LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 7 April 1934, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To load another cargo of o il fuel for the new Zealand cruisers Dunedin a nd Diomede the Admiralty tanker Nncula left Auckland for Abaga, Persian Gulf, on Wednesday, reports the “New Zealand Herald.” Previously oil fuel for the New Zealand Naval' Department was obtained from San Pedro. California. but arrangements have been made for the Nucula to make three voyjjfjCs to the Persian Gulf for suppluis. 1 ins will keep the Nucula in connin'?sion for over eight months and during Hint period she will steam about 6000 iniles. En route to the Persian Gulf tie tanker will call at Colombo ami the voyage to Abaga will occupy about . days. On her second voyage she will visit the South Sea Islands and will make a call at Nukuhiva and Apia-, where she will replenish the bunkers of the Luncdm and Diomede when 'hey are on their coining cruise to tiie Islands. During one of i 1; q voyages the Nucula may supply fuel to ’the war sloop Leith which is an oil burner and is expected in New Zealand about tinmiddle of the year. The Leith is replacing the war sloop Veronica, which is en route from New Zealand to England to be broken up. After being closed, except for Saturdays and .Mondays, for over 2 years the Regent Theatre is to be re-opened every night shortly. The directors state they have seen red an < xceptionally fine range: of first class films and tluii together with the general improvement • n conditions makes llie re-opening possible. Suppl.es ef film are obtainable from all the major distributors of high grade British and American pictures which assures patrons of entertainment of a. consistently high standard. Distributers from whom supplies will he drawn are Meiio-Gckhvyn-Mr.ycr, Paramount, British Empire Films, Greater Australasian Films, United Artists, Warner Bros., and Vitaplione, Fox Films, Australia and New Zealand PV Lues, Universal Films and Celebrity Films. Some improvements inside ihe theatre are to be made to ensure more warmth and comfort for patrons during idle winter months. The theatre will hr under th management, of Mr E. T. Broker, who lias acted in the capacity of liriiiso-iiiaimger for some time past and will be {i nducted biclapendently.

Mr Fred Woods, cvnngelest from Australia, lias returned to Nelson to conduct, special meetings in Hobion Tlall, Hardy street. As advertised in this issue .Mr Woods commences his meetings to-morrow evening. The annual re-union dinner of the Dovedale Returned Soldiers’ Club will be held on Saturday next (14th April! in the Dovedale Hall.

The Anchor Company announce that the Matangi's time of sailing for Wellington to-night lias been postponed u til 10 o’clock. Intending passengers are requested to note this alteration.

A copy of the bibliographical rarity, “llurstiioiise’s Account of New Plymouth,” described in yesterday’s issue, lias a place in the Nelson Diocesan library.

Tn reply to a “Mail” representative to-day the Mayor (Air W. J. MoiFatt) said lie was entirely in agreement with Councillor Page's reasons for his resignation of the chairmanship of Hie local unemployment committee published in yesterday's “Mail.”

Ail amusing experience that befell him in New Zealand in tiie early days was related to an “Otago Daily Times ’ reported this week by Captain A. W. Pearse, representative in Australia and New Zealand of (lie Port of London Authority. “As mi apprentice boy,” no said, “I came to Otago in 1078 in tile sailing ship Cardigan Castle, which had as passengers 300 oniigftw.ts, most of whom were girls. During the voyage I fell in leva with one of these girl’s, and when the ship reached port we ran away together into the country. It was not long, however, before the police found us. and I had the humiliating .x----peri nice of being taken down the L\t-ti-lton wharf handcuffed c:i the back of a trooper’s horse, with everyone laugh at me. And, ns though that were not enough,” lie added with •■.- smile, ‘I had to pay a fine of £5 into the bargain.

A review cf the commercial activities of the Dominion for the mouth of February is contained in the monthly Abstract of Statistics for March. Improve meats arc noted in business conditions generally, and there lias been ’Ticrensed activity’ in the building trade, whil • railway and shipping freight returns have been'materially in advance of the totals during the saine period last year. “The value of building operations represented by permits. in the larger towns during February was £405,628, m increase of "£141,799 over the January figure. The February total is considerably greater llv.ii that recorded in any one month since October, 1930, with Hi; exception of September, ]933 '£590,720); but it should be noted that the current figure and that for September of 1933 include several large buildings of a considerable value.. The February, 1934, total of permits issued for new dwellings was 163, the lowest figure recorded ‘since June, 1933. but still considerably in advance of totals for individual months prior to the inception of the building-subsidy scheme of the Unemployment Board in July last.

The Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Internal Affairs, has advised Mr S. G. Smith, Ml’, that the whole matter of the export of Maori antiques will be looked into with a view to some satisfactory meeting of the position as far as articles of modern make are concerned. Some time ago Mr Smith made representations regarding the restriction on the icxport of Maori curios, stating that he knew of one ease where a crippled Maori could make a living for the sale of natixe articles lie could manufacture if the restrictions did not exis(. At the same time Mr Smith stated that he appreciated the necessity of keeping Maori antiquities in the country.

“Yesterday afternoon,” said a New Zealander, now resident in Sydney, “I had the pleasure of attending one of the fortnightly screenings of New Zealand tourist films released by the New Zealand Government. Tourist- Bureau, and honestly assert that I. felt very proud, as a- New to hear the complimentary remarks passed by various members of tb.e audience. The programme. which lasted approximately 4» minutes, was most comprehensive and covered practically all the main tourist resorts of both Islands, and the screening was prefaced and concluded with a few remarks by the New Zealand Government Trade and Tourist Commissioner. Mr L, J. Schmitt In convemlion with hir: afterwards, I was gratifimi to icarr. that as a result of these screen nigs, which can be attended by anyone sufficiently interested io procure a card of admission from Hie Tourist Bureau, mauv tours are booked and Mr Schmitt is to bp highly commended upon Ins enterprise.”

“It’s all talk,” said Mr S. G. Smith, M.P. when a statement was made recently that for every £1 collected for unemployment relief 12s fid was spent in administration. Mr Smith pointed out that the chairman of the’Unemployment Board, the Hon. Adam Hamilton received no remuneration for Ins services in connection with the hoard, receiving only the usual salary of a Minister. The Unemployment Act limited the salary of the deputy-chair-man, Mr J. S. Jessep. to £4OO per annum, less 10 per cent., and that of the remaining members, Messrs P. R. Climie and W. Bromley, to £3OO, less 10 per cent. For the year ended 31st March, 1933, the unemployment fund receipts were £4,212,965 18? 4d, of which board members’ fees, salaries and expenses were £l9ll 19s 9d. The annual appropriation vote “unemployment expenses,” for the same period was £100,007 17s 4d, which includes £00,77(5 llos 4d for services rendered by other departments and the cost of collection of the taxes, levies, eie.. by the postal authorities. The full list of items under this head is: Salaries £15,(543, advertising £2782, board members’ fees, salaries and expenses £l9ll, fitting up labour bureaux £712, law costs £B, office equipment £945, office expenses £302, overtime and meal allowances £279, postages, telegrams anil telephones £0537, printing and stationery £5294 printing unemployment relief stamps £407, "rent, heating, lighting £ISOO, services rendered by other departments £(501770* expenses pf special advisory committee £4OO, telephone services £350. transfer and removal expenses £O2, travelling expenses and allowances £2465, contingencies £l, total £100,007.

An interesting visitor to Dunedin this week was -Captain A. W. Pear.se, proprietor of the “Pastoral Review, who is also representative in Australia and New Zealand for the Port of London Authority. While in England last vear Captain Pcnyse was accorded the honour of being given the Freedom of Ixnidon, and, as lie told a “Daily Times” reporter, “I can get drunk .in London aim (lie police can t arrest me I can have my children educated free at the London public schools, and I am granted many privileges not enjoyed by the ordinary person.” In 1908 Caplain Pearse was appointed by the New Zealand meat interests as their only delegate to the Refrigerating Conference in Paris, and in 1913, when a similar conference was held in Chicago, he not only represented New Zealand, but was also appointed by the Commonwealth of Australia to be its delegate.

Tiie Nelson Provincial Scottisii Society will hold its fortnightly Ingieside in tiie Oddfellows Hall, YVnimea street, on Monday next. A varied programme has been arranged by the Taliuna members who are making every endeavour to make the evening an enjoyable one. The Society’s Pipe Band will parade and give selections. The Excelsior Orchestra will supply the music for tlu ballroom dances.

