Express Late.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 151, 27 May 1938, Page 6

Express Late.

Delays in the northern section of the Main Trunk line made the Limited express 66 minutes late ■in arriving at Palmerston North this morning. Improvement of Highway. Extensive improvements are being carried out. on the Wanganui-New Plymouth highway, especially between Hawera and Patea. A number of dips in the road are being built up, the road widened and sharp bends eliminated. > Kiwis Near Wanganui. In the Waitotara bush, near Wanganui, there exist kiwis in" considerable numbers. In the evenings when rain is imminent they are commonly heard by settlers in the locality. An indication of the numbers of the birds is given by the fact that although one kiwi will call only once or twice in a night the calls are heard at frequent intervals. Bird Life in Otago. During the last few years, native, birds have been -holding their own in the Otago district. Native pigeons are numerous in the AVaipori Gorge and the Catlins district (states the annual report of the Otago Acclimatisation Society), and there are a few in the Waitati bush. Bellbirds and tuis are plentiful in* all bush districts, even round the Dunedin suburbs. There are still bush in the Catlins; pied fantail and black fantail are numerous in all bush districts; parakeets and kaka are to bo found in the Catlins bush; robins are scarce, but there are a few in the Wcitati bush; Stilts, pied oyster catchers, , and dottrels are numerous, and blue herons are holding their own on some of the estuaries round the coast.

The Superannuation Plan. Addressing a gathering at the National Club in Wellington, on Wednesday, Mr 0. C. Mazengarb said that, al-, though the' Government’s health and superannuation scheme was labelled “social security,” it had many of the elements of" a” political hoax. No reserve fund was proposed and there was therefore no real security for the man who was to be compelled to'pay. A young man in his early twenties, if permitted to lay aside through insurance what he was asked to pay by way of direct and indirect taxation under the proposed scheme, would have over £3OOO on which to live in his i retirement. Instead, all the State now proposed to otter diim for his superannuation contributions was an 1.0.1 J. in a future generation for £1 10s a week with no guarantee that the draft would be met on presentment and subject to the condition that he did not himself have more than £1 a week from other sources.

Dunedin North Seat. Mr A. S. Falconer, organiser of the National Party in Dunedin, was selected at a meeting of party supporters last night as the national candidate for Dunedin North, the seat, at present held by Mr J. W. Munro Press Association. Musicians’ Award. Details of a proposed new award for musicians in all the industrial districts in the Dominion except Taranaki were settled ii\: the Conciliation Council, at Wellington, yesterday. ; The main clauses under discussion were those relating to wages and hours of work. The wages clause is to operate from June 13 next. White-Fronted Terns. The breeding colonies of the whitefronted tern are increasing in Wellington harbour, according to Dr W. 11. B. Oliver, who in a report read at the annual meeting of the Royal Society of New Zealand, yesterday, said that the species was nesting on the northern end of ..Ward Island. These, it was considered, were possiblv the overflow of a colony on a small rock- at Scorching Bay. Allowances for Teachers. Regulations gazetted make provision tor a special allowance, for male training college students, probationary assistants, ' ana relieving teachers who are married at a rate not exceeding the amount by which their other allowance or salary is less than £209 15s. Previously no provision was made for married training college students or probationary assistants, states a Press Association message. Safer Roads. When reviewing wcrk done to make New Zealand roads safer, at the quarterly meeting of the Road Safety Council held m Wellington yesterday, the Minister of Transport (Hon. R. Semple) said that, in spite of New Zealand being the second most motorised country in- the world, on a population basis, its death-rate from road accidents was the lowest. In 12 months the petrol consumed had increased by 30 per cent, but the death rate had remained the same.

Residents’ Complaint. The tax-sealing of Botanical Road to Maxwell’s Line, in the College Street extension, which lias been frequently urged by the West End Progressive Association, was again mentioned. at the meeting of that body held last evening. Reference was made to the clouds of dust along that section of late as the outcome of a great deal of extra traffic. The sides of the road, it was asserted, were also piled up with shingle, which was a source of danger to motorists and cyclists. A Living Memorial. Plans for the first planting of trees in the proposed soldiers’ memorial avenue at Paraparaumu have now been completed and the first section of the work, which is to be carried out by the Returned Soldiers’ Association in conjunction with the Beautifying Society, is scheduled for August 4. The complete scheme provides for the planting of an “Avenue of Remembrance,” which will flank the main highway leading- to the Soldiers’ Memorial Gates at the entrance to the domain. The Election Issue. “We have to decide at the next election , whether we are to go ahead with a socialistic policy or to revert to the old policy of administration which lias alread done so much for New Zealand,” said Mr H. C. Veitch, National Party candidate for Wanganui, addressing a meeting of young people last night. “If we ‘allow the Government to go ahead with its socialistic policy, the position will be irretrievable. The people - will have to decide for themselves which policy they will support for the good of the country.” Delay to Trains. * Owing to the derailment of the engine ol a goods train on a service siaing between railway bridges at Waitangi about 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon railway traffic between Hastings and Napier was held up for some hours. Napier passengers from the Wellington express were . taken from Hastings to _ Napier by bus, reaching their destination at 5.40. The u-sual evening Napier-Palmerstbn North passenger train left Hastings at 5.30, about 20 minutes late. Napier passengers by this train travelled by bus to Hastings.

The Exchange Hate. The reason the Government has not lowered the rate of exchange after having, when in Opposition, opposed the raising of it, was referred to by the Minister of Labour (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) in an address at Wellington last night. “Critics say now that we ought to put the rate back where it was before,” Mr Armstrong said. “We opposed the raising of it because it was wrong, and because it was going to bankrupt hundreds of good people in New Zealand to help' another section of the people. If we attempted to put it back again suddenly we would bankrupt another lot of people, and we are not a bankrupting Government. There has been less bankruptcy this year than in any other year in the history of New Zealand, according to proportion to the population,” he said. Medical Aid. The necessity of -a medical man being promptly on the scene in cases of accidents in the city was stressed by Mr H. Hovis at a meeting, last evening, of the West End Progressive Association. There had been two occasions recently on which lie had sought urgent medical aid. In the first case he had telephoned nine doctors, but none was available. On the next occasion he telephoned eight. The services of one ‘ doctor were forthcoming, but the victim passed away before the doctor arrived. It was suggested that a doctor should be available at the Hospital. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Schwabe and Melliuish, that the City Council be asked to consider the matter and make a recommendation to the Hospital Board that a doctor be immediately available, when summoned, in cases of accident in the city A Model Route. “We have decided to make the coastal road a model highway, and when finished it will be one of the finest roads in the Southern Hemisphere,” said the Minister of Transport (Hon. It. Semple), when referring to the l’aekakariki deviation at a meeting of the ltoad Safety Council yesterday. 'Hie Minister said the work was being pushed ahead and in a year, or 18 months at the most, would be-completed. People had rushed into print with the assertion that the road would take seven years to finish, but this statement was ridiculous, ’it was already possible to drive a car along the route. The biggest task was the construction of a sea wall. This depended upon the tides, but was proceeding satisfactorily. The elimination of the long climb up the Paekakariki Hill was most desirable. Another important factor to road safety, said the Minister, was the elimination of dangerous level crossings between Wellington and Palmerston North. In a short time all dangerous crossings on this route would be removed.