NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1929, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Successful Institution,

■ The success that has attended the operations of the State Advances Office established by the Liberals many years ago, when its opponents, now the Reform Party, called it a "State pawnshop," and predicted its failure was mentioned by Mrs. B. B. Wood in her address to ladies at Petone, in support of the candidature of Mr J Korr (United) in tho Hutt by-election campaign The Department, said Mrs. Wood, had made loans amounting to over £40,000,000 at tho lowest rate of interest, and, instead of making the prodieted losses, had earned considerably over a million sterling in profits, while at the same time placing thousands of hard-working settlers on the land and enabling thousands of workers to become the owners of their homes. With the United Government now in office this splendid institution was showing more life and vigour.

Tree Struck by Lightning.

Lightning which struck and badly damaged a big poplar tree near the rh ■'*? £ „Site J U Oxioid terrace, Chnstchurch, on Friday afternoon gave residents in the vicinity an unpleasant experience. There was a heavy exp osion, which shook the houses round about and startled the inmates. A blinding flash preceded tho explosion (states ''The Press")l The tree was struck about fifteen feet from tho ground, the lightning penetrating the outer branches, then splitting the thick trunk throughout the greater portion of its length. Fairly large branches were broken off, and pieces of bark, ranging up to fiv6 feet in length, were ripped off tho trunk and boughs The ground at the base of the trunk was littered with small twigs and foliage. The tree may havo to be removed.

To Be Visible By Night.

Darkness wiU never cloak the Auckland "War Memorial Museum, for through the generosity of the Auckland Electric-Power Board, the great white building, set on its commanding hill will be flood-lighted at night, and thus will be perpetually visible (states the "Now Zealand Herald"). The announcement of the Power Board's offer was made by Mr. H. E. Vaile, president of the Auckland Institute and Museum, at the official opening ceremony. "This is an announcement which must be gratifying to all of us," said Mr. Vaile. "It is the custom to illuminate such a building as this by night, so that it should never be out of sight or out of mind, and that is particularly desirable in the case of this building, situated so that it can be seen from many parts at a great distance. The Power Board, in addition to a handsomo donation, is now willing to pay the whole cost of lighting the building from the exterior." Explaining the board's offer later, Mr. E. H. Bartley, the general manager, said that the installation scheme had not yet been completed, but it was hoped to have it in operation in three or four months. The board proposed to instal the necessary fittings, but ho presumed some arrangement would be made between the board and the Institute and Museum for payment for ,the current necessary for the flood-lighting. The value of the gift ia about £1000 or .£I2OO,

Old Queanbeyan. "While the- City of Canberra is, of course, entirely new, just outside the area there is a very old settlement called Queanbeyan; mid while I was Micro a few days ago, I found that the older residents of Queaubeyan are very iit£ terested in the career of Mr. 11. E. Holland, the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, whom they claim as :i native son." So stated Mr. M. .1. Iteardon to a "Post" reporter on returning to Wellington tOday by tho Makura from a trip to Australia. "Cotton Blanketsl'' The high American tariff was Ti serious thing for New Zealand, declared Mr. C. W. Buad (vice-president) at tho annual meeting of tho British (U.K.) Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand. America could take all New Zealand's wool; but all tho timo- he was in America ho Blept in "cotton blankets," because America grew n great deal of cotton but comparatively little wool, and would not let wool in to compete with cotton. Such good, cheap woollen suits as they, could buy in Wellington wero not obtainable in the United States. In tho samo way he had found it almost impossible* to get a grilled chop, because America would not let mutton in to competo with her beef. Fishing in the Gulf. That fish arc plentiful in the Hauraki Gulf is indicated by the experience of several residents of Manly (states the "New Zealand Herald"). Ono man has used an endless linel with seven hooks, a pulley being fixed at the top of a low cliff and another anchoring the line to a stone in deep water. When a fish is hooked a bell rings, and so gives warning at the house. Among other fish, a full-sized octopus, stingrays, and a 101b snapper have been captured by this method. Two men trolling with a double-hooked spinner caught 15 large kingfish in four evenings, while a morning's catch totalled 10 snapper, a shark, kahawai, and 200 herring. An "Aucklander's" Return. "After being away from New Zealand for over forty years I find it is a perfect paradise, and now that I am here I am certainly going to stay here," said Mr. C. E. Lewis, an old Auckland boy who recently returned after a long residence in New South Wales.' "When I look at the green grass and the fresh gardens of the suburbs, and think of the cattle I have seen dying alongside the railway lines in Australia, I am convinced that New Zealand is ' God's own country.' I have seen a good deal of the Australian countryside, and I am thoroughly tired of the never-ending procession of gum-trees."

