IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21823, 28 September 1932, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY

£lOO to Earthquake Fund.

The City Council decided at ItS meeting last evening to donate £lOO to the Mayor’s Earthquake Fund.

Council and Employers’ Association. On the' ground that the City Council represented more Wage-earners than employers. Councillor Denham, at last evening’s meeting of the council, objected to,the council being a membe'r of the Employers’ Association. He spoke strongly against awards being sought which involved a further reduction in wages.

Gardens and Reserves. In his report to the City Council the superintendent of reserves stated that all planting put was now, completed at Queen’s Park. Pints to the ntunber of 2900 had been .planted as well as 1374 trees and shrubs. The Waiho'pai kcdnic reserve was in good order- Native shrubs to the number of 750 had been planted in the area on the west previously occupied by elderberry. On other reserves 4000 pifits, shrubs ahd trees had been, planted. » i * •

Donation of Plants. The Reserves Committee reported to the City Council last everiihg that it had received a letter from the Invercargill Beautifying Society advising that it had pleasure in presenting to the council assorted plants to the value of £2O to be used at the discretion of the superintendent Of reserves. It was decided that the council express to the Beautifying Society its sincere thanks for the generous donation and for the keen interest taken by the society in the development of the fcitN’S reserves. Disfribtitioii of Firewood.

According io the report of the Superintendent of Reserves oh the distribution of firewood, 613 loads have been delivered at a t6tal cost of £llB 12/9. There a|re 25 more loads to be delivered, and the list is then closed. Cartage costs wer6 increased by the fact that no fewer than 51 loads were taken to addresses only to find that the persons had shifted without notifying their, change of address. There are still Gt) loads cut and Stacked at Seaward Bush.

Pebbles and Diist. Three late letters concerning nuisances created by dtist arid pebbles Were before the City Council last evening. One resident of Nith street complained of having two Windows broken owing to motor cars throwing up loose gravel of which he alleged there was an excessive amount on the road. He claimed the cost of repairing the windows, From Elies Road carhe Complaints of damage from both dust arid flying pebbles. The letters Wete referred to the Works Committee.

Tepid Baths. The superintendent of tfid bath’s reported to the City Council last evening that the attendances f<?r August had been very satisfactory, the returns showing an increase of over £ll over the corresponding month of last year,Season tickets to the number of 37 had been issued, and although adults’ single admissions were down i>y 50, there was an increase of over 200 ih children’s admissions. There was also ah increase of 30 ih children’s concession tickets. The attendances for September to date were on a par With last season.

Racing Legislation. A request for an amendment to the racing legislation was foreshadowed in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when Mr D. McDougall (C., Mataura) gave notice of his intention to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. A. Hamilton), on behalf of the Gore; Tapahui and Wyndham Racing Clubs, to introduce legislation permitting the use of the double* totalisator and also authorizing the telegraphing of totalisator investments and the publication of dividends When race meetings are being held.—Parliamentary Reporter. * * * ♦

An Invercargill Protest. In connection with the reduction of the basi^ daily wage of Single and married men employed under the board’s Scheme No. 5, the City Council decided last evening, 6’h the motion .of COuricilloi- Denham, to send the following communication to the Minister of Employment: “This council respectfully Urges that the new scale of time and wages be not adopted. Unemployed in Invercargill have for many months paid heavy daily transport Costs. The extra day’s work required per wefek means a further levy for ttanspdrt otit of the small amount of pay.” * * * * Cutting Corners. “The practice of motorists cutting comers is apparently increasing as is shown by the serioUs damage done t 6 corners not protected by a post or a raised kerb as at the intersections of Kelvin, DeverOri, Jed ahd Daoh Streets with Gala street, arid many other corners in the central area, where vehicles have cut the comer as much aS to go six feet on to the footway ahd have destroyed the tarmacadam, I recommend these corners be reconstructed with 4in kerbs,” stated the city engineer in his report to th? council. The engineer Was authorized to proceed with the work. * * • * Kindergarten “Daffodil Day.” The Invercargill Kindergarten Council intends holding a street collection, to be known as “Daffodil Day,” next Friday, when it is anticipated that a generous support of public patronage will be forthcoming. Owing to the withdrawal of the Government subsidies the council is having a difficult time in endeavouring to keep its hCad above water and to maintain the local Schools, and every shilling is especially welcome during these lean months; Well** wishers have promised large supplies of daffodils for Friday, while in addition- there will be three stalls iri the main streets loaded with tempting produce. It is hoped that the public will rise to the occasion even moth sO than it has done iri the past and help iri a practical manner this deserving Cause. 4 • • • Fishing Regulation. When referring to the telegram published in yesterday’s issue of the Southland Times to the effect that the re-cently-gazetted regulation concerning the size of the mesh of seine nets Would not be enforced for at least a yea? and possibly not then, Mr A- Pasco informed a Times reporter that the decision of the Minister of Marine (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) was most satisfactory, “We fishermen Will, of course, forward strong representations to the Minister before 12 months are up in support of our contention that there is hO occasion whatsoever to even consider altering the ttiCsh,” said Mr Pasco, who added that they Were all very grateful to Mr J. Hatgest, M.P., for discussing the matter with them prior to his leav-* ing for Wellington rind for placing their side of the question before the author*. ities. * * * • The Water Tower. The report of the city engineer to the City Council last evening contained the following: “Up to a few yeats ago visitors Were allowed in the water toWer only with previously*obtained written permits. After that any person was admitted on request. In 1928 it was found necessary to requite a deposit to secure the return , of the key t and to prohibit the en-

