TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 25313, 17 June 1935, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Early returns of the provincial elections in The Netherlands on April 17 showed that the Nazi candidates were widely successful, particularly in the larger cities. There are eleven provinces, each of which has its own representative body, the Provincial States. The members are elected for four years, directly from among those Dutch inhabitants of the province who are twenty-five or more years old. The Provincial States make ordinances affecting the welfare of the province and raise taxes, but all provincial ordinances must be approved by the Crown. The States have a right of control over the municipalities, and also they elect the members of the First Chamber of the States-General—-the Dutch Parliament. The recent provincial elections were the first in which the National Socialist Party participated. Out of 3,320,000 votes cast in ten of the eleven provinces they obtained 264,000 ballots, or a little less than 8 per cent. Holland’s would-be “Fuehrer,” Dr A. A. Mussert, came into prominence as a result of the election. Short, stocky, rotund, with a lock of hair falling over his forehead, Mussert, in appearance, has been compared to Napoleon, and never has discouraged the comparison. Dr Mussert was reported as working to found a Nazi party in Holland as long ago as the end of July, 1932. He was then Chief Engineer of Public Works of the Province of Utrecht. A despatch from Holland of February 27, 1934, said he had been discharged from his post for taking part in the Nazi movement. At that time Dr Mussert claimed 25,000 adherents. After the election, Amsterdam despatches said the Nazis claimed an active membership of approximately 40,000 fighting for popular support in Holland. The Government party obtained 57.5 per cent, of the votes cast as compared with 61.9 in 1933 and 67 per cent, in 1931.

Mock Trial at Geneva.

The rebuke administered to ■ Germany for breaches of the Versailles Treaty was bound to have results partly unprofitable, partly ludicrous, says the London Observer. On the one hand, recrimination with Germany would, be rekindled. On the other hand, the final impression would be one of huge comedy with a bitter flavour. In. the circumstances, how could a diplomatic prosecution at Geneva escape the appearance of a mock-trial—the more solemn the more absurd? There is no accepted judge. The Court is not recognized by the accused. The verdict is dumb-show. Tire offender is absent. No constable can produce him and no penalty can be imposed. The culprit is undoubtedly “guilty” under your law; but he repudiates your law itself as well as your tribunal. And the worst is that you cannot put Herr Hitler in the dock. It is all too like Dogberry’s dialogue with the watch. “You are to bid any man stand, in the prince’s name”— “How if a’ will not stand “Why, then take no note of him but let him go; and presently call the rest of the watch together, and thank God.” Birds and Radio Waves. Both German and Russian men of science have been making experiments for the purpose of discovering how birds, and perhaps other animals, acquire their sense of direction or orientation, writes Sir W. Beach Thomas in the Spectator. The experimenters believe that this information is supplied by electrical waves. These sensitive beings are “receivers,” bombarded continually by etherial waves. Homer pigeons were made, in experiment, to pass on their journey over the towers of a broadcasting station, and flew quite straight to their destination until the antennae were charged with a particular high frequency wave, when the birds lost all sense of direction, recovering only when the current was turned off. Experiments have sought and, it is alleged, found the same sort of instinct, that is sensitiveness to radio waves in trees, which are checked and stunted at particular spots owing to “criss-cross currents." The discoveries are said also to explain the successes of the divining rod and the liability of certain trees in certain places to lightning stroke. It is unwise to disbelieve anything in an age of new wonders, but one of the difficulties of the wave theories (which are new only in their greater precision), is that birds lost direction in a mist Migrating birds, homer pigeons and even the pheasant may become quite at a loss in any mist. The fact is not, of course, fatal to any theory. The mist may very well upset the mentality of the animal and make

it less than commonly sensitive to sense impressions.

Roads Not to Blame.

I have lately spent some time in analysing the last available report of the British Ministry of Transport on fatal road accidents, that for the year 1933, writes Mr W. J. Hadfield, city engineer and surveyor of Sheffield, in the Municipal Journal. Anyone who refers to the perfectly clear statements in that report will find that road conditions are the main cause of less than 2 per cent, of all the fatal accidents, a contributory cause in about 6 per cent, of the cases. Don’t think this refers only to slippery roads; they were the main cause of only 23 out of 7000 accidents. The percentages I have given include every road condition, such as blind corners, bad lighting, bottlenecks, excessive camber, awkward gradients and defective tramway tracks. I would not like this to be taken as an argument for feeling satisfied and standing still—far from it. Still, Mr Hadfield concludes, it is as well that we should use every reasonable opportunity of letting the public know where we stand.

