NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 85, 5 July 1928, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES FROM ALL PARTS.

THE DOMINION DAY By DAY, HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE Whales In the Sound. Passengers who made the trip from Picton by the Tamahine on Saturday afternoon had. the unusual experience of seeing a whale harpooned. The steamer was in the vicinity of the whaling station at Te Awaite, inside Tory Channel, when the passengers saw one wjhale floating on the surface of the water, dead, another dying, and a third being harpooned. Much interest was taken by the passengers- in the proceedings, which were carried out in full view of those on board. .

East Const Railway. : : . A petition is being freely signed in the Bay of Plenty district urging the immediate construction lof the Taneatua-Opotiki section of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway,.. The petitioners urge; (1) That already a large sum has been spent carrying the lin e to Taneatua, and linking up the main lines of the province; (2) that it is urgent that the line should-he extended to Opotiki; (3) that at present a large and fer-tile-portion of the. Bay of Plenty district is cut. off d'rpm the advantages- of railway, communication; (4) that the construction‘Of the line was authorised in 1925; (5) that The ; construction .resents no; -serious engineering di||cu!ties; ; (6) that the new section of. lino- would be self-supporting.

Youthful Criminals* Equipment The Police Court at Dunedin last week when three youths, admitted a series of motor car “conversions,’' burglaries and thefts, was littered with articles which had been recover de by the detectives engaged on the case. Among the collection were two hacksaw blades, stock and dies, a keyhole saw,-a set Of chisels, two sets of screw drillers, two saws,

six Yale locks, three braces and bits, ratchet braces and bits, V vice, a nest of saws, a hatchet, pinch bars, electric gear, insulated pliers, pipe tongs, a dovetail saw, torches , a shotgun and a rifle, spanners, an oilcan, a steel plane, spokeshaves, sharpening 1 stone, pinchers, emery wheel. The youths’ equipment also included masks, gloves (both, rubber and suede) and about half a gross of keys of all shapes and sizes, including two skeleton keys.

“Men of Proved Mettle.” The loyalty and efficiency of the members of the Public Service generally were commented on by, the Prime Minister in the course o£ his remarks at the farewell function to Mr J. Hislop, Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, in Wellington. “I . have no doubt,” said Mr Coates, “that we have in New Zealand a very loyal Public Service. Since occupying office as a member of the Government, I have had very plain evidence, of the sound work of the officers generally for the departments with which they are connected, of* their loyalty to the public and the Government of the day, and of their desire to give of thier best. (Applause.) We have men in the Slate service of proved mettle. Their concern, and the loyalty they show in the performance of it must be appjauded. There are men in the service of great calibre who place their wont above everything. They are the type who help in upholding the prestige of our Dominion.’ (Applause.) Licensing- Bill. * When the Reform party caucus met in Wellington last April it was iecided to set up a committee pf six members—three “wets” and three “drys”—to go into the question of licensing, legislation with, a view to seeing whether or not some compromise could not be reached this year wrfen the.. Licensing Bill is again brought down. The committee has deliberated, and there Is much speculation in the lobbies- as to. the nature of its report, both arophgt Prohibitionist members and those favorable to Continuance (says the Wellington Post). Statements are current that the Bill to he brought down this year will he somewhat different in form from last year’s measure, and that }(' may contain a provision for a/ two-issue ballot paper and a proposal that only a slight majority 1 , say, of 5000 votes, shall be ne/essary to carry Prohibition. A Bill drafted on ‘these / ■ ■' ' lines, it/ is claimed, would have a favorable chance of getting through the Upper House. Some Prohibitionist members express a readiness to accede to a compromise of this nature, even to the extent iOf having a majority of 10,000 votes, rathey than go “the whole hog” for ' the bare majority, and thereby risk defeat in the Legislative Council, r