General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22504, 12 September 1938, Page 8

General News

Sheep Killed by Dogs Fifteen ewes and lambs belonging to Mr R. Cruickshank, of Rosedale, Southland, were killed by dogs during Saturday night. Mr Cruickshank said that sheep worrying had been 'going on in the district for three weeks. He had shot three or four dogs, all of which had been without collars. —Press Association. Tribute to School Committees A tribute to the work of school committees was paid by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) when he opened the new infants* block at the Beckenham School on Saturday afternoon. “I wonder how many of us realise what we owe to the ungrudging voluntary work put into our education system by the school committees,” said the Minister. We owe more to them than we do to members ot Parliament.” Ratana Pa Developments A new building covering half an acre of ground was officially opened at Ratana pa yesterday by the Acting-Minister for Native Affairs (the Hon. F. Langstone) in the presence of 4500 Maoris and several hundred Europeans. The new building represents an administration block and sleeping, dining, and cooking ters, and is designed on modern lines ana fitted with modern appliances. It has electricity, a loud-speaker , telephone system, and steam cooking apparatus. Ratana’s aim is a model settlement, and this building is part of the plan. It has been erected from funds obtained through a self-denial appeal made to members of the Ratana faith. —Press Association. Vegetarian Rats City rats like a green leaf diet occasionally, as a Christchurch amateur gardener discovered to his cost on Friday. He bought a box of wellgrown nemesia plants and took them to his office. As the office was kept very warm by central heating, he thought the plants would be better in a cool atmosphere, so he left them in the bicycle shed in the basement of -the building. When he went to get them at the end of his day’s work he found that the rats had made a meal of them, cutting them down to mere stumps, and even burrowing down in places to get at the roots. Censorship in Libraries “The question of Government action to prevent the importation and distribution of magazines of the cheap and nasty type which lays emphasis on matters of sex and crime has now been finalised,” says the Bulletin of the New Zealand Libraries’ Association, “The Hon, W. Nash (Minister for Customs) has approached importers asking them to agree to co-operate. There are few of the importers who want to bring this type of material into the country, and it is probable that all will adhere irf accordance with the Minister’s request. Censorship is usually exercised either upon material dealing with current debatable questions in political relations or upon books dealing with sex questions. In an address to the trustees section of the American Library Association in 1935, the president of the association said: Tn countries where criticism of the government is not tolerated, public libraries are nothing more or less than agencies for government propaganda. ... If that time ever comes in America, in my opinion, the public library will cease to be an educational institution.’ The library which is supported by public funds is the property of people holding all shades of opinion upon all subjects, including many which are sharply controversial in character.” Additions to Waltham School The construction of new classrooms at the Waltham School has been approved by the Education Department and is “well up on the waiting list.” This assurance was given by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) to a gathering at the Beckenham School for the opening of a new infants’ block on Saturday hfternoon. The Minister said that members of the Waltham School Committee who were present would be anxious to know when their desire for new classrooms would be realised. There was applause when he announced that he had lately approached the Minister for Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) and had been told that the work had been approved. Fate of Friendly Societies

“The friendly societies of New Zealand will flourish after the introduction of this scheme just as did the friendly societies after the introduction of the scheme in England,” declared Dr. D. G. McMillan. M.P., in an address on the social security scheme at Riccarton last evening. “We have been told that the scheme will snell death to the friendly societies,” Dr. McMillan said. “Yet we find that in Great Britain, where the societies do i}ot administer the health benefits, they were stimulated by the scheme. When Lloyd George introduced his scheme in Great Britain the friendly societies voluntarily gave up the administration of the health and medical benefits. Yet they have continued to flourish as never before. Similarly in New Zealand the giving up of the medical benefits will not affect the societies. The friendly society members will not pay into the lodge for the doctor, medical, or hospital. They will continue to pay the extra medical benefit and the funeral benefit. And the lodges will continue to thrive as they are doing in England.” Dr. McMillan nointed out that at present the lodges and friendly societies paid out fees to hospitals and doctors and for medicines, and retained nothing at all for administration ‘costs. Christmas Shopping Hours this Year

Christmas Day this year is bn a Sunday, and the Advisory Board of the New. Zealand Federation of Drapers, Clothiers, and Boot Retailers, which met recently, discussed the question of holidays for the shops, and the late nights. The Wellington association had met and decided that the hours from Monday to Thursday should be the usual hours in Christmas week, and on the Friday shops would stay open until 10 p.m., the Saturday closing to be at noon as usual. This is likely to be the general practice. The board is going to advise all districts that uniformity throughout the Dominion is desirable, though each district is at liberty to make its own arrangements as far as the Shops and Offices Act and the award permit. The hours will be the usual ones in New Year week, with late closing at 9 p.m. on the Friday.

Railway “Mystery” Hike Another of the Railway Department’s popular “mystery” hikes was held yesterday in ideal weather. A total of 850 trampers left Christchurch by trains at 9 a.m. and 9.5 a.m. for the Weka Pass, where they detrained. The main road was followed for about half a mile, and the party then left the road and had lunch at Mr L. Ferguson’s homestead in the foothills. After lunch, the old pass road was followed to Waikari, where the trampers had afternoon tea before they left on the return journey to the city. Women in Politics The reviving interest of women in politics in New Zealand was emphasised by Dr. D. G. McMillan, M.P., in an address at Riccarton last evening 'to a meeting which included many ■women. 'Women were interested in the Dab our Government to-day, he said, first, because it was a radical Government and women had always had to look towards radical governments for emancipation, and second, because of the way they would benefit advantageously from the social security scheme. It was Seddon’s radical government that gave New Zealand women representation and women supported the Radical Liberal Party for many years after. The decadence of the Liberal Party saw a waning of interest by women, but with the rise of the Labour Party had come a revival of interest, and, Dr. McMillan said, the women’s vote in no small measure was responsible for the success of the Labour Government. Value of Air Mail

The success of the new air mail service in speeding up the interchange of communication between New Zealand and Great Britain is well illustrated in the recent experience of an Auckland suburban resident. Taking advantage of the first “all-up” air mail, which left Auckland by the Mariposa on Friday, August 5, he wrote to a friend in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This letter was delivered in Belfast on August 19, and the friend replied on the same day. His answer was delivered in Auckland on September 5. exactly one calendar month from the date on which the first letter left Auckland. This contrasts with the period of three months that has been allowed for a reply in the past.