GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 3 October 1936, Page 6

GENERAL ITEMS

With a favourable tide this morning the steamer Ngaio was moved from her familiar position on the mudflats and towed by the steamer Kaitoa to the wharf, in preparation for breaking up by F. E. Jackson and Co., the shipbreakers who reduced the steamers Regulus and Orepuki to scrap.

In the course of his remarks at the meeting held at Richmond in the interests of the Children’s Health Camp, Mr H. J. Savage, president of the Nelson Association, referred to what was 1 nought to be a record achievement at the Wakefield Camp last year when one child in the course of the three weeks at camp gained no less than 6A pounds in weight., Mr Savage said he Ihought this was a record for any camp held in the Dominion.

At a welt-attended meeting in the Holy Trinity Sunday School. Richmond. it was resolved to hold the spring flower show in the local half on Wednesday, 11th November. Officers were elected, and a strong committee formed to carry out the necessary arrangements, and everything points to a successful show being held.

On 3rd October, 1864, an argument which had divided New Zealand into bitter factions was finally settled when Wellington became the seat of Government and capital of the Colony. This change was not made without strong opposition on the part of Auckland and Nelson (recalls the Auckland “Star”). In 1862 the Colony was divided by the jealousy of many of the provinces. Otago for instance on a crest of prosperity through its gold discoveries, had launched a separation movement. Wellington and Nelson were both angling to be the seat of Government in place of Auckland. Canterbury was more or less minding its own business and occupying itself with an extensive programme of public works. The outbreak of the Waikato War brought a new influence to bear on the choice of site for the capital. Sewell, in his journal, speaking of Auckland, says: “The whole place is living upon war, and, like greedy beasts of prey, they are looking out for fat morsels of native land and commissariat pickings.” Wellington and Nelson were induced to sink their jealousies and agree to the appointment of a commission chosen by the Governors of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, to select a suitable locality on the shores of Cook Strait. This proposal was carried against the Government by seven votes. A change of Government followed, and Mr Frederick Weld (afterwards Sir Frederick) formed a Ministry, one of the first tasks of which was to act upon the reports of the commission and remove the seat of ’ Government to Wellington —a step which it had unanimously recommended.

The emergence of the Labour Department’s placement scheme from the realms of conjecture with a splendid record of practical achievement has been marked by its official acceptance as a permanent function of the Labour Department, and in future it will bear the more imposing title of “State Placement Service.” Though the word placement” is not to be found in most dictionaries, it has been retained because there is associated with it a goodwill that has become a valuecf asset in the scheme’s growth to maturity.

There is a possibility that a motorcycle volunteer defence scheme will be undertaken in Christchurch (says “The Press”). A circular sent out by Mr T. R. McCleary, who has been prominently associated with motor-cyc-ling sports activities in Christchurch,, states that tentative arrangements have been completed for a volunteer mechanised defence scheme. “Applicants will be required to do a short course of infantry training and then will be given an advanced course of f actics, gas warfare training, and machine gunnery,” states the circular. “Free uniform (including riding breeches and boots) will be provided. All volunteers will be insured against any accident whilst parading. Petrol allowance at a rate of allowing approximately 25 miles to the gallon will be given. Pay will be at the rate of 9d an hout for evening parades, and 4s a day in camp. A comprehensive scheme of tactics, tattoos, gymkhanas on motor-cycles is also being drawn up. Members of this company will also be provided with club rooms which will be available for their use. day or night.” The circular concludes by stating that 60 volunteers are needed for the completion of the scheme. When the scheme as outlined was referred to Colonel S. C. P. Nicholls, Officer Commanding the Southern Military Command, he said that he understood that the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) had such a scheme in mind, but he did not know any details about the scheme in Christchurch.

The Mayor, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, and the chairmen of the various committees of the Wellington City Council, at a meeting this week, discussed a report on the five-day week presented by town clerk, Mr E. P. Norman. As the outcome it was decided that the five-day week should apply to all employees, with exceptions mentioned in the report. The exceptions included certain officers in the tramways, power stations, libraries, treasury, city solicitor’s office, reserves, town clerk’s office, milk department, and abattoirs. £n extra half-hour a day is to be worked by all who get the Saturday morning off. That rule is already working in the city engineer’s department.

That a sparrow hawk will boldly attack anything that flies is well known, but recently one of these feathered “aerial torpedoes” sallied straight into the kitchen of a Whangamomona house and bailed up its quarry, a tame pigeon, in a saucepan in the kitchen sink (reports the “Taranaki Daily News”). The astonished housewife, hearing the commotion, rushed into the scene of action with a sugarbag, which she clapped over the saucepan and telephoned for her husband. The head of the house was .toon on the spot and in a trice had despatched Ifie hawk and rescued the pigeon. The pigeon soon recovered and took to its wings a sadder and a wiser bird.

