LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Planet Venus.

During the past week it was possible in Whangarei for an observer with a telescope to observe the planet Venus in the daytime, or with the naked eye about two hours before sunset. The planet was to be seen 25 to 30 degrees behind the sun.

Thirty Years’ Requirements. The initial water supply system at Okehu was estimated to supply the requirements of Wanganui for about 30 years. At the end of 30 years it was necessary to augment the supply from Kai Iwi Springs. Since the dam was built at Okehu, Wanganui’s population has grown from 4801 to 23,168 in 1936.

Wanganui’s Thirst. According to a report prepared by Mr L. F. Row, City Engineer, Wanganui has an average daily consumption of 1,800,000 gallons of water. The per capita consumption averages 73 gallons a day throughout the year, with a maximum during peak periods of 125 gallons. The average annual consumption is 660,000,000 gallons. Taranaki Produce.

A statement was made recently that if the boxes of butter exported through the port of New Plymouth in a year were stacked in a pile 64 feet square they would reach a height equal to that of Mount Egmont. It was also said that cheese crates ,if similarly stacked, would exceed that height, and that the exports through Patea would probably equal those through New Plymouth.

Railway Deviation Work. The Diesel-engined locomotive which was taken to Wanganui by the m.v. Gale is to be used for the .carriage of spoil from the tunnels which are being drilled at Deniair for the TurakinaForael railway deviation. Three of these locomotives are now being employed at the Turakina tunnel. The spoil from the tunnels is transported to the mouths of the tunnels by electric battery locomotives. Poor Bargain. Buying a motor cycle for about £2 10s, a Taranaki man set out on his round of 28 miles full of hope and confidence in his bargain. All went well until he was chugging up a hill five miles from home, when a terrific explosion rent the air. Looking down, he discovered his engine in pieces, hopelessly beyond repair. Disgusted, he threw the remains into a ditch and walked home. Modern System of Teaching. The modern system of teaching, or the “new freedom,” as one member described it, was criticised at a meeting of the executive of the North Taranaki School Committee Association as making children too forward. It was alleged that education was suffering. Members expressed the opinion that work was being sacrificed too much for sport at primary schools, and that, although the freedom movement was good in some directions, it had many limitations. The pupil’s individuality was brought out, but insufficient learning was inculcated.

Becoming a Habit. H. C. Paul holed his tee shot at the first hole (156 yards) on the Okato Golf Club’s links with a number four iron. This is the first occasion a tee shot has; been holed on the Okato links since the formation of the club five years ago. A hole in one went down to the credit of a member of the Airport Club during the week-end, and several other similar feats have recently been recorded. Although a fair number of golfers can claim to have achieved a hole in one, there are very few who can claim to have done so twice, but a youthful player has two such performances to his credit.

“Fu h rer—D uce.” The use of the postal cancellation mark for slogans appears to have been universally adopted, but in Europe in recent years the practice has been given a new, twist. An interesting example of Italian use of the cancellation stamp is afforded on a letter' received in Palmerston North a few days ago from Rome. Posted in May, at the time of Herr Hitler’s visit to Italy, it bears the prominent lettering, “Fuhrer—Duce,” joined by the dual symbol of a swastika against a background of Roman fasces, surmounted by a star and the date of the occasion, “3-9 Maggio, 1938. XVI,” the latter numerals indicating the sixteenth year of Fascism in Italy. Student Frivolity. Student frivolity at the railway platform at a farewell to Victoria University College teams following the interuniversity tournament had an echo in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when two students were summoned for alleged disorderly behaviour. One had taken part in a scuffle to retrieve a banner from the departing train, and the other had squirted soda water through carriage windows. Counsel contended that the conduct was no more than ordinary frivolity characteristic of such occasions, but the police held that the students should not carry horseplay on to a railway platform. Although Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., agreed with the police view, he dismissed both cases. Auckland Bequests. Bequests that will ultimately prove of a very substantial character have been made in the will of Mr George Bodley to the New Zealand Crippled Children Society and to the Plunket Society. The death of Mr Bodley, who was well known in the Hamilton district, occurred at Mount Eden on June 21, at the age of 85 years. The estate has been valued at about £35,000, and, after making provision for members of his family during their life-times, testator directs the Public Trustee to hold the residue upon trust in perpetuity for payment of three-fifths of the income to the Crippled Children Society, and the remaining two-fifths to the Plunket Society. Eventually the whole income from the estate will be devoted to these objects. An Allegation Denied. A statement that Government nominees in the Legislative Council had given a written pledge that they would support Government legislation, made in the council on Thursday by the Hon C. J. Carrington (Auckland), was denied by the Hon T. F. Doyle (Southland), speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the Council yesterday. “Never was a statement further from the truth than that one,” Mr Doyle said. “There has been no written pledge given by me to the Government, and I do not think there have been any given by any of my colleagues.” For 20 months of the life of the Labour Government, Labour nominees in the Council numbered only 13 or 14 out of 40, and much of its legislation had been passed while that position obtained.