NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1934, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

During May, 1934, 51 babies were bom at New Plymouth, 15 persons died and there were 20 marriages. The respective corresponding totals for May, 1933, were 48, 19 and 13. “That is a thing that will happen some day,” remarked Mr. J. McLeod at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union, when a member observed that the elimination of boundaries might be a good thing for club football in Taranaki. In the event of Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., not seeking re-election it is believed that Labour will support a candidate for the Egmont seat at the next election. It is understood that steps are being taken to form a branch of the Labour Party at Eltham. As a trial a white line is to be painted on one side of the roadway in Devon Street, New Plymouth, parallel with the kerb and extending one block. The work was authorised by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night at the suggestion of the Taranaki Automobile Association as a means pf dealing with the motor traffic problem. The president of the Taranaki Law Society (Mr. H. R. Billing) considers that the extension of the New Plymouth judicial district to include the Taumarunui, Hawera, Patea and Waverley Courts makes a large district for the New Plymouth magistrate (Mr. W. H. Woodward). He reserved further comment until it was seen how the new arrangement would work. By the C. and D. Line motor-ship Port Hobart, which left Auckland on Monday pight for London, ten boxes of butter manufactured in the -vacuum chum at the East Tamaki factory are being sent Home on behalf of the Dairy Produce Board, states the Wairarapa Daily Times. This consignment is to go to selected customers in Great Britain, who are to give a report as to the condition and quality of the butter on receipt there. Seeds of a rare tropical plant known in its habitat, Java, as “Bride’s Tears,” have been presented to Mr. T. Horton, superintendent at Pukekura Park, by Staff-Captain W. B. Pearce, of the Java Corps of the Salvation Army. There is some doubt whether it will be possible to germinate the seeds, but if Mr. Horton's efforts are successful the plants will be the only specimens in New. Zealand. The flowers of “Bride’s Tears” are said to resemble wistaria and to be as beautiful as any in Java. They are extensively used there for decorative purposes.

A roll-call of the local branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association at the Urenui reunion last night revealed that there are over 90 ex-servicemen in touch with the association in the Urenui-Awa-kino area, of whom 45 were present at the last night's gathering. A suggestion to parents that children found restless and difficult to control should be given a pet, a bird for preference, to look after was made by Mr. G. R. Hutchinson, Auckland, at the opening of the New Plymouth Cage Bird Club's show yesterday. Mr. Hutchinson was one of the two judges. The Wanganui Museum trustees a few months ago invited specimen carved panels to be submitted to them in order to select a carver for the carving of the great war canoe Te Mata-d-Hoturoa. Seven panels have been submitted, all considered to be of exceptional merit. The war canoe is 70ft. long, and the carving will take at least six months to complete. “Money is banking up in this country and will become cheaper,” said the president of the Wanganui fanners’ conference. “When that stage is reached we will start to move ahead. We are inclined to get our tails down too much and look upon the darker side. I feel confident that we will forge ahead, and the line we must take is to get a lot of small capitalists in this country.” “In 1901, when the association was first formed, there were 216 members of the Taranaki branch of His Majesty’s Royal Veterans’ Association. There are now only five surviving,” remarked. Mr. E. L. Humphries, secretary of the association, speaking at the South African veterans reunion last night. The surviving members were Veterans A. Binnie, 93 years, J. W. Foreman, 82 years, A. Black, 80 years, H. Arden, 80 years, and C. Lander. A little girl, three years of age, slipped away from her mother on High Street, Hawera, yesterday afternoon and was missing for several hours. When she was found near the Ketemarae Road end of Glover Road it was discovered that she had appropriated somebody else’s tricycle and gone for a ride. She dropped the tricycle near the Hawera dairy factory and continued her expedition on foot. An increase of £5477 10s in the value of buildings undertaken at New Plymouth during May, 1934, is shown in comparison with the same month of last year. Last month the total value of building permits applied for, including one business building, three dwellings and 16 alterations, garages, etc., was £8214 10s. The only extensive work undertaken was that in connection with additions to Deare’s building in Devon Street. , „ A Patea resident states that very little progress has been made towards the building of the proposed model Maori pa by Katana followers at Patea. A start was made some time ago, but apparently there does not seem to be any intention of completing the pa. The Patea resident adds that the idea in the first place was a good one, to have a pa on or as near to the place as possible where Turi and his followers established a permanent home. Endeavours will be made to interest members in a social club and attempts will be made to play badminton, table tennis and cards on regular nights of the week, according to a decision made by members of the Kawaroa Park Beautifying Society at the annual meeting last night. Messrs. E. Carter, J. Morris and F. Mclntyre and Misses D. Brown, N. Beal and McKay were appointed -a social and pastimes committee. They will endeavour to hold gatherings at least once a week. The “roll-call” at the Urenui Returned Soldiers’ Association reunion last night showed a very wide representation of exservicemen. There were representatives of Auckland, Otago, Canterbury and Wellington Infantry, Auckland, Canterbury, Otago and Wellington Mounted, the Camel Corps, New Zealand Machine-gun Company, New Zealand Artillery, Trench Mortar Battery, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, the A.S.C., New Zealand Medical Corps, New Zealand Engineers, Y.M.C.A., Light Railways Company, Dental Corps, Salvage Corps, the Air Force and the Imperial Forces. The historic Battle of Jutland, which marked the only occasion during the Great War on which the British and German battle fleets met in combat, occurred 18 years ago yesterday. The British Grand Fleet was commanded by Admiral Jellicoe, later to become Earl Jellicoe and Governor-General of New Zealand, and the German High Seas Fleet by Admiral Reinhard Scheer. The engagement, which was on a titanic scale, was marked by magnificent seamanship and manoeuvring, and heavy losses occurred on both sides. The German ships which survived, the battle were able to reach their home ports under cover of darkness.

