GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 November 1938, Page 6

GENERAL ITEMS

Red Cross Proposal Opposed “Here is a meeting called for the ! purpose of forming a branch of the ( Red Cross Society in Wanganui and a , motion is moved directly against the proposal as outlined by Mr Bridger. Director-General of the New Zealand Red Cross Society." said Mr W. J. Rogers at the public meeting addressed by Mr Bridger at Wanganui last week. Opposition to the proposal was particularly strong from members and supporters of the St. John Ambulance Division. It was claimed that the establishment of the Red Cross would only mean a duplication of the work, and there was no need for another organisation. In the end, by a majority of two, it was decided to form a branch of the Red Cross Society, but the attempt to elect officers was not successful Mr Bridger remarked afterwards that it was the strongest and most un-called-for display of opposition that he had ever seen at a meeting of that type. New Trade Pact That New Zealand should benefit indirectly from the Anglo-American trade gareement through an improvement in the demand for wool brought about by increased consumption in America of English textiles, is the opinion of Mr Walter E. Hill. New Zealand sales manager for General Motors. Ltd., who returned to Wellington last week after a five months’ world tour (reports “The Post”). “In all the major cities that I visited in the United States," he said, “I saw English woollen textile materials prominently displayed in tailors’ windows. No doubt the manner in which they are being advertised will create a demand for them and that should increase woollen manufactures in England with consequent beneficial effect on the wool-growing industry in New Zealand. Mr Hill said that his final impression of the United States was that there was a definite pick-up in business. His company had had to increase the staffs of its various factories and he understood that the same was true of the motor trade generally. First Session in May The first session of the new Parliament of New Zealand will be held in May, unless changes in the international situation compell an earlier summoning of the House. This statement was made by the Prime Minister (Mr Savage), in answer to a question. “We cannot say dogmatically when the House will meet, but we are trying to get back to the one session a year,” Mr Savage said. “We are hoping to meet again in May in the ordinary way.” Departmental reports and Government accounts had to be ready for the assembly of Parliament, and the Government desired to hold the session as far away from the holiday season as was possible. “But in view of the stßte of the world to-day and things generally, he would be a bold man who would say that Parliament would not meet until May,” Mr Savage added. ‘ The Government, in calling Parliament together, has to be guided by circumstances as they are. The present intention is that Parliament will meet as usual, as soon as the Government accounts are closed.” Exhibition Visitors “Although accommodation in Wellington will undoubtedly be heavily taxed during the Centennial Exhibition the position will not be as acute as it would be if the Exhibition was at and other centre in the Dominion,” said a Wellington hotel proprietor to “The Post.” “Wellington has considerably more first-class hotel accommodation than any other city in New Zealand,” he added, “and it is considerably in excess of the normal demand.” Asked if he had made any reservations yet for the Exhibition period, he said he had many inquiries but was not accepting any definite bookings yet because, at this stage, it was impossible to foresee what conditions would be in a year’s time. Ttixis on Wharves Reduction of the toll fee of 6d or the fixing of an annual charge for the use of the wharves by licensed vehicles was recently sought of the Wellington Harbour Board by a deputation representing the Wellington Co-operative Taxi Owner-drivers’ Association. In support of the request reference was made to the position in Auckland, where it was slated that an annual charge of Is per vehicle was made. The company has now received a reply from the board advising that after careful consideration of the matter the board is not prepared to make any reduction of the present toll fee.

Illicit Tobacco Sales “It is unfair that legitimate to- j bacconists should not be protected' against the illicit trading of general! storekeepers,” said Mr C. P. Smith in , the Auckland Police Court, in prosecut- ! ing six shopkeepers for failing to close ' their premises for the sale of cigarettes ' and tobacco at the prescribed hour (reports the “N.Z. Herald”). He added that, in spite of about 50 similar prosecutions in the last six months, there were just as many cases still being reported, and it was submitted that more than the nominal penalty should be imposed. The offenders were fined from 10s to £3 and costs in the case of persons previously warned. Cyclist Runs into Car A boy, B. A. Smith, while cycling down Vanguard street this morning, ran into the back of a stationary car when his attention was taken up with his cycle chain which had come off. He was bruised about the face and was taken to the Public Hospital for attention. Young Man Breaks Ankle A young man named Geoffrey Best was admitted to Nelson Hospital with a fractured left ankle on Saturday evening, as the result of a fall. The hospital reported to-day that he was making good progress. A Jury’s Observation Some factors which may very properly be taken into account by a jury when deliberating on evidence given at a trial were referred to by his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy when commenting on a motion for a new trial in the Supreme Court at Dunedin. “There are so many things that a jury has to observe,” his Honour said. “It must not only count the witnesses. It can see the witnesses and tell from their attiture and demeanour what manner ot people they are. It may then conclude, as a judge may conclude, to what extent a witness is to be relied on in preference to other witnesses " New Zealand Plants During his visit to New Zealand, Dr. C. J. F. Skottsberg, the eminent Swedish botanist, who left last week on ms return to Europe, took the opportunity of examining many indigenous plants in public and private collections and in their natural habitat. He was particularly interested in those species of Antarctic origin, whose near relatives he had studied in South Amecira and elsewhere. While in Auckland he spent some time in viewing the collection of rare ferns owned by Mr J. Prickett, of Birkenhead. Some of these, he said, he would have travelled a long way to see. Dr. Skottsberg showed much enthusiasm when he discovered in a wet paddock on the road to Albany an insectivorous plant with white flowers and red forked leaves. This plant is related to the sundew family and is not uncommon in some localities near Auckland. Dairy Zoning in Southland Sir Francis Frazer, chairman of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, told a "Daily Times” reporter that the commission had been visiting Southland in connection with the rationalisation of the dairying industry. The special purpose of the visit of the commission to Southland was to complete certain outstanding matters affecting a number of the cheese factory companies. With this exception. Sir Francis said, there had been little beyond minor matters to engage the attention of the commission, which had gained the impression that the system of zoning and rationalisation adopted in Southland had worked out satisfactorily, and that the companies, both butter and cheese, had now no difficulties on that score.

