General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 25 October 1927, Page 10

General News.

Twenty men leave for Double Hill. Methven, to-day, to commence road making work under the Publio Works Department's unemployment relief scheme.

Potatoes will bo planted this week in the City Council's Innes road reserve, and in au area of six acres on the north side of the polo ground in South Hagley Park. Adjoining the latter is a similar area, which will be sown in grass in the autumn. Football will probably be played on all three areas next winter.

A scheme for the reduction of the number of stopping : places on the Auckland tramways system is under consideration by the Tramways Committee of the City Council. The idea behind the scheme is to assist in the economic running of the system. It is felt that there are at present too many stops, compelling trams to slow down again shortly after getting under way.

Before the close of the Assessment Court at Martinborough last week, Mr J. F. Thompson, on beli "' of the legal profession, expressed congratulate ; to Miss E. M. Evans, of Martinborough, on being the first female assessor to 1 appointed in the Dominion. The Magistrate qoneurred, and expressed the hope she would not be the only lady to be appointed to a .judicial position.

In the presence of a large gathering of Labour supporters andl others Mr H. E. Holland yesterday laid the foundation stone of the new Labour Hall,- Invercargill. The ceremony was of a brief nature, no attempt being made to make a policy speech. Mr Holland congratulated the workers of Southland on their efforts and appealed for that co-operation which would ensure the Party taking, in due course, control of. the country's destinies.—Press Association,

The first page of the illustrations in this week's issue of the "Weekly Press." to be published to-morrow, shows a scene of rare beauty in the neighbourhood of Sumner. There are other fine studies of scenery, and special interest attaches k> a fine panorama of Hanmer Springs, showing the State forest which suffered serious damage by fire on Saturday. Four views are given of the very striking memorial to the late Mr Massey, which the Government proposes to erect at Point Halswell. Topical pictures are numerous this week, and a particularly lively page of snapshots illustrates events at the annual sports of the C'hristchurch Girls' High School. In reply to Mr Isitt's charge that Bishop Cleary was, for propaganda purposes, making much of the _ Bible League's, non-accentance of the invitation to confer with Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, Bishop Cleary, in a letter to Mr Isitt, states that such a charge imputes conduct on the writer's part amounting to wanton and deliberate deception. He asks Mr Isitt to withdraw the accusation and states further: "If you are not prepared to do this, there is still another course open to you—namely, to undertake that, in any proceedings I may think fit to institute to vindicate myself, you will not shelter yourself under a plea of Parliamentary privilege." Had it not been for the conquest of Constantinople in 1203 by the Venetians there would have been no Anzacs. , This was a striking example of the fluence of early history on the fates of nations given by Professor A. J. Grant, of Leeds T "aiversity, in an address at the inaugural meeting on Friday night, of the Wellington branch of the Historical Association. "The capture of Constantinople by the Venetians in--1203, during the Fourth Crusade, was a tremendous gain conr-orcially for Venice, but was also < the most evil events in the history of Europe," stated Professor Grant. "We are paying for it stil! The Turks would not have got the city a hundred years later but -for the weakening of its defences by the Venetians Think what this has meant to Europe and to the world, and think what it has meant to New Zealand!"

The Hotel Federal's new and up-to-date dining-room is now completed with accommodation for 200 guests, and specialising in casual luncheons from 12.30 to 2 p.m. Six courses (including grills), 2s 6d. .'Phone 1040 to reserve tables. —6