LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 October 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A letter was received at yesterday’s, meeting of tlie Nelson Hospital Board from a parent of a child treated at the hospital, stating that the impression had been gained from the school that tho treatment would be free. Mr J. G. Page commented that it was not the first such case which had come under his notice. The chairman (Major R. Dagger) considered the education authorities should he written to on the (mutter stating that cases came under the notice of the board where parents had been misled by the school authorities that free treatment for children was obtained at hospitals. A motion to this effect was passed. “Charitable aid is our bogey just now but in tlie next six months which are (lie best for work in the district it is hoped to come nearer our estimate” com. molded the Chairman (Major R. Dagger) at yesterday’s meeting of the Nelson Hospital Board when the monthly financial statement was being considered He pointed out that two-thirds of the amount estimated for had ’gone in the first six months of the year.

A lecture on earthquakes, illustrated by iantern'slides, will be delivered by dr. P. Marshall at tlie School of Music on Wednesday next at 8 p.m., under the auspices of tlie Nelson Philosophical Society. Dr. Marshall is well known in New Zealand and Australia as a lecturer on geological matters, and the subject he has chosen should be of great interest. He will also deal with recent earthquakes in the Dominion. The public is cordially invited to attend. Ladies’ Tub Frocks in fast coloured, printed cottons, featuring small- Cape Sleeve, faced with white. S.W, and W. Only 17/6 to-morrow at McKay’s.* Fascinating Spring Fabrics at Trathen’s. Light priced. See page 3.* Coat special for to-morrow at McKay’s ! Special purchase ladies’ light weight ITopsack Coats, smart style, only 45/- each.*

In reviewing the expenditure and revenue for the month at the monthly meeting of the Nelson Hospital Board the managing secretary expressed the opinion that the new conditions for payment of fees was evidently going to have a good effect as approximately £4OO in fees was collected last month.

The Mayor of Wellington’s relief fund has benefited to the extent of £503 as a lesult of this year’s community “sings.” In the winter of 1931 the sum of £537 was raised, so that in the two years the Mayor’s fund has received a total of £IO4O. In addition to this sum, £97 .13s 9d was raised for tho Red Cross Society as a tribute to their ready and valuable work in the Hawkes Bay and Wairoa earthquakes.

Recently the Kairanga County Council circularised local bodies seeking support for a proposal that, with a view to restricting sheep worrying by sporting dogs, the fee for registration should be increased to a maximum of £2. At this week’s meeting of the council a number of replies were received, but a difference of opinion was evident. Five of the county councils favoured the introdue lion of the higher fee, although one considered a fee of £1 would be sufficient. Two negatived the proposal, four merely received the communication, two considered the existing fee high enough, while one southern county council considered that it was not so much sporting dogs which were responsible for the worrying of sheep as unregistered dogs of all descriptions, including sheep dogs. The matter was not pressed further.

A new by-law setting out the conditions under which advertising signs may be painted upon walls and other places, is to be considered by the Auckland City Council at its meeting this evening. The present by-law on the subject was declared unreasonable by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in a case that came before him, hence the necessity for a new one.--The old by-law set out in detail the col ours that were permitted to be used, but tbe new by-law simply says that be. fore a sign is painted the council must approve the colour, form and contents, full particulars of which are to tie forwarded v.ith the application. The bylaw will also prescribe fees for permits for electrical signs, an annual license fee ot Is 2d a square yard for hoardings, and prescribes the sort of sign that may be put up on premises by business firms. The transport war shows signs of developing in an interesting manner, as the Railway Department proposes to canvass retailers and others for business (states a Taranaki paper). During a discussion at a meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce the stationmaster at New Plymouth, Mr W. G. Stewart, said :— 1 ‘lt is my intention to send out two officers at an early date to interview retailers in an endeavour to ascertain why lorries from Auckland and 'Wellington are coming here loaded with goods, and to see if the merchants and retailers cannot give the railway some of the business that these carrying concerns are now doing. Tlie Chamber of Commerce here and elsewhere passes resolutions about supporting the railways—but we want something more than resolutions, we want actual, support.”

Botany is the Cinderella of the sciences taught in our schools afid colleges, state Mr A. H. Cockayne, Assistant Director-General of Agriculture, and Mr 11. H. Allan, of the Plants Research Station, in the latest number of the “Junior Red Cross.” Even the girls’ ’ schools seeni to be forsaking it. “It, is queer,” cement Messrs Cockayne and Allan, “now botany has so often been slighted as fit for ‘girls and parsons.’ We are far from depreciating ‘Home Science,’ but we do think that the science’on which’the homes of New Zealand so largely depend should receive adequate recognition in our educational programmes. We welcome the signs that the primary,, schools at any rate are becoming seized with the importance of real, live, observational study.”

