LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Cathedral Fund. About 20 members of the Wellington Citizens’ Appeal Committee have promised to give amounts totalling approximately £15,000 toward the funds of the projected Church of England Cathedral to be built in Wellington. Arbor Day Observance. Wednesday, August 3, will be observed as Arbor Day this year, according to the Gazette, which states that in view of the national importance of tree-planting local bodies throughout the Dominion are requested to organise suitable celebrations. Where on account of local climatic conditions in any district August 3 is deemed unsuitable the local bodies affected are invited to observe some other day in the month. Public Works Men and Army.

“I don’t want to say anything about t.iat. It’s a matter for the Prime Minister and the ■ Minister for Defence,” said the Hon R. Semple, Minister for Public Works, when he was asked for his comment on the proposal that Public Works men should be drafted into a standing army. The suggestion was made at a meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week and may oe placed before the defence authorities. A Doctor’s Humour.

At yesterday’s Wellington Rotary Club luncheon, Dr Walter Horton, professor of dogmatic theology at the Oberlin University, United States of America, explained by way of preface to his remarks that his doctorate was for philosophy. In respect to the letters which succeeded names, it was held by some students that M.D. stood for “moderately dull,” D.D. for “dreadfully dull,” and Ph.D. for "phenomenally dull.” So all present might as well know what to expect. Women’s Part.

“Recognition of the part that women play in the rural community is long overdue,” said the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon W. Lee Martin, opening the conferences of the Farmers’ Union and the Women’s Division last night. “How often do we read about the pioneers who braved the hardships of stern days, and how seldom a tribute to the women who did just as much in connection with pioneering—and had to put up with the pioneer as well!” (Laughter.)

Spanish Refugee Children. “Which side of the war are you on?” asked the chairman, Mr Gordon Lee, at yesterday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council, when Councillor G. Moore moved that the council make a grant to the national relief fund for assisting Spanish refugee children. Councillor H. H. Mawley seconded the motion, observing that it was a deserving cause. Other councillors, however, considered that no grant should be- made by the council and that it would be sufficient to place subscription lists in the office. The motion was defeated.

Proposed Municipal Theatre. At the meeting of the Pahiatua Borough Council this week, Cr. Brown moved that permission be obtained from the Loans Board to submit a proposal to the ratepayers for raising a loan of £14,000 to erect a combined Municipal Theatre, Library and Borough Chambers, the borough’s share of the interest and sinking fund to be no more than £4 per week if the loan were raised at 6 per cent, and £5 per week if at 7 per cent. Cr Hodd seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. ■■

Long Ride on Horseback. For the sake 'of adventure, Miss Iris Caulton, Auckland, has just completed a lone ride on horseback to Awanui, in North Auckland, and back —a distance by the route sne took of 480 miles. She rode a 13-year-old thoroughbred horse, Sergeant Brown, which, toward the beginning of last year, brought her to Auckland from Waikanae after her home had been destroyed by fire. That ride was of 400 miles, and next year she hopes to be able to undertake another long journey by the same means, this time to Kaiaua, 65 miles south-east of Auckland on the First of Thames. Young Farmers’ Party.

A party of South Island members of the Young Farmers’ Club arrived at Wellington by the inter-island steamer yesterday, and departed soon after for Palmerston North. The party, which numbers 60, is touring the North Island. Their itinerary includes New Plymouth, Hamilton, Rotorua, Whakatane, Gisborne, Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Dannevirke, and Masterton. Members of the party are drawn from trie South Canterbury and Christchurch clubs, and are paying return calls to the various clubs of the North Island which visited the south earlier this year. Mr L. J. Blackmore is in charge of the party, which will return to Christchurch on Wednesday, July 27. Soldiers’ Pensions.

“In spite of all this talk about pensions,” said the Rt Hon J. G. Coates, in the House of Representatives last evening, “the Government has not restored to the returned soldiers their full rates of pension. They have not given back to the soldier that to which he is entitled.” The Minister of Lands, the Hon F. Langstone: “Who took it away?” “That is beside the point,” Mr Coates replied. “The Government has been in office for nearly three years and it has had three years of prosperity and not of slump. Surely the first man to enjoy a share of that prosperity should be the man who did not hesitate to fight for his country. He has a prior claim, and the ‘digger’ of this country objects to being included in any other pensions category.”

Farmers’ Union and Politics.

Referring to the New Zealand Farmers’ Union’s attitude to politics, the Dominion president, Mr W. W. Mulholland, addressing the annual conference of the union in Wellington yesterday, said that, although he still held the opinion that the union should maintain an attitude entirely apart from party interests, he believed that it would be failing in its duty to farmers and to the country generally,if, having put forward a policy which was almost unanimously supported by the farmers of the Dominion, it did not vigorously champion that policy. “In following this line of action,” he said, “I have of necessity been strongly critical of Government proposals which were not in accord with our policy, and I suppose it was inevitable that the Government should resent such criticism and find it easier to criticise the critics than to meet our examination of their measures.”