Coronation Painting.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 10, 9 December 1937, Page 10

Coronation Painting.

As the Dominion’s share of the cost of a painting of the Coronation which is to be presented to King George VI., £lßl3 will be contributed by the New Zealand Government. State Housing. Under the State housing scheme tne Government has approved of .tenders for the erection of II houses in Dannevirke, the successful tenderer for four of the houses being Messrs H. E. Tovvnshend, Ltd., Palmerston North. These houses represent the first instalment of the housing scheme in Da«nevirke.

Pohutukawas In Bloom. Mr J. G. MacKenzie, Wellington director of parks and reserves, stated yesterday that he considered the pohutukawas were blooming a fortnight earlier than usual this year. As a rule pohutukawa trees in Wellington came into full blossom a day or two before Christmas, but many of the trees in the Botanical Gardens were now showing plenty of blossom, and that had been the case from the beginning of the week.

Finger-print Evidence. A case in which the identity of an accused person was established by finger-print evidence was heard m the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington yesterday. An assistant of the criminal registration branch of the Police Department gave evidence that a fingeiprint on a cigarette tin found in a house that had been entered was identical with that on a finger-print form received from the Prisons Department. A youth, accused of entering the house and committing theft, pleaded guilty after hearing the 'evidence of the fin-ger-print expert. School Committee Elections.

Reference was made, at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, yesterday, to the face that when tne school committee elections are held next April a number of returned soldiers, who are members of committees, will be absent in Australia with the New Zealand contingent of returned soldiers. Mr 1. W. Mudford enquired if the meetings could be postponed, until the return of the contingent from Australia. It was explained that the elections could not be postponed for a sufficient time, but that these members could leave their nominations for the annual meetings. Greatest Freedom in World.

‘ ‘On my way home I reflected that there is more real freedom in New Zealand than in any of the countries I had visited,” 'remarked Mr Joseph Green, of Riversdale, to an Otago Daily Times reporter. Mr Green has returned from an extended tour of the United States, Great .‘Britain, and Europe. After visiting a dozen or more countries, he had been convinced that few people in the world understood the meaning of the term freedom as it was interpreted in New Zealand. “Of course,. 1 had not heard much about wliat was going oh in New Zealand at that time, but I,will say that even yet there* is more personal liberty here than anywhere. New Zealand is a pretty good place in spite of tax collectors and politicians.”

Auckland Wool Sale. Though tlie second Auckland wool sale is not to be held till January 24, the catalogue of 30,000 bales has already been filled. One broker said yesterday that this was the earliest closing date in his memory.

Bitten By Shark. A severe injury to the hand was suffered by Mr Norman Williams, of Rehia, at Tinopai, near Dargaville, when he was bitten by a young shark, which had been landed an hour before and was thought to have been killed by a rifle bullet. Doctors For China.

The joint council or the Order of St. John and New Zealand Red Cross Society lor the Far East Relief Fund decided at its meeting at Wellington yesterday to send urgently three medical men to China, equipped with the necessary surgical appliances and comforts. Wool Price Comparison.

The prices realised at yesterday’s Wellington wool sale will average out at between lOd and lid a lb, which works out, very roughly, at £ls a bale, or possibly more. From this it will be seen that yesterday’s market was well above the New Zealand dyerage for the last ten seasons.

Shining Cuckoos. Evidently enjoying the very humid conditions, shining cuckoos at various points about the Pohangina County Council offices yesterday sang fori an unusually long period. There were a* number of the birds and it was interesting to hear so many reply to a whistle approximating their own piaiiitive call.

Hospital Soheme. Steps were taken yesterday, subject to the approval of the eight contributing authorities concerned, to rruine a petition, the purpose of which is to request the Prime Minister to instruct the Local Government Loans Board to cause further investigation into alternative proposals before granting the AVellington Hospital Board authority to raise the necessary finance for its building scheme. School Committees’ Work.

