NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 59, 7 September 1926, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

No Recommendation. Eeecntly, J. F. C. Hiddleston, of Lyall Bay, petitioned Parliament asking that an inquiry should be held into the circumstances leading up to his resignation from the headmastership of tho Takaka \ District High School. The Education Committee reported yesterday that it had no recommendation to make. Stocks of WooL ' For the first time in the history of ■the Dominion, the Census and Statistics Office has, as at 30th June, taken a census of the wool stocks to ascertain the carry-over from last season. In the short time available for taking the census, it was not possible to ascertain the stocks hold by farmers, and stocks in actual possession of shipping companies were also excluded. The quantity of wool held in store on 30th June, 1926, was as follows: —Woolbrokers (holding permits), 6,015,4061b; freezing works, 4,892,6841b; wool-scouring works, 2,823,1461b; woollen mills, 3,471,----6641b; total, 17,202,9001b. These figures relato to physical possession of the wool, and are not necessarily an index as to the quantities owned by the interests concerned. Next year it is hoped that the field will be extended to cover the whole of the wool stock held in the Dominion. It should bo noted that the total shown includes 3,470,0001b held by woollen mills, presumably for manufacturing purposes within the country. , Lack of Originality in Schools. The lack of originality in the primary schools is remarked upon by the Chief Inspector (Mr. T. B. Strong). ''During the past year," he Btates in his anual report for 1925-26 presented to Parliament yesterday, "very little information reached nle showing that much original work was being attempted by teachers. lam told by some that our rigid syllabus, our rigid methods of inspection, and our rigid system of grading are responsible for this shortcoming, but I am inclined to think that these excuses are very considerably exaggerated, and do ,not explain the lack of originality. lam assured by the inj spectorial staff that originality is encouraged in capable teachers, but that too frequently those of less capacity aro inclined to flit from method to method and to concentrate their efforts in no one definite direction. Whatever may be the explanation, the fact remains that little is heard of any original work beyond some attention in intelligence tests." Activities at Trentham. Since the departure at the end of last week of the Wellington West Coast Begiment, Treutham Camp has been comparatively quiet. At present there are about 100 men receiving instruction there, chiefly engineers and machine-gun section units. To-day arrived the advance guard of the Hawkes Bay Regiment, the main-body of which, numbering about 850, will come into j camp on Friday for annual training. Towards the close of next week an inspection will be carried out by His Excellency tho Governor-General, who displays a lively interest in all the activities of the Dominion's Defence Forces, owing to his long and distinguished career in the British Army. Act They Did. Short skirts and shingled locks may mark the emancipation of women, but they do not necessarily mean business ability. At a recent meeting of the fair sex in a borough not far from Wellington a resolution was passed and a small committee was appointed "with power to act" to carry out the terms of the resolution and to report, at tho next meeting. The sub-committe_e duly met and after mature consideration decided that they no longer agreed with tho terms of the resolution. They therefore quietly and confidently rescinded it, and reported to this effect at the next general meeting. It took much argument to convince these lady legislators that "with power to act" was a constructive rather than a destructive mandate and that their powers as a sub-committee had been very much exceeded. The Dominion Press. "New Zealand newspapers are of a high standard, and disclose tho best sub-editing I have ever seen. The papers aro also wonderfully free from typographical errors," said the Kev. Dr. Thomas Carter, general secretary of the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission, who is at present in Christchurch. The Only Way. Stock drovers everywhere are confronted with difficulties in bringing fat cattle from the lonely estates in the back country to the markets. The continual passing of motor-cars, cycles, and. other vehicles greatly disturbs and agitates some of the beasts, and what is usually a quiet animal on the farm may suddenly become raving mad. Such was the case in Hawera on a recent afternoon, when a local butcher was driving some fat Herefords to the abattoirs, says the "Taranaki Daily News." What might have resulted in serious injury was narrowly averted by the presence of mind of a pedesi trian, who, on being charged, had few ways of escape. To run away would have courted trouble. Turning to meet the infuriated animal he suddenly dived full length flat on the surface of the road, quite upsetting the calculations of the beast, which passed completely over him. A hasty_ retreat was then made. The Soap Plant. Among tho flowers sold in Queen street, Auckland, on Friday, was one which much puzzled several people who j were attracted by its bright yellow masses of flowers, which suggested something liko an acacia blossom. When told it was a New Zealand Native some refused to "believe it, which just showß how sophisticated the city dweller has become (states the Auckland "Star"). The flower is one of the commonest on our northern heaths, but not one town person in ten thousand had ever soen it in bloom, or had paid sufficient notice if he did happen to have seen it. It was the flower of Pomaderris oliptica, or kumara-hou to give it its native name, or "soap plant," as the guindiggers call it. Hataitai Bus Fares. Representations were made to the Tramways Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon by a deputation from the Hataitai Municipal Electors' Association that the council should allow the use of concession cards on the Hataitai buses, the speakers pointing out that tram fare ' plus bus faro from mid-city to upper Hataitai came to 5d cash, or 4 7-16d by using tramway concession cards, whereas others could travel several times the distance, as to Seatoun, for threepence. It was contended that the Hataitai bus should not be considered as a paying proposition or otherwise, by itself, but as part of tho city's whole transport service, and that as concession cards were used on some bus runs they should be allowed on all. The Hataitai bus was certainly not paying, replied the Mayor, as chairman of tho committee, and the' residents wore not showing any very definite desire to retain tho service. The deputation was proposing that the whole of the loss on the bus should be put on to tho tramways, but it was not so easy to make up the difference. Bus services were only in tho initial stages, and tho council could only go so far in giving services which did not pay. The suggestions made would be carefully considered.

