LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 April 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The holiday season now being over, rtcti'e preparations are being made fm the General Election which is to lake place ihi- year. [Tie date for the election Iras hot yet been lived, bin it is thought that it will lie some time towards r ln> end of October or at the beginning of November. This year’s session oi Parliament is not expected to be a very long one. The case of Robert Irwin Moachlern. who has just been declared a habitual rnmmui for the second time, is interest mg as illustrating the way in which undue ienioucy by lhe Prisons Board may nicii-ase the Work ot the police by letting * r ittiiii ils loose to [iicy on society (comments the Christchurch "Star”). Meach-h-iii. who has 31 convictions, was declared a habitual criminal in 1917. hut. was released by the Prisons Board, and has Lately drawn a young woman into a criminal partnership' involving false pretences and thclt. lie tins now been do < hoed a. habitual criminal once more, and tho judge, has expressed tin l hope that the hoard will long hesitate before i.-leasing him again There will be n general endorsement, of tliis hope. There ate many men from whom tho community is entitled to protection, and the indeterminate sentence was intended fortius purpose. But, to a large extent- this sentence has lost its terrors, and onlv a change of policy by the Prisons Board (an restore its deterrent value in the ey.-s i,r tire, underworld. Sydnev's ex p.-iiciice is one that New Zealand should take extreme measures io avoid.

In 4,‘>6 industrial disputes in 1927 Australian workmen 1 1.712.(XX) davs. compared with 1.310,261 days lost- in 360 disputes ,ir 1926. Tho amount oT wages lust totalled £1.666.000. compared with L'l .41.6.813 in 1926. In tiro six years from 1922 6.468.159 working days have been lost, involving a loss in wages of £7,134,067. The year 1927 was worse in respect to industrial unrest than any of the preceding five years. These facts wro given by the Commonwealth Prime Minister (Mr Bruce) in reply to an ad dress by fire deputy loader- of the Opposition (.Mr Sculiin) at the Eight Horns Day luncheon in Melbourne. Mr Bruce said: ".Mr- Soullin’s most amazing statement was that ‘great stress had been laid upon Tin- solution of the problem of industrial unrest, and that he did not. know of any period when there had been less industrial tin rest in Australia than a, present.’ The figures supplied to me by the statistician disclose an appalling state of things, and in spite of Mr Sntllin's sneers the Ministry will continue to lay great stress upon tho need for a solution of the question of industrial unrest. He might, perform a. useful public service by supporting the movement, in favour of a conference to that end.”

The B ov. Canon C. 11. Browning, who lias for n number of years edited the “Southern Cross Leg." has given up that work and all his association with lire Melanesian work in England to .make his home with his younger son in the northern region of Alberta, writes ' I lie I’,ist s London correspondent. In his farewell letter to, the "Log.” Canon Browning writes: “During the. time since the war that they have been established there, arid that my grandchildren have been corning ' into the. world, they have. never seen an English clergyman, except once or twice by accident, being in fact muc-h less favoured with ministrations of the Church of England than any part of the dmce.se of .Melanesia. .So I hope to he of some use spiritually to them and other- people in the neighbourhood, though I am rather old to he embarking on any missionary enterprise. But yon will remember that last year the World Call was sounding in raw ears, exhorting ns lo do what we could for on i riwn hit 1 1 and kin overseas.”

Advantage of the visit of the All Blacks to ,"south Afric-a is being taken by tire Government- Publicity Office to dispatch a, special souvenir programme of 20 pages advertising the Dominion, and scenic pictures are being featured, and, in addition, the. photographs and records of the players arc to be printed. As space will also be let: fur the scores of the various matches plavi-d. it is hoped that the programme will remain in South Africa as a permanent advertisement of the country ~f the All Blacks for many years to come.

T he Colost in I is nothing if not a patron of horse-racing, and an equally keen patron of the “tote.” On Saturday (says the "Star") a bland Chinese came u> lire selling window at, Ellot-slio, and asked for two tickets on a certain number. The lady attendant issued the two little pieces of card, but the purchaser, glancing at the number, refused to take them, declaring that he had requested tickets on another horse. Argument followed, but was ended by another Chinese in the queue, who exclaimed, “All ii', misser ; me tnkee 'em ; might he lucky." Whether these two men of the East foregathered after- the race is not known, hut the prophecy of the second was borne out by tire collect n of nearly £BO for the two rejected tickets of iris count ivnran.

