OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 11

OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST.

Silt- HARRY LAUDER. MR JOSEPH M‘CABE AMD THE LABOUR PARTY. PUBLIC SCHOOLBOY MIGRANTS. (FROM OtJB OWK r3RRKRPONDENT.I LONDON, May 6. There seeing to bo an innate news Value in -tin* migration of public school boys to New Zealand, us well. as in tho sheepfarniers' -scheme for the migration of s.ailor.-i’‘brpliaiis. Both are receiving a groat deal of publicity. The Spectator has tho following: -- '■’tile public school hoys—some from Dulwich and from Christ’s College at Horsham, the hitler with its attached firm on which ooy s are trained —who lately went out to INew /.calami, iiavc been received with acclaim on the stations to which they went on arrival. So pleased are the Now Zealand farmers with these boys that they are asking for more—somewhat to the embarrassment of those responsible for their selection. I'or it- was some time before New Zealand agriculturists were converted to the View I hat it would be wise, to look for promising young settlers in the direction ot the public schools. Now, however, their <‘t'y is for more!” BRITISH TO THE BACKBONE, Sir Harry Lauder is interviewed by a representative of the Era. The great Scots comedian says that ho intends to start on his fourth tour of the globe in October, ibis is to be a tour partly for pleasure. "1 am going to see all the Maharajahs of India,’ he says, “the best-known of Chinese in China, and the despots of iunnilia. To these countries 1 have not yet been. Afterwards 1 am going down to New r Zealand to catch big trout. New Zealand is a bonny country; it’s just like being at ho.ru e. When we were lust there Lauder and 1 dined with the Gover-nor-General, Lord Jelhcoe, 1 did not see my old triend, Mr Massey, the Premier of that country, us he was in England at the Empire Conference, but I hope to spend several .days with him when I go again to his glorious country. However, I met hundreds of good friends, and I have come hack with this impression : that if there is any domain under the British flag that: is British to the backbone it is New Zealand.’’ HEALTH AND EDUCATION. To the current number of tho Wor'd’s Children, -Sir James Allen contributes a. brief article on He.alth and Education -m New Zealand. CTt would he difficult, I think, to point to- any Country where greater promihencO is given to the importance of education and. child Welfare than New Zealand,” the .High Commissioner writes, “Their education system, is the pride of all New Zealanders; and side by side with it has advanced, particularly in more recent years, that equally important branch of modern science, the promotion of which in Now Zealand lias come to . !bc regarded as a State obligation—.infant; Welfare. This spirit has grown with the community, and, as the years have passed, the State iias become, by legislation, more and more vigilant m seping that every child thall have a fair start in life,. that'poverty shall not deter its chances, nor' deny the physically or mentally weak, proper medical ndvii.ee and attention,” LABOUR AND CATHOLICISM. r , Mr Joseph M’Cabc, who lectured in New Zealand some time ago,, has been telling readers .of the Liteiary Guide that in New Zaland “there is a most unholy alliance of Labour and Catholicism, and the Pope wiiiles,• for it is only a stage.” Mr T. Briudle, National President "of the New Zealand Labour Party, writes to contradict thia; *'lt is a strange thing,” says Mr Brindley; “that Mr M’Cabe never thought to ask my opinion on the matter, seeing : that i happened to be the National President of the New Zealand Labour Party while at the same time arranging all the lectures given by him in 'Wellington during his recent tour of this country. That would have been a rational thing to do' for anyone professing to Collect; trustworthy facts. . . . Labour in New Zealand is not remotely concerned with religious differences; it is solely interested in abolishing the economic and social inequalities of e , capita *' st system, and, no matter whether a man or woman has Catholic or Protestant beliefs or none at all, so long as he or she is prepared to accept the decisioti of (henparty and work for its considered platform ; and objective (Socialism), they are welcomed into the ranks.” Ttf .this Mr Macafie raphes;- "There is so close a working alliance between Labour and the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand that the anti-Papal lectures in my programme were suppressed by my Labour organißer.s to please the clergy, and that Mr Brindle himself was severely censured by the heads of his party for having anything k) do with me Full information about tho intrigue which is going on' was given me by Labour Rat ionalists, who were very bitter and disgusted. Mr Brindle’s letter is merely an effort, to distract