LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 19605, 10 January 1936, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Christchurch Seaplane Base. The possibility of establishing a seaplane base in the Sumner estuary, or at Lyttelton, will be investigated by engineers, according to a decision made at a special meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board on Wednesday. Willow Cutting for Unemployed. This week eight men from the Thames Unemployment Bureau register have been transferred to the Lands Department at Uerepeehi, where they are engaged cutting willows at 12/per day. Cosmopiltan Taranaki. A visitor to Kawaroa Park, at New Plymouth, a few days ago had a rather interesting experience. Sitting on one seat she saw three Europeans; p, yard or two further on, occupying another seat, sat three Chinese; and a third seat was occupied by three Maoris. "Thames Star" Calendar. In this issue is enclosed the “Thames Star’’ annual arid tide almanac, containing valuable information upon dates of high and low water at Tararu Point, public holidays and postal information. Other copies of the almanac, which is illustrated with a splendid view of Waiomo, may be obtained upon application to the office of the “Thames Star,’’ Sealey Street. Evening Sports Postponed. The Thames Amaeur Athletic Club’s sports, to have been held last evening, were postponed till Monday evening on account of the weather. On Thursday the usual evening meeting will be held, and on Thursday, January 23, scratch events will be held as trials for the South Auckland championships at Hamilton, to be held on Anniversary Day, January 29. More British Farmer®. The British National Union has now completed arrangements for its Empire primary producers world tour, and its party sailed from London by the Mooltan to-day for Australia. After a brief stay at Bombay and Colombo the party will arrive at Fremantle on February 11, and continuing in the Mooltan will be at Adelaide on February 16, at Melbourne on February 17, and at Sydney on February 20. After two days in Sydney the party will continue their tour by the Wanganella to New Zealand, arriving at Auckland on February 28. Inter-colonial Cycling Tests. That cycling tests between teams of either cash or amateur riders from Australia and New Zealand could bo made a successful annual event was an opinion expressed by Mr. Joo Walsh, the all-round track cycling champion of Australia, in an interview at Christchurch (says the “Press"). Mr. Walsh said that it only needed a man with unbounded enthusiasm to start the tests, and that they would then stand on their popularity. The standard of riders in both the countries was about the same, and tho races would be even and very interesting.

Sport in France. It is widely believed in France that conditions in many present-day sports make absolute amateurism impossible,

and leaders of the new movement prefer to be frank about it rather than to continue pretence. Already the French Football Federation has withdrawn from the Olympic Games tournament to be held in Berlin this year.

Napier Date Palm. Among the many stately date palms which ad'd to the beauty of Napier (says the “Telegraph"), there is one at least that has for several years en-

deavoured to live up to its name and reputation, and his year has succeeded in producing a good crop of small but tasty dates. The palm, which is about 40 years ago, has attained a height of 25 feet, and has in previous years produced a crop of dates as large as a peanut, but the present crop is of a much greater size, and the dates have the real date flavour.

Reducing Trade Barriers. “I have come back with the firm conviction that we are in for a big trade revival throughout the world when prices will be remunerative to producers and reasonable to consumers,” said Mr. J. T. Martin, director of Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., when inerviewed at Wellington after his return from a six months’ tour of

Great Britain, Europe and America. Mr. Martin said that every country he visited showed a wise disposition to reduce trade barriers. “Every country to-day,” said Mr. Martin, “is seeking new outlets for its raw and manufactured products with a full .realisation that the economic nationalism policy of the last five years, the policy of highly-restrictive, almost prohibitory, tariffs and total disregard of its neighbours’ welfare, must be radically changed. That economic nationalism means economic isolation.”