A Bare Stone Adze,

A find was made by Mr. L.. Nicholas on his property at Temuka recently, when he unearthed, about five feet under the surface, a stone adze of a rare shape. The adze is very well made and is of unpolished grey stone. The length is lOin, and it is 3|in in breadth, and If in in thickness. The cutting edge is hollow ground, in this point differing from the usual straight-ground edge of the true Maori adze. Mr. Nicholas presented his find to Mr. H. S. W Cully, who has made a study of this subject for some years, and who has a collection of flints and stone implements collected from all over the South Island.

A Word for "The Wasters."

A good word was said for "the waster" by Mr. d'A. S. L. Grut, of Waimate, before the Eehabilitation Commission at Christchurch on Friday (states "The Press"). "This man," he said, "gets little sympathy, and often less help, and yet in many cases he is nothing but a partially, disabled man in another sense. Is it any wonder that, of the thousands who left New Zealand,, receiving their years of training to officially kill, and unofficial sanction to thieve when necessity dictated, living in the squalor and degrading condition of the front line trench, there should be some, who fail to readjust their mentality to the requirements of civilisation? Many of these 'wasters' would yet make good soldiers were war again declared, but no effort has been put forward to train them again to be good citizens. The handing over of cash is in many eases the worst that can be don© to meet their cases. Community settlements for partially disabled men seems to be the one and only solution."

A. Mysterious Disease,

A disease that might have .serious consequences to New Zealand trees if allowed to spread haa been discovered by a farmer, says the " Christchurch Times." The disease, he stated, is killing a belt of protective willow trees alongside the south approach to tho bridge over the stream at Waipara. The trees attacked are growing in a chainwide belt, and «o far the disease has killed them for a distance of about fifty yards. The farmer brought with him a branch from one of the affected trees. The external indication is a scries of oily black spots or blotches, about the size of a shilling, every few inches along the bark. When the bark is removed it is seen that the infection has penetrated deeply into the /ood beneath. The farmer's attention was called to the disease by the yellow tops of the dead trees, and ho stopped to make an investigation. Apparently the disease begins its work in the bole of the tree and spreads to the branches. "All the affected trees should be cut dowr. and burnt," said the farmer. "If this disease attacks other trees it will be 'Heaven help NewZealand timber,' unless it is cheeked."

Life of Timber.

About twenty-two years ago the plan was started at Lincoln College, Canterbury, of marking with brass plates all posts used on the farm, when they were of known timbers and ages. A sample brass plate- reads, "Post cut from macrocarpa thirty years old inserted here, 1906." "When the post is rotten or renewed, the plate is returned to the botanical laboratory and the durability of the post is recorded. Some records are:—Oregon, twenty years old, lasted in the ground two years; monkey puzzle, thirty years old, lasted in the ground two years; macrocarpa, thirty years old, lasted in the ground twentyone years; Robinia, thirty-five years old, has not rotted in fifteen years; jarrah, age not known, has not rotted in twenty-two years.

Tariff Dangers,

Referring to-day to the suggestion put forward at Home for BritisH Empire free trade, Mr. L. A. Edwards president of the British (United Kingdom) Manufaclurers' Association of New Zealand, said that it was quite clear that the protectionist policies of the Dominions must prevent that idea being brought 'to fruition. At the same time, the more they could increase inter-Empire trade the better. Tariff barriers were serious obstacles in these days, he added; and he would like the members of the association to think what would occur if all the manufacturing nations were exporting goods and doing all in their power to force their goods on other markets while raising up tariff barriers and refusing to take back goods in exchange for their exports. The position was not common-sense. It was not economic; and, to his mind, it could only result in a serious disturbance of the peace of the world. He was afraid that if those tariff barriers were persisted in, civilisation wag heading for another world catastrophe. Such a catastrophe might not be near. It might not come for many years; but there was no apparent economic solution for such a position. It could not continue indefinitely. Something must t'go bust.-"'