Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 215, 20 September 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Four Foremen for 14 Men. It was stated at a meeting of the Foxton Borough Council that there were four foremen for 14 scheme 13 men. The council decided to dispense with two of the loi'emen, returning them to the ranks of the workers, and to notify the Government that the council could find work in future only for men whom the department is unable to place. A number of men have already been . absorbed on the Moutoa (lax scheme. j Fathers or Dictators. "If Hitler had been the father of a big family it is quite certain he would not have become the nuis- > ance he is to-day," said Dr. D. McK. Dickson in an address on New Zealand's falling birthrate, given to the Nationalist Club in Christchurch. "The cult of pleasure and the cult of ambition do away with family life; and so a journeyman) painter becomes dictator of Nazi Germany." ;

Children's- Page Held Over. Owing to pressure on our space to-<lay the children's section conducted by Peter the Whaler has held over till Monday. The usual competitions will be judged and announced as usual in that issue.

Cr. McCulloch's Riding. A lady ratepayer at Taneatua last Tuesday evening raised the point ol' district representation when she stated in connection with the Rural Housing Scheme that the ratepayers in Gr. C. McCulloch's riding, had no direct representation during his absence. The matter was an important one, she considered, and although its interests were being watched by another councillor, the ratepayers had not been directly consulted by their own candidate. Inside Information. One farmer who lfeft New Plymouth for-.territorial training camp recently knows that the district man power advisory committee gave his case expert attention. In fact he is aware that the committee brought special personal knowledge to bear. He is Captain L,. D. liiclcford, Q.A.M.R., who takes the course for officers and N.G.O ,'s of the 2nd Mounted Rifles Brigade at Wanganui. As a farmer he is engaged in an important occupation. The committee's personal knowledge of his case arises from the fact that he is its chairman. Captain Hickford will be able to continue his duties as chairman of the committee by obtaining leave from camp.

"Bad" Radio Music. Therg was still a tremendous amount of bad music broadcast, said Dr. E. Edgar Ford, examiner for the Trinity College of Music, avlio is visiting Palmerston North, when interviewed. There was no doubt that the radio was hopelessly misdirected sio far as music was concerned. The excuse was that the licenseholders demanded it. If our system of education were carried out in that way it would be disastrous. He was not against jazz music as such. A great deal of it was extremely clever, but the trouble was that the listener was not being taught to discriminate. The worst type »>f dance music was the constant reiteration of the rhythm,, bar after bar.

Maori Birthrate. "The Maoris are definitely on the increase. Their net birthrate is three times as great as that of the Europeans," said Mr R. A. Scobie, education officer at the Auckland Museum, when speaking at the Ham ilton Rotary Club. "The Maori population to-day is over 20,000. Many of them earn their living off the land, but there are many going to the towns and cities for their livelihood. On the East Coast about 8 per cent are on the land, but in the Waikato the corresponding number is only 5 per cent. There is no reason why they should have to work on the land, and in the towns they should" be given every opportunity to develop their skill in handicraft to earn their living."