NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1933, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Michaelmas Day. Tomorrow, September 29, is Michaelmas Day, a festival instituted in tho year 487 in honour of St. Michael and AH Angels. In England .it is ono of tho four quarter-days on which rents aro due, and tho day is tho ouo on which London's Lord Mayor is elected. Many old customs are connected with Michaelmas, that of eating goose being quite an ancient institution. Michaelmas daisies, to bo found in practically every garden, are so named because they flower about tho end of September in tho northern hemisphere, but when grown in New Zealand their name loses its significance. Long Distance Tremors. The seismological instruments at the Dominion Observatory, Kelburn, havo been recording recently a number of long distance tremors, but which, :f any, of these is a record of the Italian earthquake cannot be determined as yet. Apart from these long distance tremors, the instruments have had but little to record of late. Local Body Praised. Occasionally even Ideal bodies get nice things said about them. Such was the pleasant experience of the Hutt Eiver Board at its meeting yesterday, when a grateful ratepayer expressed his feolings in a letter to tho board. "I owe both past and present boards a deep debt of gratitude for the protection work they have given me during the last ten years," he wrote. /'I am thoroughly convinced that if it had not been for the Biver Board I, would have been minus practically 50 acres of first-class land Which, would not only have been a great loss to mo but a big loss of revenue production for the county.-- I am moro than ever/convinced that, had a river board never existed, so would the valley from the board's northern boundary to the sea have existed only as a stock-carrying piece of land.'' The writer proceeds to pay a tributo to tho board's staff. Co-operation Among Employers. In his address at the annual meet-. ing of the Wellington Employers' Association today, the president (Mr. H. Mainland) said that tho organisation being dependent on the support received from employers, had to some extent shared the bad times that had been experienced by individual members, but, notwithstanding the difficulties which existed the work had proceeded and the service rendered had boen incroascd. He urged members to look forward with hope and confidence of better times returning. The speaker also alluded to the happy relationship that existed between tho Wellington Employers' Association and the New Zealand Employers' Federation; Mr. T. 0. Bishop and his staff wore ever ready to assist,tho association, and a splendid spirit of goodwill and co-operation existed. Inspiring Eloquence. After Mrs. Knox ■ Gilmcr, president of tho Wellington Horticultural Society, had welcomed his Excellency the Gover-nor-General, Lord Bledisloe, at^ the opening of the show yesterday, his Excollency remarked that whenever he, sat under Mrs. Knox Gilmer as chairman ho very much wondered why Now Zealand had only just achieved tho distinction of electing a lady to Parliament. It seemed extraordinary to him that the Legislature was not largely composed of the fair sex. Mrs. Knox Gilmer, ho thought, must have inherited her inspiring ,cloqueneo from her father (Mr. Scddon). She always gave him an inspiration, and he could assure his audience that ho wanted a peg upon which to hang his remarks. He was opening no less than three daffodil shows in one week and welcomed an inspiration for Ins remarks. Shipping and Cargo Statistics. The shipping and cargo statistics for tho port last month show an improvement when compared with August of last year. Tho total net tonnage of trading vessels arriving increased by 13,280 lon*, the ligures being 270,865 tons compared with 557,585 tons. There was also an. increase in tho tonnage of cargo handled, the total for the month being 100,226 tons compared with 86,390 tons. The principal increases were in imports from British and foreign ports, whicli were up 4470 tons; bulk oils increased by 2759 tons, and general cargo transhipments increased by 917 tons. Wool showed an increase of 6757 bales, and general cargo exports to British and foreign ports increased from. 5537 tons to 12,261 tons. These increases, it was stated at last night's meeting of the Harbour Board, were mainly in, butter, cheese, and frozen meat. Slip in Boat Harbour. A letter was received by the Boyal Port Nicholson Yacht Club atf its annual meeting last evening from the Harbour Board advising that tho proposal for a slip at the western end of tho Boat Harbour, together with the plan submitted, had been approved gonerally, and tho work would be proceeded with when conditions- were more favourable