Discussing tbe system of selecting Reform Ptirty candidates the Christchurch "Riess" suggests thin, the I‘arty should larefuily examine the eommiuiteius of il? candidalcr. "Hitheitu tin; people win.' manage flie Party's affairs have insisted upon nothing more in the Party’s official nominee than that lie should

subscribe to the Party platform." states our contemporary. " Hie events ot lasi session made it alert r that .something more, should he required. namely, that no eandidate receiving official .Hippnri should he pledged in any way to any outside organisation whatever. Pledges were given in 1025 by candidates of all Parlies which resulted in a very gross misrepresentation of public sentiment on the liquor question, and which resulted in tin tanging of several Reform mem hers against the Prime .Minister. Those pledges were, of course, given for this Parliament only, and they will he discharged with the dissolution of the Hi mse. The Party ought to insist that no candidate seeking election or re-elec-tion shall owe a double allegianci—that every candidate who desire? official hacking shall bind himself to give no pledges to any orgiitiisatioii except the Pal tv Itself."

A scheme lot the filtration and siciil nation of waiet fot the public swimming baths in Auckland has been ico mmend ed to the City Council by the parks commit I ee. Jhe rest will he aboil! £7OOO.

Ilavc you ever noticed that tin- most inveterate enemies ~f tobacco are lie f|iieritl.v those who cannot, smoke he cause smoking disagrees with them!'--

and being nnahlo to smoke themselves lhc.\ object to everybody else smoking. A tremendous amount of nonsense has been written and uttered regarding Ihe ''injurious"' effects of the weed. Bill, as a matter ~l fnd tobacco has benefited far more people than it lias harmed. When it does work harm it is because it contains mi e\cess of nicotine, as most of the imported brands do. .And that’s just where they differ from our own New Zealand grown luliinvos which while containing very little nicotine ant vet so full of flavour and fragrance that t hr\ appeal irresistibly to smokers. These delightful brands (which may he smoked for spells without musing miv unpleasant eftecisj am pirinufacttir cd in variout Mrengfhs to -'OU <,t| s-ir.|)k----ers. Those most in mpiest are "l(iw;rhead Cold" mild. 'N«v.v Cut ' (Bulldog) medium and "Cut. Ping Xu 10" (Bttllsheadl fuli strength. 'Pry tlientt you will find lhe?H ,superior to nc-n- 1 toasted tobiVcfJ; * 1

The Mayor (Air \V. .T. %frftal l * slated

l«i-dav thar judging /torn numerous applications fie had received recently ! here is a t;ur amour.' of tinomploymerif in the city. The majority of men out ot work toe unskilled labourers. The Mayor regrots lie is unable to do anything at present to relieve the position.

A great litany ot' the public, o-pecially eliildren, Itave taken advantage of the laeililics nffcrcd to inspect fi.M S. Vet'otiiea nov. bet thed ;tt the wharf. Roth officers and crew have been very attentive jrt showing visitors over the war ship, whu it will leave Nelson on Ttu-s- ---, 1:: c tie vi

.Mr S \ Zitiian. of f ainht i.ige, a lilt..dr- r. I.olat . - tai.-.t a 1.-w days ago that lie’ .n. tint tan, have in no way changed situ e be. atmoiiiier.l bis intention some time ago of standing as an Independent Reform eatidid.ate h.r the Wailcalo seal, at the general election. He says “there ha-; been considerable criticism of New Zealand Rhodes scholars' riot taking any active part in the public life of the nonunion, arid 1 should tertniniy lend support In such i t iticism. if, after my experience of administrative legislative work in high posts in India, and with the opportun dy of devoting myself to public life here, [ did not place myself at the ills pusal of the electors i f the district in which 1 h ave my home and all my in revests.”

The direi’tors ot the New Zealand t lunrautee Cot potalion. Ltd.. have declared file following interim dividends foi tlie half year ending 28tli February, 1928: Upon prefiuence shares at the tale of 7 per cent, per annum ami on ordinary shares, fouipettee on the shares paid up 1.0 eight shillings, and tenpence per share on fully paid shares.. In a let. tis to the shareholders Sir Joseph Ward, chairman of directors, stales that the business of the Corporation lias been i i nducted satisfactorily with a. loss ration so small as in he insignificant. He also points out that there is little likelihood of anv further capital being called up.

