LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 21 April 1934, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There , lias been. a. distinct improvement in business in Oliura district since the railways were opened to traffic (states tbs “Taranaki Daily News”). The settlers passed through a pretty difficult time owing to the low prices of wool, sheep and lambs, and the high transportation costs, but the recent sudden improvement in tile markets, together with the opening of tile railway fine, has put nil entirely new complexion on things and heartened settler and business man alike. This change is reflected in file finances of the County Council. Where a year ago the funds were thousands to the bad, to-day they show a credit balance.

That the average number of drowning fatalities in New Zealand a few years ago was 150 per year was stated by Mr H. 11. Henderson (president of the Otago Head Centre of the Royal Life Saving Society) at a function’at the Otago boys’ High School this week. He added that latterly the figures had been falling every year. This result was put, down solely to the fact that more and more were acquiring a knowledge of life saving The release and rescue work could be be acquired only by competent swimmers, but resuscitation was a simple matter and could be acquired by any boy ill a few lessons. He maintained that no boy should leave a secondary school without a knowledge of resuscitation.

The Railway Department, is calling tenders in this issue for the purchase of railway dwellings at Kiwi Kaka. Glen, hope and Kawatiri. In to-day’s issue the Railway Department draws attention to advertisement r e cancellation of all trains on tho Nelson section on Anzac Day.

lifTers from the medical view was explained by a doctor in a compensation >ase at the Supreme Court (states the Auckland “Star”). He had stated-in evidence that he gave the plaint iff, ,vhom ho attended some days after die accident, a certificate of unfitness ’or a few days, although he had not round anything wrong with him. Cvossjxamined, the witness stated that it ,vas his practice in the ease of a work- .)■ over :to years of age, who had sutf■red a shock, to give him a certificate >f unfitness for a few days in order :o see if anything developed. On this x'asion he might have been a little more humane than usual. Shock from [he medical [joint of view had an immediate elicet, and when the patient said he had had a shock witness viewed it purely from the layman’s interpretation of the word. “The trouble in the Oliura is that farmers are holding more land than they can profitably work,” remarked a lending settler to'Mr H. H. Sterling’s party which visited the district this week. He said that if they could dispose of half of their areas—and half of the liabilities attaching—they could, by more intensive methods, get the same return from the smaller anas as from the present areas; also they could afford to employ more labour. In fact, to-day the greatest need of the district was more labour, there being sufficient work about crying out to be done to employ hundreds of willing workers. A proposal to establish at Auckland University College a station for recording the intensity of cosmic rays was brought lie fore the Auckland University College Council by Professor P. W. Burbidge, who sought leave to install on the roof of the science building an instrument provided by the Carnegie Institution, which would hear all tiie expense of installation and upkeep (states the “New' Zealand Herald”). In reply to a question, the president (Mr Kenneth Mackenzie) said lie understood that the instrument, which was now being mad e in the United States, would occupy very little space. He believed itjyas practically automatic, and the only work required of any member of the staff would be to change the record sheets and forward them to America. The Carnegie Institution was establishing stations in many parts of the world with the object of obtaining and collecting data. As the college was indebted to the Carnegie trustees in many ways, he felt that every effort should be made to carry out the request. The matter was left in the hands of the president, with power to act. “It is difficult to understand the policy of the Unemployment Board in requiring unemployed men on sustenance to pay the quarterly levy.” said the Mayor, Mr G. W. Hutchinson, when the Auckland Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee was considering a suggestion from the Mount Albert Welfare Committee that those workers should not be called on to make the payment. The committee decided to endorse the protest. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, in his remarks when opening the Hutt Horticultural Show this week, made a strong appeal for a greater appreciation of native flora. Its trees, shrubs, flowers, and berries had a beauty which he did not think was fully appreciated. After enumerating a number of beautiful flowi ering trees and shrubs, Mr Coates made a special plea for native berries, not only for their beauty, which was outstanding, but also as articles of food to at- ■ tract native birds. Amongst the berry, bearing trees were tataramoa, ramarama, porokaiwhiria, mahoe, titoki, taupata, kohekolie, puriri, karaeo, and miro.

