NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 138, 9 December 1930, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

"In Committee." "Wo find too much business of fhe City Council dpne in. committee," remarked Mr. H. H. Miller, president, of the Wellington City Ratepayers' Association, at a general meeting of the association last evening. "If more business were done in open council the Press would be there and we would have some security. Some matters have to be taken in committee, but matters that affect the ratepayers—where the ratepayers have to foot the bill — should be taken in open council." Speeding is Improving! "Traffic has received attention, and I am of opinion that there is a marked improvement in the speeding of motorcars on the Main road," wrote the traffic inspector in his report to tho Upper Hutt Borough Council last night. The looseness of his phrase raised a laugh among the councillors, aud one of them even went so far as to agree that speeding was improving. No More Subsidies. "I regret to have to inform you that, owing to lack of funds, no further subsidies can be approved this financial year in connection with any voluntary contributions; moreover, the Treasury Department has notified that the amount allocated for subsidies lias been exhausted, and no further payments can be made until after olst March next." This information has been received by the Canterbury Education Board from an oiliecr of the I-Jdu-cation Depuartment, on behalf of the Director of Education (Mr. T. B. Strong), states "The Press." More Ways Than One. "The matter of the extermination of deer and other plant-eating animals in our forests and on our mountain tops is being attempted by the Department of Internal Affairs and the Forestry Service," reports the hon. secretary of the Native Birds' Protection Society, "but the present effort is scarcely likely to produce tho desired results; first of all, because the extent of the undertaking does not appear to be adequately realised, and secondly tho rifle appears to be considered: the only weapon which is available. Shooting at animals soon makes them excessively wild, and has the effect of driving them hither and thither and into the least accessible places. Tho advice of nion skilled in extermination should be sought. Thus a famous Canadian hunter, when he desired to exterminate crows, did not use a gun, but fed the birds, and enticed them into a huge trap, which accounted for as many as 500 at a pull. We have one or two similar men in New Zealand who could give good service in this matter."

A Woman Succeeds.

After the first meeting or' unemployed in Cathedral square on Saturday morning had been broken up by the police, the leaders sought to givo their addresses a little further along the roadway. One man who had not spoken previously stopped ou to the box and declared that it was not right that tho workers should be debarred from holding public meetings,. During his address a woman a few yards away began to get restless. "Got down from there, Ben!" she called, but he did not hear. A sergeant of police near by, who, with others, had failed to get tho leaders to move on, grasped the glorious opportunity. Ho quietly warned the woman that she had bettor get her husband off the box. "I'll get him. Make way there," she urged, and went to the front. "Ben, come dowii from there," she directed. "It's all right, dear," he answered, immediately ceasing his speech and stepping from the box to join his wife and child on the outskirts of the crowd. "Come away and leave them. There arc- plenty of other men there," she adjured her husband. The crowd, though in an excited mood, appreciated the humour oC the situation in which one woman had succeeded where a dozen police had faileel.—Christchurch '' Times."