While avoiding being drawn into any personal or political discussion on the eve of his departure for England. Sir Joseph W ard said he was watching dc velopim-iits with much interest. lie thought that his own party —the Liberal "Parly-—was the only sect ion of the House thill, was really importurhed. The Gov eminent was very fortunate in having an Opposition broken up into two nr three contending parties that- could not agree, upon the first, essentials of a commen policy. There had been a good deal of talk about, dissensions in the Reform I’ariv. and everyone knew there had been a measure of dissatisfaction within its ranks: hut unless the dissentients were prepared to renounce the very foundations of their political faith (here appeared to he no resting place for them in any of the Opposition folds. If, as had been stated, there were scores of new aspirants for political honours, commercial and professional men. eager and fully equipped, awaiting to take the field on ilto side of the Opposition, then there would he something to talk about. But for some reason or another no such candidates had yet made iheir appearance ill public, and time was passing. Sir Joseph implied that his own party was better prepared.

“With regard to salaries, the English teachers themselves consider they are hot lei* paid than wo are.” states Miss IU. Harris, a Gisborne school teacher who spent, a year in England under the iriteriliango of teachers’ system. “It is interesting to note, too. that while in England the teacher is paid, in New Zealand the position is paid. An English teacher's promotion is assured without moving from class to class even. Hence i lime is not I lie tendency to move from school to school, which is so prevalent in New Zealand. A great deal must he list to both teacher and child through the excessive chopping and changing. Although our grading system was forcibly attacked. 1 consider it. is preferable to the English system of appointment of teachers. We would refer to their method as belonging to our ‘had old days.' The teaehing profession in England offers better propects tfi- the woman iearlier, and one feels that New Zealand must do something more for her women. The field at Heme is so much with r. Apart from headmistresses of infant schools, there are headmistresses of junior girls' schools, girls’ schools, principals of girls’ training colleges, and demonstration schools. and. of course, women inspectors The English teachers were amazed at the passiveness of our New Zealand women and blamed our having gained the franchise ton easily.”

A request, that it veennsider its rule forbidding teams to undertake more than two days' combined training before any representative football fixture ’s to la made to the New Zealand Rugby Union by tins Haxvkes Bay Union. Moving along these lines at the annual meeting of the Htiwkes Bay Union. Mr X. A. McKenzie remarked that tite present rule would rebound oil the New Zealand Union if it ever wished to put its sides in training for international fixtures. The remit, which lie proposed should be forwarded to tile annual meeting of the New Zealand Union delegates, was. of course, designed to assist, the country unions, whose play•i s were scattered till over its district' and who could not show true team form without sonn concerted training. Country players could not gather into iheir "gvm" sheds four nights a week !... train as tin* city players did. Mr •J \V. Callaghan remarked that- the New Zealand Union had sent All Black teams into training for inter-national games, but suddenly miVle a rule to prohibit country unions doing what' they themselves had been doing for many years. The motion was carried iiiianiniouslv.

A system of budgetary control for all branches of the Railway Department is now iti operation. I tuler this scheme a fnivcjist of revenue and expenditure will lie made for each four-weekly period. The controlling officer of each district and branch and division will submit es-timaii-s for all operations under his control. After these have been reviewed l>v liie divisional superintendents they will iio dealt with by a special committee In Wellington, consisting of the chief accountant. chief mechaniial engineer, .-hii'f cngim-cr. superinleiuleni of work--l"ips. and the genera I superintendent of i r:.t.s| nit tn« mu There nflieeis will go fully into the budget i i iuitj:of revenue ami expenditure, and will iiialte such adjustments as the prevailing circumstances wan am. A master budget will I hen In- prepared and submitted to the Hoard of Management, When the noisier budget has received the approval of the Board, budget allowances wifi he issued aei ot dingly for each hrati'-h and district. ('on I rolling oflieers will be expected in keep their expenditure within their allowances. "The new system will enable controlling officers to keep in i-I'mci pel si ma 1 touch with the financial side of iqiio at intis i/l (licit distill I." states the "Railway Magazine." ‘ Budgeiaty ciiiil i O'l calls for continual alert ne-s on the pari of each controlling officer m checking up the expenditure of Ins district. Under the new system in \ I'sMlpi! iom will lie made while the expenditure is net italic going i.ip in-trad of some Weeks after the close of She' period, when die official financial figures i are available. It is uni contended that tin budgetary control will take the place of skilful management, but by inerensnqt the responsibility ot controlling officii’.- it will i.iisii'i- a mitidi grratci' - because more direct - interest hv them nr the financial results of Departmental I .op/trntiofi:-," ’ J

“Tito observance of the great l’esti- [ vals of the Christian calendar is un- j doubtedly increasing." said Canon James | at Auckland on Sunday. “People, j who do nut attend church at other timer- i make, a point () f observing Good Friday, j Easier Sunday and Christmas Day, and j accordingly, although church-going as a j whole is not increasing, the attendance j on those occasions certainly is. That i has been my experience- for some vents I past. “ /