CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20097, 2 May 1935, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. Personal: The Minister of Education and Employment (the Hon. S. G. Smith) visited the Training College and Technical College to-day. He will leave for the West Coast to-morrow. Regret that the member for the district, Mrs E. R. McCombs, was unable to be present was expressed by the Minister of Education and Employment, the Hon. S. G. Smith, when discussing school matters at Akaroa. He said that her absence was due to serious illness, and he expressed the hope that she would soon be restored to health again. Mr Gordon Brian Slade, LL.B., was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court by Mr Justice Johnston this morning, on the motion of Mr Harold Edgar. Mr Slade will leave for the North Island next week to take over the Waitara office of Messrs Monaghan and Middleton, solicitors, of New Plymouth. Mr J. F. Gabites, of the staff of the* Christchurch Magnetic Observatory, has been transferred to the Meteorological Office, Wellington. He will leave for the north shortly. Members of the Lyttelton Harbour Board at their meeting to-day said farewell to Captain Hugh Monro on his retirement from the board. In his report, the chairman (Mr E. J. Howard, M.P.), made the following remarks:— “To Captain Monro, in the name of that vast body of people whom we represent, I say ‘Thank you, Captain,’ and I am sure I am expressing the opinion of tlfis board when I say we have differed with the member sometimes, but we have learned to love the man. So long as memory shall last we shall honour the name of Captain Hugh Monro.” Various other members spoke in praise of Captain Monro’s services and character.

Mr W. J. Sim left for Wellington this evening to attend a meeting of the Rules Committee, which was set up under the Judicature Act, 1930, and comprises the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), four other Judges, the Attorney-General and three barristers. It reviews and amends, as necessary, the rules of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. “Absurd Waste” The policy of the Public Works Department in forming roads in clay and not metalling them on the Port Hills came in for a good deal of criticism at the annual meeting of the Port Hills-Akaroa Summit Road Trust. “An absurd waste of money,” was how the expenditure of £15,000 on constructing the Kiwi-Evans Pass Road was described. It was stated, however, that there was a very good chance of the Highways Board taking over the roads. Relief Policy: A reiteration of his determination to make every effort to bring about changes for the better in relief policy was expressed by the Minister of Employment and Education (the Hon. S. G. Smith) at a meeting of the Christchurch Boys’ High School Parents’ Association. The best brains of economists and philosophers in the world had concentrated on the problem, and as yet no permanent solution had been found.

Education had been vitally affected by the problem, and the amount for building purposes at the disposal of the Minister had been growing smaller and smaller for several years. This year a start had been made with commitments of £94,000. A few years ago the Minister had had £500,000 for building purposes. “There is tremendous importance in the questions which the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance had gone to England to discuss,” said the Minister. “If, as we hope, prices are stabilised during the next few years there will be opportunities for extending the facilities for educating the youth of this country, and I assure you that you will be given your fair share.”

Expansion of Trade: Though the quantities of New Zealand produce shipped to other European countries are very small compared with the total exports to Great Britain, they are not negligible among the Dominion’s lesser export markets in various parts of the world. Opinion in Christchurch to-day was favourable to the Government’s decision to appoint a New Zealand trade commissioner on the Continent, and the view was expressed that welldirected activities should result in a valuable expansion of our trade in that quarter. Wool, hides and skins, and apples, at present constitute the principal exports from the Dominion to countries on the Continent.

Inquest Adjourned: An inquest was held before the Coroner, Mr H. A. Young, yesterday afternoon into the death of Mrs Margaret Mavis Veitch, of 40 Bligh’s Road, Papanui. After evidence of identification had been taken, the inquest was Sidjourhed so that a postmortem examination might be made. Mrs Vetich, who had been married a little more than a year, had her evening meal and bath on Monday evening, preparatory to going to bed. Apart from feeling tired, she appeared to be in good health. Friends arrived however, and Mrs Veitch entertained them. Supper was served about 10 o’clock, and shortly afterward the visitors left.

Not long afterward she became sick, vomiting violently. Her husband. Mr Roy Veitch, applied hot packs and did what else he could to relieve her, but at 3.15 a.m. she died. Referees Disappointed: Hopes of Rugby referees that they would be provided with passes to admit their wives and sweethearts to Lancaster Park was doomed to disappointment, when the Management Committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union met. When the application was made on behalf of the referees the president, Dr W. S. Seed, said: “There are too many people getting into the park now. It would be interesting to know just how many.” Members agreed that to issue the passes would be to set a precedent that would be seized too readily by other officials and club members. The request was not granted. May Day: May Day passed off quietly in Christchurch to-day. The flag was not even flying at the Trades Hall. The Canterbury Unemployed Workers Association arranged a public meeting for this afternoon in Latimer Square, there being speakers to deal with the significance of the day from the Unemployed' Workers Association, the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the Independent Labour Party an' the Friends of the Soviet Union. Thl.y evening the association .held a social ip the Trades Hall. * »