Building Activities. A return showing the building activities in the cities and larger towns of the Dominion is furnished in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. During August the permits for new dwellings in the boroughs and town district* in the Auckland urban area numbered 157, as compared with 114 in Welling ton, 80 in Christchurch, and 39 in Dunedin. Auckland Bridge Scheme. Following the decision of the Government not to permit a lottery to be promoted to raise £1,000-,000 for the construction of a bridge across Auckland Harbour, the Waitemata Bridge Committee has decided to endeavour to have the bridge erected by other means, and to circulate a petition in favour of the proposed bridge, for presentation to Parliament. Mr. S. Jones mentioned that a group of financiers in England desired, under certain conditions, of becoming interested in financing tho erection of the bridge, and a sub-committee was empowered to confer with the Auckland representative of this group. High Enough Already. A proposal to build two office-blocks on the present roof of the New Zeaj land Insurance Company's building in Queen street was considered by the Auckland City Council, and permission was declined as the building is now the full height above the street level allowed by the bylaws. The application from the company was for permission to erect two office-blocks, one 48ft by 48ft, and the other 62ft by 53ft, on the Toof of the building. It was stated that tentative permission was given last year to an extension covering the whole of the roof area, but rising from the outer walls as a mansard roof with dormer windows and built in reinforced concrete. The City Engineer, Mr. W. E. Bush, reported that the building was already the full height above the street level but the council, in accordance with its practice in other cases, had allowed the erection of fair-sized caretaker's quarters on the roof at the back. The reference to tentative permission having been given last year referred to an interview between himself and the architects on the substitution of a mansard roof for the present flat roof, and he had then stated the council might allow them to erect such a roof and utilise the space thus made available. Tho present application, if granted, would create a precedent which he considered was undesirable in the council's interest. The Boad-inendor Listens-in. According to the driver of one of the Napier service cars it ha« become the fashion among men permanently engaged on road work to have their small huts or whares equipped with a wire'less set. He states that between Napier and Gisborne there are no fewer than eight such sets installed at various roadmen's huts along the route. Another Hat Trick. Hats, like umbrellas, have formed the subject for many a jest. Even during such prosaie proceeding as that of the Conciliation Council, where the Commissioner was dealing with an application of the Felt Hatters Union for a new award there were several opportunities for an exchange of humour. One of tho representatives of the employers contended that there was a prejudice against locally made hats, and that it was difficult to keep down prices in comparison with imported headwear. The Commissioner jocularly remarked that he now purchased a local and lower priced hat because he had a better chance of retaining it longer in his possession. In his time he had purchased three expensive imported hats, but two of them suited other people and quickly disappeared. Later a story was told of a football team that left Wellington for Christchurch. One of the members was wearing a very shabby hat, which tho other members determined for the sake of appearances would disappear on the voyage across the Strait. The hat was conveniently put through a port hole, but the owner, on his return to Wellington, made a claim against the Union Company. It was not recounted whether his claim succeeded or not, but at any rate much of the company's writing paper was used in correspondence on the matter, and a thorough search was instituted. "A Country Without Strikes." "Tho moment ho got into office Mussolini realised that the havoc wrought by almost incessant strikes must stop," writes Mr. I. F. Marcosson, tho wellknown American publicist. "He initiated legislation which not only outlaws and penalises interference with industrial output and the operation of State services, but seta up' a tribunal for compulsory arbitration. If employers and employees cannot agree, the issue is taken before a Magistracy of Labour—there is one in every important centre —from which thero is no appeal. The net result of theso drastic innovations is that Italy, like New Zealand of other days, is a country without strikes. This is why. she prospers." Education in Fiji. Mr. F. H. Bakewell, M.A., Now Zealand representative on the Commission of Inquiry into educational matters in Fiji, returned by the Tofua yesterday, states "The Post's" Auckland correspondent. He said it was hoped that the report would solve many difficult problems. When the Commission finished its work, Mr. Bakewell remained in Fiji to inspect the schools under the Now Zealand co-operative system. He found the standard of efficiency very high, and said excellent work was being done. He paid a high tribute to tho Education Department of Fiji. Spade Work for Health Week. For some weeks now the central organisation of the 1926 Health Week has been working quietly along with those sometimes tiresome but always very necessary preliminaries, but in that way a good deal of the spade work has been done, and to-day the first committee meetings ' are. being held, Town Hall and Schools and Colleges Committees at 4.30 p.m., and Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A. and Sanitation Committees at 4.45 p.m. To-morrow three more of the committees will meet — Medical at 4.45, Publicity at 5, and Districts Control at 7.30 p.m. On Thursday the Exhibition Committee will meet at 4.30 p.m. and the Industrial Committee at 5 p.m. In its main outlines Health Week this year will be similar to the last campaign, in 1923, but some new ideas will be introduced, possibly including the broadcasting of lecturettes delivered in the Town Hall, which will be the headquarters of both the committee stages and the campaign, and the indications are that, good as the last Town Hall exhibition was, this year's will be even more informative and interesting. The general city clean-up will be a feature of the week, but it is proposed that it should bo managed on lines somewhat differ-, ent from those of 1922 and 1923. Westport's Diamond Jubilee. A meeting was recently held in Westport to discuss the mode of celebrating Westport's Diamond Jubilee (1866----1926). There was only a fair attendance of the public, but hearty support was promised by the local band, the Athletic and Cycling Association, the Progress League, and the Fire Brigade, who will probably arrange for a demonstration and fireworks display. Various ideas were submitted, as to the nature of the celebration, and it was suggested that tho Wellington West Coasters' Association bo got in touch with, as it might charter a boat to bring visitors to the town. A committee was appointed to go into the whole matter.

An Inquiry Recommended. The Lands Committee reported to the House of Bepresentatives that, in xegard to the petition of Catherine O'Connor, of Creswiek, Wellington, for compensation for depreciation caused to her property, it recommended that the Government should again offer the petitioner a Commission to consider th>e petition. Wealth of the People. In the computation recently made by tho Census and Statistics Office of the latest estimate of private wealth of the people of New Zealand, an average was taken over the years 1921 to 1925. This yielded £744,603,998, representing £553 per head of the whole population and £909 per head of persons of twenty years and over (practically the adult population). Going back a few years, it is interesting to recall that an estimate of the private wealth in 1914, taking an averago over the years 1909-14, showed £285,----485,829, being an average of £260 per head of the whole population, or £433 per head of persons twenty years of age and over. During the last eleven years the estimated,private wealth of the Dominion has thus increased by practically £460,000,000. Notwithstanding that increasing values have been largely responsible for this phenomenal growth, the result of the comparison reflects a considerable increase in the prosperity of the country. Nothing In It. A very good reason was put forward by a motorist who resigned from the Automobile Club yesterday. "When farming can show a profit, I will join," he wrote, "but there is not much in borrowing money at 8 per cent, to pay a sub." Running Too Fast? The pace of certain motor buses on the Hutt road was condemned by Mr. F. Manton at the Automobile Club meeting yesterday. He said that some of the buses were dangerous. On one occasion, he declared, the speed of the buses had forced his car on to the metal portion of the road. It was decided to approach the authorities on the matter. Speed on Eimutaka Road. Some discussion.arose at yesterday's meeting of the Automobile Club when the executive was considering a minimum speed for motor traffic travelling over the Eimutakas. The matter was brought up when a letter was received from the Main Highways Board referring to the club's opinion that three-and-a-half-ton lorries should not exceed 12 miles per hour when going over the Rimutaka Hill. The letter stated that the board wished to fix a minimum speed, but before drawing np a bylaw suggested that the Wellington and Wairarapa clubs should get together. Members were not unanimous about the speed. One considered there should be two speeds, one up and one down.' Mr. Shortt thought 15 miles an hour was ridiculous, but the chairman (Mr. Filmer) considered it fast enough. After discussion it was considered that the club should suggest a minimum speed of 15 miles an hour in the negotiations with the Wairarapa Club. Inquiry about Petrol Tax. Talk of a petrol tax has induced the Wellington Automobile Club to write to America seeking information on the subject.. The chairman (Mr. H. Filmer) at yesterday's meeting said it was claimed that a petrol tax was equitable, but he said a tire tax was equitable, and there were no' exemptions about it. He reported that a letter had been written to the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, New York, as follows: —"We would like to approach you on the matter of a gasoline tax which is mooted by our Legislature. We are naturally opposed at first glance to this new tax, and would appreciate very much some opinion from you as to its operation. As a motoring body, we do not object to taxes in a general way that are directly applied to the construction and maintenance of the roads, but what is at the back of our minds is that the tax is such a simple one for needy Finance Ministers to tinker with that once the principle is established we may find ourselves with a burden too great for the industry."