New Zealand Trout. Preserved in ice, several trout caught recently in New Zealand are at present on the- way to America. When a party of tourists from the American liner Malolo were at Eotorua several of the party went fishing, and 'altogether 25 trout were caught (states the Christchurch "Press")- The fishermen were immensely proud of thoir success, and took the fish back to the hotel for exhibition to the other members of the party, after -winch the fish wero cleaned and put into ice to bo taken back to America. The man who caught the biggest fish —a four-pounder —said he would not take a thousand dollars for it; he was accustomed to catching fish from three-quarter of a pound to a ■pound in weight. Brief but Pleasant Visit. Warm appreciation of the manner in which the West Indies cricket team was treated while in Wellington was expressed in a letter from the team's manager (Mr. E. H. Mallet) to the secretary of the Wellington Cricket Association (Mr. A. Varney). Mr. Mallet wrote that the team was treated with every consideration, and the .stay was considered all too short. He regretted that the tourists' itinerary did not allow them to make a further stay in the Dominion on their return trip, but he said that the West Indies authorities would bo pleased to return the hospitality when the New Zealand team was passing through in the course of its visit to England next year. A Valuable Affiliation. The value of affiliation with the Boyal Automobile Club, -London, was emphasised at' the meeting of the executive of the Wellington Automobile Club last night. A member of the executive, Mr. H. W. Lawrence, who has just returned from a trip abroad, spoko of the great hospitality wliieh had been extended to him by the club. The chairman (Mr. E. A, Batt) remarked that while Mr. Lawrence was in England he was involved in a very serious motoring accident, and the Boyal Automobile Club came to his assistance and adjusted the whole mattor, without cost to Mr. Lawrence. On Mr. Batt's motion, it was decided to forward a letter of appreciation to the club. Another Service Officer. The appointment of another service officer, bringing the total up to four, was decided upon by the Wellington Automobile Club last evening. The chairman (Mr. E. A. Batt) said that the service officers had done excellent work, and it was largely due to their efforts that the membership was increasing. The present, officers were all on the same footing, and it was suggested that with the appointment of a fourth man one of the present officers should be promoted and placed in charge of the service. Mr. Batt said it might bo advisable, to provide their senior man with a two-seator car, so that ho could render a more useful service to tho motorists. The cost involved in a new appointment would bo about £264. The executive approved of the chairman's suggestion, and left the matter in his and Mr. H. \V. Shortt's hands for action. Starting at Home. The annual report of tlie Brooklyn Municipal Electors' Association, to be presented at to-night's -meeting, advocates a revival of tho Health Week campaign. "At one time tho City Council hold a Health Week campaign, but for some reason or other tiiis cleanup week has been forgotten," says the report. "It is felt by your executive that a revival of the campaign is long overdue, and suggest that as a commencement the City Council bo requested to clean up the approach to Brooklyn. Private enterprise lias already considerably improved the route, and the City Council should set a good example and. do likewise to our main gate." The "Endeavour." With reference to the paragraph appearing in "The Post" of yesterday regarding the salvaging of a piece of timber from the wreck of the Endeavour (Cook's ship) in Dusky Sound, Mr. P. J. O'Segan writes to the effect that the wreck in question, although an undoubted historic fact, has nothing whatever to do with the ship of the same name in which Captain Cook made his famous voyage of discovery in 1769-70. "The vessel of the name which was sunk in Dusky Sound was commanded by Captain Bampton, and she was abandoned there in 1795 as anseaworthy. The whole history is given in 'Murihiku,' published twenty years ago by the late Dr. M'Nab, and it is remarkable that an attractive myth should be revived after his masterly and convincing exposition." Picture Posters. A stricter supervision of motion pieturo posters is to bo urged on the Government by the School Committees' Association, as tho result of a resolution passed at last night's meeting of the association. The principal speaker was the mover of the motion, Mr. N. A. Ingram, who said that ono suburban school committee had written to a picture, theatre .manager agking that a little more discretion should be used in regard to the posters placed on hoardings near the school. Automobile associations urged' the physical danger of badly placed hoardings, and those present knew of tho recent action of three doctors in Dunedin. The association delegates should concern themselves with the moral danger to school children, of objectionable picture posters. The Prince of Wales had said that "the hoarding is the working man's art gallery." Art might be found in some of the business posters, but not in many of the picture posters of the last six or twelve months in Wellington. Tho legitimate stage posters had not been so objectionable, nor had he seen any English picture posters to which exception could be taken, but the American picture boosters seemed to think that the more licentious the poster the bigger would be the audiences for the picture. "Eecommended for adult audiences only" might be scon in small type in tho advertisements, but not on the hoardings. His motion in favour of stricter supervision was carried, ono speaker remarking that lie thought some blame was attachable to the parents, many of whom were glad to have their children out of thoir sight at a matinee on Saturday afternoon.

Bishop Makes Comparisons.

"Outsiders are apt to dwell on the fondness of Americans for the 'almighty dollar.' I believe'that tho Americans would confess themselves that they are not indifferent to the pursuit of wealth," says Bishop AVestWatson in the "Church News," referring to his recent tour abroad. "But j what impressed me much more was the noble generosity with which those who had been,successful lavished their wealth on public causes and institutions and on their church work. I have heard it said that rich men in America would not dare to die without giving to public causes. We English must not talk so much of dollars, or work so strenuously to pile them up, but when we have got them we are apt to regard them as our concern or a sacred trust for our families. And meanwhile our universities and schools and institutions languish. I vonturo to think that wo havo a beam to take out of our own eyo before wo offer to extract motes (or c-von beams) from American eyes."