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Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 43

In our second edition published last week, and which also appears as part of this issue, an article entitled “ Public Body Trading” states that in the opinion of the Associated Chambers of Commerce a tax on the profits of public body trading operations would produce £lO.OOO. This amount (says the Press Association) should have been £150,000. Passengers from Eastbourne were surprised to see from the ferry steamer on Friday morning (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) some large patches of ice about half an inch thick some distance from the shore, but the accepted theory is that it must have drifted out from the shore, as it was considered impossible for ice to have formed in the open harbour. The forecasting of profits in the issue of company prospectuses is not approved by the New Zealand Society of Accountants. An executive meeting of the society has decided to take steps to stop this practice, since it is an established rule that accountants should report on facts only and not deal with estimates of the future. It was pointed out that sometimes the full report of accountants was not published, but only extracts which were used to give the impression that the proposed company would earn big profits. It was emphasised that predictions as to future profits should be avoided, as investors might be misled, particularly when only partial use was made of the opinions of any public accountant.

Thirty years ago, when Nellie Stewart, the famous Australian actress whose death was recently reported from Sydney, was at the height of her fame and the late Mr George Musgrove was a leading entrepreneur, she expressed the wish that an arm ornament should be designed, to be known as the Nellie Stewart bangle. Mr Musgrove presented her with 2d sovereigns, out of which the original famous bangle was made, and it was agreed that it should never leave her arm. It was still on her arm at her death, but, though she had stipulated in her will that it should be cremated with her remains, this was impracticable under the New South Wales law, and the bangle will probably go with the sanction of the executors to Nellie’s daughter, Nancye Lynton, wife of Mr Mayne Lynton. the actor. Prior to her death, much controversy was aroused on the question of Nellie Stewart’s age, but this was settled by her will. She was 74 years of age.

The Auckland Education Board on Tuesday evening heard a deputation from the New Zealand Educational Institute objecting to the regulations governing the infliction of corporal punishment in schools. The discussion was held in committee, and (says the Auckland Star) the board decided to continue the regulations for a further six months, and then to reconsider them. The institute claimed that, owing to the regulations, there had boon a lessening of respect for teachers on the part of older pupils. A girl over 12 years of age, it was stated, had told a teacher she could do nothing to her, but a boy who bad made a similar remark bad to be severely strapped in front of the class. A further complaint was made that the headmaster was becoming the '* storm centre ” in the school, a fact which interfered with his influence. There had also been a considerable increase in the giving of impositions, and that tonguelashings and caustic comments had become too frequent. • The Timos (London. June 30) announces that the thirty-sixth list of donations for the New Zealand Earthquake Relief Fund brought the total amount up to £48,662 7s 3d. Recent donors were J. Walmsley £lO, W. Wigan £lO. F.S.S. £2, Anonymous £l. A unique ceremony in connection with the now building to be opened by the United Congregational Church in three weeks’ time took place on Saturday. A group of children who hath undertaken to collect £5 each towards the cost of the new church, and have already banded in £BO. had the privilege of laying in position in the vestibule a special brick cacii, the collector’s initials being stamped on the brick laid by him or her. The bricks are of a special make, and in the form of a band around the plastered wall of the vestibule will be a memorial, as long as the church stands, to the zeal of the young collectors. The ceremony was of an impressive character, calculated to emphasise the value of the children’s efforts.

A petition asking for the repatriation of Asiatics in New Zealand is to be circulated by the executive of the White New Zealand League, with a view to its presentation to Parliament this session. This course was decided by the executive of the league at a meeting last week. The president, Mr M. Cronin, presided over an attendance of 10 members. It was mentioned that there were 6000 Asiatics in New Zealand keeping Europeans out of employment. ’