GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19943, 30 October 1934, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

Barriers Towards Progress. The barriers towards progress in India to-day were described by the Rev. J. L. Gray in an address to the Timaru Rotary Club yesterday as illiteracy, poverty, Hindu and Moslem tension, and the social order of Hinduism. Congratulations. The Mayor, Mr T. W. Satterthwaite, yesterday cabled the following message to Squadron Leader M. C. McGregor and Mr H. C. Walker, on their success in the Centenary Air Race: “Congratulations from Timaru on record achievement. Satterthwaite, Mayor.” Sales Increase The president of the Timaru Rotary Club (Mr F. I. Washbourn) announced at yesterday’s weekly luncheon that the sale of goods and orders for goods on behalf of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind at the Timaru Show totalled £69 7s 2d, as against £42 16s 9d in 1933. India’s Population. “It is difficult to find a topic of more importance than the present situation in India,” said the Rev. J. L. Gray, a Presbyterian missionary, in an address to members of the Timaru Rotary Club yesterday. India’s population, lie said, was 360.000,000, and if one were to sit at a certain point, and watch the whole population pass at the rate of 1000 per minute, one would have to remain at that point day and night for 250 days. Pipe Band Contest At a meeting held in Timaru and attended by representatives of the New Zealand Highland Pipe Bands’ Association it was agreed that should sufficient public support be forthcoming a Dominion Pipe Band contest be held at Timaru in February. It was decided to call a public meeting at an early date to ascertain the likely support. It was stated that up to the present there was a guarantee of 12 bands participating.

Gift for His Excellency. As an expression of appreciation of the services rendered to the Dominion by his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe), and his keen interest ih the native flora, the council of the New Zealand Alpine and Rock Garden Society has arranged for a collection of native pot-grown plants to be specially prepared for shipment and presented to his Excellency on the eve of his departure. An opportunity will oe provided for members of the society v.o view the collection before shipment. Commemorative Plate. To commemorate their association with the original ship Waiwera, which ship took the first two New Zealand contingents to the Boer War, the South African War Veterans’ Association has made arrangements to present a suitably inscribed brass plate to the second vessel of that name, which is at present in New Zealand waters. The presentation will be made when the ship is in Wellington from November 17 to 20.—Press Association message from Wellington. Carnegie Gift to University. As a practical gesture towards encouragement of the study of music, the Carnegie Corporation, New York, some time ago appointed a committee to draw up a list of special gramophone records, full orchestra scores, and a library of books on music with a view to the presentation of such a set to each of the British Dominions. Otago University has been selected as the New Zealand recipient of this valuable gift. The total value of the set is 2500 dollars, which means that it is worth under present conditions the best part of £IOOO. First Aid Outfit. The question of a supply of first aid outfits on relief jobs was referred to at last night’s meeting of the Timaru Unemployment Committee by Mr G. T. Roller, who regarded is as imperative that such equipment should be available in case of accident. He moved that first aid outfits be provided on all work under the jurisdiction of the committee. The Mayor said that the committee had no money to carry out the proposal, and suggested that the matter should be referred to the Hospital Board. The suggestion was agreed to.

The Wheat Situation. “I am not satisfied with the wheat situation,” said Mr R. H. Nesbitt, Australian Trade Commissioner, speaking to members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. “I would like to see a freer market in New Zealand for Australian wheat and flour. I do not wish to take anything away from my friend, Mr Croft, the Canadian Commissioner, but he will not grude me a little. The wheat and flour situation in New Zealand is a political matter, and it is not for me to criticise your politics, but I hardly think that the loading that is on our wheat and flour at present is even honest.” Invisible Exports Pointing out the fact that the great bulk of the profits of the South British Insurance Company are not earned in New Zealand but that the ramifications of the company extend throughout the world, Sir George Elliot, chairman of directors, emphasised at the annual meeting that an insurance or similar company was just as much an exporter as the farmer. In one case, he said, the farmer exported wool, lamb, butter, or other produce; in the other the company exported insurance. The farmer’s exports were visible; the insurance company’s were invisible, but the resultant benefit to the country was exactly the same.

Farmer Gets a Shock. “I sold a wireless outfit to an outback settler recently,” said Mr Hyde, of Shannon, at the last district Power Board meeting. “Some days afterwards I called to see how the outfit was working. The settler told me to take it : way as it was costing too much in electricity. He had not turned off the current since it had been installed!” concluded Mr Hyde. That reminded another member of a farmer who bought a motor car, and while waiting for the vendor decided to set her going. He succeeded in circling the paddock several times while he called to members of the family to get the vendor as “he couldn’t stop the darned thing!” Wood for Butter Boxes. The possibility of a shortage of white pine for butter boxes was mentioned by Mr B. Dawes at a meeting of dairy factory managers held at Castlecliff. Wanganui. A discussion took place as to the necessity of using first-class butter boxes for sending the produce Home to England, and it was remarked by Mr Dawes that if a standard whitepine box were used throughout the Dominion there might soon be a shortage of the wood. Mr N. Fulton, chief dairy produce grader, said he understood that white pine was being exported to Australia, where it was made into butter boxes. The Australians, he said, always used white pine to send their butter Home. It was suggested by Mr Dawes that legislation might be desirable to prevent New Zealand supplies becoming exhausted through this exportation to Australia.