NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

High School Holidays. The New Plymouth Girls’ High School will close for the first term holidays on May 10. The second term will begin on May 27.

Stratford Building. Building permits to a total value of £10,955 were issued during the year ended March 31 by the Stratford Borough Council. The total was made up of 15 new residences £9187, seven repairs and additions to residences £395 10s, 13 new garages erected £399 10s, 15 repairs and additions to business and trade premises £973.

Poppy Day Fund. The New Plymouth Poppy Day fund, with additional receipts that have come to hand since Friday, now amounts to £4BB. It is expected that before the fund is completed it will be very close to last year’s total of £545. A competition for a chair has been won by Mrs. E. J. Reed. Stock in Station Yard Overnight. The Hawera Borough Council decided last night to write to the Railway De_partment drawing attention to the alleged nuisance caused by stock being left in the station yards overngiht. The decision followed a complaint from a deputation of Glover Road and Argyle Street residents. Learn-to-Swim Week. The example set by Taranaki in the holding each year of a successful “learn-to-swim” week was being followed by other New Zealand districts, said Mr. J. W. Moorhead to the Taranaki Swimming Centre executive at New Plymouth last night. The New Zealand conference at Auckland in February had approved a remit making “learn-to-swim” week compulsory for centres, which could be regarded as a recognition of the good work done in Taranaki. Swallow Dive not Barred. As there was some uncertainty in Taranaki as to the eligibility of the swallow dive in competitions, said Mr. J. W. Moorhead at last night’s meeting of the Taranaki Swimming Centre at New Plymouth, he had made inquiries at the New Zealand conference at Auckland. The correct ruling was, he said, that the swallow dive was classed as a plain header.

Repairing Flood Damage. The turning of the Mangatete stream above the Oxford dairy factory and the erection of weirs has proceeded rapidly during the past few weeks, and the work is nearing completion. On Saturday the washout on Saunder’s Road was piped and filled in, thus giving access again to settlers on Okahu, Newall and Kahili Roads. The county council bridge staff is repairing the piers of the Mangatete bridge. The upper Saunders Road has been reopened for traffic, the washout there having been repaired. Hawera Electrical Wiring.

Alleging that Hawera citizens had had to pay thousands of pounds for unnecessary work, Cr. W. G. Walkley was the instigatoi' of a resolution carried by the Hawera Borough Council last night by which it was decided to secure the opinion of an outside expert on whether requisitions for work to be done issued by the inspectors of the South Taranaki Electric Power Board were necessary in all cases. The resolution followed receipt by the council of five requisitions for wiring to be carried out within 60 days. Criticism of the amount of work ordered by the inspectors was general.

Dangerous Practice. The dangerous practice of some New Plymouth cyclists in holding on to the rear of trams travelling up the Morley Street hill was referred to at the meeting of the Borough Council last night by Cr. F. J. Hill. Councillors agreed that the practice was one which should be discouraged, and referred 4he matter to the inspector’s department for action. “If one or two are caught,” said one member of the council, “the practice will very soon stop.”

Boys Twice Escape Injury. On two occasions recently boys standing below windows in the upper storey of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School have narrowly escaped injury, reported the principal, Mr. W. H. Moyes, to the Board of Governors last night. He advised the replacement of the steel window frames in the main school block. In some cases the screws holding the Sashes in position had completely rusted through, with the result that when opened the window fell out. The matter was referred to the Education Department.

“He Done His Best” “I am reminded of a- story of the celebrated Judge Parry,” said Mr. Justice Frazer, in his address to the New Plymouth Rotai-y Club yesterday. “He had just spent an arduous day adjudicating upon a rather complicated building case, and was travelling home on the train when he chanced to hear two working men engaged in the building trade discussing him. They were quite oblivious of his presence, and spoke their minds freely. Finally, however, they summed the matter up by saying that the judge was ‘a blinking old fool, but he done his best!’ If, continued the speaker, when very shortly I leave my position as judge of the Arbitration Court, New Zealand will say of me that I was ‘a blinking old fool who done his best,’ I could not ask for a better epitaph!”

Good Farming Land. At present visiting the South Island during a month’s holiday in New Zealand, Mr. James H. Ashton, New South Wales, stated at Christchurch that he considered the Dominion the most wonderful land he had ever been in. Mr. Ashton, who is accompanied by his wife, is a member of the famous Ashton brothers polo team. Describing himself as a pastoralist on holiday, Mr. Ashton said he had been visiting some of the leading sheep runs in New Zealand. ■Hawkes Bay was the best piece of country he had seen, and he thought the country in Canterbury ranged from good to extremely good. Mr. Ashton remarked that if he were an Englishman who had decided to settle in the colonies he would take up a holding in New Zealand. He thought New Zealand farmers might not have as much money as some of the Australian farmers, but they had an advantage in living conditions. He considered that if Australians were brougl'fc over and placed on holdings in this country they would not make a success of them.