NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 141, 11 December 1929, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

"The Only Leader."

Until lie became Minister of Education in the United Administration, the Hon. H. Atmore sat in Parliament as an Independent. Speaking at Lower Hutt last night, ho explained why it was that he decided to link up with a party. "I was invited to join the Ministry," said M;.\ Atmoro, "and 1 did so because I believed Sir Joseph Ward was the only possible leader in sight. I believe now he is the only leader. I also undertook the important portfolio of Education in the hope that it would be possible for mo to put into practice some of the ideas I had held as a private member." "Is Anybody Satisfied?" "I have been dissatisfied with my position on the grading list for six years past," stated Mr. Marryatt, late headmaster at the Upper Hutt School, giving evidence in his appeal case at the Magistrate 'a Court this morning. Mr. E. Page, S.M. (chairman of the Teachers' Appeal Board): "I do not think we need go into that. Is anybody satisfied with his position?" (Laughter.) Reform Party and Loyalty. "Wo are not ashamed to sing 'God Save the King,' We'll sing 'God Save the King' always," remarked the Leader of the Opposition (the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) at Eastbourne last night, after stating that the Reform Party stood for God, King, and Country. "Who is afraid?" queried a member of the audience. "There are men in this country who won't or don't " continued Mr. Coates. "If they don't like this country with our Imperialistic or Empire notions, then they may find a happier place. I don't know, but I very much doubt it." (Applause.) Mr. Coates added that this was a Christian country, and while it was too much to expect unanimity in religious belief, yet the Reform Party stood for maintaining freedom of Christian worship. The Eeform Party belieived in helping to preserve peace through the League of Nations, but though it might be necessary to alter the defence system, the country must be prepared not for aggressive but for defensive action should be that be necessary. (Applause.) Bee Causes Accident. A fortunate escape from serious injury was experienced by Mrs. C. Clotworthy when motoring from Thames to Turna. on Monday afternoon. When near the Parawai railway siding a bee flew through the side curtains of the car and hovered about the driver's head. She lifted a hand from the wheel to brush it aside, and the car ran off the road, and overturned in a drain, barely a foot from a telegraph post. Mrs. Clotworthy crawled to safety unhurt, except for slight shock. The chassis of the car was badly twisted. Trackless Trams for Christchurch. "The great advantages of the trackless tram are its mobility and the great saving in the capital cost of installation compared with the rail system," said Mr. W. Hayward, chairman of the Christchurch Tramways Board, yesterday, when questioned concerning a trackless tram motion picture viewed by the board on Monday evening, states the "Christchurch Star." After expressing appreciation of the picture, Mr. Hayward said that the board's interest in the matter was shown by the fact that tenders had been called for the supply of trackless trams for use on certain routes.1 "We have received information about the use of these vehicles from all over the world," he said, "and in every case the reports have been very favourable. In one or two places the tramway authorities are taking up their rails and substituting trolley buses or trackless trams. It is confidently expected that they will be equally successful in Christehurch provided good roads can bo found on which to operate them. Asked if there was any likelihood of the tramway services being extended provided the trackless trams proved a success, Mr. Hayward said that the institution of any new services would have to be very carefully considered. "Christchurch made the original blunder of extending her tramiray service much too far," he said. "This city Has fifty-three miles of line, compared with Dunedin's seventeen miles. Even' Melbourne has only eighty wilea."

School Property Damaged. Young men who have been in the habit of making use of tho Bongotai Boys' College grounds to get a free view of the racing at tho Kilbirnie Speedway on Saturday nights havo incurred the wrath of the principal of the college (Mr. V. Martyn Renner), and in future it will probably be wise for them to keep well away from the school grounds. Mr. Renuer wrote the following letter to the College Board of Governors: "A largo amount of damage was done last Saturday to the shrubs and ground at tho school by young fellows who desired to obtain a free view of the speedway sports. The groundsman, as on former occasions, gave up his evening iv his attempts to protect the school property. His efforts were useless in keeping people out. I think that your board will have to expend still more money on erecting effective barbed wire entanglements. Meantime, I have again asked the Lyall Bay police office to put a man on duty to assist the groundsman in ejecting undesirables ..." The Board of Governors yesterday afternoon decided to send a copy, of the letter to the Stadium management, and also to seek police- assistance. A Parable from Nature. While, the Loader of tho Opposition (tho Eight. Hon. J. G. Coatcs) was iv the midst of a criticism of the United Party's policy in the course of Ma speech at Eastbourne last night, a bulldog and some other breed of dog wandered into the Crown Theatre, walked up the centre aisle to the middle of the theatre, and then engaged in a really good fight. The combatants took it into their heads to carry on hostilities under the seats where a number of ladies were sitting, and the place was soon in an uproar. Screaming women jumped on to chairs and held their short skirts a little higher, pending the efforts of several of the sterner sex to put an end to the canine warfare. After several vain efforts, a man was successful in grabbing tho bulldog by tho ear, and in this unceremonious' fashion the animal was slung out of the main door. Tho other dog disappeared on his own account. "Whether or not the dogs fell out over the present politicial situation is not known, but the somewhat dramatic interruption of his speech gave Mr. Coates tho chance to pause, wipe his brow, and partake of •J. glass of water. Peace having been restored, Mr. Coates made a humorous reference to the incident. "Even the best of friends fall out," he remarked, amidst laughter, "and we may even see something like that yet between the United Party and the Labour Party, who are at present very sweet with one another." Bible in Schools. That the Bible-in-schools movement is a practicable one was the opinion expressed by Bishop West-Watson in the Christchurch Cathedral on Sunday, reports the "Press." Its good influence, he said, was to be seen in England to-day. "At first there was a great deal of reluctance to put the Gospels into writing, but gradually they developed from the Greek —the language used by our Lord—to the many translations in use to-day," said the Bishop. "Now the Bible is accepted all over the Christian world. Since the commencement of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, 886 versions have been published, and they have been of great assistance to missionaries all over the world. Without the help of the society the missionaries would have been paralysed. "Industrialism has brought misery and despair in England, and now it has spread to the East," said the Bishop, "but the society has sent three millions of copies of the Bible to the Chinese, and the word is spreading. Through hidden channels tho way, the truth, and the light passes. The society has done a great work in translating and printing and spreading its messages, and the movement is a great guide to the teaching of young people. That the Bible can be taught in schools is proved in England to-day. There are some people who have a great reverence for the Bible, but little use tor it, on account of the fact that they have become too familiar with it. Man demands some relief from darkness, despair, and all the futility of life, and the Bible.is his refuge. So may the knowledge of God cover the earth as the waters cover th-esea."