Farmers and skilled workers in New Zealand have not much to complain about when their conditions are compared, with those in Canada, said Mr W. Goodfellow, speaking at the garden party held at Claudelands, near Hamilton to celebrate his return from Ottawa. In referring to the wages paid for skilled labour in Canada, Mr Goodfellow pointed out that men were paid as low as from 3s 4d to 4s 2d a day. They were supplied with a log cabin to live in, but had to pay for their own food. This ’gave some idea of the extent wages had fallen. Co-operation in Canad was at a very low ebb. In Eastern Canada the majority of farmers could not speak English, while in Western Canada the butter-fat return at the end of tlie year was only 5/,d a lb. He was very disappointed that the farmers of Canada had not been represented at the Ottawa Conference.

Taranaki’s prosperity barometer is the price and quantity of butter-fat and .the present barometer is a cheery one, prices being at a good average level with quantity at a record high figure (states the “Herald”). Factories from all sides report increased production and the province has contributed splendidly to the Dominion’s increase of butter-fat during September of nearly 20 per cent. After the recent warm spring rains the whole province has put on a mantle of emerald green and a record growth of pastures is promised. All tlie indications are that the low prices of dairy produce will be offset by the increase in production and that farmers can expect at least a payable return for their labours. This will reflect itself in business throughout the province and thus a display of optimism is justified and timely. The present spring lias seen the birth and remarkable growth of the idea that business has really turned for the better and that if Nature does her part iu arranging the right weather the present season will prove the most successful since the slump hit New Zealand. The stage is set for a trade recovery but the curtain is weighted down with pessimism. A wave of optimism that will set money circulating, goods moving and factories speeding up is the great need of the day.

The area of land vested in Maori Lands Boards ,at 31st, March last was 657,102 acres and the amount of funds held by the boards .at that date was £595,047, which was £33,949 less than last year. These statements are contained in the annual report on Native Land Courts, which was presented to Parliament states “The Mail’s” Parliamentary reporter. Native land purchased by the Crown during the year amounted to 5624 acres. Since 1910, 1,539,818 acres of Native land have ben acquired through the Native Land Purchase Board. The estimated area of Native land still owned by Maoris in the North Island is 3,864,042 acres.

A reunion of ex-servicemen, arranged bv the R.S.A. will be held on Tuesday evening next, when Captain M. . de .Meric, Royal Navy, will be the principal guest. Those intending to be present are requested to obtain tickets from the secretary R.S.A. on or before Saturday.

Ladies’ Jumpers in Wool and Art Silk. V : necks and short sleeves. Creme and Gold, Creme and Flame and plain Creme, only 9/11 at McKay’s.*

The Appleby Tennis Club purpose bolding a series of euchre tournaments commencing on Saturday evening next.

Tlie Tahunanui scout committee will hold a social and dance in the hall on Saturday next in aid of the troop funds.

Alfred Gould announces details of an auction sale of furniture, Engineers’ accessories, seed potatoes and bowlers’ sets at the rooms to-morrow at 2.39 p.m,*

Mrs Guy Williams, who for the past three years has been president of the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Union, did not seek re-election at the annual meeting held at the South Canterbury. Women’s Club and attended by about 45 delegates. Mrs Williams has been prominently associated with golf in New Zealand for many, years, and has done much for women’s golf in the Dominion. As Miss E. Hope Lewis, she first won the championship in 1905, and has repeated her success in five subsequent years. Slie has worked hard-on the executive side of the 'game, and general regret was expressed when it was learnt that she was not seeking re-election. Mrs H. S. Lawrence, captain of the Christchurch ladies’ club, war elected president of the union in succession to Mrs Williams. It was decided that the 1933 championship meeting should be held at Wanganui.

Mr Hugh Wright, of Auckland, who has been gaining business experience in England and the United States for the iast- year and eight months, returned by the Monterey this week. He said it was an education to see how the young men dressed in the West End. Their idol was the Prince of Wales. He was “it,” and the young men took their cue from him all the time. “The Prince introduced the straw boater,” he said, “and it has had a marvellous run.” Mr Wright said one important store had a straw hat made large enough to fill the whole of a show window, and a rival firm, not to be outdone, made a display of a miniature straw hat. “Business had taken a decided turn for the better before I left London,” said Mr Wright. “The sales in some of the more important .houses were showing weekly increases of from l»to 3 per cent. That was a sure indication of the turn of the tide. The people are certainly becoming more optimistic' and this is reflected in practically every phase of life.” Mr Wright said that optimism was also making itself felt in the United States.