The annual sale of work of the Cathedral Sewing Guild will be opened by the Bishop of Nelson on Wed•nesday, the 14th inst., at 2.30 p.m. The stalls will have a large and varied display of goods for sale including home-made cakes and sweets, beautiful fancy work and household articles. There will be a well-stocked produce stand and a knitting stall of handknitted articles and the daintiest of baby garments, After.p.bon tea will be served in an attrocMyely decorated room. The evening programme of glee singing and the one-act play, “Postal Orders,” commencing at 8 o’clock, will provide an excellent entertainment.

The Nelson Citizens’ Band will hold a dance in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Tuesday evening. The City Dance Band will provide the music and extras will be played by Mr N. Collier on his piano-accordeon. The duties of M.C. will be carried out by Mr G. Coleman. The dances will be old lime and modern, and prizes for Monte Carlo and Lucky Spot will be given. The proceeds are in aid of the band instrument fund, and a good night’s dancing is assured.

The Ladies Committee of the Plunket Society who have the organising and management of the “Beautiful Plunket Baby Competition” desires that mothers should enter their baby as early as possible, to prevent any possibility of being disappointed. The only qualification necessary to enter the various classes is that the baby must at some time have been under the supervision of a Plunket nurse. An advertisement in connection with the competition appears in this issue and entrance forms and fuller particulars may be obtained at all photographers and most retail stores.

Alfred Gould announces an auction sale of piano, household furniture and effects on Tuesday next, at 1 p.m., on account of Mr B. J. Peters, corner Hardy and Tasman streets.*

Lieutenant H. J. Scoltock, Lieutenant E. Tomlinson, a number of noncommissioned officers from Nelson and outlying districts, and members of the permanent staff of the Defence Office left this morning for Burnham training camp. Lieutenant R. J. Eyre travelled to Burnham yesterday.

In the course of an address at the annual meeting of the Mosgiel Presbyterian Church, the Modei’ator (the Rev. Hugh Graham), referring to church attendance, quoted the following under the caption, “Why Jones Does Not Go to Church”: —“The sermons are too long—or too short. The music is too classical —or too simple. The church is too hot —or too cold. The weather is too stormy—or too beautiful. The garden needs attention. He can worship at home (but he doesn't). He has a radio now (and greatly enjoys the jazz orchestra). Anyway, it’s his own business, and he got enough religion when he was a boy, and he’s as good as any church member.”

The women assistants of one of the big' Christchurch retail houses are bewailing the fact that, as far as they are concerned, morning teas are things of the past (says the “StarSun”). Formerly it was the practice to allow each employee a ten-minute period for morning tea. Since the introduction of the forty-four-hour week for shop assistants, this privilege has been withdrawn.

Public interest in the Children’s Health Camp held at Wakefield last year was referred to by Mr S. W. Street, secretary of the local Health Camp Association, in his remarks at the Richmond meeting. No less than 500 people had signed the visitors’ book at the camp, and there were some hundreds of visitors who hadn’t signed it, but who paid a visit of inspection.

The Union Steam Ship Company’s vessel Marama will from this month to April, 1937, maintain a three-weekly service between Melbourne and South Island ports with calls at Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington and occasionally Hobart. Weather and other circumstances permitting she will call at Milford Sound every trip on the way from Bluff to Melbourne and from Melbourne to Bluff. On her first sailing of the season, from Wellington on 27th October, and Bluff on 29th October, the Marama is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on 2nd November in time for the Melbourne Cup race, which will be run on 3rd November.

Among the freight carried by Cook Strait Airways yesterday were two boxes of day-old chickens. The chicks, which were for Messrs G. Manning and R. Coleman, of Nelson, were from Birkenhead, Auckland. They left Auckland at 3 p.m. on Thursday by rail for Wellington, and arrived in Nelson early yesterday afternoon by air, every chick being in good condition.

Mrs L. Young, one of the ever decreasing band of New Plymouth pioneers, celebrated her 91st birthday this wee.k. Mrs Young is at present living in Thames, where she has been for a number of years (says the “Herald”). In a recent letter Mrs Young recalls brief memories of the early days here. She was one of the first to be christened in St. Mary’s Church and can recollect seeing the first soldiers ever to arrive in Taranaki landing on the beach. “I can remember the church well,” she writes, “and the manner in which the red coats used to attend.” One of the most vivid incidents of all her recollections happened during the Maori wars. This was the sight of the wounded being brought home in bullock drays, described as a “heart-rending scene.” It was owing to these hostilities that Mrs Young, together with many other women and children, were transported to Nelson. She lived there for some time before returning to Taranaki and then going to Thames, where she has been ever since.