trance of persons under 18 if unaccompanied. This is not working satisfactorily, since persons obtaining the key admit large numbers of others. A good dCal of trouble has been given l , oh Sundays by young persons who have taken to playing cards and dancing and Sometimes shutting others out of the toWer. The purrip attendants cannot leave their posts to keep order in the tower or to turn out offenders and on a recent Sunday afternoon found it necessary to refuse permission for any entrance. I suggest that the old system of adiriission only tvith a written permit, previously secured, should be reverted to.”

New Bank Premises for Winton'. In an interview yesterday with the Winton representative of the Southland Tinies, Mr T. N. Mitchell, manage? of the Winton branch of the Bank of New Zealand, confirmed the announcement that the directors had decided to erect new batik pfemises at Wintori. It is anticipated that the work On the new building will commence within a short tithe'.- The new premises will be of brick and will occupy two storeys, which Will iiiclude steeping premises for members of the staff. The present office is considered inadequate for the volume of business transacted and the hew building will be up-to-date and comprise all conveniences for clients. The plans of the building have been sent forward for approval and it is considered that when completed the new premises will be the most impressive Building in an already fine block.

Spring at the Stockyards. Two .unmistakable sighs of the advent of spring were afforded by the weekly stock sale at Lorneville yesterday, oh'e being the appearance of the first small draft of lambs destined for consumption locally. The purchase Was made by Mr A. Cundall from Mr James Crighton. of Waimahaka, and the largest lamb iri the draft when killed at the city abattoirs yesterday morning returned a Weight of 331 b. The other indication of spring’s approach tvas the yarding of the first of the season’s shorn wethers, a record for earliness being established by this draft owned by Mr J, Milne, of Woodlands. It is usually November before the shorn wethers make their appearance at the yards, sO that yesterday’s lot spdaks volumes for the splendid weathe’r Southland has been experiencing during the past few weeks.

Most Popular Coin. Never in recent times has the shilling been in such demand as during the last three or four years, and the demand is still growing in England. Although last year Was the peak period, 1932 shillings are already almost common, while the common sixpenny-piece, according to the Bank of England, has hot been needed yet, and the halfcrown for this year is only now beginning to circulate, and in very small qiiafifities. The rise of the shilling is attributed chiefly to the increased use of automatic machines, the fall in prices; ahd the popularity of shilling-iri-the-slot gas meters. Psychological reasons rriay be operating also. “Take the florin,” said a Bank of England official. “It is a handy Weight, it is a decimal fraction of the pound, it is bteaiitifiilly designed, and it buys now What a half-crown used to buy. Yet the public like it less every year, and we have large stacks of it from last year which no’ one seems to want. Either shillings or half-crowns, apparently; will do—and nowadays shillings' —but the florin seems to be dead.” « * * • Borrowed Books. A proposal made in England for a "Book Sunday” once a year is not a literary movement. The idea is to set aside one day oh which people should look through the books in their houses and return those which have been borrowed. It has been said that the conscience of one who borrows books and fails to return, them is easily, stirred, but numbers of lenders deny that borrowers, as a whole, have any conscience to stir. An illustration to show how effective a reminder may be in troubling the conscience of borrowers With poor memories is provided by ah American library which announced that long over-due books could be retuhied without a fine being imposed. The response was immediate, and long-lost books poured in, but such a result was probably due to another obvious motive. To generous lenders, the return of all the books lent might be embarrassing from the poiht of view of space, and perhaps they would sooner console themselves with the sturdy optimism that no book is ever lost; it only changes hands.

Trcphics Presented. At a function held in the Assembly Hall of the Southland Technical College yesterday afternoon, Mt D. Burrell (president of the Southland Ladies’ Hockey Association), who was accompanied by other representatives of that body, presented to the College A team the trophies won by it during the past Season. After the principal (Mr C. A. Stewart) had ihtrodiiced the visitors to the assembled pupils, Mr Burrell congratulated the victorious eleven on their creditable performances during thC Season and paid a tribute to their enthusiastic coach (MiSs Smith) and the sporting instincts of the players both On and off the field. He also referred io the successes attained by the College boys’ hockey and the fourth grade Rugby teams and to the keen manner in which the principal had fostered the sport of ladies’ hockey in the college. Mr Burrell mentioned that a member of the College A ladies’ team, Miss D. Boyle, had deservedly won Southland B 1932 representative honours and said that her play at the recent Dominion . tournament at Dunedin had been of such an outstanding nature that she would not have disgraced a position in the A team. He then presented the captain (Miss M. Boyle) With the junior competition Shield and also with the handsome cup presented some years ago by the association for competition between the High School rind Technical College. The principal, iri briefly returning thanks on behalf of the college, expressed gratification at the interest always taken by the association in the college teams’ activities and at Mr Burrell’S personal endeavours on their behalf.