LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20761, 23 June 1937, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Placement Service Placement activities in Timaru for the week ended June 19 were as follows:—Jobs were found for 50 men, viz., permanent 1, temporary 6, casual 43. Since April 1, 1937, jobs have been found for 554 men, as follows: Permanent 62, temporary 129, casual 363. Since the inception of the State Placement Service in Timaru, 1934 jobs have been found. The national placements since April 1, 1937, total 9210. Accountants Addressed An interesting address on budgetary control was given members of the South Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants last night by Mr C. H. Perkins, 8.C0m., A.P.A. N.Z., Christchurch. Mr R. C. M. Sunley presided. The speaker dealt with his subject in an illuminating and comprehensive manner and ,on the motion of Mr R. F. Algie, was accorded a vote of thanks. Painful Accident When the self-starter of his car failed to function about 10 o’clock on Saturday night, Mr Joseph Seaman, who had parked his car in Latter Street while visiting the Winter Show, tried to start the engine with the cranking handle. The car had been left in gear and it mounted the pavement and crushed Mr Seaman against a fence, dislocating a hip. He was conveyed to the Timaru Public Hospital by the St. John Ambulance. Work For Unemployed The Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, received a number of deputations at Westport last night, and in reply to one said the Government Intended to find full-time work for four months for 7000 unemployed, 50 of whom will be in Westport. These then reverted to unemployment relief and another batch was taken on. He instanced the need for more elasticity in regard to apprenticeships as it was impossible to find employment for unskilled labour unless there is more in the skilled classes. Collecting Information With one book on New Zealand already Included tn his collection of works, Mr Bohumil Pospisil, a Czechoslovakian author and journalist of international repute, is re-visiting Timaru in search of material for another volume. In his first book, "Wanderings in the Islands of Wonders,” which has been translated into several languages, Mr Pospisil dealt wittily with aspects of life in New Zealand, offering much candid and constructive criticism, but the work on which he is now engaged will be of a more serious nature. As jn the former work, Timaru will have its place in the new one, and it is with the object of collecting information from some of the town's old identities that the author is spending a few days in Timaru. First Price of Devonport The value of real estate at Devonport has appreciated considerably during the past century. Mr T. Walsh, who addressed fellow-members of the Auckland Historical Society on the history of the district, said that the first land dealing there between Maoris and pakehas took place in November, 1839, when Mr Henry Tayler, of Sydney, agreed to purchase from three native chiefs 1000 acres, including the 640 acres which form the present borough. The price agreed upon was as follows: —A deposit of 20 dollars, with a balance of 60 dollars, 20 muskets, two doublebarrelled guns, 20 blankets, 20 spades, 10 pairs of trousers, 10 gowns, 10 shirts, 10 hats, 10 axes, 10 iron pots, and 1001 b of tobacco. A half-share was sold by Mr Tayler to Mr A. B. Spark, also of Sydney, but in 1844 the whole transaction was disallowed by a governmental commission. Call Sustained The Timaru Presbytery yesterday sustained a call by Knox Presbyterian Church, Waimate, to the Rev. R. J. Griffiths, M.A., of Paeroa, in the Waikato district. The interim moderator, the Rev. A. Sutherland, placed the call in the hands of Presbytery, stating that the Waimate charge fell vacant on February 14, when the Rev. W. F. Nichol transferred to Temuka. The speaker referred to the steps which had led to the insertion of Mr Griffiths’ name in the call, and said that the petition had been signed by 87 per cent, of the members. Mr Griffiths had visited Waimate and the congregation had been very much Impressed. The selection committee which had been appointed had unanimously decided that a congregational meeting should be held, and following that meeting Mr Griffiths’ name had been inserted in the call. Messrs W. L. Hay, G. J. Shackleton and T. W. Dallas, who were appointed commissioners by the Waimate congregation, supported the call, which was unanimously sustained. It was decided to hold the induction of the Rev. A. McNeur, of Milton, to the St. Andrews charge on July 2 Instead of July 1 as formerly arranged.