The race was not deteriorating one iota, said Captain F. S. Hartnell, when speaking at the annual reunion of South African war veterans last night. Some people affirmed that the. youth of to-day was not of the same calibre as of old, but he thought there was still to-day the same material in the young men as they had in the days of the Maori war, when they proved good-living, hardfighting soldiers. Tire same was proved later in the South African War, and still later in the Great War, when youths rose to the occasion nobly. He felt that if trouble ever came the lads who comprised the territorials to-day would do just the same. The new colours of the Taranaki Regiment should be to hand within 12 months, Major A. E. Conway, N.Z.S.C., stated at the annual reunion of South African War Veterans at New Plymouth last night. The colours would contain the battle honours, “South Africa” and “New Zealand.” After continued representation the War Office had agreed to the inclusion of “South Africa” and “New Zealand” was being substituted for “Waireka,” which appeared in the old colours. Those battle honours, with which many members of the old Taranaki Rifle Volunteers had been so closely associated, would, he said, be cherished by the present regiment. The need for motorists to look carefully behind them immediately before “pulling out” from the kerb, and also clearly to signal their intentions, was stressed by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when commenting on a traffic case before the Court at Auckland. In the latest issue of the Automobile Association Bulletin it is stated that recent observations have shown that some drivers still neglect the necessary precaution of fully extending the right arm before leaving the kerb. “Neglect of this action is very fruitful of accident, and every motor driver in city and borough streets should observe this precaution at all times,” says the bulletin. A study of street accidents in Wellington, made on the authority of the city engineer, was recently completed. An analysis of figures taken over the 12month period ended September 30 of last year has been issued in the form of a report, which shows that:—Saturday is the most dangerous day in Wellington for street accidents. Friday comes next. December is the most dangerous month, July coming next. November is the safest month. The most dangerous hour of the day, on an average over the week, is between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. is next in point of danger, and between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. comes third. On Saturday only the last-named period is the most dangerous of the day, but on Sundays only most accidents occur between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. These are facts which have been culled from a study of only one year; nevertheless, they are regarded as being fairly representative of the position.