General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 249, 20 October 1937, Page 6

General News

Farmers’ Union Policy. The unusual course of a public meeting going into committee was adopted at East Tamaki recently when an address was given by the Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland. When questions were invited, Mr. C. A. Moore suggested that they be discussed in committee as he <ie sired to raise policy matters. This was agreed to and all subsequent business was dealt with in this manner. National Superannuation. Assurance that the proposed national superannuation scheme would be put on the Statute Book before the end of the present session was given by the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister in Charge of Friendly Societies, at the diamond jubilee of the Southern Cross Lodge, No. 24, Independent Order of Oddfellows, when replying to the toast “The Parliament of New Zealand.” He said he believed the scheme would benefit not only the friendly societies of New Zealand, but every section of the community. The scheme, he i hoped, would remove want, and the fear that citizens had of losing a measure of decency and comfort in their old age. Night Survey Work. During the past fortnight strong beacon lights have been observed on hills on which trigonometrical statuoni are situated in different parts oj North Auckland, and also at the Waipapakauri aerodrome. It has now been ascertained that the lights on the trig hilts have been set up by Government surveyors, and it is assumed that the secrecy is being observed because the work that is being carried out bj these surveyors has to do with defence, as the Waipapakauri aerodrome has been the location of one powerful light. At present this aerodrome is being enlarged by the Government, so that when completed the largest aeroplanes in New Zealand will be able to use it. Physical Fitness of Drivers. “Speaking from the medical point of view, 1 can say that there are a great many people driving motor-cars who are not physically fit,” said Dr. . Stanley Brown at a meeting of the£ general committee of the Association (Southland). They might, drive quite safely for years, but at any time they are liable to have an attack which might prove very dangerous to themselves and other traffic.” Diet for an Archbishop. “Never have a daughter who’s great on diet. Mine has made me what 1 am on cabbage water, and I am not sure that it is worth the cost,” said Archbishop Julius, at his ninetieth birthday dinner in Christchurch on Friday (reports the Press). He was respond ing on behalf of his daughter, Miss Ada Julius to whom a presentation had been made on dehalf of the wives and daughters of the clergy of the diocese. Reference had been made to Miss Julius as “the power behind the throne,” and the Archbishop said that he would never have been able to enjoy his retirement as he had without the help and devotion of his daughter, his debt to whom he could not even begin to tell.

Night Life in Dominion. The Jack of night life in New Zealand was criticised by a Dutch tourist, Mr w H. G. Nauta, in an interview at West-1 port.- “You. have some of- the finest scenery in the .world, but you must remember that tourists cannot live on scenery alone,” said Mr. Nauta. People on holiday like gaiety,” he said, and they will not stay in a country without it as they otherwise would. In the North Island I met an English tourist and his son, who had planned a long tour throughout the Dominion but they found their first few evenings so dull that they decided to cut their visit short and move on to a u'fn m ""here there ' vas more ni ght life. Mr. Nauta said that surely the main centres could support night ment m il T l ar forms °f intertainment. He also thought that it should f Hnn PO f> * ° r big hOtek t 0 ha 'e dance floors.

“Kind, Fatherly” God Reporting to a conference of Presbytenan Sunday school teachers on Saturday afternoon regarding inquirA? y him amon « the children of the Mount Albert School, Auck™d ’ “ to their inception of God, Mr F. A Garry said: ’’Among the answers I did not find anything buc the one grand though that God was a kindly, fatherly person who is interested m us and desirous of helpmg us. There was no mote of terror mthe whole lot of them.’’ Mr Garrv traced five stages of development, pointing out how concrete children were m their thinking, and how strongly influenced by pictures.

Advertising New Zealand The best way to bring the tourist resorts of New Zealand before the rest of the world would be to broadcast propaganda about them through a shortwave radio station. This is the contention of the Rev. E. T. Cox. president of the South Islands Tra”ei Association, who suggested the formation of such a station at the annual meeting of the association in Christchurch (reports the Press). "We have in New Zealand,” said Mr Cox, "attractions that would electrify the world, if adequately described over the air, and I suggest that we could provide a library of records that would keep a station going day and night for five year-. r without repetition. With our Maori folklore, poetry, music, and dancing we have features that would appeal without parallel in its interest value.’* Mr Cox said that when he turned on his radio set to overseas stations he could find nothing but Berlin. Berlin was always on the air and had special sessions for South Africa and Australia. Saturday Holiday. The New Zealand movement to* wards a whole holiday on Saturday was warmly commended by an American visitor, Mr Maxwell McMaster, of New York, in an interview in Auckland (reports the New Zealand Herald). Mr McMaster said that the free Saturday was still a long way off in America, but he believed it would come in time. New York business and professional offices closed at nor,, but Saturday was still firmly established as the chief shopping day of the week, and vast numbers of people worked all day. This lessened recreational value of Sunday and caused great congestion of holiday traffic. Considering the long disItances to the seaside and open coun- 1 try, two clear days at the week-end would be of immense benefit to New. Yorkers- .