GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 18 November 1937, Page 8

GENERAL ITEMS

Midland Railway Replying to a question asked by Mr K. .1. Ilolyoake ('National. Motueka), who asked whether the Government had yet decided whether construction on the Midland Railway line was to be recommenced in the near future with a view to (a) completion to Murchison and (b) junction with the South Island railway system at Inangahua Junction the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple! in the House of Representatives yesterday said: "The surveyparty referred to lias not yet completed its investigations. Until such time as these investigations are completed it is not possible to consider the matter further.” Church Centenary Fund The first contribution to the Presbyterian £300.000 Centenary Fund was announced to the assembly to-day by the convener of the fund committee, Mr S. J. Harbutt, who said that a Dunedin widow had forwarded her monthly annuity cheque for £4 Gs Bd. The announcement was greeted with applause, stales a Press Association message from Auckland. Freight Through Olira Freight hauled through the Olira tunnel last week from west to cast, amounted to 13.182 tons, as compared with 11.395 tons in the corresponding week of last year an increase of 1.787 tons. In 1985 the corresponding total was 11.900 tons To Suspend Production Owing to lack of business, the Taranaki Farmers' Tannery Company, which has been established for sixteen years closes its doors on Saturday next till trade improves and a payable price can bo obtained for leather. A representative of the company stated that the company could not continue to manufacture at a loss. It had big supplies < I leather that it could not sell at a payable price owing to the disorganisation of the tanning trade. Throughout the depression the New Plymouth tannery had sold its product but it could not compete with the cheap prices ruling at present owing to the rise in the cost of production and (he iow prices of im-

portations

| Lunar Me I ipse This Evening If (he muon is observed this evening shortly al'lor il rises, a small bite will appear to have been taken out of if at lone side. This will be caused by the earth's shadow being east by Ibe sun on |he lunar disc: in other words, there will be a partial eclipse of the moon. The eclipse which is only a small one, less than one-sixth ol the moons face j being obscured, begins shortly after j v.fii) p.ni., readies its maximum at ft.lfi, , and linishes a bon I 9 l>m : Donation of Trout Appreciated lleference to the recent donation of trout to the Nelson Hospital by the : Nelson Anglers’ Club, was made at the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board. The kindly thought of the anglers and the excellent quality and quantity of the fish were greatly appreciated by lb; patients. Mails Arrive The postal authorities advise that j mads dispatched from Auckland on j IHI h October via San Pedro arrived in I London on 15th November. ' Unusual Donation to Hospital Hoard A Nelson Hospital patient on paying ; bin fees account recently, expressed his \ appreciation of bis treatment, and : added that il lie bad the means he ■ would make a handsome donation to ■ the hospital. However, he would give : Hie board a chance of benefiting by . taking out a "Tails” ticket in favour of the hospital. The ticket proved a lucky one, and the result of the man’s I oiler was acknowledged at the monthly 1 I meeting of the Hospital Board when a ; j donation of £5 was received. I . Retired Civil Servants. Replying to Mr H. Atmore (Indcpeni dent, Nelson), in the House of Rcpre- , senlalivcs yesterday, the Prime Minis* | ter stated that there were items on the j Estimates to provide for a cost of liv- . ing bonus to retired civil servants in receipt of low superannuation payments. ! Soft Fruit in Season. . i Owing to the recent warm and dry j weather, soft fruits are coming on rather too soon for the growers’ liking (says ("The Dominion"). Strawberries, not j perhaps the largest size are now coining forward from Nelson in quantity to compete on the Wellington market with those from Auckland. Yesterday Nelson cherries realised good prices and those : . from Grcytown brought 13s a 101 b box. ! 15uxh Telegraphs "Tlie African drum signals have noth- : ing on the New Zealand bush Ideograph,” remarked a traveller in sawmill requirements the other day, states the "Northern Advocate.” “What’s more, they're far more easily explained.” It was difficult to say just how news travelled. but it was a fact that the most trivial happening in a bush camp was soon known to bushmen throughout the length and breadth of the North Island. In a bush in the Waikato an old man died. There was nothing sensational in his passing, yet the news had spread to the furthermost point of Northland. i Use For Milk | “We should not waste the milk, should I we’.’” remarked Mr J. A. Valentine, chairman of flic Taranaki Education ; Board, when in reply to a question one j child at the Central school at New Ply- | mouth had slated that the milk used at | the schools was paid for out of faxes j (reports the "News”) That was so, said Mr Valentine, remarking, therefore, that the scheme was not charily because the milk was being paid for by the taxpayers, who were the parents of the children il was hoped would benefit by the milk. What, therefore, lie asked. should they do with the milk? One reply could be heard above the rest: "Put it down our necks.” The Principles of Zionism Commenting on a London cablegram which appeared in Tuesday night’s ' "Mail" concerning the arrest of Eri ! Jnbotinsky, leader of the Zionist Youth i organisation in Palestine, a visitor to Neison who was once connected with Zionism stated that the movement fully supported the British administration in the Holy Land, the majority of its members being loyal to the Government Jabotinsky, however, who was arrested in connection with Jewish reprisals in which five Arabs, including two Christian women, were alleged to have been killed, had adopted methods which were not in accordance with the principles of the movement, and as a result he was regarded in an unfavourable light. In Germany he was known as "the Hitler of Zionism.” It was stated that the object of the Zionistie movement, which was founded by Dr. Herzi, an Ausfraian, is to settle the Jews in a country where they could live peacefully and be free from all persecution. Shortage of Pork. A complaint that there was a shortage of pork in the Wellington market and that local tradesmen who were formerly supplied by Picot Brothers with unerring regularity were now unable to procure pork from the Internal MarketI ing Department, was made by Mr R. A. i Wright (Independent, Wellington Subi urbs) in a question asked in the House i of Representatives yesterday. The Min- ; ister of Marketing, Hon. W. Nash, re- | plied: "The shortage of pork for butchi ers trade at the present time is more or less consistent with the position as | applies at this time of the year. It is at ! the end of the season when the freezI er stocks are almost or actually abi sorbed and yet too early for new sea- ! son supplies to be coming to hand. The j supplies of pork are in a way interrelated with the milk supply, and the early or late season for a dairy-farm-er is automatically reflected in the quantity of pigs available. In connection with the quantities handled by the Internal Marketing Branch, it is interj esting to note that since the Government purchased Picot Brothers, Limited, on Ist February of this year until the end of September, the actual quanl tity of pigs handled by that branch was 1300 odd in excess of (he quantity han- ("-■! by Picot Brothers for the same jr-riod 193(5.”

