NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

“Australia is now stepping along briskly and firmly, smiling and confident, facing the rising sun,” says a New Zealander now resident in Sydney, in the course of a letter to a friend at New Plymouth. Flags were flown yesterday to commemorate the anniversary of the declaration of New Zealand as a Dominion on September 26, 1907. The anniversary was kept yesterday as it was the nearest Monday to the date. It was a holiday for banks and legal offices only. Scalp burns were received under unusual circumstances by a New Plymouth woman last night. While she was drying her hair before an open fire composition combs in the hair burst into flames and the top of her head was burned. She received medical attention.

That all pupils who are children of registered unemployed workers are to be permitted to sit for the matriculation and intermediate examinations without payment of entry fees is advice received from the Education Department by Miss D. N. Allan, principal of the New Plymouth Girls’ High School. That fences on the farm were being damaged through the members of sports bodies using tlie farm but neglecting to pa rs through the gates was a statement made by Mr. W. H. Moyes, principal of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School, in his report to last night’s meeting of the board. He asked that some action be taken.

A kiwi was found dead in the snow on the Kaupokonui ski grounds above Dawson Falls on Sunday. Apparently it had been dead only a short time as it was in a perfect state except for a broken beak—possibly starvation caused its death. The ski grounds are between 4000 and 5000 feet above sea-level. It is recalled that a year or two ago a dead kiwi was found at the lip of the crater. Instead of the usual gala day the New Plymouth Girls’ High School will this year hold a sports day as was the custom some years ago. Parents and friends will be the guests of the school. In her report to the board last night the principal (Miss D. N. Allan) remarked that the support given by the public to “Merrie England,” the production staged by the school towards the end of last term, had been so generous that no further attempts would be made to raise money this year.

A farmer, Mr. Alexander Bourne, about 65 years of age, residing on his farm at Awaiti, about five miles from Paeroa, met with a serious accident this week. He was driving a herd of'.cows from one paddock to another when a cow which had just calved charged him and knocked him over. A second cow also charged him and gored him while he was on the ground. The unfortunate man’s calls were heard by his son, who raced to his father’s help. Medical aid was summoned and Dr. L. S. Davis, of Paeroa, attended the injured man, who had received injuries to the face, chest and legs. One eye was also serious injured. Mr. Bourne was sent to the Thames Hospital for treatment.

There are a number of unusual features about the motor-vessel Inverbank, which arrived at New Plymouth on Sunday night from Auckland. Twenty-two of the crew are Chinese and the chief steward is also Chinese. There are three apprentices on board. Tire vessel has a cargo of bitumen from Tampico, Mexico, to discharge before sailing on Wednesday.

Owing to the very bad visibility near Wanganui on Thursday afternoon, Major Isitt, with a passenger, Mr. Bell, could not pick up the Wanganui aerodrome when on his way from Auckland. He flew out to sea, but the thick misty rain blotted out every landmark, so lie headed for Hawera. There he found that sheep had invaded the landing ground, and after circling the course he again set out for Wanganui, this time making a perfect landing. The whole trip took some four hours.

As an indication that the unemployment position in Christchurch is improving, even if only slightly, Mr. J. W. Beanland, chairman of the works committee of the Christchurch City Council, states that several relief workers are leaving relief works and getting back to their own jobs. During the last fortnight, he says, at least 20 men, some employed on council relief works, and some employed on the Sumner causeway, have left to take up permanent, or semipermanent, work at their own trades. The first plough ever used in the Wanganui district has been presented to the Alexander Museum, Wanganui, by the Nixon family. It was used by a Mr. Bell, a native of Scotland, who settled in Wanganui in 1841. He was warned off his first farm by the Maoris, and took one near the settlement. This farm was later acquired by Major Nixon, and called “Sedgebrook.” The plough was left behind when Mr. Bell departed for the Nelson province, thoroughly disgusted with the native troubles in the North Island.

