News in Brief

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 492, 29 June 1932, Page 6

News in Brief

One-Man Trams. The proposal to run one-man trams was criticised by Mr J. E. Jones at the meeting of the United Burgesses’ Association, last night, on the grounds that such a move on the part of the Tramway Board would result in the dismissal of thirty men and a considerable blockage or traffic in the main city streets. The following motion was passed: “That the United Burgesses’ Association registers its disapproval of the conversion by the Tramway Board of its trams into one-man cars, on account of the discharge of its employees involved.” The Burden on Beer. “ The staggering increase of 50 per cent in beer duty imposed by the Government shortly after last year’s annual meeting,” states the report of the Dominion Breweries, Ltd., Auckland, “ naturally reacted adversely on the company’s net earnings, as the whole of the increased duty on bottled beer had to be borne by the company. It must be obvious that the liquor trade is carrying more than its fair share of the burden of taxation, and it will no doubt surprise shareholders to learn that the duty paid by the company for the- past year amounted to over £38,000.” Oysters for England. An interesting item of cargo shipped at the Bluff by the Opawa was a consignment of frozen o}'sters to the High Commissioner in London, states the Bluff corfespondent of the “ Southland News.” The exporter instrumental for the venture has for some time been keenly interested in the development of the oyster industry, and as a result of patient research and a special process carried out over a period of four months, is confident that the experiment will be a success. Frost is detrimental to the oyster in the shell, and the surmounting of difficulties in that direction will mean much to the industr3 r . Tuis and Bell Birds Heard. The song of the tui and bell bird has been heard frequently in Wanganui gardens during the past few weeks. Both birds are fairly common in the gardens of St John’s Hill during the spring and early sun # er when there are plenty of honej'-bearing blossoms, such as flax and kowhai available, but they have rarely been seen or heard so early in the year before. In one St John’s Hill garden six tuis were seen in one tree last week. Another peculiar fact is that although the weather has been bitterly cold recently artificial bird baths have been regularly patronised by sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes and the smaller blight-eyes and finches. Defence of Rhodes Scholars. Before introducing the New Zealand Rhodes Scholar for 1932, Mr J. M. Bertram, to members of the Auckland branch of the League of Nations Union at a luncheon last week, the chairman (Mr W. T. G. Airey) said that there were really no substantial grounds for a general feeling of disappointment that Rhodes Scholars had not taken a more active part in public affairs, and it -was incorrect to hold the belief that Rhodes’s idea had not been justified by results. Mr Airey said there were other ways of serving one’s country and the public generally. For the most part Rhodes Scholars were occupied in some branch of educational work, which, though they did not come spectacularly before the public, assisted very materially, nevertheless, to lead the country in thought.