A recently published paragraph gave an example of the British Navy’s ways and means, of doing tilings tactfully as well as forcibly. It recalls a story that the late Captain Easther used to tell in Dunedin (says the “Star”). A man-o’-«av on which he was an officer calling at a little, lonely port, was boarded by the local store-keeper, who complained that the master of a- ship about to sail was defying him to collect a debt for goods supplied. The commander took evidence, held that the claim was just, and gave judgment for the store-keep-er. Noting that the defaulter was loosing silils and heaving short, he sent a lieutenant with half a dozen men with orders to demand payment. The demand having been laughed at, the half-dozen hands proceeded to distrain —they unbent the fore-topsail, carried it ashore, sold it at auction, paid the storekeeper, and handed the surprised skipper tile balance with the compliments of Queen Victoria.

“When they use the telephone it is like listening to Mephistopheies on the stage,”, said Professor L. G. Pocock, addressing the Christchurch Classical Association an some aspects of Italian speech in everyday life (reports “The press”). An Englishman, he explained, when wanting cigars, merely pressed a button, and on the appearance of a waiter quietly asked for cigars. The Italian, on the other hand, braced him self up. pushed back bis plate, took out bis napkin, and roared in a high, penetrating musical voice: “Antonio! Cigarros !” shattering the peace of any wellordered restaurant to the distress of the uninitiated Englishman.

“A great many people look on history as a school for statesmen. It may be so, but it should be limited, for a statesman might apply means used in the past to solve the problems of tile present,” said Dr. James flight in an address to the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Historical Association (reports “The Press”). There was general agreement that the study ol history was well justified by the help it gave in understanding how the pieseut had been brought about, he said, hut it had many other uses. A statesman, however, could not hut benefit from a deep knowledge of historical events.

The Rev. M. W. P. Lascelles, secretary of the Baptist Union of New Zealand wifl arrive to-morrow morning from’ Wellington. His visit to Nelson is in connection with the Discipleship Campaign organised by the Union m all Baptist'churches throughout the Dominion. Mr Lascelles will preach to-morrow morning in the Nelson Baptist Cnurch, and in'the evening at Richmond. He will also speak on Monday night at Richmond and on Tuesday mglit m Nelson

The Nelson Provincial Scottish Society will bold its fortnightly Ingieside in the Oddfellows’ Hall Wnimeti street on Monday next. Included in the' programme will be vocal solos by Mrs Jury, Miss B. Aydon, Drummer Smith and Mr G. J. Maekie; recitations by Airs Austin; Highland dancing by Miss Jean McKenzie and a bagpipe solo by PipeSergeant Banks. The Pipe Band will parade and give selections. Ihe ballroom dance music will be supplied by the Excelsior orchestra.

Alfred Gould announces an auction sale of English piano, superior household furniture pud effects, to be sold next Thursday, 26th hist., at 12.30 p.m., at the residence of Air Percy Harold, Richmond avenue.*

“For the size of the town and its population,” said Senior-Sevgt. 1 urner, in the New Plymouth Police Court this week, “there ' are more breaches by motorists for cutting corners than in any other town in New Zealand. “With six weeks of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig-marketing Association's financial year still to go, the association’s turnover in pigs so far has exceeded the whole of that for last season,’’ said Mr W. A. Phillips, chairman of directors this week. Mr Phillips said he expected the total number of pigs to he received for the current season would he about 100,000. lie added that the association’s marketing outlets had enabled it to increase the advance payments to suppliers to the end of February on the 02,000 pigs handled at that date, by more than .£IO,OOO in excess of the total paid out last year on the 80,000 pigs handled. Referring to the gradual drop in the export market for pork in the last two months, Mr Phillips said that the slight recovery reflected in last week’s sales in Smith field was both unusual for this time of the year and was almost unexpected. He felt it was principally due to the expiry of the special arrangement made by Great Britain with America for the exchange of pork for an increased quota of the latter country's requirements of liquor. The dock strike in Denmark had doubtless also had some effect on the position. However, as there was reason to believe that the liquor and pork arrangement might be renewed and the Danish dock strike was likely to be sliort-livecl, it would appear that the present marked re-1 coverv would prove to be of a temporary nature only. The modification by the Federal Cabinet of the embargo on New Zealand apples was described by a local apple exporter to “The Press,’’ as a very astute move. The Cabinet's decisiii, reported in a cablegram allows New Zealand apples to be imported into Australia provided they are from districts whore firebliglit does not exist. “They are not giving away much,” said tiie exporter. “Otago is tiie only district where there is no firebliglit. All the rest of New Zealand is affected, f should think that the authorities in Wellington will have something to say about it.” Mr Lock states that lie lias received a letter from the British Broadcasting Association, London, through Mr Quigley', the Empire Programme Director, which expresses thanks for his comments made in reference to the reception of Empire programmes. The following extracts will be of interest: “We are enclosing herewith a booklet about this service which you may' like to read; also a schedule showing the timing of our various transmissions, and the wave lengths at present in use; in view of your special interest in Big Ben we are also sending a chart showing the times at which he can always he heard, and those times when lie may strike, if it does not interrupt the programme.” The letter concludes as under, “We hope that you will write us again from time to time, as it is a great help to us in planning programmes likely- to appeal to our various audiences. If listeners will help by- letting us know their likes and dislikes, and of course technical reports are very interesting to the engineers particularly- those from New Zealand where reception is still in a very experimental stage.” Mr Lock adds that the Association lias forwarded a large fund of inofrmation concerning their activities etc. On the application of the solicitor to the Public Trust Office the Supreme Court granted probate of the will of Stephen Mockett, ’late of Wakefield, retired railway- servant; and .also probate of the will of John Willidm Win, late of Dovedale, farmer, to the Public Trustee. "" It is important to have a large navy as it is vital to Empire communications, ’ declared Mr J. H. Biles, a re tired naval architect, of London, when interviewed (states the Christchurch “limes”). Mr Biles, who was closely connected with the building of naval ves sels, emphasised the need for a sufficiency- of ships to-maintain those communications, but owing to the fact that it was four months since he was in London lie preferred not to comment on the suitability of the present types of vessels or tiie general opinion at Home as to the desirability of a larger navy.

