Honey Crop Fails.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 67, 16 February 1939, Page 8

Honey Crop Fails.

For the first time in the history of the province Southland’s honey crop this year is a complete failure because of exceptionally wot and stormy weather, as a result of which the bees have been unable to collect- sufficient honey to last them through the winter and spring.—Press Association. A Dangerous Practice. The danger of alighting from a moving vehicle was exemplified yesterday in Newmarket, Auckland, when a man jumped off a moving tramcar. The tramcar had just negotiated a bend and was followed by a number of motor cars. The passenger, who alighted lost his balance and was struck a glancing blow by a light motor car, but suffered only slight shock. Replacing a Power Line. It will be remembered that during the recent gale which wrought considerable damage throughout the Manawatu district - the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board’s, main line oil the Awaliuri Itoad, near Feilding, was broken, and owing to a poultry tanner having a large number of eggs incubating in an electrically heated machine at the time the wires were only temporarily repaired. Since then, however, the wires have snapped several times and this morning one carrying 3000 volts was down and was burning the grass on the side of the road. Eggs or no eggs, the authorities could not allow the danger to remain, and accordingly the line is now being renewed.

Search for Escapee. Warders and police arc searching for Alfred Wicks Howell, a labourer, aged 22, who escaped from Waikune Prison Camp yesterday. Howell broke away from a gang working about half a mile from the camp.—Press Association.

Architects’ Request. A decision to approach the Government and local bodies with a view to arranging that their architectural work should bo carried out by registered architects in private practice was made at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, at Dunedin, yesterday.—Press Association.

Aerial Tour. More than 2000 miles were covered by Mr and Mrs R. Diggle, of Pukokohe, in a monoplane in an aerial holiday from which they have just returned. Mr Diggle is a member of the Auckland Aero Club, and the machine, a Miles Magister low-wing sports model, was obtained from the club. Palmerston North was included in the itinerary. Absorption of Labour. A decision to confer with the Minister of Labour about ways of absorbing and training adult male labour in the industry was made by the New Zealand Footwear Manufacturers’ Association, at the annual conference, which began in Wellington yesterday. It was agreed to co-operate to the fullest extent with the Minister in the matter.—Press Association. State Lotteries. A reply by the Prime Minister (lit. Hon. M. J. Savage) to a protest from the Auckland Presbytery against the suggestion by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. Parry) to introduce a State lottery in Now Zealand, was received at a meeting of the Auckland Presbytery. Mr Savage said there would be too many other matters to be dealt with by the Government to allow such a question to be given consideration. Children’s Feet Survey. Final arrangements for a survey of children’s feet in the four centres, embracing primary and secondary schools, so tiiat standards may be laid down lor lasts for children’s shoes, have been made by the footwear committee of the New Zealand Footwear Manufacturers’ Association. The survey will be made by school medical officers and will cover children from the age of five to those in their ’teens.—Press Association.

Godwit Season Closing. For the next two months the godwits will gradually prepare for their annual fliglit back to iVlanohuria, which usually starts about the end of April. The shooting season for the birds closed yesterday. Good sport has been obtained both on the Ma'nukau Harbour and in North Auckland since the season was opened at tile beginning' of the month, and sportsmen have expressed the opinion' that there has been, no diminution in the number of birds, which have been in flocks of 200 or 300. Teachers’ Cheques.

The Wanganui Education Boaru yesterday decided not to adopt the practice of making deductions from teachers’ cheques to pay monthly instalments to repay loans granted from a provident fund. The request was made by the New Zealand Educational Institute. “It would establish a bad precedent,” remarked the chairman of the board (Mr E. F. Hemingway). “As it is, we have to do a great deal of work in the handling of teachers’ salaries and it would not lie right to add to the burdens of the staff.” Delegates for Geneva. It is announced by Hon. P. C. Webb (Minister of Labour and Mines) that Mr J. Roberts, of Christchurch, the secretary of the Colthing Trades Federation of Workers, and Mr W. J. Mountjoy, the secretary of the Wellington Employers’ Association, have been nominated as representatives to the 25th session of the International Labour Conference, which opens at Geneva on June 8. Both were nominated by substantial majorities. Mr Webb stated that if the two nominees are approved by the Government they will go to Geneva with the Government delegates, whose names have not yet been announced.— Press Association. Consolidation of Schools.

The progress of consolidation of schools in the Wanganui district has brought in its wake the need for up-to-date accommodation for motor vehicles employed in the conveyance of pupils. Instead of the familiar horse paddock of by-gone days, a modern school has its well-equipped garage. The Wanganui Education Hoard was notified yesterday that the Education Department had made a grant to enable the board to build new garages at Upper Tutaenui, Karioi, Ohakune, Mangaonoho and Terrace End Schools for buses, and additions to the Hunterville and Marton garages. Highway to Arapuni.

Extensive reconstruction work is in progress on the road from Kihikihi township, on the southern side of Te Awamutu, towards Arapuni. Over a stretch of up to ten miles the grades are being reduced, the road widened and a surface with a good camber formed for the increasing volume of motor traffic. Until the smooth highway from Arapuni to Putaruru was provided as part of the big power development scheme, the road through the southern part of the Waipa county, crossing the Waikato River at the site of the huge dam, was little used, but to-day its popularity with motorists is growing annually. Status of Librarians.

With a view to raising the status of librarians Dr. S. C. Allen (New Plymouth) urged, at the conference of the New Zealand Library Association today, that steps be taken, through the University of New Zealand, to establish degrees and diplomas for librarians, and he moved that it be an instruction to the association’s council to approach the University with a view to establishing training schools for librarians and the allocating of degrees and diplomas. After a discussion, however, this motion was withdrawn in favour of one instructing the council to go into the matter of the possibilities of raising the status of librarians, and this was carried unanimously. The Law of Libel. The suggestion that attention might be given to the amendment of the law of libel in New Zealand is made in the annual report of the committee of the New Zealand section of the Empire Press Union for submission to the annual meeting, next week, of the section. The report comments that at the third annual Imperial Press Conference at London last year under the presidency of Major the Hon. J. J. Astor, M.P., a Bill for tho amendment of the law of libel was adopted, and it was hoped that this Bill would be brought before Parliament this year. If good progress was made with it, the New Zealand section of the Empire Press Union should perhaps give consideration to the introduction of a similar Bill in New Zealand. Since the report was compiled a Bill has been introduced in the House of Commons, but withdrawn pending further investigations.