Tourist and Traveller

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1574, 24 June 1920, Page 36

Tourist and Traveller

A Dutch paper reminds us that the ex-Crown Prince has taken a, Berlin i University degree. We can only sup- 1 pose that nobody saw him take it. < “Punch.” ' * * * * 'i Mr. C. K. Wilson, o£ Te Kuiti, who : has been visiting Wellington in connection with the Producers Confer- < ence, has been interesting himself m the pise de terre method of build- < ing, and has been urging the Public Works Department to make an ex- i perinient. Mr. Wilson points out I that the high cost of building in Brit- < ain has been responsible for directing attention to this ancient methoc of building, and an enthusiastic ad- . vocate and practical experimenter ( has been Mr. J. St. Loe Strachey editor of the Spectator. Pise de terre, lit- 1 erally “hammered earth.” consists of ( earthen walls built by dry earth be- . ing rammed down hard between ( wooden casings, a depth of about four , inches being rammed at a time. The . casings, or shutterings, which is the correct term for them, are shifted as the work progresses. The result is I the creation of a wall in the like- ( ness of a smooth, close-grained sand , stone, into which a nail can only be driven with difficulty. There are pre-historic pise buildings in Arizona and New Mexico which are said to be at least 4000 years old. Dutch , colonial farm houses in South Africa stand as solidly as when built a hundred years ago, and many pise houses can be found in Britain three and four hundred years old.

“I am grateful to you for using the word ‘cobber,’ ” said General Birdwood to the Mayor of Christchurch. He stated that he had been rather afraid that he should not use the word, for once he had met a soldier in France near a certain battery, and asked him if he belonged to the battery. “No,” said the soldier. “Got a cobber in the battery?” the General suggested. “Yes,” said the soldier. “Not that that’s the expression I should use myself.” “I found he was a professor out here,” the General explained, “and evidently he did not approve of the word ‘cobber.’ I am glad to think that I am exculpated by the use of the word by such a high dignitary as the Mayor of Christchurch.”

In his report to the Electric Power and Light Department of the Dunedin City Corporation, Mr. M. C. Henderson, city electrical engineer, gives some interesting commients on his recent tour through the United States and Britain, from which we take the following:—A journey of 175 miles by motor car in almost, any direction in California could not fail to attract the attention of a visitor from the South Island of New Zealand at least, on account of the long stretches of “State highway,” as they are called, which provide such an excellent surface for rapid and comfortable road transit. It appears that these have all been constructed within the last seven or eight years, and are being extended very rapidly. The State highways vary from 16ft. to 20ft. in breadth, and were originally laid with 4in. to 4%in. concrete. It has been found, however, that the provision of such a fine surface has increased the road traffic to an enormous extent, so that some of the original concrete roads are already suffering from traffic that they were never designed to carry.

i Mr. W. Smart, who recently retired T; from the position of superintending engineer of the Union Steamship Company, was farewelled by the head office staff and presented with a gramophone and records. The general manager (Mr. D. A. Aiken) presided. and said that Mr. Smart had joined the service as third engineer of the Penguin in August, 1883, and had thus served 37 years with the company. During this time Mr. Smart had worked through all the various grades, attaining to the highest position in his department, which he had occupied for the past 17 years.

“One thing is .quite certain,” said a well-known Wellington property owner, “the stiff rents and stiff prices for property have had the effect of forcing people to purchase the place they are living in or some other suitable place, and that is a good thing. One only has to stroll round the streets of any of the suburbs to find alterations and improvements taking place on all sides. If enquiry were made you would find that in nine cases out of ten a rent-payer had become a landlord, and he was once setting about to improve his property. This, if carried out to a conclusion, would mean a spontaneous town improvement campaign, for he is a very poor sort of man who does not take a pride in the little bit of land he

may own.”

HERE AND THERE.

Dr. De Latour, of Dunedin, has returned from a trip to Australia. * * * *

Mr. and Mrs. F. House, of Hamilton, have left on a trip to England. * * * *

Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Meek and Miss Meek, Wellington, are leaving foi’ America by the Marama.

Mr. H. F. Nicoll and Miss Nicoll, Ashburton, left by the Remuera on a trip to England. a « * R

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wedderspoon, Auckland, returned by the Moeraki after a business trip to Australia.

Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Hunt, Invercargill, and their son left by the Makura, en route for London and the Continent.

Captain Bridges, a member of the Imperial Staff, who is touring the world, is at present in New Zealand. He is accompanied by Mrs. Bridges.

Mr. A. B. Armour, Dunedin, accompanied by Mrs. Armour and their daughters, has left on a holiday visit to Sydney.

Mr. G. V. Pearce, of New Plymouth, accompanied by his two daughters, has left on a trip to Australia and Japan.

Sir Thomas Lipton has presented the Ponsonby Cruising Club, Auckland, with a handsome silver cup for competition.

Mr. and Mrs. Laird Meredith, of “Waiorongo,” East Coast, have left on a trip to Sydney.

Mr. and Mrs. H. LeCren and Miss Eileen LeCren, Fairlie, Canterbury, left by the Ruahine, en route for England.

Captain and Mrs. Kennedy, of Waiheke, Auckland, left by the Remuera for England.

Mr. and Mrs. A. Burt returned to Auckland by the Niagara after a trip to Great Britain and America.

Mr. H. B. Gould, secretary of the Canterbury Commercial Travellers’ Association, has left for a month’s holiday in Australia.

Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Veitch and the Misses Veitch, Wellington have left on a lengthy visit to Sydney.