Last evening the Dominion Meteorologist issued the following information: A rather deep cyclonic depression is now centred west of the North Island; pressure also very low south of Tasmania. Forecast: Northeast to north winds, of force moderate to strong, and in places reaching gale force; backing to west in the far north. Seas in New Zealand waters rough north of East Cape; elsewhere moderate, but increasing. Eastern Tasman Sea: Strong and increasing northerly winds, backing to west or southwest in the central and northern portions; seas rough. Weather clouding over, with fairly general rain developing, and some heavy falls in central and western districts.

An elderly man, Richard Goomes, residing at Bluff, was admitted to the Southland Hospital yesterday suffering from wounds in the throat. He died early last evening.

The recent heavy fall of snow and subsequent rapid thaw has caused the Mataura river to rise somewhat rapidly, the gauge at the Town Bridge at Mataura on Saturday recording the 13ft mark.—Correspondent.

The mushroom’s ability to grow in the most surprising places was proved last week. An Auckland motorist, who had presumably been discouraged by the wet weather from cleaning his car for some time, glanced down to a comer of his floorboards and saw a young mushroom growing in a small deposit of dirt which had accumulated.

The settlers in the Aotuhia district of the Taranaki hinterland have secured the services of a pig-hunter, who will be subsidized by the Unemployment Board. The district covers a Government reserve, where the wild pigs roam in hundreds and raid the adjoining farms as soon as the lambing season 'begins. Last year the board’s man accounted for more than 400 pigs, and materially reduced the percentage of lambs destroyed.

In order to commemorate the life and work of the late Dr. Leonard Cockayne, the eminent New Zealand botanist, it is proposed to establish a trust fund. This will be administrated by the Royal Society of New Zealand and will provide, inter alia, for the publication of papers of special merit embodying the results of botanical research carried out by New Zealand workers. An appeal is to be made to the public for subscriptions, and on the result of this appeal depends the exact form that the memorial will take. When it is known how much money is available for the proposed trust fund, regulations governing the award will be formulated by the Cockayne' Memorial Committee and submitted to the Royal Society.

An advertisement appears in our advertising columns dealing with the election of three producers’ representatives on the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. The regulations under which the election is conducted provide that the various districts shall elect twenty-five delegates who will constitute an Electoral Committee, and will assemble in Wellington on August 28 and 29, 1935, to consider the board’s annual report and balance-sheet and to elect the three producers’ repre-' sentatives on the board. In accordance with the provisions of the Meat Export Control Act, the members of the board who are to retire in August are Messrs H. D. Acland, Christchurch; J. D. Ormond, jun., Wallingford, Hawkes Bay, and Sir William Perry, Masterton. These gentlemen offer themselves for re-election as producers’ representatives on the board.

New Zealand is the only land mass of any considerable size that is devoid of venomous creatures, said Mr W. R. McGregor, lecturer in zoology at the Auckland University College, in an address arranged by the Auckland Institute. The subject of Mr McGregor’s address was the variety of venomous creatures which are characteristic of the tropical jungle. Professor H. W. Segar presided. In New Zealand there was the katipo spider, but its distribution was not general, and many people did not know what one was like, said Mr McGregor. The New Zealand bush possesses sylvan charm, and it was without the savage forces of nature. People in this country, he said, were apt to regard the jungle with a feeling akin to horror. Actually the dangers could be virtually eliminated by reasonable precautions. Formidable thombearing growth and stinging plants were common, he -added, but even more interesting was the myriad poisonous life.

