News in Brief

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 192, 14 August 1931, Page 8

News in Brief

Position Reversed. “ Dozens of people who formerly came to my office to sign cheques as donations to our funds have more recently sat in the same chair to sign receipts for money advanced to them,” said the Auckland city missioner, the Rev Jasper Calder, in discussing the “ new poor.” Many people who formerly had helped the mission were now, through no fault of their own, largely dependent upon it for the necessaries of life. Still the Same Habits. “ Apparently the habits of dairy companies are still the same as they were thirty years ago,” commented his Honor Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North during the hearing of a case concerning a bank guarantee. His Honor said that it was evidently the practice to establish a loan account, financed by the bank, to meet immediate commitments, and pay it off by or id per pound from payments to suppliers. It Yvas obvious, he observed, that the dairy industry of New Zealand had been established and built up upon bank finance and co-operative effort among the farmers. Old Bank Building. The building situated at the west end of Norwich Quay, Lyttelton, which served as a home for the Union Bank from 1857 until early this year, has been converted into a motor service station. While many motorists living in the port will appreciate the purpose it will now serve, many old residents, on grounds of sentiment, will regret the change. The walls of the building are three feet in thickness. While cleaning the place out a half-penny and a King George 111., shilling were found. The date on the shilling is ISI6. For many years the doors of the bank remained open only between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. In the future the portals will never close, as its new owners are advertising a twenty-four hours’ service. Port Christchurch. Plans for a membership drive and publicity campaign were discussed at a meeting of the executive of the Port Christchurch League last evening. The Finance Committee recommended that with a view to raising a fighting fund a membership and subscription campaign should be held in November. The chairman (Dr Thacker) offered to donate two prizes of a guinea each, one to be awarded for the best ten or twelve reasons why there should be a Port Christchurch, and the other for the best sketch of Port Christchurch. The Finance Committee's report was adopted and the chairman's offer accepted. Suggestions for cultivating the interest of children in the scheme included the offering of auxiliary membership on payment of a subscription of sixpence or a shilling, the issuing of badges and the offering of prizes for competitions of various natures.