NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1933, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

Clemency and.1 Reason. "You're lifkfe the man who' murdered Ms father tijii mother, and then appealed to the Court for clemency on the ground that he was an orphan," said Mr. Justice Blair in tho Gisborne Supreme Court while hearing an application Sor an adjournment of a civil action., Outs-Ale Work by Teachers. A complaint was received at a meet-! ing iof the Auckland Grammar School Bolitfd on Wednesday from the secretary of; the Auckland Related Printing 'blades Union, that two members of the fitaff of the Auckland Grammar School fnvere doing printing work in competition with members of the trade, states the "New Zealand Herald." Members of the board considered it was not | within their province to interfere with the activities of a school staff outside school hours as long as these activities did not conflict with their normal work in any way. It was considered that i while no objection could be raised to printing for school purposes or as a hobby, there was ground for complaint when a charge was made. It was decided to ask the headmaster to discuss the matter with the members of the staff concerned. Blue Rabbits. In reporting on the condition of his district, the sub-inspector, Mr. T. R. England, stated at the monthly meeting of the East Coast (North Island) Rabbit Board that a number of bhie rabbits had been caught in the "Wairoa portion of. the board's territory recently. Only a few days ago he had killed one on the Pntere Crown land. Tho colour, which, was extremely rare, he was unable to account for. Another feature of the kills lately was the number of dry does that had been taken. This he regarded as a good sign in the extermination of the pest. i Next Empire Congress. An invitation to the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Mie British Empire to hold its next congress threeyears hence in New Zealand has been provisionally accepted, states the "New Zealand Herald." Mr. F. N. Ambler, one of the Auckland Chamber's deleprates to the Empire Congress held in London last month, writes that the present congress should have been held in New Zealand, but, owing to the depression, it had been considered wisest to have it in London. As some solace to. tho New Zealand delegates, they wore given tho place of honour in the front chairs in tlio "now"-council chamber of tho Guildhall, a historic building with associations dating back to 1411. In all, there were 283 delegates, including the six from New Zealand, Messrs.- P. N. Ambler, S. Jacobs; T. MacPherson, A. Rowlands, J. Taylor, and H. Turner. At the close of the congress, Mr. Jacobs repeated the invitation to hold tlie next congress, three years hence, in New Zealand, and this was agreed to, provided conditions were favourable. "We were treated with every courtesy and the utmost friendship by everybody concerned. New Zealand's reputation never standing higher in Great Britain tlmn it does at the present time," concludes the letter. The Deer Question. Some observations on tho "deer question" were made to a "Southland* Times" reporter on Wednesday by Mr. Leslie Murroll, of Miuiapouri. "In the first place," he said, "there is no need to debate whether deer constitute a menace in New Zealand. It has been recognised for some years that the situation has got out of hand. I think tho only course open now is to classify the herds. In class one moose, wapiti, and the really good deer could be placed and areas defined accordingly. Deer in general would go into class two, on which no restrictions as to shooting should be placed. In class three- would come animals for the extermination of which subsidies should be given. Thar and chamois would be included. Those animals can be likened to mountain mice nibbling off every fit of flora. They can go anywhere on their sure feet, no flowers or vegetation being safe from them. If a classification such as this were made the acclimatisation societies would have a .last chauce to prove their sincerity and their ability iv checking deterioration."

