committee of the Petone Borough Council last night re- I commended to the council that a deputation should be sent to the Hutt j Valley Electric Power Board. Councillor J. R. Gaynor, chairman of the committee, said that leaving the memorial unlighted would detract from its beauty and would leave it open to damage. The account seemed to him excessive, and the borough could not face it month after month. In the winter it would be even higher. He thought that all local bodies should have the interest of the memorial at heart. Councillors J. C. Burns and J. R. Gaynor were accordingly appointed as a deputation. Home Defence Men. | Valuable service is being given by the men who are manning the forts and other defence, stations in this country, and in the provision of comforts they have not been overlooked either by the National Patriotic Fund Board or the provincial councils. There are a number of such stations around Wellington, some of them situated in most exposed positions, but with the aid of the funds the public have subscribed it has been possible to supply them with a number of articles serving a useful purpose and which have added greatly to the amenities previously existing. A number ,of the goods supplied are electrical, such as radiators, hot plates, and radio sets. Besides the Patriotic Fund Board and the Provincial Patriotic Council other organisations have interested themselves in the welfare of these men, and also a number of individuals, who, among other things, arrange concert parties and dances for the men's entertainment. Effect of War on Men's Wear. The official organ of the New Zealand Federation of the drapery, clothing and shoe trades observes that "first •of all to suffer in the softgoods trade in time of war are those who cater for men. With more than 30,000 young New Zealanders overseas or in camps 30,000 potential buyers of men's clothing are removed from the customerpublic. That this must have some effect cannot be denied. It may be that other trades benefit. Jewellers, with watches and cigarette cases, leather goods dealers, with, money-belts and wallets, and photographic firms reap the benefit prior to the departure of an echelon. The men's goods firm, however, necessarily feel the pinch. They have one comfort, nevertheless. It will not be long before many of the boys return and don 'civvies' again. That time will more than compensate the clothier and mercer for his lean months. That was the lesson that was learned last war—and there is no reason to believe that this war will be different." Transport of Voters. "Representations have been made to me that petrol should be made available to permit the conveyance of electors to the polls at the forthcoming Auckland West by-election," said the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) last evening. "In view of the international situation, I regret that I cannot see my way to grant this request, as Auckland West is an electorate which haz reasonable internal transport facilities. One class of voters, however, deserves special consideration. I feel that any action that j may prevent aged or infirm persons reaching the ballot-box would be virtually disenfranchising them. In view of this consideration, I have agreed to make limited supplies of petrol available to the organisations representing each candidate in the election. These allowances are for the conveyance to the poll of persons who would otherwise be unable to get there. Under no circumstances is the allowance to exceed a total of 20 gallons for each candidate's committee." Beautifying Railway "Property. The Wellington Beautifying Society has many times approached the Railway Department with suggestions that this and that corner of railway property might be beautified, sometimes with practical results, and always.with sympathetic results. In reply to a further suggestion from the society, the General Manager, Mr. E. Casey, has readily agreed that Mr. G. H. Davis, the Department's land officer, should represent the Department as a member of the committee of the society. The railway areas which the society would like to see taken in hand are the vacant land near the Main Trunk arrival platform, an area near the floating dock, as to which the Harbour Board will also be apapproached, and the face of the ramp to the Tawa Flat tunnels. The ramp was planted last year, but the planting was not a success. This winter it is to be done again with attractive native plants, including a highly ornamental dwarf flax. The society hopes that before long all suburban stations will be improved by planting about the platforms and buildings. '.

Society

Butterfish Depleted. There has been a. serious depletion of the stocks of butterfish, said the Inspector of Fisheries, Mr. A. E. Hefford, today, and in the endeavour to conserve them regulations now provide that nets used to catch them must have not more than a four-inch mesh, while the fish taken must not be less than 13 inches, from nose to erid of tail. Two-way Appreciation. From the Wellington Automobile Association the Beautifying Society last night received a cheque for 50 guineas and a letter expressing the real appreciation of members of the association of the work . the society is doing, particularly in improving the appearance of highways. To the Automobile Association the society expressed its real appreciation of so practical and helpful a way of showing appreciation. Preparation of Plans. The Lower Hutt Borough' Council last night decided on the recommendation of the bylaws committee to take no further action in the meantime towards giving effect to a recent resolution to amend the bylaw to provide that where the total cost of a building exceeds £2000 plans must be prepared by a registered architect. Registered Fishing Boats. \ Conditions have been changed' considerably in the fishing industry by the industrial efficiency regulations. Every individual fisherman must now be licensed by the Bureau of Industry, and must be passed by it before he can secure the Marine Department's licence. In effect he must either obliterate the marks from his boat, or be licensed by both authorities. The new regulation provides that masters or owners of fishing boats who do not renew the licence for their boats shall within one month from the date of expiry of the licence remove from the boat all registered fishing-boat marks or numbers. Maori Bird-calling. An exhibition of an art almost lost to the modern ->Maori, that of birdcalling, was given at Rotorua by Mrs. G. W. Mahanga, a member of the Ngapuhi tribe, who lives in the Rotorua district, states a Rotorua correspondent. Mrs. Mahanga conducted the party to the reserve at Whakarewarewa, where she proceeded to call birds of several varieties. Although she said that she might have some difficulty in calling them, owing to the number of people passing close by, she was, nevertheless, successful in attracting some 20 birds. Tourists from India. The" opinion that while the war lasted there would be many visitors to New Zealand from India was expressed at the weekend by Mr. W. W. Laurie, traffic manager of a private railway in Upper Assam, who is at present spending six months' leave in the Dominion, states the "New Zealand Herald." "If we went to Britain, as usual," he said, "it would only mean more mouths for them to feed." New Zealand was well known in India, he added, and many people who had wished to visit it would shortly be doing so. Mr. Laurie travelled from Assam to Calcutta, thence to Rangoon, and to New Zealand by way of the- East Indies.. Fish Defies Identification. Found by Mr. W. J. Smith at its last gasp on the edge of the Mangatainoka River at Konini, near Pahiatua, a fish 29in long and weighing 7|lb has provided something of a problem of identification. Though it is believed to be a brown trout, several fishermen have pointed out that it lacks many of the distinguishing marks of that species, and that it may even be a salmon. It carries none of the characteristic speckled markings of the brown trout, and its head is a glossy black without any of the usual spots of brownish red. Identification as a salmon would be possible by the tail, but this is missing; the fish bore evidence of having had a hard time, as there were several fresh wounds on its body. It is estimated that if the fish were in good condition it would scale about twice its present weight, approaching the last record trout secured in the river, strangely enough by the same man and in the same circumstances, in 1937.