Impressed by the expansion of the cities of Japan along European lines and the possibilities of New Zealand trade with the East, Mr J. R. McKenzie, owner of the chain of departmental stores, and one of the Dominion’s leading sportsmen, returned from a four months’ visit to the East by the Zealpndia this week (reports the Auckland “Star”). Mentioning that it, was 13 years since he had been last in the East, Mr McKenzie said he had been struck by the development of the big cities. For instance, Osaka, one of the principal manufacturing towns, was, on his previous 'visit linked with Kobe by a load that was hardly-passable, but now there was a fine thoroughfare, with boulevards capable of accommodating eight motors abreast. On the railways, too, he noticed marked improvement, the journey from' Kobe to Yokohama having been shortened from 13 to eight hours. Yokohama, which suffered so severely in the earthquake, had been entirely rebuilt, and building was still going on, though the city had not recovered a lot of the business, which was diverted to Tokio after the earthquake. Mr McKenzie said that the ves. sel he sailed in from Brisbane carried 1000 bales of wool. Last year Janan, which was Australia’s best customer next to. Great Britain, imported 640,000 bales of wool from the Commonwealth. The buildings of the East were of modern European architecture, and there were many department stores conducted on the same lines as in the West. European customs in food and dress were widely adopted, and it was noticeable that Japanese frequented the hotels and restaurants where European food was provided. He considered that opportunities for finding markets for our primary products in Japan were being neglected, and he thought that New Zealand should be represented there either by a Government or a producers’ re : presentative. . ;

From time to tiWVe material from the Kawatiri-Inangahua' section of the railway is shipped to Lyttelton. On the wharf at Nelson yesterday were truck loads of fish-plates and sleepers for the Southern port “Why,” perinently asked a citizen, who was on the whan, “do not the Government send the material on the East Coast railway from Parnassus by its own railway to Christchurch, instead of shipping similar material from Nelson?”

An indication that the appointment of cadets to the Public Service, which has been suspended for some time on account of the depression, will be resumed next year is contained in a letter which has been received by the Napier Employment of Youth Committee from the Public Service Commissioner (states the “Telegraph”). In his letter to the committee, the commissioner states that the position regarding the appointment of cadets is that, as a measure of economy, no appointments have been made for some considerable time past. It is anticipated, however, that it will _be necessary to make further appointments from the commencement of next year. This, however, depends upon the conditions existing at/ that time. In regard to future : appointments the commissioner stresses the fact that appointments will be made from applications on record arranged in order of merit according to the _ aggregate number of marks received in the entrance examinations passed by them. In other words a boy with the highest examination status would l’eceive the first offer of appointment. The minimum inquired to be eligible was a pass in the Public Service entrance examination. Matriculation _ was one step higher, while those with _ higher leaving certificates or with university education would obtain still further preference. The object of this method of appointment, stated the commissioner, was to encourage the boys to improve their educational status.

In considering the future of electrical supply in New Zealand, any development that offers the-possibility of an increased return from an existing investment will be decidedly attractive, declared M- E. Hitchcock, general manager of the Christchurch Municipal Electricity Department, in addressing the annual meeting of the Supply Authority Engineers’ Association of New Zealand at Wellington. One of the most interesting possibilities of this kind, he said, was an aspect of radio development, which was in the experimental stage in England on the occasion of his visit to that country last year. “One way in which I heard the subject put forward,” said Mr Hitchcock, “was: A telephone company, or Government Department, administering a telephone service, would not consider providing the whole system of exchanges, overhead and underground cable, etc., and then allow individual subscribers to attempt to receive the service offered by putting in any type of instruments tliat they fancied. All sorts of instruments and varying degrees of satisfaction from the service would result. The telephone organisations insist upon a uniform type of instrument, The parallel in its application to radio would be that the broadcasting authority supplies a station and a given broadcast. The reception by the individual listeners is now subject to all (he vagaries of their individual grades and types of instruments, by which means the efficiency of the broadcasting plants, and the efforts of the broadcasting authority, are often seriously marred. The proposal for overcoming this difficulty was that the local supply authority should install a high-grade receiving outfit, and from it deliver, by wire to its consumers, the programme, with all the refinements in reception that could be provided by such an elaborate receiving station.

H.M.S. Dunedin is due at Nelson on Tuesday next, 18th instant, and will remain several days.

It was disclosed at the meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board yesterday afternoon that as the result of the 20 per cent, reduction in rents made under tha National Expenditure Act, 1932, the revenue of the Board will decrease to the extent of about £230 a year.