State Lottery Question The money leaving New Zealand for investment in overseas sweepstakes was referred to by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry) in an interview in last week’s issue of the official journal of the Labour Party. After stating that he had been informed that this amounted to £1.000,000 every year, Mr Parry said he saw no reason for that enormous amount of money to go overseas when facilities could be created in New Zealand to keep it here. It was, of course, illegal to send money out of the Dominion for sweepstakes, but it had proved quite impossible to prevent people from doing so. All sorts of expedients were resorted to by the agents of the overseas lotteries to get the money away, and it seemed that there was no other way of preventing this drain on the finances of the Dominion that that of establishing State lotteries in New .Zealand. The question of establishing State lotteries had never been definitely considered by the Government, Mr Parry added. He was perfectly aware of the fact that there would be strong opposition to such a proposal, but at the same time he was in a position to state that throughout the Dominion there was a very large body of opinion in favour of State lotteries Sent to Hospital So many visitors are at present delayed in Fiji waiting for accommodation on vessels for New Zealand and Australia that one man who arrived at Auckland by the Mariposa on Friday practised a deception to obtain a berth. With two other passengers carrying his luggage, he walked on board at Suva and stayed in his friends’ cabin until the ship was well out to sea. He then went to the purser, put down his passage money, and demanded a berth. Because all available accommodation was already taken, there was no option but to place him in the hospital, where he slept for the voyage to Auckland. “T was told before I left Suva by several New Zealanders and Australians that! it seemed they would be lucky if they I returned to their homes in time for ! Christmas.” said another passenger. "Two men I know, one a bank officer and the other a Government official on i furlough, found it so difficult to leave Fiji when they wanted to do so that they persuaded the owner < f the English yacht Ronda. Captain R. Hudson, to bring them on to New Zealand. The yacht left Suva on 14th November in the course of a world cruise, and was to come to Auckland direct.”

A Study in Contrasts A sharp contrast between the l methods used in Seattle and in Lon- i don in the transport of bullion to and from banks was drawn by Mr E. Wood,' secretary of the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association, during the course of an address at the annual meeting of the association (reports the “Otago Daily Times”). When he was in Seattle early this year. Mr Wood said, he saw for the first time an armoured cars used for the carriage of large sums of money. He was so interested in the vehicle that he studied it closely until he saw the guard peering suspiciously at him through a slit in the rear of the car, and thereupon moved on. Later, in the West End of London, he saw an ordinary carrier's van standing outside a bank and several men carry- : ing bars of gold on their shoulders into j the building. There was no guard, and ! not even a policeman was in sight, the | only official present being a bank clerk, i who checked the bars of gold as they j were carried past him. The speaker. said he was even uermitted to hold one ! of the ingots of gold, valued at about . £2OOO, :n his own hands, a remarkable I contrast with the suspicion which his innocent interest had aroused in Seattle. Kelburn Tram Passengers A steady drop in the number of passengers carried by the Kelburn trams in the last three years was shown in i figures quoted at a meeting of the Conciliation Council in Wellington last week by Mr C. T. Cox, secretary of the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Co., Ltd. j He said that, to the nearest thousand, \ passengers carried during the three years were as follows:—l93s, 1,550.000; 1936, 1,487.000; and 1937. 1,435,000. During the proceedings the increased number of private motor-cars and the oper- I ation of certain City Council bus ser- j vices were cited as reasons for decreased business on the Kelburn trams. Service for Motorists An indication of the manner in which competition lias developed among petrol sellers in California was given by Mr E. A. Jones, of Wellington, as-sistant-generai manager of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Limited, who returned from the United States by the Mariposa. To attract patrons owners of petrol stations gave a very extensive free service, he said. For instance, a man who purchased only a gallon or two of petrol would have his car completely wiped down and the windows polished for no additional charge. Freer Trade “Over the whole post-wa r period many British statesmen have been advocating the necessity of freer exchange of commodities internationally. It is to be hoped the Anglo-American Treaty may be the forerunner of a much wider scheme,” stated Mr David Hogg in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the United Kingdom Manufacturers’ and New Zealand Representatives’ Association in Wellington The Anglo-American Treaty, he said, was a movement of far-reaching importance. It was gratifying to see that the two great English-speaking, democratic nations, by this action, were endeavouring to show the world the necessity of opening the channels of trade. This treaty shoul enable these two countries to promote freer exchange of their different specialties, which would be a benefit to each unit.