Closing of Shops A statement that the question of a universal Saturday half-holiday would he considered when the proposed review of the Shops and Oflices Act was being undertaken, was made by the Minister of Labour, Hon. 11. T. Armstrong, in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr A. G. 1 lultquist (Government, Bay j of Plenty), said that in places where | the shops closed on half-days other tJinii on Saturday afternoons, great in- | convenience was cause rlhv the fact I that some awards stipulated Saturday 1 afternoon as the half-holiday. I-’olk Museums With the approach of the Centennial, increasing interest is being shown in the historic buildings scattered throughout New Zealand. In this con- I nection an interesting proposal was re-! ccnlly put forward by Mr L. D. Besta!l,j Director of the Hawkcs Bay Art Gallery and Museum. At a meeting of the Hawkcs Bay Historical Committee Mr Bestall suggested that a wooden house typical of the early New Zealand settlers might be secured and preserved as a “folk-museum,” for the province. This scheme has interesting possibilities. A committee of research workers could arrange for the furnishings to give accurate representation of the interior of a settler’s home in the ’sixties. Details, from the style of . a fire-place, to the shape of a tobacco jar, would have to be studied so that visitors of the twentieth century could step into the room and recognise the atmosphere of eighty years ago. The historical material in such a muscum-in-minia-turc would be useful to novelists and historians of the future. Gyratory System in Christchurch The control of traffic in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, by the gyratory system will start on Monday next (states the "Press”). From then onward, all vehicular traffic in the Square will be required to move in a clockwise direction, except for southbound traffic in Colombo street, which will have a direct run through the j centre of the Square. Pavement l artists will be out this week with their brushes painting large arrows as directions to traffic at every entrance to the Square. The Chief Traffic Officer (Mr J. Bruorton) emphasised that if motorists followed these arrows they would find no difficulty in complying with the new arrangement, During the first few days of the scheme's operation traffic inspectors will be stationed at each of the four entrances to flic Square, and traffic will be given every assistance in following (he route laid down for it. Insurance Deposits. “There is nothing in the Insurance Companies Deposits Act and amendments which requires, a deposit from persons effecting fire and accident insurances on their own property with overseas insurance companies not represented in New Zealand, and there is no intention of amending the law in this respect,” said the Prime Minister. Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in reply to a question asked by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (National, Kaipara) in the Houseof Representatives yesterday.“ The Insurance Companies’ Deposits Act, however, requires deposits to bo made by any person, firm, or company that acts as agent in New Zealand for overseas insurance companies, and the principle of the legislation will be maintained, if necessary, by amending legislation. The Government has no knowledge of any evasion of the 1927 amendment to the legislation through the operation in New Zealand of itinerant representatives of English brokers.” Danger to Bathers. A warning against the use by nonswimmers and children of large rubber or inflated toys and motor tyres, especially on beaches where an off-shore wind prevails, was issued this week by the Wellington Surf Association. "Several cases of near-fatalities were reported last season when non-swimmers and children had drifted out beyond their depth and in two instances great difficulty was experienced in avoiding fatalities,” the association states. "Greater care and supervision is needed in this direction if accidents are to be avoided.” Marketing System. “No material changes in the marketing system are at present contemplated,” stated the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) in reply to Mr K. J. Holyoake (National, Motueka) in the House of Representatives yesterday.