LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 23 May 1936, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Authority to issue three pamphlets annually to keep Taranaki teachers in touch with new ideas and systems of work in their profession was given by the Taranaki Education Board to its secretary, Mr H. W. Insull. Mr C. N. ilaslam, senior inspector, stressed the advantages of the scheme and undertook to prepare material._ Every person connected with education who visited the province, said Mr Ilaslam, had hints to impart. They were being picked up all the time from all sorts of sources. The trouble was that, so much knowledge was apt to be indigestible; the ideai thing was to allow it to “dribble out” so that teachers could assimilate it. He himself was willing to collate material so long as the board would issue it in pamphlet form. The pamphlets wouid go to every school, and even those in the hack country would not feel neglected and out of touch. Mr Ilaslam added that the Wanganui board had adopted the system for some years and had used the pamphlets to disseminate instructions from headquarters. Thus there was no excuse for teachers not hearing about changes. In Australia the gazettes, much fuller than those in New Zealand, fulfilled the same function.

During the past year the Otago Acclimatisation Society’s ranger (Mi F. David) has spent some time investigating the native bird life of the province, and his conclusions on this subject are contained in the annual report of tho society (states the “Daily Times”). Tomtits, fantails, and bellbirds,. he states, are numerous, and tuis, riflemen, and oilier wrens are to be found in fairly large numbers. Pigeons he found to be increasing, and kakas are still numerous .in certain districts. Robins and moreporks, however, appear to be scarce, and he saw no parakeets anywhere, though it was reported that a few were to he found in the Gatlins district. There are also some blue lierons, bitterns, stilts, and oystercatchers, with dottrel in good numbers. Many grey owls are to be seen in Central Otago, but they are less numerous in the bush districts.

The question of whether a stationary population’ is imminent is discussed iu the current issue of “The Commerce Journal.” For some years before the 1930 census, says the article, any discussion on population was a difficult task, having regard to the facts that there, had been no numbering of the people since 1920, and that the last enumeration \ was r effected at a time when there was considerable displacement of population on account of its synchronisation with the holding of the Dunedin Exhibition. “There are certain peculiarities of New Zealand’s population structure consequent on the sources from which that population lias been recruited in the past,” says the article. “We in New Zealand are so accustomed to rapidly increasing populations that there is a danger of overlooking, that such increases cannot go on indefinitely. Obviously if population continued to increase indefinitely, in time there would he standing room only. This presupposes such a development of the arts of production that the pepole could he fed from the air and the sea. Actually it is quite normal for new countries to lose population on migration balance in times of depression, and such conditions occurred in New Zealand from 1888 to ISO 1, and again from 1931 onwards. The fact is that economic conditions in new undeveloped countries exercise a more powerful influence both inwards and outwards on migration streams than do conditions in more old and highly developed lands. We are also apt in new countries such as New Zealand to overlook that stationary rather than increasing populations have been the rule on a long view of world history.”*

Attention is drawn to tho advertisement of the dance to be held in the Rechabite Hall on Monday next at 8 p.m.

Intending pupils are reminded that the day classes in shorthand ail’d typing at the Technical classrooms. Hardy street, will reopen on Tuesday, 26tii May. Country pupils and other free place pupils are eligible for this.class. The fortnightly dunce of the Loyal Nelson Lodge will be held to-night commencing at 8 o’clock. A feature of the evening’s entertainment will he the bright programme of all . old-time favourites interspersed with one-steps and a fox trot. A dainty supper will' be served at 10.10 p.m. and during the interval a special item will he presented, dancing to recommence at 10.30. Mr Harold Williams’s Band will supply bright and popular music and the duties of M.C. will be in the hands of Bro. G. S. Coleman. The Waimca Football Club will hold a dance in the Lansdowne Hall, Appleby, next Tuesday evening. The new HUH at Appleby lias been the scene of many successful social functions in recent weeks and it is anticipated that the popular football club’s function will he largely attended. Supper will he provided and Mr 11. Williams will provide the music.

At the recent meeting of the Tahunanui Town Board the clerk was reported to have stated that the Hospital Board’s annual levy on the Town Board had shown an increase of £269 on last year. The clerk’s statement was that the total levy was £269, an increase of £67. A project is- on foot to form a bowling club at Brightwater. In pursuance thereof a meeting convened by Mr G. W. Silcock will he hold in lhe Brightwater Club room on Monday evening next at 7.30 o'clock. All interested are invited to attend. The old time and modem dance in the Velina Hall to-night promises to he a great success. Mr Lex Logan and his Dance Band Do Luxe will he in attendance. Novelties will he distributed during the evening, and a Monte Carlo competition also held. Mr Harold Williams will lie M.C.

