Brits here to stay

A record year for the flow of British migrants to New Zealand is already assured with nearly four months of the current financial year to run. The total number of assisted passages during the whole period is expected to be 10,000. It was mentioned by the Prime Minister on a recent visit to Auckland that the total would be not less than that number for the year ending March 31, 1925, also that the Government was giving special attention of stimulating immigration of men and women with families, agricultural workers and domestics, and that there would be no relaxation of the present policy of the administration. It should be noted that the prospective record total of immigrants this year does not include a relatively large number of new arrivals who came to New Zealand without any assistance from the New Zealand Government. Last year arrivals in New Zealand from the United Kingdom totalled 11,488, excluding returned New Zealanders.

 

A demonstration of an automatic fire alarm was given on Thursday afternoon at the Exhibition buildings in the presence of the Dunedin Fire Brigade, together with representatives of the Otago Fire Underwriters’ Association and several others. The demonstration was carried out by the representatives of the Vigilant Automatic Fire Alarm Co, of Christchurch. A number of thermostats were fitted to the ceiling of the transportation building and connected by wires to an indicator cabinet. The alarm was subjected to a particularly severe test on account of the open and unfinished condition of the building and the exceptionally high ceilings. A small fire was started on the floor about 35 feet below the ceiling, and the thermostat immediately responded and signalled the alarm. Other tests were also made with equally satisfactory results. Reports will now be submitted to the authorities concerned, as the matter of fire protection for the Exhibition is at present under consideration.

 

The English Electric Co is supplying the special cables which it is intended to lay down to enable better means of telephonic communication to be carried on across Cook Strait. When the cable is in use it will be possible to carry on ordinary telephonic communication from one end of New Zealand to the other at any time of the day or night. 

 

It is probably safe to say that the majority of the magistrates in New Zealand would be relieved if the discretionary power that is reposed in them to order the suppression of names of persons charged before them were taken away. It is a power that is differently exercised by different magistrates. There is no settled principle by which the magistrates throughout the dominion are guided. One makes an order for the suppression of a name in a case where another would be adamant against any restriction upon publicity. The mere existence of the discretionary power encourages unjustifiable and even impudent requests for the suppression of names.  — editorial — ODT, 6.12.1924