“Roughly 15,000 persons on school committees arid education boards participate, voluntarily and without pay, in the administration of education in New Zealand," states an article m National Education, the journal of the New Zealand Educational Institute. “Committees and boards have functioned a» an-integral part of the State system of education for 60 years, a lengthy and successful trial of democratic principles.” -Labour Difficulties.

Difficulties in working the 44-hour week and in obtaining sufficient labour for their requirements are reported to be causing inconvenience to many of the private hotels in Auckland. Several private houses have already ceased supplying luncheon and dinner and this week the proprietor of a wellknown boarding-house was forced to advise his guests that he would he unable to cater for luncheons and teas. The house had been successfully operated for more than 11 years as a private hotel. Shag’s Hearty Meal. A trout weighing about 2jjlb is reported to have been found in the stomach of a shag shot in the AVairarapa district. A letter to this effect was received by last night’s meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society’s council from Mr J. Bull, of Masterton. He stated that he had been shooting extensively in the sliaggeries of that district and had found trout in the stomachs of most of the birds killed. A 2Rb trout- would measure about 20 inches in length and would be about four Inches in. depth.

Rain in the Hills. Great satisfaction with the rain which had fallen the previous night was expressed yesterday by farmers with holdings in the Apiti area. Conditions had been becoming somewhat dry for cropping, and the fall, they said, would give the crops just tne required fillip m growth. The continued fine weather had made' for an unusually good shearing season, and there were few sheep to go through the sheds now. While there was not a very large quantity of feed, the pastures had an excellent “body"’ and the good effect on the condition of the stock was marked. Hay crops are expected to be light. Last Tributes to Bishop.

Representatives of the clergy, both European and Maori, from as far afield as Auckland and Wellington, attended the funeral of lit. Rev. Herbert William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu, at Napier yesterday. The services, both at the church and at the graveside, were impressive in their solemnity and simplicity. Completely devoid of ornamentation in accordance with the wishes of his family, the coffin was conveyed to St. John’s Church the previous evening Here the late bishop’s crozier was placed on the coffin. Clerical representatives of the Anglican Church who attended the funeral included Rev. G. W. Davidson (Foxton) and Rev. B. F. Williams (Woodville). Members and Staff Congratulated. Appreciation of the work of members of the board, the officers and the staff during the year was voiced by the chairman (Mr E. F. Hemingway; at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Education Board. Mr Hemingway paid a tribute to the work of the secretary (Mr G. N. Boulton), the architect (Mr E. R. Hodge) and the senior inspector (Mr W. J. Boden), all of whom suitably replied. The board, said Mr Hemingway, was fortunate in possessing such enthusiastic and loyal officers and a loyal staff. Mr M. H. Oram (Palmerston North) paid a tribute to the work of the chairman, who, he said, had devoted a considerable amount of his time to the cause of education in the district. Cars Run Off Road. Two motor-cars ran off the road between Palmerston North and Shannon the other day, but in neither case was anybody injured and the vehicles were undamaged. The first mishap tooK place south of Tokomaru, the driver getting too near the edge of the road when giving away to another car. The vehicle did not actually go over tlie embankment, but it was dangerously in the balance, a touch alone seemingly being required to capsize it into the paddock below. In the second case a large car occupied by a party of Maoris ran out of benzine going up a hill north of Tokomaru. By some means the driver lost control and the vehicle careered over the bank and through a fence at the foot.

Original Chambers of Commerce. The origin of the chamber of commerce dates back over three cenutries, according to a statement made at an Auckland Rotary Club luncheon by Mr A. G. Lunn, president of the New Zealand Associated Chambers of Commerce. The merchants’ guilds of early Tudor days were considered to be prototypes of the present institution, the first recorded branch of which was formed in Marseilles in 1599. The first in the British Empire was that of Jersey, Channel Islands, formed in 1768, and the London Chamber was formed as late as 1881. The earliest chamber in New Zealand was; .established in Wellington ,in 1856 and records of the Auckland Chamber be-, fore 1869 were destroyed by fire.