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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 238, 5 September 1933, Page 6

The City Council last evening decided that all applications for the use of the council chambers or the council committee room should be dealt with by the council and that all previous resolutions on the books dealing with the matter of the use of council rooms be rescinded.

Of a total rate of £60,767 struck by the Gisborne Borough Council for the current year no less than £37,428 was paid in time to allow the discount being claimed on the basis of 5 per cent, offered by the council for prompt payment. Last year £26,513 was paid for the same period.

Following upon an inquiry by the Palmerston North City Council as to whether there was any land suitable for tree planting in the vicinity of Himatangi, it received advice last evening from the adminstrators of the estate of the late Mr H. Barber that the estate had an area of 481 acres available st £4 per acre, or a smaller area of 300 acres at £3 per acre. On the motion of the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) the matter was referred to the works committee, and the town clerk (Mr J. It. Hardie) was instructed to inquire whether the granting of a lease would be considered, in order that full information should he available.

The Otago Daily Times in its issue of 71 years ago said: —There must be a largo amount of indebtedness in Dunedin at the present time, if we are to judge from the fact that over four liundi'ed writs have been issued from the Supreme Court against debtors. . . As a general rule, creditors have been long patient and indulgent to those deep fix their books, and it is satisfactory to feel that such considerations have not been thrown away. Our present and prospective commercial aspect has much in it that is greatly encouraging. Confidence, where it was shaken, is once more being restored. Tradesmen now make tlieir purchases with greater coxifidence of a ready market. The Maoris, once thought to be a dying race, ai - e now increasing in numbers at a much greater rate than Europeans, according to figures in the Government statistical report for 1932-33. During the year ended March 31, 1933, the population other than Maori increased by 10,666 an increase ratio of 0.73 per cent. This accession was the lowest in aggregate since 1890-91, and the ratio the lowest ever experienced. The Maori population in the same period increased by 1665, or by 2.40 per cent., which is over three times the European rate. The Maori population is now estimated to bo 71,131. In 1926, when it was decided that all half-caste European-Maoris were to be included in the Maori population, the total was 56,885. Race aliens are estimator at 5788, made up of 2327 Chinese of full blood and 292 mixed blood; 856 Syrians of full blood and 133 of mixed blood; 789 Indians of full blood and 324 of mixed blood; 61 Japanese; 54 other Asiatics; 105 negroes; 656 Polynesians; and 191 others. The population of New Zealand at April 1, 1933, is estimated at 1,536,964. This represents an increase of .128,825 over the population shown by the census of 1926.

The Fire Brigade answered a false alarm from a call-box at the corner of Church Street and Victoria Avenue at 10.55 last evening.

The highest level of values for New Zealand butter since October last was reached at the week-end, in London, when New Zealand salted advanced 2s to 3s cwt, to 91s-945.

Finalised xff ari s for the memorial entrance to the returned soldiers’ plot at the Kelvin Grove cemetery were submitted to the City Council last evening. The design was approved and permission was given for the work to proceed. Says a writer in a London journal: —“As the law stands at present a wife who leaves her husband cannot take the children with her because, by law, they belong to hini. The result is that many T a woman who finds life intolerable with her husband remains _ with him, wasting her life in unhappiness, sacrificing herself for the sake of her children.”

Application was made to the City Council, last evening, by the Board of Governors of the Palmerston North High School for the remission of £9 18s lOd, representing half the rates on the old hostel and rector’s residence at the corner of Featherston and North Streets, owing to the property being unoccupied for the past 12 months. It was decided that the request be granted.

Regulations in regard to the taking of tolieroas are being honoured more in the breach than in the observance (says the Levin Chronicle). Last week a lorry from the Wairarapa left Wa itarere Beach, laden to capacity with these shellfish; and on Sunday a visiting car took away five sugar-bags full on the carrier. It is understood that a complaint has been laid with the Inspector of Fisheries at Palmerston North.

After being on strike since August 8, 120 tunnellers resumed work on the Tawa Flat tunnel yesterday. The conditions to which the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener) finally agreed, £1 per shift to all men engaged on a “break” in the tunnel for a fortnight, by which time the “break” would be finished, holiday privileges not being affected by the action of the men in ceasing work, operated from yesterday. Yesterday afternoon (stated the Otago Daily Times 71 years ago on September 2) an American waggon, with a powerful team of seven horses, attracted some attention in Princes Street, when it was known that it was loading up with swags and goods for the diggings. It was understood that the swags were being taken at the rate of 2s per' pound. We learned afterwards that this was the fact, and that the total freight of the waggon load amounted to about £623; more than is often paid for the charter of a ship. If the enterprising carrier arrives safely with his load, he will have made a pretty good haul. That quite a percentage of Palmerston North’s population is of the moving variety is made apparent by the number of additions and deletions to the rolls of the local schools yearly. The position appears to be particularly pronounced where the Central School is concerned, but such is no doubt more noticeable by reason of the fact that it is the largest of the city’s schools. Since October, 1931, there has not been a week in which some change has not been made in the roll. Last scholastic year there were 202 pupils admitted, yet the increase in the roll number is comparatively slight. Another indication of the brief stay of some of the pupils is indicated by the fact that of those 202 pupils no fewer than 33 had been again transferred before the close of the year. Mention of the fact that he had received quite a number of complaints about children riding bicycles along the paths in Bledisloe Park was made by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) at last evening’s meeting. of the City Council. He said that there were boys on bicycles “skimming round corners” regardless of whom they were likely to meet. Cr. H. B. Free asked if there were notices in the park prohibiting the riding of bicycles along the paths. On his motion, as there were none, it was decided that a notice be erected at the entrance dealing with the by-laws governing the removal of plants, lighting of fires and other offences, and that six notices should be erected at suitable points prohibiting the riding of bicycles on the paths. The report appeared in the “Standard” last evening that an Auckland philatelist treasured a stamp on a letter received from Hell, a small hamlet in the northern part of Norway, just below the Arctic Circle, and with its unusual name as its principal claim to notoriety. It is interesting to record that a Palmerston North resident has in his possession a railway ticket from Trondlijcm to this small Norwegian centre. It was purchased by a visitor to Norway some years ago, but was never surrendered to the railway authorities there, and subsequently it passed to the ownership of the Palmerston North resident. The ticket, which has the fare marked as 1.60 kroner, is similar in design to the New Zealand railways ticket, and has similar features of number, mileage, destination, etc.