GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18610, 4 July 1930, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, the Rev. C. Carr (Timaru), presented a petition, bearing 15,000 signatures, praying for repeal of the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act.

The Counties Conference yesterday, by a large majority, adopted a proposal ‘*that an extra petrol tax of threepence per gallon be imposed, to be devoted entirely towards expenditure by County Councils on roads other than declared main highways.”

A remit carried at the Counties’ Conference in Wellington, was as follows: —“This conference enters a most emphatic protest against the proposal that a direct levy should be made on all local bodies for unemployment relief, contained in the report of the Parliamentary Committee, who recently reported on the present problem of unemployment.”

A successful euchre social was held in the Howard Hall, Arundel, on Saturday evening, when a large number of people were present. Miss Dawson secured the ladies’ prize, and Mr Jenkins the men's prize, consolation prizes being won by Mrs J. Charles and Mr W. Love. Music for a dance was supplied by Messrs J. Charles, R. Johnston, and AT Popplewell, and Mr Foster carried out the duties of M.C.

At a meeting of the North Otago Union this week, a short discussion took place on the question of the international rules and the interpretation placed on them by the British team. Opposition was expressed to the propaganda now current, and it was thought that the latitude advocated would be detrimental to Rugby football in the Dominion, as it would make for rough play.

Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, has given notice to ask the Minister of Education if he intends to bring in a more satisfactory system for the encouragement of the consolidation of country schools. Mr Burnett points out that many of the country schools are fifty and sixty years old, and badly worm-eaten, and are the opposite of hygienic. In many cases it would be more economical to consolidate than to rebuild, apart altogether from the higher educational facilities consolidation would provide.

On Wednesday afternoon, three basketball teams and a Rugby team from the Ashburton Technical School, tried conclusions with teams from the Technical College. All the games proved interesting, and were keenly contested. The football resulted in a win for Timaru by 13 points to 6. The basketball matches, which were played on Caroline Bay, resulted in two wins for Timaru and one for Ashburton. The results were: A. teams, Timaru 17, Ashburton 16. B. teams, Timaru 7, Ashburton 5. C. teams, Ashburton 10, Timaru 5. Play between the A. teams was at times brilliant, there seldom being more than two goals between the contestants.

“I believe much of our unemployment is caused by the large amount of seasonal labour required in New Zealand by our agricultural industries, and it is an impossibility for it to be otherwise,” said Mr F. Campbell, retiring president of the New Zealand Manufacturers’* Association. “We can, however, help to alleviate unemployment by developing manufacturing industries which, during the off-season, absorb many of these men who, with a little training, could become expert producers in various factories. The trouble, it seems to me, is that both our imports and exports are highest at the same periods, and production, both in agricultural and manufacturing industries, reaches the peak about the same time. It may be that investigation and research can find some way to make things balance better.”

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