HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 316, 23 December 1936, Page 3

HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

GLEANINGS OF DOMINION NEWS.

Lyttelton Beaches. For several years now; the popularity of the bay's and beaches round Lyttelton harbour has been increasing and each holiday season and summer week-end sees larger numbers of holidaymakers travelling to the port, bound for favourite beaches, walks, or week-end cottages. This increase in popularity is due largely to the improvement in access to the port, the old steam-train service, with its evils of a smoky tunnel, having given place to a fast and clean electric-train service, while at the port modern passenger launches are always available to convey excursionists to Diamond Harbour, Corsair Bay, or aniyi of the other attractive bays in the harbour.

Gaol Mirth There will be mirth and melody at the Au'ckland prison on Boxing Day, and probably the opportunity of hearing how the favourite ran, as a radio installation is to bo put into operation, an innovation which will probably’ be regarded with high approval by the . compulsory inmates who will, for the first time, officially thus be brought into direct touch with the outside world. A loud speaker is to be installed in ‘the men’s exercise yard and although the choice of programmes has not yet b'een/ determined, it will probably include a selection from all the stations which happen to be on the air. The results of the Auckland Cup and the Railway Handicap will no doubt be eagerly' awaited.

Epidemic Control The view that it was ill-advised for medical men, who were expressing only individual opinions, to throw doubt on the advice of the Health "Department, whose-experts whre trained to give advice on the prevention of the spread of epidemics, was emphasised recently by the president of the Canterbury' branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society (Dr J. L. Will). Dr Will was commenting on the opinion of the medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital (Dr J. W. Craven), that the Health Department, should open as many children’s camps as possible, instead of closing them, as measure for the prevention of the spread of infantile paralysis.

Jews In Scotland. Jews are making a bloodless invasion of Scotland. In the recent examinations of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the 15 names at the top of the list of successful candidates read as follows: Kelly, Botha, Sachs, Badawi, Loeser, Grubin, Stern, Chemus, Wittkower, Misch, Kirschner, Weinstein, Solomon, Kosterlitz and Herz. Whether or not Mr Kelly is an Irishman, the “Daily Mirror” has been unable to discover. ’“A partial ’ explanation, Mr McCormick, secretary of the Scottish National Party at its headquarters in Glasgow, said, “may' be that a large number of foreigners come over to take a diploma slightly easier than the ordinary -medical degrees, and then return, where possible, to 'their own countries.” Mr Lewis Spence, famous Scottish Nationalist, said: “An enormous number of Jews are invading Edinburgh —the present figure is 17,000. A lot, of course, have come here from Germany. They work like slaves. Many apply for professional assistance. In London the secretary of the Scottish Clans Association echoed Mr Spence’s sentiments and put the strange examination list down to the influx from Germany.

Model Farm. The practical farming methods of Mr A. M. Stephens, Lagmhor, Ashburton County', winner of the Ashburton farm competition this yffar, were viewed with considerable interest by about 100 farmers and others interested who made an inspection of the winning farm recently. The unfavourable weather affected the attendance considerably. General farm management, stock, crops, and pastures were the features of Mr Stephens’ farm, which was awarded 232 points of the possible 260, being only two points ahead of Mr James Stewart, of Rakaia, last year’s winner. The competition, which was organised by the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, was i instituted last year at the suggestion of Mr John Montgomery (Christ- i church), who gave the first prize of £lO/10/-. The competition was I limited to farms of less than £lO,OOO ( unimproved value. a

Keeping Costs Down. The effect of the recent legislation was referred to by the chairman (Mr T. Golden) at the last monthly meeting of the Southland Hospital Board.. ‘‘You will have to keep costs down,” remarked the Mayor (Mr John Miller), when the board’s financial report was being considered. "How can we?” asked the chairman. “Wo are trying to keep costs down; but legislation is defeating us. Costs will go up before they come down. Every’ local body must be experiencing the same difficulty. The recent legislation is increasing all our overhead costs.”

War Veteran. To go through the war in the merchant marine without one of his ships suffering damage, and to have seen no ship sunk by "mines or submarines, was the experience of Captain W. D. Coleridge Smith, Commander of the Narkunda, which is coming to New Zealand for a cruise that will take in Auckland and the Bay of Islands. Captain Smith saw one ship hit by a mine in the Downs, but she succeeded in making port. His experience in the war, in the Dongala, Nankin, Novara and Hie Delta, was all the more remarkable because out of the small Somerset village with a population of 250, where his father lived, 50 went on service of one kind and another, and everyone returned safely. Captain Smith was in command of the Baradine when she was sold for breaking up this year, and he was then appointed to the Narkunda.

SWIMKER TO MARRY FAME FORSAKEN Rie Mastenbrcek, the world’s speediest woman swimmer, now only 17, will forsake the water for a husband and a home. . The fair-haired Dutch girl has been making a short swimming tour of England. Yesterday she returned to London, and at a West End hotel spoke to me of her romance. “He is Dutch, too,” she said, “and we are, what you say, very, very fond.” Rie won the TOO metres and 400 metres events at the Olympic Games in August. Twice she broke Olympic records. Olympic judges said that in two or three years she would probably become the greatest woman swiminer the world has ever known. But by then Rio counts on being a model Dutch housewife, with a home, maybe in Rotterdam, and a blond Dutch husband. “I cannot think 1 have a swimming future," she said to me, “because when we are married I shall swim in public no more. “Old fashioned? If you say so. Yetdancing I like, and 1 do not train a lot.” (In eight days Miss Mastenbroek swam in eleven races and was only once defeated). “Swimming is as easy to me as walking is to you. I was three when first I learned to slip through the water. “Perhaps it is sad that I may never take part again in the Olympic battles. But a woman’s duty is to her husband and her home. “When I am married to HIM I will not want world honours —just a home and happiness." Miss Mastenhioek then went off to Lime Grove Ba hs. Hammm-mith. and beat another British recon! by covering 410 \ards in smins 3-jsecs.

KING’S FAVOURITE. AUSTRIAN FOLK SONG. HEARD IN A NIGHT CLUB. King Edward has a favourite song -—and it deals with the rustic love life of Austrian peasants. The Monarch heard the song sung In a night club In Vienna during his recent visit, and demanded three encores, after which he tipped the performer 1000 schillings (about £5O). “That’s my favourite song," he said. The song, in dialect, refers to the lower Austrian village of Langenlois, near Vienna. Copies of the song were displayed in music stall windows and labelled “The King’s Favourite," and were quickly sold out.