in the Boat Harbour. Mr. W. Duncan said, that tho board thought there were top many sheds vacant at present to warrant the estimated expenditure of £420 for the slip, but as soon as more shcd3 were in use the work would be put in hand. Tho slip would be able to take any boat lying.in the Boat.Harbour at the present time. His Excellency's Promise. At yesterday's opening of the Wellington flower show, Mrs. Knox Gilmer remarked that she hoped that our legislators when things improved would find time to bring about the long-promised legislation for the protection of the native flora. New Zealand lagged behind other countries in this respect, and she expressed tho further hopo that his Excellency might prevail upon his Ministers to make a niovo in the matter. Later on in the proceedings, his Excellency said that it was not for him to suggest legislation to his Ministers, but ho could assuro Mrs. Knox Gilmer that if such a Bill came befovo him for his signature ho certainly would not refuse to give assent to it. ' -.-.... ;_^

Improved Access. Increasing use is being mado of the new steps giving improved access to Parliament Buildings from Bowen Street, although tho finishing touches have yet to bo added to them. The steps considerably shorten the distance from Lambton Quay to the Bowen Street entrance, and it is somewhat surprising that they wero not provided long ago. Electricity Charges. Speaking at the Power Boards' Conference yesterday afternoon, Mr. W. Hinchey (Southland) aid that the cheaper they could mako electricity tho greater would bo the success of tho industry. Their aim should be to make tho price as low as possible, but that could not be achieved while somo people continued to mako largo profits out of tho-business. They should endeavour to bring about lower prices so that all could benefit from tho industry. Children's Health Camp. "Unless the Children's Health Camp gets further financial support, it is possible that its activities will havo to be largely curtailed," said the chairman (Colonel A. Cowles) at last night's meeting of the executive of the Wellington Eeturned Soldiers' Association. There was still a little money to carry on with, he said, but it was not coming in as the officials wished. Boat Bheds at Evans Bay. The Harbour Board, at its meeting last evening, agreed to the application of Mr. O. Dykes and Mr. D. Butcher for foreshore licences to construct boat sheds and skids on the foreshore in Evans Bay to the seaward of tho City Council's 66ft road reservation, upon tho usual terms and conditions and subject to tho consent of the Marine Department to the plans. Assistance to Returned Men. Eeturned soldiers in Wellington received assistance to the value of £178 from the Beturned Soldiers' Association from August 20 to September 20, according to the report of tho Benoyolent Committee presented at a meeting of the executive of the association last night. The grants to auxiliary' committees amounted to £119. Ex-soldiers of the Imperial and other forces had been assisted to the extent of £23. R.S.A. Subsidy Scheme. It was reported at last night's meeting of the executive-of the Eeturned Soldiers' Association that from August 1 to September 20, 97 returned soldiers had been given work under the work subsidy allocation scheme. From August 1 to August 20, 21 men had obtained employment and had worked a total number of 491 days. The employers had paid £15 17s 3d, and the E.S.A. £12 7s 6d. From August 21 to September 20, work was found for 76 men, the total number of days worked being 163. Tho employers paid £51 3s lOd, and the E.S.A. £40 15s. The secretary (Mr. J. Spence) said that the employers were'being encouraged to pay tho men moro than tho , minimum amount stipulated, and they wero ro sponding well. " . Trees Near Power lanes. Tho position of power boards in regard to the cost of removing trees likoly to damage transmission lines was considered at the Power Boards' Conferenco today.- It was stated, that power boards already had tho right under section 170 of tho Public Works _Act, 1928, to recover, tho cost from 'tho landowners who refused to remove the trees, after receiving notification to do so, but Mr. F. M. Martin, tho association's legal adviser, pointed out that the section applied onJy to trees overhanging the road. Mr. C. E. Smith (Otago) said that the conference should consider the farmers who had planted trees/for the protection of their stock long before the lines were laid. In such cases in Otago his board bore tho cost of removing the trees. A remit was carried seeking) an amendment of section 324 of the Public Works Act, 1928, to enable power boards to recover from landowners the cost of removing trees planted after the construction of the transmission lines.