A New Zealand scientific party will visit Mary, or Canton Island, in the uninhabited Phoenix group in the Pacific, for astronomical observations during a total eclipse of the sun in June, 1937, according to a report from Auckland. The island, which is about 12 miles long, has the only reasonably safe anchorage in the group, which is occasionally sighted by trans-Pacific liners whose course passes nearby. Mi E. G. Hogg, or Christchurch, who is eminent among New Zealand astronomers, said that he had not yet heard of any plans for a New Zealand party to go to the islands to make observations in 1937, (states the Press). A great deal of interest attached to all total eclipses of the sun. The unsolved problems of solar physics were very numerous, and the only opportunity of obtaining new facts, and checking former observations, was during the few minutes that totality lasted. It was likely that scientific parties from all parts of the world would visit the islands to observe the eclipse.

Carrying out the decision arrived at by the previous council, name-plate signs have now been erected at many of the corners of principal streets at Mataura, and the innovation should eliminate a good deal of the hindrance caused visitors in endeavouring to locate various streets in the borough. • Correspondent.

A boy at Halcombe, Seymour Tunbridge, was chasing some cows when one turned upon him. Before the boy could avoid it, the cow’s horn pierced his cheek. Thanks to the promptitude of Mr and Mrs Douglas McLennan, the unfortunate boy was rushed to the Palmerston North Hospital, where it was found necessary to insert nine stitches.

The inhabitants of the Cook Islands have shown their loyalty and devotion to his Majesty King George V. by collecting between £4O and £5O as a contribution to the King’s Jubilee Gift for cancer research in New Zealand. It is only a few months since the Cook Islanders had their homes and crops laid waste by a devastating hurricane.

While feeding pigs on his father’s farm at Halcombe, Mr O. B. Faulding was attacked by a pedigree boar which inflicted a painful gash in the calf of his leg with its tusks. The young man, while standing among the pigs, bent down to pat the boar on the back. The animal swung round and inflicted a wound which was fully an inch deep, stitches being necessary.

A deputation of Taranaki county chairmen and engineers interviewed the Acting-Minister for Finance (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) and the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. J. Bitchener) and asked that more effective relief be granted by the Government to m&ke good the heavy losses caused by recent floods. It was stated that roads, bridges, and culverts had been destroyed by heavy rains. The requests of the deputation were supported bv Messrs C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., and W. J. Polson. M.P. Both Ministers assured the members of the deputation that their requests would receive sympathetic and careful consideration.

Twelve months ago a newspaper seller in Wellington lent a stranger who was down at heel the price of a tram fare. The incident was forgotten until Monday, when the stranger approached- the seller on the stand again, not to borrow but to pay the debt with substantial interest. The seller in question has frequently done a good turn for men who needed a copper or two, but this was one of the rare cases when he has been paid back. Once, however, he assisted an old man across the road. That incident also was forgotten until about two months later, when the old man called at the Dominion office, described the seller, and left a small cheque for him.

“It is just as necessary that poultry should be subject to inspection as it is for any other meat,” stated Mr J. Liggins at the meeting of the Christchurch District Council of the New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation, when urging that poultry should be brought under the scope of the provisions of the Pure Food Act. Mr Liggins said that the fear of disease in poultry was a deterrent to buying by the public, for at the present time it was not an offence to sell diseased poultry. Speakers also urged that it should be made an offence to sell bad eggs. Remits to this effect will go forward to the annual conference of the federation.

A shooting accident occurred at Taupiri last Tuesday morning, when Leslie George Scudder, aged 19, a lorrydriver, suffered injuries to the chest and upper arm. He was shooting rabbits on the farm of Mr H. J. Crampton. He had fired one charge from a doublebarrelled shotgun, and placed the gun on the ground. He was in the act of picking it up, when the second barrel discharged, and pellets entered his chest and arm. The youth was over 500 yards from Mr Crampton’s home at the time, but he was able to walk to the house. After receiving attention from Dr. Martin, of Ngaruawahia, he was admitted to the Waikato Hospital. Most of the wounds were of a superficial nature, and his condition was reported to be not serious.

The Railway Department advertises in this issue the running of a Sunday Excursion on 23rd June from Dunedin to Invercargill. The two excursion trains will arrive at Invercargill shortly before mid-day as usual.—Advt.

Girls’ Winceyette Night Dresses, 30, 33, 36 and 39 inch at 1/11, 2/3, 2/6, 2/9. —Wicks’ Ltd., Cash Drapers, Dee St. —Advt.

