General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 244, 14 October 1937, Page 6

General News

Work in Sparc Time. A request that the City Council should follow tne lead of the Alinister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, in not permitting employees to undertake work at the week-ends was uceived from the Auckland Western Suburbs (Unemployed) Workers' Union at a meeting of the council this week. The engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, said that, while he was in full sympathy with the principle involved, it would lie very difficult for the council to exercise supervision over such matters. The council should, however, do every thing possible to discourage men in employment froyi undertaking sparetime work. The council will reply in terms of the engineer’s report.

Negligent Driving Cases. The time of the Supreme Court at the coming criminal sessions at Auckland will be largely occupied with hearing charges of negligent driving of motor vehicles so as to cause death; for of the nine cases so far set down for hearing four are of this The remainder include a charge -r forging £5 bank notes and several charges of breaking and entering. Tht sessions will open next Tuesday and will be conducted by Mr. Justice Fair and Air. Justice Callan.

Dairy Cow Immortalised. Immortalised by a magnificent lifesize statue, a Friesian cow which produced the world’s record of 17001 b. fat is a striking pastoral symbol on Coronation Farm in California, a Palmerston North reporter was informed by Mr. H. Y. Lethbridge, who has returned recently from a two months’ lour in company with an Australian farmers' party. Mr. Lethbridge has brought back a photograph of this unique memorial perpetuating the productive record of a dairy cow raised to a position of honour and prestige in line with that of distinguished public figures.

Direct Translation. The Maori Bible was one of the finest native Bible.s in existence, said Rev. G. I. Laurenson, assistant-Super-intendent of Home and Maori Missions of the Methodist Church in New Ze. land, at the Cuba Street Churc.i • Palmerston North. The reason for that ho explained, was to be found in the translation of the Bible into Maori. It had been carrier! out. with the collaboration of Church of England scholars and Methodist missionaries who had known the colloquialism of the Maori mind, and the Bible had been translated straight across from the Greek and Hebrew into Maori, not as in many cases, into the native language from the English translation Seaside Manners. With the approach of summer n would seem opportune to appeal tc motorists (and others) who visit the seaside the week-ends to show soma regard for the property of fellowcitizens. Already instances of thoughtless conduct have occurred. Recently a car stopped at one of the smaller bay on Watts Peninsula and three or four children were liberated. The youngsters immediately proceeded tn the beach, where several small boals were drawn up and amused themselves by jumping in and out of the frail craft. When spoken to they peared both surprised and offended.w' The older members of the party re- r

mained in the car, apparently to consume liquid refreshments, for an empty bottle was hurled from the vehicle and smashed to pieces on the rocks. Seaside dwellers complain that picnickers often do not seem to realise that boats were not built solely to provide seating accommodation, and that they are mostly easily damaged. Tourists’ Paradise. Commenting that the Great Barrier Reef was a tourists’ paradise, Mr. H. Young, of Brisbane, who has been visiting Palmerston North, said that on one visit by a launch party, in two brief afternoons, 10001 b of fish of all kinds, ranging from coral trout, Maori cod, parrot fish and schnapper to red emperors, were caught. Huge cod, weighing as much as 1201 b and with great jaws abounded in the lagoons, and were a good, edible fish. Some of the denizens of the coral were too powerful and strong to hold on a line. Seen through the thick glass bottom of a boat, the coral, in spidery filaments and cobweb patterns of all colours, was a marvellous sight, with beautifully coloured fish gliding in and out. Huge turtles were to be found at low tide in the ponds on the reefs, but the coral was sharp and poisonous, and rubber boots had to be worn in traversing it. There was a beautiful loam soil, with rich herbage, os some of the islands, and one was populated by a herd of goats, which mysteriously existed despite the fact that no water supply could be found on the small area. East Coast Railway. Problems . associated with ths mechanisation of tunnelling work on the Gisborne-Waikokopu section o£ the East Coast railway have not been limited to designing or modifying machines to do the particular class o£ work, states a Gisborne exchange. During recent weeks the effect o£ mechanical equipment upon the earning power of the tunnelling gangs has been receiving a good deal of attention, and a compromise has been reached, as between the Public Works Department and the tunnellers, which, makes provision for a period of train- J ing in the use of the new equipment. It was pointed out on behalf of the workers that while, the department would achieve substantial savings by the use of mechanical devices and special plant, the tunnellers must have an opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with tne mode of operation, unless they were to suffer losses of earning power for some time, it is understood that a representative of the gangs visited Wellington to place the views of the workmen before the departmental officers, and was able to effect an arrangement wh-ch will secure the tunnellers against loss of wages during the transitional stage, in the introduction of mechanical aids.