GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 18 January 1939, Page 6

GENERAL ITEMS

Australian Feed Barley t A Press Association message from a Wellington published yesterday stated F that the Internal Marketing Division s advised that the first shipment of Australian feed barley arriving under Gov- t ernment control was on the Kauri. 2 which left Melbourne yesterday for * Auckland. The arranged cash prices to 2 be charged consumers by the distributors were corrected in a later message received too late for publication, and should read clipped 4s 2d a bushel and c unclipped 3s 8d a bushel. t t In London’s Docks i In London’s docks on 30th Decern- r ber there was a record number of ships c —152, wearing between them no less J than 18 different national flags and dis- c charging from or loading to over 100 c different ports. The initial letters of the f ships’ names included the whole alpha- ’ bet excepting the letters X and Z. The largest ship in the Port of London on * that day was the P. and O. liner Strathallan, 23.700 tons, loading in Tilbury 1 Docks for Australia; at the other end , of the scale was the little Buoyant, 300 tons, loading coastwise in the Royal Docks. Ruining Good Land ( “I am amazed that the dredging and mining of good land and desolating a whole countryside have not been . strongly condemned by the public, through the newspapers or public meetings, etc.,” writes a West Coast correspondent. “Land that has supported families for nearly 70 years, and would continue to so do for all time, is being dredged for gold and ruined for production. It is a matter for wonderment that authority has been given to work this land for gold, thereby destroying its productiveness for all time. Gold dredging is only a temporary industry at most, but in the very limited time that it exists, incalculable damage is done of a permanent nature to the national estate. Economists of note inform us that the chief wealth of a nation is in its agricultural and pastoral productions. The application of labour to land, the natural media, is the means of the exerlasting production of that form of wealth that gives, and sustains, life and happiness " Returned Soldiers’ Membership An increase of 218 on the membership at the same time a year ago, members of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association at 15th January numbered 3066. Although there are still two and a half months to go to the end of the financial year at 31st March, the total is 51 more than that for the full financial year ended on 31st March, 1938. It was reported to a meeting of the executive of the association this week that the membership was approaching that of the Auckland association, which totalled 3112 at the end of last November. Never Too Late to Learn Ability to learn is more evident in adults up to the age of 80 years than it is during normal school years, according to Mr H. C. D. Somerset, of the Feilding High School. A person’s ability ot learn was maintained at prac- ' tically 100 per cent, between 20 years : and 40 years of age, and the percentage | dropped very little up to the age of , 80, Mr Somerset said. In fact, during { the latter period, it was better than . during school age. Up to the age of . 20 years a person’s growth was main- \ taining ! ts maximum, and for that rea--3 son the best type of education would 1 be that which would help a person’s r growth, not lessons about 1066, but in- , struction in the formation of skill , which would be valuable in life. “In the first 17 years of life,” he said, “nearly all people are being provided 3 for in classes. That the system is 2 wasteful is to say the least. We are - spending all that money in the years - of a person’s life when learning has the t least effect. I do not say that the money should not be spent, but I be.j lieve a little more should be spent in g the effective years.” River Erosion Control

Authority has been given by Cabinet to the Minister of Public Works (the Hon R. Semple) to draft a Bill to deal with river erosion. The Bill, stated Mr Semple, in an interview with “The Press,” will authorise national control over all rivers threatening to destroy land, homes, and highways. “The Bill will be drafted and submitted to the Cabinet for its approval before Parliament next meets,” said the Minister.

“Some big questions are involved in an undertaking of this kind* Additional powers will be taken by the Government to do the job as it should be done. There is an impression in the minds of some persons that the liability of local bodies and others whose property and homes will be saved will end when the Government takes control. That is not the position at all. Those whose land and property will be saved and improved are entitled to h- asked to pay something towards the protection of their own property and the improvement of their own land.” An assurance was given by the Minister that every opportunity would be given everybody interested to criticise V -> principles embodied in the Bill and to make suggestions for amendment. The Bill would be referred to a committee, which would take evidence.