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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 88, 13 March 1934, Page 6

The am omit of gold won by miners employed under the Unemployment Board’s subsidised prospecting scheme during February was 550 z 14dwts valued without bonus, at £lsl /s lid. Spurious threepences are in circulation at Christchurch. Several persons, including shopkeepers, have found them in change recently. the coiners litivc niticie no attempt to copy the design on the coin. The spurious pieces are quite plain looking, like old or defaced threepenny pieces without milled edges. They are of white metal, probably aluminium. To secure the position of storeman with a Christchurch firm, J. Symmonds, of Motueka, walked the greater part of 270 miles in a week. He had not had regular employment for a long period, and because he had no money was compelled to walk to Christchurch or lose the position. He averaged more than 20 miles a day, 32 miles within 24 hours being his longest lap. “Of the twenty odd countries I have visited —and South Africa is the only one I have not yet seen—New Zealand is the one I have liked best,” said Dr. Walter Williams, president of the University of Missouri and dean of the School of Journalism there, before his departure for the United States. “With so many natural wonders and places of exquisite scenic beauty, New Zealand should attract intelligent and cultured visitors, lovers of beauty and of Nature, as well as tourists,” Dr. Williams remarked. The birth rate and death rate figures for New Zealand reached new low records last year, according to vital statistics now available. The figures show an increase in the marriage rate, while the infant death rate was a shade higher than in the previous year. The birth rate was reduced to 16.57 per 1000 of mean population from 17.09 in the previous year. The death rate for 1933 was 7.98 per 1000, compared with 8.02 in 1932. There were 700 more marriages in 1933 than in the previous year, and the marriage rate per 1000 increased from 6.80 to 7.18. The infant mortality rate for 1933 was 31.63 per 1000 of live births, compared with 31.22 in 1932. In 1929 tire rate was 34.10, in 1930, 34.48, and in 1931, 32.15.

Deaths from cancer in Australia increased from 74 per 100,000 persons in 1911 to 105 per 100,000 in 1932, says an official report. A new plan regarding Prince George’s tour is being considered, which, if adopted, will extend his Australian visit by a week.

The major diversion scheme connected with the Tutaekuri River, Hawke’s Bay, which is to cost a total of £IOO,OOO, has been commenced.

The appointment of women police was urged in a remit passed by 14 votes to 10 at the conference of the Justices of the Peace Federation at Auckland yesterday. It was mentioned at the month.lv meeting of the Featherston Borough Borough Council that the outstanding rates were less than 10 per cent. This, under the present conditions, was considered very satisfactory. Success has crowned the efforts of the Christchurch Boys’ Employment Committee to provide a preliminary training for boys who are willing to accept work on farms, and it has leased an area of about 30 acres.

The Federal Cabinet intends to contribute towajrds the maintenance of certain institutions in England engaged on research work of significance to Australia.

An extensive building programme which is at present being undertaken in Napier involves an expenditure of more than £59,000. The new buildings include a picture theatre, two banks, two shopping blocks, and two business premises. A tiny golden bag “to hold the Ashes” and an Australian flag, the gift of Sir Samuel Walder, were presented by Lady Walder to members of the Australian Test cricket team at a farewell ball given in their honour in Sydney. Keen interest is being taken in the Hawke’s Bay district in the loading of 5000 cases of fruit at Napier this week by the motor ship Opawa, which is to leave there on Wednesday for London. It is the second shipment of export fruit from Napier, and the first for a number of years. “The longer the exchange rate remains in force the harder it will be to remove,” was Sir Willian Hunt’s reply to a question from Mr J. C. Young at the Rotary Club, last evening, when the question was asked whether the speaker thought the exchange would remain in force much longer in New Zealand.

Advice has been received by the Lower Hutt Borough Council that a fishing boat beionging to the Mayor’s Relief Committee, which was washed from its moorings in the middle of last December, has been discovered on the Mahia Peninsula, on the northern part of Hawke’s Bay. It was used for obtaining fish supplies for the Lower Hutt relief depot.

Arrangements are being made for Olaf Frederick Nelson, who was convicted in Samoa, to go to Paparua prison on his arrival at Lyttelton from Apia by the Maui Pomare on March 19. It was stated in Wellington that the fact the authorities intend to send Nelson to Paparua has no special significance, but is simply a matter of geographical convenience. The Te Anau and Manapouri Lakes are now lower than has ever been remembered by this generation. There has been no rain, except for snow “pepperings” on the tops and drizzle up the Eglinton Valley, since the New Year, except for about a fin fall towards the end of February. The Clinton River is so low that it can be forded afoot in perfect safety. In honour of the fact that Lord Derby has completed 25 years’ service as Chancellor of Liverpool University, a special degree ceremony took place in the Arts Theatre of the University in January, when the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon Lady Derby and upon the Chancellors of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (Lord Halifax and Mr Stanley Baldwin). While several children were playing in the backyard of the post office, at Wingham, New South Wales, Clare Joyce, aged 6, and Betty Blanch, aged 5. ran into an outhouse, and another child shut the door and fastened it on the outside with a piece of wire. Shortly afterwards a three-foot black snake crawled into the outhouse. The screams of the girls attracted the attention of a man, who opened the door, let the girls out, and killed the snake. Mention was made by the president of the Palmerston North Rotary Club, last evening, that this year the Rotary Clubs of New Zealand were to make the attention given to crippled children one of their major operations. Arrangements were to be made for the formation of a Crippled Children Society in every district, the societies being sponsored by the Rotary Clubs. Mr Black thought that when the movement was started in Palmerston North it would have the whole-hearted support of the community.

"While no damage was done by the earthquake last week to apiaries in the Hawke’s Bay district, considerable damage has been sustained in apiaries in the Woodvillo, Pahiatna and iflketahuna districts, according to information received by Mr L. Riesterer, Government Apiary Instructor in Hawke’s Bay, who has left to assist with the work of rehabilitation. In many apiaries in these areas, practically all the hives have been knocked over, with general damage to bee-ware and consequent risk of the spread of disease.

The world had mined more gold since the beginning of this century than had been the case since Adam lived, said Sir William Hunt, speaking at the Palmerston North Rotary Club’s gathering last night. If one had said at the beginning of the century that in the next 33 years lpore gold would be mined than ever before he would have been thought mad, but such had been the case. Even so, Sir William pointed out, prosperity had not moved in relation to the amount of gold in the world because the gold had not been free monetary gold, but had been cornered through the operations of the creation of Central Banks’ minimum reserves and the payment of war debts.

Increasing wages in New Zealand would not aid recovery when looked at in a broad sense, said Sir William Hunt, speaking at the Palmerston North Rotary Club gathering, last evening. If wages rose in New Zealand there would be a rise in the cost of living, and we had to think of those who were unemployed when contemplating an increase in wages. Further, there would be increased costs for the farmer to face, and that would lead to greater hardship in an already difficult position. The trouble at Home, affecting New Zealand, he said, had not been the lack of wages for purchasing power, but rather that embargoes placed on butter by other European nations had forced vase quantities'into England where it came into competition with our produce.

The Railway Department announces the running of a week-end excursion to Ngaruawahia and Auckland, leaving Wellington on Friday evening, 16th March, and returning on the Sunday afternoon, with fares at about 'half ordinary rate. Programme, for monster regatta at Ngaruawahia on 17th instant, St-. Patrick’s Day, includes aquatic events, Maori hakas, poi ijlancing, etc. The big cut in fares to Auckland offers a good opportunity to those desiring to visit friends and relatives. Seats may now be reserved. See advertisement in this issue.