At the restaurant of Mr M. Morriss, High street, Motueka, an effective window display in commemoration of Anzr.c Day, lias been designed by the proprietor. The display consists of a wreath of New Zealand fern and a cross of red poppies and roses, placed upon a cairn of marble from the Takaka Hills. On both sides are large poppies and red roses; and a painting, depicting the Wellington carillon, forms the background.

The possibility of establishing a shipbuilding industry at Wellington was mentioned to the Christchurch “Press” by Mr J. II Biles, of London, a retired consulting naval architect, and formerly of the firm of Sir J. 11. Biles and Co., shipbuilders of London and Glasgow. Mr Biles was' greatly impressed with the potentialities of Wellington harbour as a shipbuilding centre. He said that shipping and shipbuilding generally went hand in hand, and that Wellington, equipped with a building' industry, would probably develop in time to be as important a centre in one respect as in the other. He understood that there would be difficulties in the way and that the chief of these would be the distance of the city from adequate steel works, but he was sure that Lliese could be overcome in some way or other. He would not suggest the ways and means of establishing shipbuilding yards in Wellington—New Zealan i ers would be mere capable of doing that—but as a visitor to 'lie countr; lie offered the advice for what it was worth.

The first known text-book on the subject of history appeared in 1505 and special teachers were appointed in loot), said Dr. .Tallies Eight in an address to the New Zealand Histor ical Association in Christchurch He referred to the amazement with which a present-day student of the history of the middle ages would regard that document.

On the suggestion of Mr F. W. Freeman the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association decided at a meeting this week to forward a remit to the South Island Motor Union recommending that the Public Works Department be asked to make adequate provision for the completion and maintenance of roads constructed for scionic purposes, and left unmetalled (states "The Press”). Mr Freeman said that the policy of the department in constructing scenic roads, often to absorb unemployed labour, and leaving them in an unfinished state was leading to a reluctance on the. part of local bodies to accept the ultimate responsibility for the roads. The remit will he discussed at the next quarterly meeting of the union.

The attention of farmers is directed f o an advertisement in this issue in conned ion with the disposal of the property at Orinoco previously held by Mr N. M. S. Powuall.*

“A statesman must know not only political history hut history in the fail sense of the term,” said Dr. J. flight at Christchurch (reports the “Times”'. He declared that the statesman had now to deal with all aspects of man's life, including love, religion and finance, and that it was no longer possible for the statesman to regard history in the old narrow sense of past politics. It was the whole life of man. A concert is fa be given in the Presbyterian Church Hall on Monday evening next. The programme includes items by- the church choir and instrumental and vocal contributions byassisting local artists. A pleasant evening’s entertainment is assured. Tiie proceeds are to be donated to the church organ fund. In conjunction with the Fruit Export Control Board, Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P., made representations to the Minister of Agriculture with the object of having the closing date for export of the Stunner variety extended. The original closing date was Ist May. The Minister notified Mr Holyoake by telegram yesterday afternoon that he would agree to an extension of the closing date to 12th May.