Mr. G. Morris, Mrs. Morris and the Misses A. and J. Morris, of Wellington, were passengers from England by the Arawa last week. * * * *

Mr. M. Carr, president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Welington Bowling Club, has left on a business trip to Australia.

At a meeting of the New Plymouth Repatriation .Board it was explained that of many thousands of pounds loaned to returned men not a penny of the repayments was in arrears.

General J. Farbeoff, of Russia, with his wife and son, who recently arrived in Wellington, intend to visit the commercial centres and tourist resorts of New Zealand before returning.

The late Mr. Samuel J. Allen, licensee of the White Hart Hotel, was at sea in the employ of the Union Company for over 20 years. On his retirement he lived at Wanganui, and then became licensee of the White Hart Hotel, Christchurch nearly four years ago. He was one of the survivors of the Wairarapa when she was wrecked on the Great Barrier on October 28, 1894. when 135 lives were lost.

Mr. Charles Rawson, Marine Superintendent for Messrs. R. S. Lamb, Ltd., Sydney, who has been in Wellington supervising the repairs to the steamer Inga, left on his return to Sydney by the Moeraki.

Mr. E. E. Stark, of the Christchurch City Council staff, is about to leave on a trip to the United States, where he will investigate hydro-electric schemes, and the distribution and utilisation of electricity.

Mr. Harold W. Hudson, managing director of L. D. Nathan and Co., Ltd., left on a trip to Europe last week, accompanied by Mrs. Hudson. Before leaving he was presented by Mr. N. Alfred Nathan, on behalf of the staff with a handsome rug and suit case.

Captain S. F. Martin, of the New Zealand Shipping Co.’s liner Opawa, has transferred to the Paparoa in place of Captain H. Barnes, who is retiring from the sea to settle in New Zealand. Captain Upton, chief officer of the Remuera, has been appointed master Qf the Opawa.

Mr. R. Andrews, who has been appointed general manager of Lipton’s (Ltd.) Australian business, left by the Niagara last week. He was presented by the Auckland staff with a travelling case and walking-stick. Mrs. Andrews was also the recipient of several gifts.

Mr. Clarence Crawford, Christchurch, who is leaving for America to complete his studies, was presented with a solid leather suit-case by the staff of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co ; op. Association.

A fine example of practical help is reported from the Hautapu (Waikato) district. A party of settlers invaded a returned soldier’s holding the other day, ploughed his fields, erected fences, dug drains, and did innumerable small .jobs.

Mr. M. Rudd, who has been attached to the head office staff of the Union Steamship Company at Dunedin for the past eighteen months, has arrived in Auckland to take up the position of assistant manager of the local branch.

Captain L. Inkster, of the Government. steamer Janie Seddon. has been granted three months’ holiday, which he intends to spend in the South Island. Captain Norris, of the Government steamer Lady Roberts, at Auckland, is acting-master of the Janie Seddon.

Sir Alfred Booth, head of the Cunard Line, testifying before a British industrial court recently, said that a steamer which before the war cost £320,000 was torpedoed during the war, £605,000 insurance being recovered. The vessel, he added, was being replaced at a cost of £950,000.

Mr. M. Stuart Holmes, Dunedin, left by the Ulimaroa for Sydney, where he joins the s.s. Naldera, and proceeds to Colombo for a few months. He is accompanied by his wife and family.

“You have a great country in New Zealand.” remarked General Bramwell Booth in the course of an interview at Christchurch. “But why don’t you let us send you some people from Europe? You want double your population. You have a magnificent country. You call it God’s own country, and I think God’s Country must lie something like it.”

Captain Marciel, Government Marine Superintendent at Lyttelton, has been granted leave of absence for a year, in order that he may visit England on account of his wife’s illhealth. He leaves for San Francisco by the Marama.

At a largely-attended meeting held in the Anzac Club. Featherston, it was decided to erect a monument to fallen soldiers on the Anzac Club grounds, at a cost of £2400. The promoters already have a sum of £6OO in hand, and it is proposed to raise the remainder by subscription.

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Patriotic Association it was stated that the balance in hand at the end of the 'financial year was £239,412. The funds of the association had been reduced by £71,984 during the year.

The well-known New York publication “Life,” has been purchased by Mr. Charles Dana Gibson, the artist brother-in-law of Lady Astor. “Life” has embodied all that is best in American humorous art for nearly forty years.

Mr. J .S. Barrett. Christchurch, is on his way to California. Mr. Barrett. who is president of the Federal Club, was met by a large number of fellow-members of the club and presented with a case of pipes for himself, and a dressing-case for Miss Barrett, who is accompanying her father on the trip.

The Criterion Hotel. Otahuhu, Auckland, a favourite house of call among sportsmen, is now under the proprietorship of Mr. N. Cunningham, a well-known and popular figure in northern sporting circles. Mr. Cunningham has renovated and refurnished the Criterion throughout, and visitors can be assured of every comfort, and attention.

Mr. W. R. Morris, 1.5.0., recently appointed Public Service Commissioner, and for many years secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, was the recipient of a presentation of four large chairs and a solid piece of silver plate from members of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association during a smoke concert given by the Wellington section of the association. The presentation was made by Mr. R. B. Reynolds, senior vice-president of the Wellington section.

“I can assure you that never in our previous history has our engineering industry at Home been in such a strong potential position,” remarked Mr. R. W. Dalton, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, during the course of his speech at a luncheon tendered him in Wellington. “It would be difficult to believe that we could be defeated in an industry which has been peculiarly our own for so many years. We may have been diffident in taking up new branches of the industry, but once, with our national British caution, we have satisfied ourselves that there is a certain trade in these new branches we have, in a very short space of time, made ourselves preeminent in them.”