NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 105, 30 October 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Letter Head Conveniences. A proposal has been made by the ; Associated Chambers of Commerce to the various chambers throughout New Zealand that in order to save time to meet staff depletions owing to the war, members of chambers and other commercial interests should place their : telephone and box numbers on all stationery, letter heads, invoices, statements, envelopes, and the like. Jockeys' Extra Weight. Heavy rain during the running of the Bardowie Handicap at the Waikato Hunt Meeting at Cambridge on Monday resulted in some o.C the jockeys coming back to scale several pounds heavier than they had weighed out. The increase was due to the extraordinary amount of water their clothes had absorbed during the i-ace, which was run in a downpour. The discrepancy did not result in the decision being upset, i as there is provision in the Rules of Racing to meet such a contingency. Foundations on Sand. i The curious fact that the stability J of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, depends on a small subterranean stream was mentioned by Mr. Dudley R. Wills in a talk at -the weekly luncheon of the invercargill Rotary Club. He said, that in spite of the building's great size and weight, the foundations of the cathedral were only four feet deep, and they rested on sand, which was kept moist and solid by a small stream. "Should the stream be diverted or should it dry up, the whole cathedral might collapse," Mr. Wills said. "That is why the Dean and Chapter of St. ! Paul's will not allow any excavations ! near the cathedral except under their i supervision.'' j Hallowe'en. j Tomorrow, the last day of October, will be Hallowe'en, All Hallows being the old name for All Saints' Day commemorated on November 1, a feast of the Church which was definitely instituted as long ago as 835. Some of the old customs connected with Hallowe'en are of Druidical origin, and they include the lighting of bonfires, the ringing of bells, and the drinking of "lambs' wool," a brew of ale or wine mixed with the pulp of roasted apples. Hallowe'en is reputed to be a good night for divination, for peering into the future, especially in respect to one's matrimonial partner; Hallowe'en customs have survived in Scotland more so than elsewhere, and Burns immortalised them in a famous poem, j Realisation of Labour Ideas. A reminder that the Labour movement would have a programme to complete after the war was given by the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) at the Labour Day sports meeting and picnic at Linwood Park, Christchui'ch, on Monday, states the "Press/ Mr. Sullivan, whose remarks were supported by the Mayor (Mr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), emphasised the value of such meetings as the one at Linwood Park in bringing the people together, and maintaining cohesion within the Labour movement. For this reason such meetings were particularly valuable at the present time, he said, because after the war was over the movement would "be in good trim to march forward to the realisation of its ideas." j Fires in Kapok. The danger to property caused through householders attempting to extinguish fires where kapok was involved was stressed by the superintendent (Mr, R. H. Price), in a report J to the monthly meeting of the Dun-1 edin Metropolitan Fire Board on Tuesday. He said that the brigade had been cailed out to a fire last month in which damage amounting to over £300 had j been done to outhouses and a five-1 roomed house. The fire had been caused in the first place by a person smoking in bed. A pillow caught fire and was dealt with in the bathroom, the pillow afterwards being thrown in the outhouse. The kapok, however, was still smouldering, and it blazed up again, setting fire to the shed. Mr. Price emphasised that the .services of the brigade were free and that in all cases of fire, however trivial, and particularly where kapok was involved, householders should not hesitate to call the brigade. Providing Playgrounds, There are in England and Wales some five million children between the ages of 5 and 14 who have no playground of any sort. Owing to the development of motor traffic the roads are debarred to them as substitute playgrounds, and they literally have no place at all where to play. To remedy this and to provide playgrounds a Five Million Club has been started, tho secretary of which is Mr. Alan Hutt, an old boy of Wellington College, England, and a descendant of the gentleman whose name is attached to the Hutt Valley. Evex-y sixpence subscribed will, it is stated, provide one square foot of playground, and Wellington's Wellington College, by subscribing a sufficient sum to become a life member of the Five Million Club, has the satisfaction of knowing that it has provided several square yards. Professional Ethics. The explanation of the fact that the professions did not advertise, said Mr. H. Nankervis, addressing the Rotary Club yesterday, was that members of a profession offered services, not goods. "Goods are tangible, and the law of caveat emptor (the buyer should be on guard) applies," he said. "It is the business of the buyer to protect himself by requiring warranties and guarantees. But that which the professional man offers is not tangible. It comprises mental ability, accumulated knowledge, and advice. To these the law of caveat emptor cannot apply They must be taken on trust, and the only protection the buyer has is the integrity of the man with whom he is dealing. The merchant advertises goods; the professional man has noth ing to advertise but himself. That is all he has to sell. Therefore, advertising by a professional man is simply self-laudation, and all reputable professions have rightly condemned that as unbecoming and undignified.'"' War Eisli Insurance. The advisability of. immediate consideration of a plan of war risk insur ance on buildings and goods in New Zealand has been raised with the Weilin^' Chamber of Commerce by a business firm with large interests in Wellington and other centres. In its letter to the chamber the firm suggested that consideration should be given to a special Insurance policy t<-> cover buildings and goods against war risk along the lines of the provision made in England. "Our thought," the letter concluded, "is thai the New Zealand Government could probably, in collaboration with the New Zealand insurance companies, arrange for a | special war risk insurance to which everyone should subscribe and which would cover all who own buildings and goods in New Zealand which are "liable Ito damage through enemy action." The president of the chamber, Mr. R. H. Nimnio, said that the proposal had been referred to the Underwriters* Association.