NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1924, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

A motor-car “horn” which, while it did not comply with the by-laws requiring that the alarm should be a fixture to the machine, yet was of a decidedly novel nature, was seen at New Plymouth (says an exchange). It consisted of a well-trained dog, which, riding on the running board of the car, barked sharply and loudly as the car approached crossings, and whenever pedestrians appeared on tho road ahead. Although called on to do quite a lot of work, the “horn” never failed its owner once.

Of the total amount of £3339 payable to the various acclimatisation societies on account of opossums taken in their districts, £1315 has been apportioned to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, £176 to the Wanganui Society, £lO3 to the Taranaki Society, £BS to the Nelson Society . and £ ICI to the Westland. To Otago £866 is allocated, £235 to Rotorua, and £124 to Grey.

Consent has been given to the raising of the following local body loans: Alanawatu Drainage Board (for widening and deepening floodgate and doing ail work in oonnetion with drainage), £1800; Petone Borough Council (for repaying loans falling due), £11,400; Patea County Council (for metaling lluketere and Otauto roads), £2900; Mutt County Council (for construction of overhead railway bridge at Pukeniiil, £700; Lower Hutt Borough Council (for borough improvements), £42,000; Lower Hutt Borough Council (for fire-prevention), £31,620; Lower Hutt Borough Council (for Plunket rooms and dental clinic), £2300.

Calming of salmon is, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, n coming industry. During an address in flic Waikato recently, Air Massey said that within twelve months wo would lie sending .shipments of canned salmon from New Zealand, lull this had been kept very quiet. This was not intentional, hut he know that a number of applications for licenses to can lisli had been received. The rivers in the South Island were looming with salmon, and lie understood there was also salmon in the Wanganui river.

What is a. bungalow?' To this question a naive answer was given in the .Supreme Court, Auckland, during the fearing of an action in regard to the sale of a Parnell house. A witness had described the place as a “good, average, jerry-built house.” Mr Justice Herdinan suggested that there were three types of bouses—the good house, art bungalow, and a jerry-built place. Then it was that the term “bungalow” came in for discussion. The witness volunteered the information that “bungalow” was only a fancy name used to induco a purchaser to buy.

The need for education and eontinned study was emphasised in the course of an address by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), who incidentally said it bad been observed that one-third of the prisoners who came before the Prisons Board were of weak intellect. It was most essential, he declared, that men and women should endeavour to be intellectual. “AA’e want io be hotter thinkers than our fathers,” ho added. "That should bo t.!iv ana.” Air Robert Atom: b. chairman of the Prisons Board.

At !i meeting of tlif* Railway Wages Boat'll, Ah Aclaiul (Chairman), stated that Air Henry Ford's book Ittul been quoted already, but tliens was a chapter in it- on railways which was very applicable. Air Ford hud written as follows: “We have a railroad problem and much learned thought and discussion have been devoted to the solution of that problem. Everyone is dissatisfied with the railways. The public is dissatisfied because both the passenger and freight rates are too high. The railroad employees are dissatisfied because they say their wages are too low and their hours too long. The owners id the railways are dissatisfied because it is claimed that ho adequate return is realised upon the money invested. . Then came the avalanche of state and federal regulations until to-day we find the railways hog-tied in a mass of rules and regulations. With the lawyers and financiers on the inside and various state commissions on the outside. the railway manager lias little chance.” Air Acland said he was inclined to think that those remarks might be applicable. The question before them really was whether there was any possibility of solving the. problem placed before them. Undoubtedly the main question was wages and it was for them to consider whether they were able to arrive at a decision on that point at that time.

The residents of the Waikato di.s-Li-fcL have had reason to complain of ihe unsatisfactory train services that have been given by the Railway Department lately (states the Auckland “Herald”). The expresses run fairly well to time, but the mixed trains have been most erratic, and as these trains aie largely used by people having business at Hamilton or at the ■ small towns of the Waikato, a great deal of inconvenience Iras been caused i iho trouble seems to be that the < trains are far too long, and that there ’ are insufficient engines to provide the » hauling power necessary. A train with i empty wagons passed through Hamilton one day lately, while one with < r.:i laden vehicles, including passenger ■ coaches, proved almost too great a load • for the engine, which literally ciawled ' dong at a snail’s pace. Associated vvitir the slow travelling in long mixed j trains is the severe jolting to which the passengers are subjected when tle trains stops and starts. A heavy man

was thrown off his scat by a tram which stopped suddenly at a station nn one of the Waikato lines a few days ago. Additional Treasury regulations have been gazetted and prescribe that “the utmost vigilance must I* exercised » all mtblie officers who are concerned m the sale or disposal of Government property. A reserve price must be fixed where possible, especially in eases of auction sales, and in all cases where croods are offered to the public the sale must l*e advertised, unless otherwise directed by the Treasury. Sales by private treaty will only be permitted if the conditions of sale are in accordance with departmental regulations which have been approved by the Treasury and Audit”; and that “officers of the' Public Service are not, either directly or indirectly, to derive advantage'from dealing in Government stores. Free issues or sales of public stores to officers will not be permitted unless provided for by the Public Service Classification List,.or expressly approved in wri tin S by the permanent head under - J improved by the Treasury and Audit.- , j