In Town And Out

Southland Times, Issue 23208, 25 May 1937, Page 8

In Town And Out

The Yellow Peril

“Whenever anyone mentioned the Yellow Peril he was regarded as an alarmist,” said his Grace Archbishop Averill at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children in Auckland. “We regarded the Empire as impregnable. So did Rome, but if perils are allowed to increase I don’t see why our Empire should not fall just as other empires have fallen.” His Grace was referring to what he described as the appalling fall of the birth-rate. Refinement of Comfort

A refinement of fireside comfort that is not as widely enjoyed as it could be has been adopted by a farmer living not far from Christchurch, states The Christchurch Star-Sun. A city visitor, shown into the farmhouse living room, was puzzled by a pair of slippers nailed by the toes to the mantelpiece. “What on earth are those for?” he asked. “You watch,” replied the farmer, as he slipped off his gumboots, subsided into a comfortable chair pulled up to the fire, and put his feet into the slippers. “Now my feet can’t slip and I can read the paper in comfort,” he said. Halt in Building

“There has been very little building since the Government’s scheme came into operation,” commented Mr J. J. Boyce at a meeting of the One Tree Hill Borough Council, Auckland, when the building inspector, Mr P. H. Hollingsworth, reported that since April 30 only five building permits, to the value of £293, had been issued. The major work was a roof sign for erection by a Penrose firm at a cost of £175. Since the beginning of the year the council has issued 63 building permits, valued at £14,511, compared with 55 permits valued at £24,533 for the corresponding period last year. One School Book

Recently returned from a trip to Europe, the Rev. Father G. M. Colgan, speaking at the annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children in Auckland, said the children attending the schools in Italy had but one book. It contained sections devoted to spelling, religion, history and the usual school subjects. All the children were in uniform, looked healthy, and were examined daily at the school by a doctor. Every day the children were given a hot dinner at the school, as many as 600 sitting down at a time. Signor Mussolini had caused the building or reconstruction of 26,000 schools.

Wellington Housing Problem “You are probably unaware of the acute house shortage in this city,-and I would strongly advise you to let your wife remain in Auckland until you have secured a suitable place here,” stated a letter from a Wellington land agent received by an Auckland resident, who is shortly making his home in the capital. “I know of several cases who have waited months before being satisfactorily settled, and the hotel expenses incurred were very high,” the letter added. “We have nothing to suit you (flat or house) on our books at present, and there has been scarcely anything ‘to let’ available for some time.” A Thorough Visitor During his stay of three weeks in the city, Mr Sten Abdon, a leading Swedish cereal chemist, has proved himself a thorough visitor, states The Christchurch Star-Sun. Working in laboratories, calling on firms connected with the wheat industry and acquiring as much information as possible he has obtained r sound knowledge of wheat, flour and bread problems in the Dominion. Mr Abdon will leave for the the north early next week and will later sail from Auckland for Australia. Mr Abdon comes from a nation of brilliant chemists, for Sweden, as a result of outstanding research work, has become practically self-supporting in wheat production, a proud boast when it is stated that as lately as 1930 about 50 per cent, of Swedish flour was made from Canadian wheat. Humour in Court

The solemnity of the Supreme Court was momentarily relieved yesterday during the hearing of an application to have the court fix the remuneration of a receiver to a firm which had gone into liquidation. It was his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy who introduced the humorous note. The receiver’s counsel stated that the receiver had suffered a serious illness—the result of overwork—directly after he had completed his receivership. “What was the nature of his illness?” asked his Honour. Counsel said he was not sufficiently versed in medical matters to make a definite statement, but he understood it was an internal disorder. At times the plaintiff would lose the use of his arms, and at other times would lose the use of his legs. “Rather an unusual result of a receivership, is it not?” remarked his Honour.