NORTH OTAGO NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23384, 29 September 1939, Page 11

NORTH OTAGO NOTES

[From Oub Oamabu Correspondent.] BOROUGH COUNCIL The Oatnaru Borough. Council, last evening, passed a resolution of loyalty * with a pledge to do all in its power to help the Government to prosecute the war. A special grant of £5 Gs was made to the Fire Brigade on its jubilee. The tender of the North Otago Engineering Co, of £450 for 330 ft of steel Burning was accepted. Complaints from the Retailers’ Committee and six South Hill shopkeepers concerning the stray dog nuisance were referred to the inspector. A new schedule of charges for taxis and carriers was approved. The Beautifying Society was given permission to build rubble walls in Avon street and Douglas Terrace and to plant trees in Thames Highway, Foyle street, and Exe street. LAWN TENNIS. It was reported, at the annual meeting of the North Otago Lawn Tennis Association last night, that the new grass courts at the Oamaru Gardens would be available towards the end of this season. The following officers of the association wero elected : : —President, Mr J. K. C. Spooner; vice-presidents—Messrs B. B. Walton, K. Familton, and P. Mulligan; secretary, Mr C. Stevens; committee —Messrs S, G. M'Dougall, G. Knowles. J. Familton, N. Glass, A. M'Donald, K. M'Donald, and A. Laurie; ladder secretary, Mr J. Familton; selectors —Messrs A. G. Feathers, C. J. L. Mollison, and J. Hendy; referee, Mr Mollison; auditor, Mr H. J. Robertson;_ delegates to the New Zealand Association. Messrs G. G. Hodgkins and W. P. Walker. BOWLING. A decision to play the handicap and champion singles and club and champion pairs on the two-life two-draw system and the club rinks on a percentage fours basis was made at a meeting of the committee of the Phoenix Bowling Club. PHYSICAL CULTURE, An interesting demonstration of physical culture and gs'mnastics was given by members of the Pathfinders' Club on'Tuesday night. Mr C. Duncan presented trophies won in the recent competitions, at which Mr A. A, Barsdell judged the Sandow sections and Mr H. Day the gymnastic sections. During the evening, items were given by Mosdames W. Kinder, and L. M'Callum, Misses Judkins and W. Pile, and Messrs Pheloung brothers. Tho trophy winners were: —■

Sanclmv section.—-Senior; H. M‘Donnell 1, W. Walsh 2. A. L. Fagg 3. Intermediate; G. Aitcheson 1, F. Robertson 2, B Shepherd 3. Junior: D. Andrew 1. G. Wilson 2, D. Crawford 3. Senior cup: C. Duncan. . Gvmnastic Section.—Senior; H. M'Donnell 1. W. Walsh 2. A. L. Fang 3. Intermediate: R. Bladkgrove 1. G. Aitnheson 2. D. Andrews 3. Junior: R. Gilchrist I, G. Riley 2, t G. Wilson 3. Senior shield; H, M'Donnell. Wilson Brothers’ shield for highest junior aggregate: D. Andrews. Most progress cup, D. Crawford. Barsdell Cup for hardest trier, R. Wilson. WAITAKI FOUNDERS’ DAY.

One of the popular functions of the year at Oamaru. Founders’ Day at the Waitaki Boys’ High School, has been abandoned this year owing to the war. NORTH END HALL COMMITTEE. At a social afternoon, held by the North End Centennial Hall Committee, Mosdarnes C. Hedges, Hughes, and Cayford won the competitions. _ Mrs Nicholson contributed musical items. Mesdnmes A. Keith. V. Doran, Hughes, Cayford, Wilson, and Burridge were the hostesses at an enjoyable dance, for which Miss Appleby and Messrs R. Keith and Gribben played the music, and Mr Doran was M.C. CRICKET.