Praise for Our Speech. "The enunciation of the average New Zealnnder will compare with that of people in any other part of the Empire," said Professor Maxwell Walker , at the annual meeting of the New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing, • states tho "New Zealand Herald.'.' The/ Dominion had the advantage of a**fco»n/parativcly small population. Incorrect speech was due to inertia and carelessness. "Correct speech is a matter/of national importance," he added.Fishing Season Prospects. A Wangamii angler states,' that work is now in full swing tf.t the Tokaanu hatchery where officers of the Government Fisheries Department are busily engaged in stripping j trout and obtaining spawn, for the, hatching boxes, reports "The Herald." There have been some splendid runs of fish in the Tongariro Riv/er from the lake, and fish are reported to be in excellent condition. T'lie fishing season at Taupo will not e/ien before November, and prospects at present are bright for a good season. Already many overseas anglci/s have arranged bookings at Taupo an/i Tokaanu for the coming season. Cruises by Liners., A letter was received by the Auckland City Covlvkll at its last meeting (states the "jtyew Zealand Herald") from Mr. John. Fuller, of Sydney, stating that the P<. -and O. Company and the Orient Comjahaiy were sending their 20,000-ton li/iors to Lord Howe Island, the New Hebrides, and New Guinea, and suggesting a conference of all parties interested, including the municipality of .Rotorua and the Tourist Department;^ to sec if it would be possible to pci'sutfdc the shipping companies to send tWir largo steamers to Auckland. It was, idecided to suggest to Mr. Fuller that he should communicate with the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist DepaT tment. Extremes in Legislation. '''If a man is killed in a mine lift Oix the AVest Coast then legislation will Vyc brought to affect mines all over New /Zealand just because of that one case," 1 said Mr. D. I. Macdonald, in the Conciliation Council at Christchurch on Thursday, states "The Press." "Again, if one man in an industry oversteps a limit, then laws are brought in to make everyone in that industry strictly toe the line. Should that be the spirit of legislation? Tho whole trouble is that we have gone to extremes in Nctv Zealand more than any other country in the world. We cannot afford to do it." Drainage of Ohinemutu. In asking the Minister of Public "Works, tho Hon. J. Bitchener, to give his support to a proposal to embrace Ohinemutu in the town's sewerage scheme, the Mayor of Eotorua, Mr. T. Jackson, said that it was iv the interests of the health of the community that the sewerage scheme, which included the town and Whakarcwarcwa, should be extended to the Native village of Ohinemutu, states a Eotorua correspondent. Mr. Jackson said it was estimated that tho cost would be about £7000 and the borough was prepared to contribute its share and also undertake the maintenance of the system after it was installed. It was probablq that the Native Department would have to make a contribution of about £4700. The Minister of Native Affairs, when approached on the subject, said that it might be possible to obtain a portion of tho cost from Natives themselves. It was also possible that the Cabinet would be asked for a grant, and "Mr. Jackson requested < Mr. Bitchener to give the proposal his support. The Minister, in reply, said that if the question came before the ' Cabinet it would have his sympathetic ' consideration. All But Baby Taken. Thieves in Auckland are extending their.operations beyond hats, coats, and umbrellas from cloak rooms and other 1 articles which singly may be secreted ' and are- indulging in bolder activities, [ states the "New Zealand Herald." Cases reported this week show tho length-to which thieves are going-. A , resident of Herne Bay, while shopping , in the vicinity of the Three Lamps, had , her child with her in a push chair, in I which she placed her purchases. At- ■ tracted by some goods in a shop win- < dow, and knowing that she would be i absent for not more than a few mo- ' nients, she placed the push chair against ' the window while she entered the shop. ' She was away little more than a minute, ' hut that time was sufficient for a thief. , Everything but the child was abstract- . ed from the push chair and there was no sign of the thief. In another case, a woman was shopping in Newton and i she placed her purchases in a basket ■ which she carried over her arm. Presently she was conscious of the weight becoming lighter, and it was then the ] woman found that every one of the ar- ; tides she had bought had been taken ] from her. Again there was no trace ' of the thief. ! Sixty Years a Borough. The sixtieth anniversary of Westport being proclaimed a borough occurred ] on Sunday last. The occasion passed ] unheralded and unsung, not because it ■ was looked upon as unimportant; but , because it was considered that under ' existing conditions the time was mop- . portune to do it adequate justice. The , "Westport Times" states that it is . the intention to move in the direction i of holding a carnival at Christmas to 1 observe the event fittingly. Westport • was first settled in 186G, the township rapidly growing through the discovery of gold in tho surrounding districts, such as Charleston and Brighton, and later at Mokihiiiui, Waimangaroa, Lyell, Addison's, Rochfort's Terrace. and Reefton.' Westport through its port was really the hub of the northern part of Wcstland. The town and district was governed by the Nelson Provincial Council, and extended as ; far south as Cobden. It was not until , 1873 that the residents realised that they should adopt a municipal admin- ; istration as " raCcrty rules" prevailed : at that time with regard to local control. An agitation was set going, and . two prominent citizens, John Hughes, \ proprietor of the Empire Hotel, and , John Corr, a well-known merchant, took ■ round a petition and had 170 residents ; sign it. It was forwarded to the i authorities, signed by Dr. Giles as the i local warden, and the request was 1 granted, Westport being gazetted a ' municipality. '