In Town And Out

Southland Times, Issue 23228, 17 June 1937, Page 6

In Town And Out

World-wide Problem

The problem of youth and its future is one of the most urgent of the present day, according to Mr J. Henry Lang, a New Zealander, who returned recently after 15 years in the United States, and who addressed the Auckland Rotary Club. He said the question was whether youth was to follow the path of Naziism, Bolshevism or Communism, or that of democracy and Christianity.

Those Running Shoes When the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) decided that sharppointed radiator mascots must be removed from motor-cars in the interest of public safety, motorists with a decorative turn of mind were probably grieved, but at least one has managed to comply with the regulations without dispensing with his mascot, states The Evening Post. This motorist drives a truck and his vehicle was seen on the street in Wellington recently with a pair of running shoes neatly tied to the top of the radiator. Bought His Own Book

A Christchurch man was browsing through the second-hand book department in a city shop recently, when he came across one that he judged would replace a valued book that he had lost track of a year before. He happened to look on the fly leaf, and there in faint but legible letters he read his own name. In an unguarded moment the proprietor divulged its source and then the man remembered an incident of 12 months ago. In the meantime he bought the book for the second time, but it was understood that he would have something telling to say to his erstwhile friend, the borrower.

Radio-equipped Trucks Transport arrangements of the Auckland Electric Power Board may be materially improved this year by the introduction of radio control of the board’s trucks. In a report to the board at its annual meeting the general manager (Mr R. H. Bartley) stated that the board had called for tenders, closing early next month, for plant to give a two-way radio communication between a central point and the board’s trucks. This plant, he said, should be the means of saving many idle miles of transport arid should enable the board’s motor-vehicles to handle much more work in a given time and at a given cost.

Hoof-Beats in The Night A late home-comer was cycling along in the early hours yesterday morning. The blackness closed round like a shroud, blotting out all noise except the steady crunching of his bicycle wheels on the roadway. Suddenly ’us thoughts were shattered by the thud-thud of hoofs. The sound grew in volume. Shaking himself out of his reverie, the cyclist glanced behind, hastily dismounted and dashed to the side of the road—and just in time. With thundering hoofs and flying manes two horses flashed past, leaving a bewildered cyclist behind. He remounted and after a hasty look round bent low over his bicycle and spurted—in the opposite direction.

Literary Treasures Even amateur book-lovers have their finds. An Oriental Bay (Wellington) resident tried hard to secure a copy of “Kanga Creek,” a book by Havelock Ellis, written in his later years and describing his experiences as a young man when he taught for a period in the Australian backblocks. Recently he was advised by a leading firm that it had advertised in London for the book but it was not obtainable. Next day he went to Nelson and had his usual browse around the book shops. There, tucked away on a high shelf, he found “Kanga Creek” and bought it for a few shillings. In a Wellington used books shop he also secured for a shilling a book on the, mineral waters of New Zealand which he found later to be worth £2 10/-.

Effect of Falling Birth-rate. By 1960 the children in Great Britain may be outnumbered by elderly people, prophesied Mr George Lawn in an address to the Christchurch Economics Society on population problems (states The Press, Christchurch). Quoting from an English writer, on , the probable effect of the falling birthrate, which though now increasing slightly, was almost stationary and was threatening soon to decline, Mr Lawn said that the problem of a different age distribution of the population in future years would have many unexpected repercussions. The natural increase in New Zealand’s population in some 60 years had decreased from 29 to eight in l a 1000. He would not attempt to discuss the implications, but those were the bare facts. New “Thrift” Threepence Quaint and unfamiliar in size, shape, and “feel” are the new English threepenny pieces, one of which was shown to a reporter of The Dominion in Wellington. The coin is rather larger than a New Zealand sixpence and nearly twice as thick, or one-tenth of an inch through. Made of a bronze alloy that gives it the appearance of a new penny, it has little or no ring and is decidedly a heavy and bulky object as coins go. Its principal peculiarity is that it is not round, but has 12 edges and ho milling. On one side is a clear-cut and attractive profile of the Kling. On the other side is the reason why the coin is punningly called the thrift threepence —a clump of the thrift plant wrought into a design with three flowers. Surrounding the design is the simple legend, “Three pence, 1937.” t

A Fight and a Fall An incident that might easily have a moral for some nations occurred near Kilbirnie Park recently and was seen by a number of pedestrians in the vicinity, states The Evening Post, Wellington. Two large cats evidently had a difference of opinion about some matter of feline politics and, after a noisy argument at the top of a high bank, decided to resort to brute strength. Their battleground was narrow, and a few seconds after they came to grips they shot over the bank and fell to the roadway about 15 feet below. One promptly chased the other up the bank again and the engagement was resumed at the top. In a matter of seconds they dropped to the roadway again, and, judging by their attitude and restrained exchanges, decided that war could be disadvantageous to both parties.

Education Round the World Some montiis ago the various affiliated groups of the International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, including the New Zealand Educational Institute, were asked to complete and send to headquarters a questionnaire on educational topics. The chief headings were: Is the teacher a public servant? Appointment of teachers, duties of teachers, guarantees (appointment, promotion, security of tenure), legal status of teachers. The replies to the questionnaire have been incorporated in the federation’s 160-page quarterly bulletin, thus making readily accessible teaching conditions in many countries. The institute’s contribution, prepared by the secretary, Mr G. R. Ashbridge, occupies two and a-half quarto pages,

and is so comprehensive as to be of considerable value, even to local students of the rights and responsibilities of New Zealand teachers. Licensed Motor-Vehicles The number of licensed motorvehicles on March 31, 1937, was 255,748, an increase of 27,501, or of 12.0 per cent, over the total on March 31, 1936, reports the Government Statistician. The latest figure represents 161 vehicles a 1000 of population, a little short of one to every six persons. By way of comparison it is interesting to note that in 1935 the number of motorvehicles a 1000 of population in some of the principal countries where motorvehicles are in common use was as follows: United States of America, 206; New Zealand, 122; South Africa, 120; Canada, 107; Australia, 96? France, 52; and the United Kingdom, 44. During the year ended March 31, 1937, 33,518 motor-vehicles (including hassis) were imported, as compared with 23,686 during the previous year, an increase of 9832 vehicles, or of 41.5 per cent Imports of motor spirit increased from 66,785,732 gallons in 1935-36, to 90,263,302 gallons in 1936-37, or by 35.2 per cent.