The following officers were elected at the annual meeting of the North Otago Cricket Association Patron, Mr F. Milner; president. Mr M. S. Holmes; vice-presidents—Messrs G. Todd, L. Tweed, and H. S. Orbell, and Brother M'Carthy; auditor, Mr J. G. M‘Donald; secretary, Mr T. W. Jacobs; delegate, Mr V. Hamilton (Christchurch); trustees, Messrs M. S. Holmes and D. V. G. Smith. SQUASH RACKETS.

In a semi-final of the Oamaru Squash Rackets championship R. G. Mathieson boat L. S. Green, 9-7, 9-5, 5-9, 9-3.

HOT EXCHANGES MR COATES ATTACKS FINANCE MINISTER HAS TIED WHOLE COUNTRY IN KNOT [From Oor Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTOnT September 28. Heated exchanges crossed the floor of the House of Representatives between the Government and Opposition benches last night during a bitter phase of the discussion on the second reading of the Customs Acts Amendment Bill, The first shots were fired by Mr Coates, who said the difficulties facing production, trade, and business in the country to-day were duo to the policy of restriction enforced by Mr Nash, With restriction on imports and re-' strictions on exports the country had been regimented into a 'stage where it almost had to get a license to move. The Minister of Finance was directly responsible. He had ignored for nearly four years every suggestion made by the Opposition. Questions had been side-stepped and half answered, when a frank and open statement of the country’s position could have.settled many problems. Mr Nash was even now trying to tie the country in a worse knot than ever.

Taking the first opportunity of defending his colleague, Mr Fraser described Mr Coates’s speech as a vindictive and unexampled . personal attack on Mr Nash. “ I have not heard anything like it since I came into this House. Wo have been seeking co-operation, but even co-operation is too big a price to pay for the sacrifice of one of our members,” he added, “I am not going to stand by and see one of the Government members singled put for an attack on policy. Every member of the Government is equally responsible. Wo can go on with the co-operation of the other side, but we go on whether we get it or not,' No part of the policy of this Government has been responsible for any handicap in defence.” Firmly siding with Mr Coates, Mr Broadfoot said lie had heard many vindictive speeches made by Labour members when they were in Opposition, and Mr Fraser could not complain on that account. Only that afternoon Mr Nash had refused to give an answer to a question put him by Mr Coates. Mr Fraser interjected that the question had been answered by Mr Nash the previous day. Mr Broadfoot retorted by asking why the Government had • not adjourned Parliament for three weeks so that it could have brought its war legislation down in proper order. Mr Parry: Ho is a good little chap at heart.

Mr Broadfoot: They should adjourn for three years or get out of office when there is a man’s job to be done. He added that 1,000 men had been put' out of work as the result of the petrol regulations, and business had been paralysed. The new war finance proposals were also samples of class taxation.

Events took a new turn when Mr Kyle rose and declared that Mr Coates had been cut off the air when he said that the people were saying that the war was a god-send to the Labour Party, but immediately the Acting Prime Minister began his speech he was on the air.

Mr Frost, who had entered the Chamber at that moment, said he had been listening in, and had heard all of Mr Coates’s words. Mr Fraser: It’s all nonsense. Nobody was cut off the air. Adopting an attack from another angle, Mr Kyle said Mr Nash had taken the responsibility for the Labour Party’s policy, when he told the people of England that the policy operating in New Zealand had been laid down himself many years ago when he was a member of the Burgesses’ Association in his home town.' Mr Nash: That is silly nonsense. Mr Kyle: I have seen it in the newspapers, and I have not heard of it being denied.

Asked by the Speaker to confine his words to the Bill before the House, Mr Kyle retorted that he had heard a number of that had made no reference to the Bill. An explanation was then made by Mr Fraser that Mr Coates’s speech had

been interrupted on the air by a surg* caused by a local fault, but that ha had only been off the air a short time. “ No one is going to play fast and loose with this House,” he added. “It i* on the air for the equal benefit of all members.” Mr Coates interposed that, as the speaker directly concerned, he did not care two pins whether he was on the air or not. 1 “ How did the member for New Plymouth manage to hear you when you were off the air? ” inquired Mr Kyle, to the amusement of many members.