attention from the scandal which certain Labour Organisers of . my tour (not members of the R.P.A.) brought upon themselves. Mr Brindle was, so far as I know, not involved in this.” FISHING IN THE SOUTH ISLAND. A very comprehensive statement regarding the fishing streams of the South Island appeared in the special summer number of the Southland Daily Nows. “Tho Fishing Gazette considers that the possibilities of sport in the South are not, perhaps as widely known as those of the North Island, or as they rightly deserve to be and for this reauOn the journal has this week reproduced the article in question. This gives very useful information regarding the angling in the Southland rivers and the cold lakes of the south, as well as some useful -hints concerning the best flies and tackle to use. SHOWER BATHS. Mr A. L. Johnson, chairman and managing director of a Tina of hardware merchants in Manchester, who has recentlyloured the dominions, Ln-s been giving h£s impressions of (he countries he visited to the Hardware Trades Journal, A must remarkable point in the hardware trade in Australia , and New Zealand, ho said, was the demand for shower baths. People almost lived in shower baths. The result of this had been the evolution of wonderful geysers, made and used locaily. A number of them it was possible to heat up with a lighted newspaper pushed underneath, fhe yield of hot water resulting giving_ a good shOWer. Tho makers obtained their knowledge and experience from sheet* necessity. Such geysfers were made out of imported sheets and tubes by local plumbers and there were many different kinds. Another curious fact was that all (lie guttering and down spouts were made from sheet iron. Cast-iron was prohibitive on account of freight. Piumher.s, in consequence, were extremely skilful. LabourHaving devices in tho home were also prominent. owing to the problem of securing domestic service. For the same reason almost all houses outside the towns are of the single-storey typo. AN ADVOCATE OP NEW ZEALAND WOODS. An article on New Zealand limber, Mrs J. . Coulter tells readers of The Empire Mail of its uses and possibilities. For numerous reasons (he timber industry has in the past been handicapped, but' now, with the prospect of a revival in New Zealand industries of all kinds, and in view of the tremendous consumption of timber for war purposes, she thinks that the claims of the dominion timber should not ho overlooked. LeSe expensive .than kauri, she suggests the profitable use in furniture construction and joinery work, of rinni. yol towsilver pine, silverbeech, tnraire, rata, pnkaiea, blackmaire, kokekoke, and New Zealand honeysuckle. All can supply attractive material, and some of them exquisitely grained panels. Those who have .seen the interior of a modern, artistic Now Zealand house, with its tine permanent fittings, will readily realise the possibilities of the industry in good hands. Mrs Coulter realises that (lie industry cannot spring up like a mushroom. “It must be the, fruit of (lie Forestry Department’s cere in replacing the ravages of time ami civilisation amongst native trees, and in planting other varieties likely to bring in quick returns. Of those the Douglas fiV and several varieties of pine have proved the most successful. But, seeing (hat possible markets are opening up on all sides, and that the demand hi increasing with the requirements of modern civilisation, the New Zealand timber industry should have a prosperous future lee fore it.” FAMOUS OLD SCHOOL, With the imminent passing of Hope Street Undenominational School at, Liverpool. owing to local developments (say* tho Yorkshire Herald), an interesting link with many notabilities will be severed. The school was started about. 1790, and it is recorded that in 1791. the head master was paid £2O a year. Irt 1792 a building was erected in Manesty lane, where instruction was given “to childrtm in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and to girls in sowing and knitting.” It was laid down

in regard to religious instruction that no catechism or book should be used that taughi “any points of doctrine other than those genera] truths upon which all sects of Christians are agreed.” This would, of course, exclude the Bible itself. The school wen removed to its present site in 1851. Among old scholars are many prominent personalities, including: —Sir Hal! Caine, Mr W. E. Tirebuck (writer of boys’ books), Mr Robert Leighton (author and journalist), .Mr Reginald Hall (publisher), Mr Overehd (war artist), Colonel Trimble (a member of the New Zealand Government), Mr R, Kcllv, Jt'.R.C.S. (the Rodney street surgeon), Mr A. Townsend (a Liverpool architect), and Mr R. Preston (a Liverpool artistt. . Among the head masters have been Mr George. father of Mr Lloyd George, and err George Gill, subsequently tender of Gill’s Publishing House.