GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 9 December 1938, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

“Leap to Live” "Leap Year used to be once in every four years; now every year is Leap Year because if you don’t leap you don’t live,” declared the Rev. E Nicholls when preaching on the Road Safety Campaign at Wanganui Dominion's Good Record Although New Zealand is the second highest motorised country, it has the lowest death-rate in the world This informaiton was given by the Minister ol Transport (Mr R. Semple) when he hoisted the “safety flag” in Cathedral square, Christchurch.

Toe H Birthday Festival on Saturday Night The Birthday Festival of Toe H is to be held in All Saint’s Church at 8 o'clock on Saturday night next, not Sunday night as stated in yesterday's issue. After Many Years In 1915 a Dunedin man went to Australia, and when relatives decided to try to locate him recently the only clue they had to work upon was that he had joined the Australian Forces during the war years (records the "Otago Daily Times"). Inquiries were set going by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association and. with the cooperation of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, the search was extended to New Guinea The Dunedin man has not yet been communicated with, but advice has been received by the N.Z.R.S.A. that he is in New Guinea, and his address has been forwarded to his relatives. This is not the furthest afield the N.Z.R.S.A. has reached, however, a man inquired for on a former occasion being located in the interior of South Africa. Commerce in Czechoslovakia The resumption of normal commercial life in Czechoslovakia is notified in advice received by the Consul for Czechoslovakia in Auckland. Mr R. M. Algie. All kinds of transport have been r-established on the rivers Elibe and Donau. as well as on other rivers, and in accordance with the recent gareement between Germany and Czechoslovakia, the railways in Bohemia and Moravia are proceeding normally again. The railway service through Germany. Poland and Hungary, connecting Czechoslovakia with foreign countries, has been resumed, and Czechoslovakian factories and firms are again manufacturing for home consumption and for export under normal conditions. Shipping Company’s Expansion Continued expansion is being made by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s fleet in the services between Eastern Canada and the United States and New Zealand and Australia and two new ships will shortly make their maiden voyages. The first is the Kaituna, a motor-ship of 8900 tons, built at Gothenburg, Sweden, which will make her maiden voyage next month from New York to Australia under the auspices of the American and Australian Line. A further vessel is the 9SOO-ton cargo motor-ship now being completed for the company at Clasgow ’lhis ship will be similar in most respects to the Kaikoura and Kaipara which are engaged in the M.A.N.Z. Line service from Eastern Canada. Five Miles an Hour The days when a speed restriction of five miles an hour was placed on motor cars was recalled in an interesting talk on the development of the pneumatic tyre, given by Mr Philip Proctor, of Wellington, at the Invercargill Rotary Club luncheon. About 1894 the motor car made its appearance on the road, Mr Proctor said, and a speed restriction of five miles an hour was made. In addition, a man with a red flag walked in front of the car to warn horse traffic and pedestrians of the approach of the vehicle. Later the restriction was withdrawn, and the cars “raced” along on solid tyres at 15 miles an hour. Because of that speed and the severe shaking given to the car it was found necessary to fit pneumatic tyres to get the advantages of the speed of those days. Naiional Insurance According to the Melbourne “Age" there is a growing belief that the operation of Australia’s National Insurance Bill, although it has been passed through both Houses of the Federal Parliament, will be postponed for a considerable period. Two factors contribute to this. When the bill was passed there had been no Czechoslovakian crisis. To-<lay even supporters of the bill feel strongly that no available money should be deviated from the provision of adequate defence The opposition both inside and outside Parliament to the contributory clauses would appear to have increased and political repercussions have been threatened.