Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22043, 16 August 1941, Page 4

Local and General News

Dogs Kill Stud Rams The loss of about £2OO worth of stud rams through worrying by dogs is reported by a sheepfarmer, Mr R. B. Howie, of Three Mlle Bush, near Whangarei. One morning last week he saw two sporting dogs worrying his stud rams. He shot one of the dogs, and on investigation found that 17 rams had been destroyed. Smokers Need Spark Guards During a discussion at the meeting of the South Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union dealing with the neoessity of tractor exhausts being fitted with spark guards in order to prevent the possibility of crops being set on fire, Mr R. E. Mcllwrick raised a laugh by his remark that some of the drivers required spark guards with their pipes and cigarettes. Dean’s Hope For Stalin Stalin is a Christian, Dean Moore, of Perth, thinks. “Stalin was brought up to be a monk,’’ the Dean said, “but he saw so much of the inside of the Church in Russia under the Czars, that he turned it down. One reason why there has been a let-up in the anti-God business is, I think, that Stalin is still a Christian at heart.’’ London’s Bridges And Docks “One of the most remarkable features about the bombing of London is the fact that to date, not one of the 20 bridges over the Thames has been hit,” said the Rev. R. W. Thursdon in an address to the Hastings Rotary Club. In answer to a question, he said that London’s docks had been badly bombed on occasions but they were so quickly repaired that in a very short time they were able to carry on almost as if nothing had happened. Condition Of Fish Containers What were the powers of the Wellington City Council as regarded the inspection of fish markets and of containers used for carrying fish, asked Councillor R. H. Nimmo at the council meeting this week. He had been told by the proprietor of one of the larger restaurants that often the containers were revolting. How often were the boxes cleaned? Councillor W. Duncan gave it as his opinion that they were never cleaned. The Mayor said that the matter would be looked into at once. Mr Churchill’s Salary In the Finance Bill debate, says the “London Sunday Times,” Sir Frank Sanderson greatly interested members by a reference to the Prime Minister’s salary. It is nominally £lO,OOO, but more than twothirds of that go to the Exchequer in income tax and surtax, and the amount received by Mr Churchill is £3160. To ensure the receipt by him of £lO,OOO the House, said Sir Frank Sanderson, would have to vote a salary of £266,960, and he went on to suggest that the salary should be subject to income tax only, not to surtax. This appears to be reasonable, comments “The Times.” Our Prime Minister should be free from financial worries, and a salary of £3160 net is entirely inadequate. Church Co-operation “It does seem possible that there will be a measure of agreement and of co-operation between the churches such as there has not been before in this city,” said the Rev. G. A. Naylor, reporting to the Auckland Presbytery on Tuesday on the conference convened by Bishop Simkin to consider proposals for holding a simultaneous mission. Mr Naylor said he felt that great things might grow from this conference, which was continuing its work. The representatives present were unanimous that much more could be done if the churches acted together than if they acted separately. Presbytery agreed to appoint two elders as additional representatives at further meetings of the conference. London In June An electrical engineer of standing in the north of England visited London in June. “On this present trip of ours to London,” he wrote to a Wellington friend, “the train ran to time, there were plenty of taxis at the station, and we were able to book on the third floor of one 8f London’s big hotels. London and Lisbon must be the two most cosmopolitan cities in the world at present. Only about 25 per cent, of the people in this hotel speak English. Even the lift girls are foreign. OUr luggage porter is real Scots. We asked him what was the rule of the hotel When the alert sounded; did the guests go down to the basement or not? ‘l’m a Scot,' he replied, ‘if I paid for ma bed I’d use it’.” War Library Service An appeal for volunteers to forward copies of local newspapers to military camps and R.N.Z.A.F. stations has been made by the officer in charge of the Country Library Service (Mr G. T. Alley). In a circular letter to the Timaru Librarian (Miss A. K. Elliot) Mr Alley pointed out that where proper library facilities were available at military camps and Royal Air Force stations newspapers from the four main centres, were purchased from funds of the National Patriotic Fund Board and in some cases the newspapers were provided by the proprietors free of charge. There were many other papers which would appeal to the men, and the suggestion was that volunteers should forward each day their copy of the local paper to the various camps, post free. The addresses of the camp libraries would be conveyed to Miss Elliot when the number of volunteers was known. Schools And Realities The view is expressed by Mr G. E. Overton, chief inspector of primary schools, in the annual report on primary and post-primary education, presented in the House of Representatives, that the abolition of the proficiency examination can now be regarded as one of the most beneficial movements in the recent history of primary education in this country. “In a changing world, where education must conform with social and economic progress,” he says, “our schools are becoming more closely related to the realities of life.” Mr Overton says that in the schools to-day children speak and write English more clearly and confidently than ever before, and he considers that there is nothing in the new education to preclude the acquirement of essential accuracy in spelling or arithmetic, provided the courses are rational and well graded.