NEWS ITEMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 2

NEWS ITEMS

“French Is out of date and is of no use to New Zealand,” said Mr E. Miller at a meeting of the Wellington School Committees’ and Educational Federation, when discussing the Atmore report. *on educational reform, “but Esperanto would be valuable as a recognised international language.” Esperanto, founded thirty-five years ago, had a fairly good following. Mr I. Harvey (Hataitai) disagreed strongly with Mr Miller’s remarks about foreign languages. The idea of learning French or German, he said, was to improve the child’s knowledge of English, and it would be a great loss to New Zealand education if these subjects were withdrawn. “To substitute for French and German or other foreign languages a makeshift language like Esperanto is, in my opinion, absolutely absurd,” Mr Harvey said. It was decided to recommend Esperanto as an optional subject.

It will be recalled that in February last the Hon. H. J. T. Hyland Victoria) closely examined the operation of the New Zealand State Placement Service, and presumably reported the result to his Government, which later arranged for the Minister of Labour (accompanied by the Officer-in-Charge of the Sustenance Department) to make a special journey to the Dominion for the purpose of exhaustively examining the system inaugurated here. Melbourne exchanges report that according to official announcements by the Acting Premier and the Minister of Labour, Victoria will definitely establish a service “almost identical with that now operating successfully In New Zealand,” and that orders for the necessary forms have been placed. Particulars of the difference between the two plans are not yet available, but it is believed in official circles that it will be confined to only small matters of detail.

Satisfactory progress is being made with the construction of the new railway bridge over the Rakaia river. The contractors, the Rope Construction Company, Ltd., are ready to start operations with their second piledriving plant, and a fair number of piles have been driven by their No. 1 plant. So far a good, firm bottom has been encountered, and the contractors have not been faced with any major constructional difficulties. The contract calls for driving no fewer than 1136 piles, one-fifth of which have already been cast. The total weight of concrete to be driven into the Rakaia to support the bridge will be approximately 3500 tons.

Because the birthday of King George VI falls on December 14, a date when businessmen object to a general holiday, the birthdaj, was observed on a different day, and because of the change the King had several “birthdays” this year. New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia decided that June 9 should be the day of general observance, and New Zealand, New South Wales, and South Australia stood by that decision. The State Governments of Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland changed their minds, however. Tasmania took a holiday on June 7, Victoria observed a “birthday” on June 14, and Queensland, on its present intentions, will have its public holiday on January 3.

A movement is on foot to arrange for a mass representation of New Zealand returned soldiers at the Anzfcc Day observances in Sydney next year. These observances will mark the conclusion of the national celebrations arranged to mark the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Australia, for which comprehensive plans have been made in Sydney, The Australian authorities are already discussing the prospect of having 1000 Anzac visitors from New Zealand at the Anzac Day parade. This matter can, however, be regarded at present as only a tentative proposal. It will come up for discussion at the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, when a decision will be made whether or not an organised expedition can be arranged. If the trip is made, the New Zealand association would receive the full co-operation of ex-servicemen’s organisations in Australia.

Sydney is one of those places in which it is agreed that it is not impossible to abolish the tipping practice. It is not as prevalent there (nor in any part of Australia) as in the British Isles, America, and the Continent; but it is admittedly irksome to some. There are defenders in Sydney as elsewhere, and the arguments now being expressed are much the same the world over (comments the Sydney correspondent of “The Argus,” Melbourne). The main one is: “the poor beggars could not get along were it not for tips”! but In a country where wages and allowances arc fixed by Government tribunals this is held by others to be a specious excuse. It is said that those who give tips obtain an advantage over those who do not, and this is held to be an infringement on the unwritten democratic law that is supposed to obtain. While tipping endures all men cannot be considered equal, argue the dissatisfied. Some men “buy their hats” several times with tips to cloakroom attendants, but as they get special attention by thus becoming well known they say it is a good investment. They never lose anything.