LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22349, 21 February 1936, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Composer's Centenary The centenary of the birth of the French composer, C. P. L. Delibes, falls to-day. Having become second chorus master of the Grand Opera Theatre, Paris, he wrote the music of a ballet entitled La Source for this theatre in collaboration with a Polish composer. Ho gave up his post at the Grand Opera in 1872 and afterwards composed a number of popular operas. He was for a time professor of ad-' vanced at the Conservatoire.

Vessel for Japan The former Union Steam Ship Company steamer Kawatiri, which has been sold to Japanese buyers, is expected to leave Port Chalmers shortly with a Japanese crew. The vessel, which has been laid Port Chalmers for about five years, has recontly undergone a Now Zealand Government survey, and is ready for delivery. The Kawatiri is a vessel of 3127 tons gross, and was built in 1919 by J. Priestman and Company, Sunderland, for the Strick Line, Limited, when she was known as the Shahristan. The Union Company purchased her in 1920.

Broadcasting Royalties Further discussion on the position of New Zealand B class radio stations in relation to the demand for royalty payments made by the gramophone companies, will take place shortly between the record manufacturers' representatives and the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour, director of the Friendly Road station. Mr. Scrimgeour, who will leave by the Mariposa to-day on a month's visit to Sydney, in connection with the Friendly Road movement there, will take the opportunity afforded by his visit to pursue the conversations concerning royalty payments. Steamers With Basic Slag

Three more cargoes of basjic slag will arrive at Auckland within the next few days. Two steamers, the Antigone, from Immingham, Lincolnshire, and the Pensilva, from Antwerp, are already discharging basic slag at the wharves. The Sijnonside is due this morning, tho Tymeric on Sunday, and the Anglo-Africkn on Wednesday, from Antwerp, with further cargoes. It is possible tjhat all five vessels will be in port at the same time. A remarkable increase in (imports of tho fertiliser has occurred this year and over 50,000 tons will be discharged at North Island ports during] February, March and April.

Flowers From Newcastle Tho Auckland Horticultural Society last spring consigned a collection of daffodil blooms to ' the Newcastle Spring Show, where they arrived in excellent condition and were awarded a prize. Advice has now been received that the Newcastle Society is returning the compliment by sending a collection of dahlia blooms for the forthcoming National Flower Show in March. Although dahlias are not such good keepers as daffodils, it is hoped the result will be so satisfactory as to make possible a display- of the blooms on the last day of the show on the arrival of the Mariposa from Sydney, on Saturday, March 7.

Old Police Horse Sold After over 16 years' service as a constable's moinjt at the Otahuhu police station a fine old horse was sold by the department at the Westfield stock salo yesterday. For many years tho horse was a familiar figure in the outlying police districts of East Tamaki and Mangere and faithfully carried many different riders in the execution of their police work. The increasing traffic on permanently-surfaced roads and closer settlement of late years have steadily narrowed the avenue of employment for a police mount and compelled recourse to mechanical transport. The station staff and police headquarters reluctantly decided to part with the old horse.

Youths Seeking Work In order to find out as nearly as possible the number of youths in the Dominion seeking employment, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, lately invited youths between the ages of 16 and 20 to register at the labour bureaux in the four chief centres or with postmasters in other places. Such registrations are now being received. Youths are not required to fill in unemployment registration forms, but only to supply their names addresses and nature of employment desired. The Government is seeking tln.< data as a basis for the consideration of a possible plan to deal with unemployment among those below the age for adult registration.

Point England Airport " Thero are no fresh developments to rerord in respect of the preparatory work which is being undertaken on the Point England airport site," said tinMayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, when reporting on the progress of this project to the City Council last night. Mr. Davis said that according to advice received by the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, from the Public Works aerodrome engineer in Wellington on February 12 consideration of the plans which were submitted to the department had been held up by pressure of work. It was now estimated by the department in Wellington that tiie information sought by the city engineer would be available in a fortnight. The report was received. Factory Amenities

" ' Living conditions ' include the conditions under which wo work," said Mr. H. E. Phillips, in a paper on the design of commercial buildings, read at the conference of the New Zealand Institute of Architects yesterday. "Apart from sleeping, a very large proportion of people's lives is spent at their places of employment." Ho added that recently factories had begun to assume a soparate and characteristic form, as a result of the changed outlook on the whole question of working conditions. It was possible for architects, with the confidence and goodwill of industrial building owneft, so to guide the erection of factories and other similar premises that the maximum of efficiency and economy could bo gained, together with a large measure of aesthetic value.

Mishap to Waihi Children A disappointing delay was caused to a party of 25 children from Waihi when journeying to Auckland for a holiday at the Community Sunshine Association's summer camp on Motuihi Island. The children, after starting at four o'clock on Wednesday morning, were travelling through the Waikino Gorge when the driver was forced to pull up suddenly to avoid Clashing into a stationary motor-lorry laden with timber which was standing in the middle of tho road, leaving no room to pass. The party was lorceil to return to Waihi aud made the journey to Auckland yesterday. Jhe children were mot by officials of the association on the wharf prior to embarking for Motuihi. Some of tnein had not beeu on a steamer before. }