DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1927, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) RADIOPHONE FOR LAKE TE ANAU WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. One of the obvious advantages of radio telephony is that it enables communication to Ire carried on between points which cannot easily be connected by wires. A notable case in which ready communication is very desirable but would l>c, if wired telephones were used, prohibtivolv costly, is on the section of the Milford Track between Glade House and Lake To Anati hotel. The Tourist Department has ordered a 200-watt radiophone equipment for use in this section, which is traversed by steamer. It is impossible to lay a telephone line round the almost inaccessible forest-clad shore of the lake, and the absence of means of communication has long been very inconvenient.

VETERAN SCHOOLMASTER. LONG MEMORIES OF FIJI. AUCKLAND, Oct. 4. A picturesque figure in bis .suit of white drill and white sun helmet, Mr Garner Jones, the veteran schoolmaster of the Fijian Islands, stepped inshore from the Tofua at Queen’s wharf to-day, after an absence of 20 years. Mr Jones is a Welshman by birth, but lie came to New Zealand many years ago and was on the original staff of the Napier Street .school. Now, at the end of 36 years’ work as a schoolmaster at Levuka. lie lias come to Auckland to undergo an operation for cataract. Failing eyesight is the veteran’s only physical disability, for be is bale and hearty despite bis

long years under tropic skies. If there could be an “old identity” for the South Sea Islands, it is surely Mr Jones. Tie has known every Governor of Fiji, since Sir John Bate Tblnrston. and many New Zealand notabilities have lived under bis hospitable roof. He retains happy memories of the time when Mr Richard Seddon, the Prime Minister, stayed with him, for “Dick” was one of his greatest friends. Air Jones is very proud of his Island pupils, many of whom have risen to the rank of Chief amongst their people. They did well in the Empire’s time of need, too, for 75 of them went to the front.

The snowy-haired school-master has vivid recollections of the last cannibal feast held in the Islands. This, he says, was in 1897, at Yanganga, on the north coast of Vanua Leva. There was trouble between the tribes, and the native police and the steamship, Clyde, went til) to quell the disturbance. A native member of the force was killed —stabbed to the heart with a fi.sh spear—and the body was duly prepared for the unholy feast. As a matter of fact, all that was eaten were portions of the palms of the bands and the whole affair was more a “gesture of defiance’’ against the authorities than a return to cannibal practices.

CLERGYMAN’S DECLARATION. AUCKLAND, Oct. 4. The Rev. Lionel Fletcher, addressing the Christian Endeavour Convention said that without doubt New Zealand was facing a spiritual crisis. Christian Endeavour was an excellent organisation to look after tile spiritual welfare of the young. There was no question that the power of religion had declined, particularly'among women and girls. For every woman and girl nearly ten men wore converted. The only people holding back the 'onrush of worldliness were the spirit-ually-minded men and women of the past generation. N.Z. SEAMEN AND SOVIET. WELLINGTON. Oct. 5. The Federated Seamen’s Inion of New Zealand has received a cable from the Soviet Transport Unions, inviting the New Zealand body to send a representative to participate in the tenth anniversary of the October revolution in November. The message was discussed at n stopvrork meeting of Ihe members ot the Federated Seamen’s I ninn yesterday, and a resolution was passed thanking the Soviet Transport Workers’ [ ninn for their invitation, but- regretting that the lack of time made it impossible for a representative to be in attendance.

Tt was also resolved : "That we further instruct our Executive to send fraternal greetings, and wish the workers of Russia the best success in their sti uggle to build up a new social order m Russia against the united capitalist forces of the world.’’

A NEW POLICY. Wellington, Oct. 5. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. Mr Noxwortliy) announced to-day that bo bad authorised the departure from the existing policy in the I'o t and Telegraph Department , whereby all construction work in the country districts was done by officers of tho Department. The Minister staled that whenever the opportunity offered I'-ir the construction of new telegraph or tele-phono lines, he would have tenders called for the work and later bare a comparison made with similar classes of work already done by the. Department.

SHIPPING NEWS SERVICE. WELLINGTON, Oct. 5. Cabinet has approved a proposal to do away with tho shipping telegraph news board outside Post Offices and to abandon the public shipping news service. The official reason for the decision is that the services were free and cost the P. and T. Department a considerabl sum annualy. Tt was not clear as to who was deriving the benefit, and it was decided to discontinue the services as from to-day.