The decision of Mr Justice Long Imies (o give tlie custody of a child to a mother who had been found wanting as a wife is much discussed (writes the Svdney correspondent of die Melbourne ■‘Argiis'’). lie is spoken of as “another Solomon.” He hold that though a woman might fai 1 in regard tc her marriage vows site did not necessarily on that account fail as a mother. There was no immorality in the case. The wife simply would not live with her husband. His Honour’s finding is not criticised to any extent, but his summing up is thought to conflict with it. The man in 'lie street expressed bewilderment, and there is an expression of the old belief that judges make trouble for themselves when they give reasons for their decisions. Mr Justice Long Innes found nothing against the husband except, perhaps. liot-headednoss. The wife, however. he described n.s “an emotional, neurotic, hysterical, and atterlv selfish woman, who will not hesitate to make any statement.” Tt is this description hv his Honour that causes some to gasp in astonishment. The Judire, however, was satisfied tint the child's interests were best served l>v giving her to her mother, and, as ho is always very thor. ousrh in Ins dealing with donicst’c disputes, it is assumed that the decision was such as was called for hv the circumstances. He stated that the law required such a finding.

“You would be surprised if you knew the number of men in Auckland who dye their hair,” sail ail Auckland diem- (: >t. “Just like women, men seem u. be showing an increased anxiety to pro serve their youthful appearance. In some cases it is just vanity, but- in others it is a desire to appear youthful when applying for a job.

There has been a great improvement in the demand for and the sale of new cars in the last three or four months, according to a leading Christchurch motor dealers interviewed bv the

“Press”). It was stated that many sales were being made for cash,., and while there was still an excellent" demand for small cars, purchasers were beginning to show more interest in higher priced cars. According to- Auckland reports sales there in the last, three months were the best for three years, but only two of the dealers consulted recently would agree that this was the case in Christchurch, although all were agreed that there was a vast improvement.

An unusual reason for the presence of so many high fences round gardens in the suburbs of Christchurch was advanced by Mr F. J. Prouting, the chairman of the St. Albans Burgesses’ Association (reports the “Press”). Mr Prouting was commending the efforts of the beautifying associations in the city to have the high fences lowered, or removed. “To those of us who were boys when the roads were covered with loose metal, it is easy to understand why those high fences were built round so many of our most beautiful, gardens,” he said. ’ The fences were necessary to protect gardens and homes from damage through the metal being ' thrown by boys who could not resist taking shots at’stray cats and other things. Now that the loosely metalled roads are disappearing that .danger is passing, and the fences should be removed.” The citizens ! of Nelson have always appreciated the efforts of the “Jolly Jack Pars” in public entertainment, and the visit of the Dunedin on Saturday next will give an opportunity of seeing one of the best and brightest shows yet seen hero. Reports from other centres indicate that the present troupe on H.M.S. Dunedin is quite out of the ordinary, and patrons are assured of a first class entertainment. Proceeds are to be devoted to .worthy causes, and a full and appreciative house is expected-. Intending patron j -.{pie advised to book at Beggs on Tuesday to be'sure of a good seat.

Whether knowledge of the future could be of ’ %hy- ’great value to mankind is doubted by Mr E. D Mosley, S.M. When commenting on a case of fortune telling in the Magistrate ; Court at- Christchurch (states • “The Press"), he expressed the opinion that it was just as well that • man did not know everything of the future. “Even if it were possible to tell fortunes accurately, would it be of any benefit to us?” he askid. “Why. about the future, so long as we live honestly. Perliap if we knew what was to happen in the future that knowledge would interrupt; our whole lives.” On Thursday of next week the General Synod of’ the Anglican Church m New Zealand opens in Napier and is expected to last about twelve days. Representatives will be present from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, Waiapu, Waikato Melanesia, and Polynesia. Polynesia will be represented by the Bishop of Polynesia, as well as by the Rev. W J. Hand, the Rev. H. Favill (Tonga), and Dr Beattie (Suva), and there will be five representatives on behalf of me Diocese of Melanesia. The statutory representation of each diocese is the Bishop, three clergy, and four laymen.

A special Gazette .issued this week gives the grading list and classification of all teachers employed by the -Education Department. This is the statutory list which is always issued at the beginning of April each year. Teachers who have reason to be dissatisfied with their grading may lodge an appeal before 14:!i May next. Two Canterbun teachers are at the head of the list, graded No. 1. An Auckland teacher is graded No. 2. No one has been placed in grade No. 3; and of the nine in grade No. 4 four teachers are from the Wellington ditrict.