An instance! of the extent to which formalities must be observed by the Government Audit Department caused amusement at a meeting of the Council of the University of Otago (records the "Daily Times'’). The council had before it a report from a committee which it had appointed to ensure that proper care is taken of Goat Island, near Purakanui, a scenic reserve vested in the University and of great interest because of events that occurred there in Maori history. While the committee had no financial transactions, it is apparently required hv law to furnish an annual balance sheet, and the document which it presented bore the entries, “Receipts nil, payments nil.’’ The Audit Department had completed the formality with a declaration that the balance sheet had been duly audited and found correct !

An order for a complete set of instruments to a total value of £743 19s 6d has been placed by the Regimental Band Committee with a Wellington firm (says the “Express”!. Of this amount the band will be paying £350 in cash, and easy terms have been secured in respect to the balance. The term fixed for payment is from three to four years, but a clause provides that if the account is settled within a year the whole transaction will be treated as a. cash one and 5 per cent, discount allowed. It is understood that an effort is to be made to take full advantage of this. With new instruments in place of the worn-out ones at present in use the band intends to settle clown to hard practice, and hopes to he in a position to compete at the annual hand contest at Nelson next year. In the meantime some weeks must elapse before the arrival of the instruments, which will probably' have to be cabled for from London.

Great activity in tlid' British motor trade was noticed bv Mr F. F. M. Ferguson, manager of the Dunlop Rubber Company (N.Z.), Ltd., who returned to Wellington this week from a world tour. Business seemed to be extraordinarily brisk, so far as bis own company was concerned, in the territories he visited, and the factory at Fort Dunlop. Birmingham, was working day and night at full pressure. He visited the factories of several other firms interested in the motor industry, including those of a maker of commercial vehicles and one of tho maker of cars, both of whose products are prominent in New Zealand, which were working at full pressure to compete with the tremendous demand for the finished products.

The opinion that native birds are still increasing is expressed in the annual report of the native birds committee of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. During the last year the council paid for 58 little owls’ heads and 1114 pairs of harrier hawks’ feet, and it is stated that many more had been destroyed by sportsmen. The Australian magpie is said to be taking a fairly heavy toll of birds, especially the skylark/ The kingfisher is said to be incieasing and to be seen comparatively near the city, and native pigeons tuis, and bell-birds to be still plentiful in places.

A persistent rumour that for the last two months quinnat salmon in the Waitaki river have been throwing themselves against the concrete dam at the hydro-electric works in their efforts to get up to their spawning places received a strong denial from the engineer-in-charge of tlie works, Mr C. E. Alecock (says “The Press”). There was no truth at all in the story that dead salmon were being found on the banks of the river in any numbers,_ lie said. There had certainly been a fair nuinbei of live salmon at ..the bottom of the spillway, but by now they had almost entirely disappeared. .-The only place in which dead salmon were to be seen in any numbers was in the Hakataramea, where stripping was being done by the Fisheries Department. lne nsli used in the stripping operations in the Hakataramea river died as a natural result of spawning, arid it was a common sight to see quite a number of dead salmon lying in masses or floating down the rivers in which they spawned. Prominent anglers'in Christchurch said that although definite proof was lacking it was considered that quinnet salmon never returned to the sea alive after spawning-

Representing the British Syrian Mission Miss Turner from Auckland is advertised to give a lantern lecture on the work of the mission on Tuesday eveninn- at 7.30 in the Baptist Church, Bridge street. On Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock Miss Turner will speak in the Library of Marsden Church House. At 7.30 the same evening m the Richmond Baptist Church Miss Turner will give a lantern lecture.

The annual meeting of the Parish of Christ Church is to be held on Monday evening next in the Marsden Church House.

A dance at which visitors and competitors to the Marlborough-Nelgon Dog Trials who had come from districts as far apart as Takaka, Canterbury, and tlm West Coast were entertained, was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Wakefield. M- W. Martin acted as 31. C. and Mr H. Williams’ orchestra played for the dauces.

Colonel F. Burton, the Field Secretary of the Salvation Army will conduct alt services at the Army Hall to-morrow. The Colonel lias had forty-six years experience in Australia and New Zealand as an officer in the Army, lhe public are cordially invited to attend.