Fire Calls.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 1 September 1938, Page 10

Fire Calls.

During August only eight calls were received by the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, as compared with 12 for August, 1937. The total last month was made up of five chimney fires, two actual fires and one justified false alarm. Church Of To-day. Speaking at the annual meeting ■ of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church congregation, last night, Rev. J. Hubbard, the minister, declared that there were conflicting ideologies in the world to-day, and anti-Clirist movements were commanding big followings in some foreign countries. He appealed to the members to give more attention to church services on Sundays, and stressed the need for more sacrifice in the church life of to-day. New Butter Leaves. The shipment of butter from Auckland to the London market is well forward for the new export season, which opened on August 1. The. Rangitata, which cleared port some days ago, carried the first new season’s dispatch, consisting of about 12,500 boxes, and the next shipment will be sent by the Karamea, which will be loading on Friday.',This vessel will cleai gradings up to about the middle of August. Last season it was not until September 2 that the first of the new season’s buter was dispatched. Vital Statistics. For the month of August there were eight more marriage notices received by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages at Palmerston North than was the case in the corresponding month of last .year. There were five more. marriages performed by the Registrar, while there were four fewer births and three fewer deaths notified. The figures for the two-months are as follow, those for August, 1937, being given in parentheses : Births, 45 (49); deaths, 31 (34), marriage notices, 41 (33); marriages by Registrar, 14 (9). Unique Position. The St. Andrew’s Presbyterian parish was probably unique in New Zealand, said the session clerk (Mr W. B. Tennent) at the annual meeting of the congregation, last night, in that its membership was spread .over a very wide area. Consequently l by his standing in the community, : The minister (Rev. J. Hubbard) had been called upon to perform a great number of public duties. It had been decided, therefore, to engage a ■ student assistant to relieve. Mr Hubbard of some of his'duties from about mid-October to mid-March. They felt . that the student would be of-great assistance, and were perfectly justified in the step they were taking, which would be of considerable assistance to Mr Hubbard.

Exhibition Finances. In a , review of the work begun in preparation for the Centennial Exhibition Mr H. E. Avery, secretary of the company, said that detailed estimates had been prepared which showed that the expenditure and revenue from all sources should each be about £425,000. The company should, therefore, como out without making a loss and there was a reasonable chance that some profit, would be shown. Peer’s Probable Visit. The possibility of his coining to New Zealand in tile not far distant future is mentioned by Lord Auckland in a letter just received by the Mayor of Auckland (Sir Ernest Davis). Early this year an invitation was sent to Lord Auckland to visit New Zealand, particularly at the time of the centennial celebrations in 1940 if that could be arranged, and he replied that lie would certainly come at the first possible opportunity.

Not a "High-brow” Musician. Pleasure at seeing and hearing the class for the harmonica solo was expressed by Mr W. Hutchens, of Christchurch, who acted as judge at the Gisborne competitions. He said he was not altogether a ‘‘high-brow” in connection with music, although some gave him that name and ho was of the opinion that if ■some competitors started on the simpler instruments they might go on to something bigger with success. Political Garbage Tin.

A tilt at some of the phraseology employed by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. 11. Semple), his opponent in the contest for the Wellington East seat, was indulged in by the National Party candidate, Mr W. L. Barker, at a meeting at Seatoun. He referred to Mr Semple having said that lie was not going to dip into the political garbage tin. Mr Barker’s comment was that the Minister knew, as well as he did, that the tin was empty. (Laughter.) Proud Position.

Commenting on the year’s work, at the 62nd annual meeting of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church last night, the session clerk (Mr W. B. Tennent) said that the church had hoped tp attain fifth position in New Zealand as far as membership was concerned, but it had just missed by 14 members. However, added the speaker, no church had shown more vitality than' St. Andrew’s, and the membership of 672 was a record. On one Sunday recently 85 per cent of this number had been present at Communion service. John Bunyan Anniversary. The 250th anniversary of the death of John Bunyan fell yesterday. The author of ‘‘The Pilgrim’s Progress,” which was almost as widely read as the English Bible for two centuries, was born at Elstow, near Bedford, in 1628. On reaching manhood he suffered acute spiritual torments and saw terrifying visions, of which he later wrote a full account in his first book. “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” At length peace returned to him, and lie attained considerable fame as a preacher. He died while on a visit to London, and was buried in Bunhill Fields. Band Contest Differences. Certain difficulties which have arisen in connection witii the proposed Dominion band contest in Christchurch next February were discussed at a conference of representatives of the Christchurch committee and the president and secretary of the New Zealand Bands Association, with the Mayor, Mr R. M. Macfarlane, in the chair. Mr Marfarianc said after the meeting that there had been some differences which the local committee deemed it necessary to discuss. As a result it was lioped that arrangements could now be made to have a good contest in the city next year. Somebody Must Pay.

“The Government’s social security proposal is no short cut to give you something for nothing—somebody must pay, and the scheme will cost millions,” said Mr S. G. Holland, M.P. for Christchurch North, when addressing young business men at a National Club luncheon in Wellington yesterday. The Labour Party claimed a great deal of credit for its proposals and would have people believe that provision for the poor and needy was something new, Mr Holland added. The National Parry had always been in agreement with the necessary comforts of life being provided, and this had been done for years. Air Base Claims.

The suggestion that the meteorological records relied upon by the special committee which reported adversely on the suitability of Wellington Harbour as a base for flying-boats applied to Rongotai aerodrome and were not an indication of conditions existing at the area in Evans Bay formerly suggested as a suitable site, was made by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) and the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr C. M. Turrell) yesterday afternoon. A statement questioning several of the assumptions contained in the committee’s report, issued by the air service committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, expressed the conviction that the harbour was suitable. Trend in Mottoes.

The necessity for keeping in mind, when considering the affairs of the Church to-day, tne changed outlook in the face of which the Church was seeking to do her work, was stressed by Rev. J. R. Blanchard when addressing the annual meeting of the congregation of St. John's' Presbyterian Church, Wellington. “An English observer has truly pointed out that the changed outlook is clearly illustrated by the civic mottoes of the great cities the Old World,” said Mr Blanchard. “Those whose foundation goes back for centuries invariably reflect something religious in their mottoes. Those founded in modern times almost equally invariably reflect a frankly non-religious and utilitarian point of view. The motto of London, for example, is ‘Domine dirige nos.’ That of the most recent town in England to obtain a charter, Scunthorpe, in Lincolnshire, is: ‘The Heavens Reflect Our Labours’ ; the reference being to the glow’ in the sky cast by the factory fumes at night.” Marriage Witnesses.

It often happens that parties to the marriages conducted by registrars are lacking in witnesses, and in such cases clerks in the office, law clerks attending on business, and others are invited to act. It so happened, yesterday, in a marriage solemnised at Palmerston North that the Registrar of Marriages, who is also Registrar of the Supreme Court, w’as engaged on a Supreme Court taxation with counsel, and extended an invitation to both members of the legal fraternity to remain for the wedding and act as witnesses. This request was generously acceded to, the taxation being suspended to allow this more important ceremony to lie performed. The bridegroom, therefore, lacked nothing in the way - of a truly legal marriage. It is understood that the bridegroom remarked that he wan pleased to be in the unique position of having the services of the law practitioners without having to pay. One counsel, however, with a sly wink at his brother solicitor, suggested that it was perhaps too early in the day to be altogether certain of free legal service.