Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1931, Page 6

Wednesday has been declared by the Egmont County Council as the statutory half-holiday within the county for the ensuing year. It was stated at a meeting of the council yesterday that as the result of a petition the council had last year declared Saturday the half holiday, but that while it suited the employees, it had not suited the business people, who had. asked the council to alter the day, but, of course, the council could not do that. However, the business people had continued to close on the Wednesday. He expressed surprise that no communication, had been received from the business people on the subject. For a number of reasons the members of the New Plymouth Regimental Band have decided that if will be impossible for the band to compete at the contest to be held at Wellington during February. Several of the bandsmen are out of employment, and others have intimated that they will not be able to get away. Mr. B. Sturm said that while he did not anticipate any difficulty in financing the trip, he thought careful consideration should be given before it was decided to expend such a large sum as. would be required. It was explained that the selections were within the capabilities of the players, and it was only the present economic position that influenced the decision of the members.

An original and attractive president’s gong will shortly come into the possession of the Auckland Rotary Club. It will comprise a brick taken from the Great Wall of China enclosed in a sounding box and will be presented by the Shanghai Club as a token of friendship and goodwill. The request for its acceptance was contained in a letter from Mr. J. Riddell, of the Doncaster Rotary Club, England, who recently visited Auckland. Mr. Riddell stated that when he was visiting the Shanghai Rotary Club a month or two ago Mr. Hawkins expressed the desire of the Shanghai Club to present the gong, and asked if the club would accept it. The offer was accepted with acclamation.

The traffic of the public over the holiday period has been remarkable in several ways. While the number of passengers carried by the service' cars of the different companies has shown a general increase, the revenue has on the whole been lower than for the same period of last year owing to an all-round reduction in fares. There have been more through passengers from Auckland to Wellington with stops at New Plymouth than previously. The proprietor of one service stated yesterday that large numbers of car-owners had availed themselves of the services of the different companies. The railway department’s traffic is so far slightly lower than last year’s, the number of excursion tickets which will be issued until Friday showing a decrease in value of over £6OO up to the present time. A well-known M.P. recently inspected some relief work going on in his district. His name was mentioned by thechairman of the committee accompanying him. “And you’re Mr. Blank,, the cow that said us unemployed single blokes should only have nine bob a day!” yelled out one of the workers at the top of the cutting. “Yes, I am,” said the M.P., “and very glad to tell you that to your face. What’s more, I could knock out over a pound a day at the price you’re getting for this job!” “Well, have a go,” said the relief worker. “Give me your picl> I’ll have a go. I don’t think I’ve forgotten how to use it,” and he proceeded' to wield the tool, showing his interested workers that his hand had not lost its skill or his eye its cunning. The workers concluded that an M.P. who could do navvy work as well a§ they had some good in him, after all.