The Royal salute of 19 guns which greeted the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Forbes, and other members of the delegation to the World Economic Conference, when it arrived in Chicago, was referred to by Professor A. H. Tocker in an address at a “welcome home” gathering in Christchurch. He said that the salute was from one cannon —fired 19 times—with a barrel six feet long. He. understood that it was kept for great occasions. There was also a military guard. It was felt that it was part of the Chicago World Fair, and the delegation, he laughingly remarked, felt like part of the fair, too. “Speed-mad” was the description English motorists were given by Mr. Edward Armstrong, who has just returned to Christchurch from a tour abroad. He had been astounded by the number of road accidents he had seen in the 4000 miles he had travelled on English roads. Motor traffic of all kinds went at much higher speeds than in New Zealand, he said, and many of the cars were really not under control. Motorists in England did not seem to realise, as Lord Trenchard had recently reminded them, that a man driving a motor-car was controlling a machine that was as dangerous as a quick-firing gun.

Reporting to the Whangarei Harbour Board on the dredging of the town whgrf basin, the engineer, Mr. W. M. Fraser, said that suction dredging had been very much hampered on account of a large quantity of old iron, timber and motor wheel tyres being met with in the work, which either blocked the mouth of the suction pipe or fouled the main pump, resulting in the dredge having to stop work many times each day. The upper portion of the basin, particularly near the bridge, had evidently been used fob the past few years as a dumping place for rubbish, and, apart from the illegality of the practice, it made the estimating of the cost of dredging quite impossible. It was found, however, that as the work proceeded down channel, fe'wer obstructions were met with. While the sellers at the pedigree bull sale at New Plymouth yesterday were prepared cheerfully to meet the market, even if the buyers’ ideas of value did not coincide with their own, the youngest son of a well-known breeder, Mr. John Hale, let the gathering know in no uncertain manner that buyers’ ideas of values did not agree with his. Bidding for his yearling bull stopped at eight guineas and the auctioneer urged him to put the bull on tlie market, adding that it might die and be a complete loss. “I’d rather it did die than sell at that price,” the boy replied. When bidding again hung fire at 10 guineas the boy at once led the bull from the ring. As he was disappearing one of the auctioneer’s staff asked, “What do you want, boy?” “His rug,” came the reply, so unexpected and naive that the ensuing laughter shook the benches. A glowing tribute to Lord Jellicoe was paid by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, when speaking at the luncheon given on Friday by. the Government in honour of the visit of the Australian warships Canberra and Australia. Mr. Forbes said that, when in England recently, he had had the honour of again meeting Lord Jellicoe, who, next to his Majesty the King, was the most popular man at Home. It did. not take him long to discover that the famous Admiral still had a very warm spot in his heart for New Zealand. In the course of his remarks, Rear-Admiral R. C. Dalglish, commanding H.M. Australian Squadron, said that when writing to his old friend, Lord Jellicoe, he would tell him that he was still remembered and loved and revered by the people of New Zealand.

Allegations that country constables did not always wear uniform when on duty, as required by the regulations, were made at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union last week. Several members alleged that country constables took advantage of their position when dressed in mufti to secure arrests. The secretary, Mr. A. Robinson, said he had communicated with the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister in charge of the Police Department, and the Minister had replied that the department’s regulations required members of the uniform branch of the service to wear uniform while on duty, except on special occasions. Mr. Robinson said that the Minister had offered to inquire into breaches of the regulations, but Mr. Robinson had decided to take no action as he believed it was the general impression that country constables rarely wore uniform, except on Court days.

Many curious items of information are gleaned by the statistician in the course of his researches. A few days ago the Commonwealth Statistician announced that the average age of fathers in 1932 was 32.96 years, of married mothers 29 years, and of unmarried mothers 24.31 years. During the 10 preceding years, he stated, there had been a small but consistent decrease in the average age of fathers and mothers. In 1932 the ages of brides ranged from 12 to 85 years, and of those of bridegrooms from 15 to 92 years. The most popular age for bridegrooms was 25, and for brides 21 years, while the most frequent combination was a bride of 21 and a bridegroom of 23 years. The density of population in the Commonwealth was 2.21 per square mile, ranging from one in 100 square miles in the Northern Territory to 20.60 in Victoria. The birth rate of 16.94 per 100 of population in 1932 was the lowest ever recorded, but, in conjunction with the low death rate, gave a rate of natural increase equalled by few countries. There were 1102 cases of twins and five of triplets. Of the 105,633 nuptial births 31,917 were first births. In 16 cases a child born was the 16th, in five the 17th, two the 18th, and one the 19 th. The average family per mother was 2.95. Deaths in child birth represented 5,57 per 100 ft,