Ladies! Our Hosiery Department is the place in the city to buy. Best quality at lower prices. See our values first. Wicks’ Ltd., Cash Drapers, Dee street. —Advt.

Children’s Felts 4/9 to 7/11. French Berets 3/6. Children’s Wool Gloves, o—6, 1/11. Navy Wool Gauntlet Gloves, 3—6, 3/11.—At Miss Noble’s, Dee Street.—Advt.

Newest Suits and Overcoats at big reductions at Carter’s Rebuilding Sale. All makes of Blankets at Bargain prices. Stock has to go to make room for builders. (Advt.)

Warm woollen jumpers and cardigans are being cleared at sacrifice prices by THOMSON AND BEATTIE during Stocktaking Period: 5/-„ 7/6, 10/6, 19/6 buys winter comfort that would cost double in the ordinary way. See these woollens displayed in the showroom.— Advt.

Reading and travelling, the fumes and germ-laden atmosphere of townlife, the cinema, the constant irritation of tobacco smoke—all these take a heavy toll of your eyes. Is it any wonder that they often feel dull, hot and heavy, that they get inflamed, and water easily, that eye headaches are so frequent. You can relieve ■. these troubles with OPTRINE. This safe and gentle tonic lotion cleanses the eyes of all impurities, soothes away soreness and irritation, and keeps your eyes clear, alert and vigorously healthy. 3/- per bottle, GEO. H. BROWN, Dispensing Chemist, 125 Dee Street.—Advt.

NORTHERN MUSQUASH Coats are the finest and best wearing that you can buy. Therefore, they must be the best value. We have the finest range of Northern Musquash Coats in the city, at prices that are much below today’s wholesale prices, and we have no hesitation in advising the public to procure their requirements right away, as prices are advancing every sale. Inspection cordially invited. THE MUTUAL FUR COY., Manufacturing Furriers, Tay Street.—Advt.

For WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY. Make sure of GOOD NEGATIVES by using only the better fiIms—SELOCHROME, VERICHRCME OR ISOCHROME—then make sure of GOOD PICTURES by leaving your films at STEWART’S PHARMACY for DEVELOPING and PRINTING.—Advt PEACE PREPARATIONS.

For these who suffer from sleeplessness due to night coughing—here is the best preparation for a peaceful night. Take a little Baxter’s Lung Preserver in warm water before retiring! “Baxter’s" is a rich, warming, soothing compound that soothes and protects sore and inflamed tissues of the throat and bronchial tubes, clears away congestion and permits free, healthy breathing. But it must be “Baxter’s.” Three sizes, 1/6, 2/6 and 4/6 at all chemists and stores. —Advt.

“We held the brandy till the doctor came,” said a witness at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth in a collision case, when detailing the treatment of an injured man. “Why did you do that?” asked counsel. “We were afraid of police proceedings and imagined they might think he had had it before the accident,” naively suggested the witness.

The manner in which business firms in England were prepared to spend huge sums on newspaper advertising was referred to by Mr F. W. Doidge in an address on “Fleet Street” at the University College Hall, in Auckland. Mr Doidge said that business firms in Britain to-day spent £150.000,000 a year in advertising, while advertising receipts of the largest and most important London dailies ran up to £50,000 a week.

“The farmer for ever hopes to cash in. through a rise in land values, and at the first sign of agricultural prosperity rushes to mortgage his land to buy more land on, mortgage. And when land values break, his disappointed greed and not his social vision turns the grasping yokel into a radical—until land goes up again.”—An American opinion quoted by Professor B. E. Murphy when dealing with the economic principle of speculative anticipation in an address on the Mortgage Corporation at Wellington.

The Auckland Sailors’ Home, made possible by the munificent bequest of the late Mr. Edward Costley, has completed 50 years of service in the interests of seamen in and visiting the, port of Auckland. “The thousands of men who have enjoyed the amenities of the home during half a century owe Mr Costley a deep debt of gratitude.” states the report to be presented at the annual meeting on Thursday, June 20. It mentions that the total attendance during the past year was 6596, a daily average of about 18, showing an improvement on the two previous years. The year was a difficult one, although gifts from various sources enabled a small credit balance to be shown in the working account for the first time in 10 years.