NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1934, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Taranaki Education Board has a clean balance-sheet for this year, it was reported at yesterday’s meeting. The chairman, Mr. S. G. Smith, congratulated the staff on its splendid work. “This question of the quota may be counterbalanced by the rise in sheep and wool,” said Mr. T. • T. Murray at Toko last night in discussing the relative prices of butter, cheese, meat and wool. That the Mokoia school committee should be advised that payment, of capitation was governed by regulations and that at the next allocation of capitation the case would be considered was decided by the Taranaki Education Board yesterday. Her car had been stolen, said a woman who telephoned the central police station, New Plymouth, last night. Inquiries were just about to be commenced when she called up again to say that the car had been found round the corner, about 100 yards from where it had been left by the owner. “Visitors to Sydney find the control of pedestrian traffic a little bewildering,” said Mr. S. E. Nielson to a News reporter yesterday. “Jay walking. is punishable with a fine. Traffic policemen control the pedestrian traffic .at busy intersections in conjunction with the traffic control officer who operates the car traffic.” A lengthy meeting of the executive, of the Taranaki Federation of Co-op. Dairy Companies was held at Stratford on Monday. Domestic matters occupied attention for a large portion of the time, after which there was a general discussion on the correct proportion of the ingredients in cheese, following an address on this subject by Mr. G. H. Buckeridge, Hawera. To bring into public notice the objects of Fire Prevention Week which started on Monday the New Plymouth Fire Brigade will hold a demonstration in the town to-night at 7 o’clock. Captain Petty, chief of the Fire Police, has been visiting schools in the district with the object of arranging short lectures to be delivered by teachers on precautions to be taken against fire outbreaks. It is possible that some provision will be made next year for anti-fire propaganda to ba included in the School Journal.

Forty-seven electric fire alarm boxes are in operation in the district admin■istered by the New Plymouth Fire Board. It was proposed at the annual meeting of the board last night to provide for the instalment of five further boxes at suitable points at an estimated cost of £6O.

Suggesting the encouragement of pigs as a “dairying sideline," a speaker at the annual meeting of the Toko branch of the Farmers’ Union last night became somewhat tangled with his farmyard populace. “The farmer should not put all his eggs in one basket,” he said. “He must go in for pigs, too.”

It was decided at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board that the department be asked to provide an assistant instructress on account of the large numbers of pupils at the New Plymouth cookery centre.

At Ohura on Monday evening the chairman of the Railways Board (Mr. H. H. Sterling) undertook to see that water was provided at Matiere station and the cattle yard metalled. The matters were brought to his attention by Mr. H. Gibson, of Matiere.

It was decided, at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, to ask the Department for a definition of its attitude on the question of those students who wish to enter the teaching profession in 1935. It was stated that parents of prospective teachers in Taranaki had been enquiring from the board the possibilities of training at colleges next year.

There are 981 boys learning woodwork and 1016 girls taking cookery subjects in manual training centres conducted by the Taranaki Education Board, it was reported at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. The question arose when a letter was received from the Canterbury Education. Board asking for information on the system in Taranaki. In an address to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) said the public service was not over-paid by any means, and he for one regretted that cuts had had to be imposed. When the finances permitted, he would like to see the cuts restored. “I do not like to see motorists convicted for parking too close to fire hydrants when the hydrants themselves are not very clearly marked,” said the chairman of the New Plymouth Fire Board, Mr. W. C. Weston, at the annual meeting last night. Accordingly the board decided to instruct the superintendent to improve the markings about all plugs. Mention was made by Mr. T. T. Murray at last night’s annual meeting .of the Toko branch of the Farmers’ Union of Mr. Evan Jones’ record crop of mangolds of 150 tons 7cwt. Toko was proud of it, said Mr. Murray, and claimed the crop as a world’s record. Whether that was right or not they had not known, but as nobody had questioned the claim it must be right.

A feature of the Wanganui horse fair on Saturday was the demand for draught and half-draught horses. In spite of the ever-intreasing reliance upon the motorcar, motor-tractor and lorry as means of transport, the horse still enjoys a high place in man’s regard and quite good prices were realised at Saturday’s sale. Approximtely 130 gorses were offered and all but 20 were sold. A neat definition of influenza was given in the Supreme Court at Auckland by Mr. Justice Ostler, who described it as “That blessed word ‘influenza,’ so useful in satisfying the curiosity of laymen when medical men do not know.” He went on to give his reasons for disbelieving the diagnosis of a doctor who had given a certificate of influenza to a hospital patient An indication of the keenness with which work is sought was given at a meeting of the Onehunga school committee, when 80 applications for the position of school cleaner were considered. Inquiries came from places as far distant as Dargaville and New Plymouth. In former days the position was not very eagerly sought, but the present applicants included men from many walks of life, among them being a sea captain, sailors and soldiers, one of whom had been decorated by the King of the Belgians, stewards, carpenters, plumbers and electrical engineers.

A couple on honeymoon met with an accident on the Parapara Road, in which they had a miraculous escape from death, says a Wanganui newspaper. When passing another vehicle the car they were travelling in was guided to the outside edge of the. road and the formation gave way beneath the weight, with the result that the car was precipitated down a steep face some 150 ft. The husband suffered severe shock and bruises, and the wife an injury to her collarbone. Both were removed to the Wanganui hospital, where it was learned that their injuries were not serious.

Referring to a statement submitted to the meeting of unemployed relief workers at New Plymouth on Tuesday night regarding new conditions of work at the Urenui deviation camp, Mr. P. E. Stainton said yesterday that the report did not emanate from him as was reported to the Press at the meeting. He had previously had a private conversation with the executive of the Relief Workers’ Union, but it was incorrect to state that the Unemployment Board had agreed to the conditions set out. Firstly the work would definitely be carried out under the control of the Clifton County Council and secondly the other condi- ’ tions were still the subject of negotiation. “The trouble in the Ohura is that farmers are holding more land than they can profitably work,” remarked a leading settler to Mr. H. H. Sterling’s party on Monday. He said that if they could dispose of half of their areas—and half of the liabilities attaching—they could, > by more intensive methods, get the same return from the smaller areas as from the ; present areas; also they could afford to employ more labour. In fact, to-day the greatest need of the district was more labour, there being sufficient work about crying out to be done to employ hundreds of willing workers. There has been a distinct improvement in business in Ohura district since the railways were opened to traffic. The settlers had passed through a, pretty difficult time owing to the low prices for wool, sheep and lambs, and the high transportation costs, but the recent sudden improvement in the markets, together with the opening of the railway line, has put an entirely new complexion on things and heartened settler and business man alike. This change is reflected in the finances of the County Council. Where a year ago the funds were thousands to the bad, to-day they show a credit balance. Footballers on the Whangamomona Domain last Saturday were surprised to see a mob of wild pigs appear on the high Spur overlooking the field. Two players at once secured guns and dogs, and after hard battling through the scrub came on the mob, only to see one dog after another tossed by a large boar. The pigs went over the ridge down to a river, but the boar was bailed up and shot after exciting work. It was subsequently found that the boar had broken off both tusks tossing the dogs. The possible danger to students and teachers in earthquakes of the chimneys on buildings at the New Plymouth High School was referred to at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education : Board, when a communication was received from the Education Department authorising the demolition of the chimneys on the buildings. An emergency exit will also be provided from the . second floor of the detached building at the Boys’ High School.