NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1934, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Several flights over the town and surrounding dsitricts were made by aeroplanes at the New Plymouth airport on Saturday. Owing to the wet weather no flying was done yesterday. Complaints of petrol-thieving have been received from a New Plymouth caroler. Apparently the offender has entered the garage and siphoned the fuel from the tank. Thefts have occurred on three separate occasions.

In spite of the wet weather yesterday several visitors drove to Brooklands, New Plymouth. They -were well rewarded for their hardiness as the flowers had not been affected by the rain. The wistaria is now at its best and there are several magnificently coloured varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas.

Several dozen hens’ eggs were found by Mr. E. Corrie in a stoat’s nest at Rahotu recently. He shot the female stoat, which had four young ones, but was Unable to capture the male. Three small pigs and some bantam fowls had been killed before Mr. Corrie discovered the nest.

The impression that persons between the ages of 16 and 20 years have been exempted from payment of the wagestax since October 1 last is not correct. Inquiry from the Unemployment Board shows that the statement recently made by the Government in respect to this question was merely a preliminary advice of its intentions which will become operative only when the necessary legis—lation is passed by Parliament, and will not be retrospective. In the meantime, therefore, employers must continue to deduct the tax from the salary or wages paid to all employees aged 16 years and over. -

A light aeroplane built in an Auckland garage by Messrs. R. G. Ouston and A. K. Cook to their own design was shipped to Sydney on Thursday by the Wanganella. The machine, a singleseater monoplane, has not yet been flown, although the builders consider it ready for the air. It is planned to have the machine flown at Melbourne by a well-known Australian pilot during the centenary celebrations.

A new industry which employs boys or men knocking down cones from pine trees to collect seed has been undertaken by a Christchurch man. He applied in a letter received by the New Brighton Borough Council at its last meeting for permission to gather cones in the Pleasant Point Domain to collect the seed for planting. He required 300 sacks of cones and offered a royalty of 4d a sack. The Mayor explained that the cones were knocked down with a hammer; no damage would be done to the trees, nor would future growth be affected. Several councillors, however, said they foresaw large numbers of persons helping themselves after seeing the man collecting his cones. As 300 sacks at 4d each would bring only £5, the council decided to refuse the request.

The 35th anniversary of the commencement of the South African War fell yesterday. Hostilities began when the British Government refused demands for the withdrawal of the British forces—demands which were contained in President Paul Kruger’s ultimatum of October 9, 1899. The refusal was notified three days later, and the Transvaal Government declared war, a British armoured train being attacked on the same day. The war ended on May 31, 1902, with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. A total of 6400 troops went from New Zealand in 10 contingents, the first leaving nine days after the declaration of war.

The Mayor Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, raised ’a hearty laugh at the Wellington accountants’ dinner last week. In a humorous prelude to a serious speech he remarked that he had been looking into the origin of accountancy. “It is an ancient and honourable craft,” he said. “Even in the days of Adam and Eve use was found for the loose-leaf system. 1 went a little further, and found that even in the time of Noah benefits were discovered in having a strictly limited company and also the advantages—which, I Understand, you know best —of keeping out too .much water.”

It was pointed out in the statement submitted by the New Zealand Counties’ Association to the Transport Coordination Board at the motor taxation Inquiry at Wellington that it was thought by some counties that the issuing of annual number plates should be discontinued in favour of a more simplified method to indicate registration. The executive, however, felt that the present system had much to commend it, but considered that the costs of the plates could be materially reduced and that a very considerable annual saving to the motorists would result thereby. Efforts are being made to take a sound film of the New Zealand bell-birds’ morning chorus, according to a statement made by Dr. D. A. Bathgate at a lantern lecture on native birds at Hastings. A movement was on foot to take a machine into a part of the backblocks where bell-birds were known to exist in large numbers and there to record the note. Dr. Bathgate said that it had been stated that had Shelley heard the ” morning chorus of the bell-bird such as was heard in the New Zealand bush he would never have written his ode to a skylark. Dr. Bathgate had himself had the privilege of hearing this morning greeting, and he could honestly say that he had never heard anything so beautiful. Words could not describe its magnificence.

“We are ’ wondering what reward Lord and Lady Bledisloe will receive on their return from New Zealand,’ writes a resident of England, a Gloucester man, to his brother in Palmerston North, reports the Standard. “He seems to have fitted in very well and to have done his job splendidly. I have passed on his pictures to the librarian of the Gloucester public library, who has been in correspondence with Lord Bledisloe, and he has forwarded extracts from his speeches on different subjects which are being preserved for posterity. I have heard that the vacancy of P.G.M. of the Freemasons of Gloucestershire is being kept open for the return of Lord Bledisloe. I believe that I am now the oldest Freemason in the province, having been initiated in 1872.”

Building permits issued in the larger towns during August totalled 791, states the Government Statistician in his latest report, the aggregate , value represented by these permits being £212,099, an increase of 24 per cent, over the corresponding figure for July. A feature of the August statistics has been the greatly increased number of permits issued for the erection of new dwellings, 149 such permits being issued, representing a total value of £107,673, as compared with 79 in July of a total value of £49,637. This increase in the issue of permits for the erection of dwellings is no doubt largely due to the coming into operation of the Unemployment Board s building subsidy scheme of 1934 which applies to dwellings only. A statement published by the board shows that the number of applications approved for subsidy under this scheme totalled 947 up to September 15, representing a total value of £593,402. A further increase in the issue of permits for the erection of dwellings may, then, be expected during September.

Speaking of American children in an address on the United States at z Timaru, the Rev. E. Llewellyn Williams said that the child should be allowed to be himself, and not a mere copy of his elders, with a result that the child was allowed a great deal of freedom. This became licence, but on the whole it did result in developing a very self-reliant individual, who started life without too many inferior complexes that made one timid and bashful. The American child was at least three years older in many ways than the children brought up where discipline and authority were the guiding principles in education. He could, of course, be a bit of a nuisance, but there was something very challenging about his precociousness. A boy .of 10 was once stroking his mother’s silk dress when he asked her, “Where did this come from, mother?” the reply being, “From the worm dear.” 1 You mean papa,” came from the youthful inquirer.

More beautiful new dress fabrics have opened out at Scanlan’s Melbourne Corner. These comprise 36in. Rayon Dimity Is 74d yard, lovely 36in. Crepe Elaine Is lid yard, beautiful Bemberg Marocain Is lid yard. Natural Irish Dress Linen 3s lid yard, exclusive dress lengths of printed Marocains and Crepe de Chines from 3s lid to 5s lid yard. Also new patterns in famous Summer Breeze.*

Science has come to the aid of the deaf with the latest bone conduction instrument. This enables the deaf, to hear through the bone of head apd is a wonder. All sufferers from deafness of any nature should take the opportunity of being tested by an expert. Every known hearing device can be seen and tried. Make appointment with Mr. Blennerhassett, chemist, Tuesday next. ’Phone 676—F. C. Rein and Son, London. L. Noedl, representative.*

Why not have your Suits, Costumes, Hats, etc., renovated by J. K. Hawkins and Co., Dyers and Cleaners, comer of Devon and Liardet Streets, New Plymouth. ’Phone 685. Stratford Depot: