NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 42, 19 February 1931, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Maoris and Levy. Reporting to tho Unemployment Board concerning his recent visit to Ohinemutu in connection • with the board's schemes, Mr. G. Finn, a member of the board, stated that the Maoris in that district were voluntarily paying the levy- They were not at all likely, said Mr. Finn, to be obliged to seek assistance from tho board, but desired to assist their pakeha friends in. their industrial troubles. Paradise Duck for Kapiti. Twelvo paradise duck have, at the request of the 'Wellington Acclimatisation Society, been procured and forwarded by the Southland Acclimatisation Society for the bird sanctuary at Kapiti, where they Have been placed. The curator (Mr. Wilkinson) states that the birds arrived safely. Willow Trees and Old Age. "Many of them have served their purpose," said Mr. J. Young, Curator of tho Christchurch Botanical Gardens, referring to wUlow trees, in and about the city, which have died recently (reports the "Christchurch Times"). He stated that some of them had been planted as long as seventy years ago, and thus had attained a good age, while a few had died as the result of the recent dry spoil. A few trees were replaced last year, and several others will be replaced this year. It had been stated "that a fungus growth had appeared with ill results on some of the trees, but Mr. Young did not think tho growth was responsible for the death of the trees. Would Benefit Dominion. A big benefit would accrue to the Dominion from the development of air services, remarked Captain C. J. Jones, formerly deputy-director of Civil Aviation, in Australia, when addressing members of the Wellington Aero Club last night. "It seems to be a pity that some assistance has not been given by the Government for the operation of these services," he said. "In Australia they would have waited for a very long time if they had had to wait until the services could operate without a subsidy." He traced the development of aviation in Australia, where the first services had been established ten years ago. Aviation had progressed so that tho Commonwealth was now almost | completely girdled with regular air services, carrying mails and passengers, in addition to having inland airlines. Pilot i instruction had also gone ahead apace, and there were now 403 private pilots and 205 commercial pilots in Australia. Ambulance Work Appreciated. At a meeting of the Wellington Free Ambulance to-day, Superintendent Roffo said that immediately on receiving news of the earthquake disaster in Ilawkcs Bay two ambulance cars and four men were dispatched. He was fortunate in being placed in charge of the ambulance work. The chairman (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood) remarked that it was satisfactory to feel that the Wellington Free Ambulance had, like other ambulance services, been able to rondor assistance. Tho Director-Gen-eral of Health (Dr. ;M. H. Watt) had tendered his thanks to the Wellington Free Ambulance for its valuable help. His Client's Ring. A Napier resident, who is a member of the staff of one of tho banks, was getting a diamond ring which the bank was holding for a client when the earthquake occurred. ,He had just taken the jewel from its place when tho earthquake came, and rushed into the street, putting the ring in his -pocket. Ho was unable to find the client, and later he was brought to Wanganui by his brother. He thought that tho safest place for the ) ring was on a finger, so he wore it.' Yesterday after : noon he lay on a lawn enjoying the sunshine and went to sleep. When he awoke the ring was gone. His agitation can. best bo imagined, as the diamond was worth some £200. Search as he would, ho could fln t d no trace of it. Later tho other members of the household, who had been into the city, returned, and while changing a little girl's clothing tho precious ring fell out. That it v/us not lost during the trip into the city is a puzzle to the bank worker^ but no doubt he lias experienced so'many remarkable happenings since the earthquake that ho probably regards it as just a little bit more luck for him,.

Not Grateful. A document found hi the possession of a man arrested for alleged theft was read by Doteetivo-Scrgoant Kelly in the Polico Court at Auckland on Tuesday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). It was a petition signed by 126 men at tho Auckland City Mission's shelters protesting against the conditions at the "doss-house." Mr.'Kelly said the petition, showed that the splendid work done by the Rev. Jasper Calder and the citizens of Auckland to assist the needy was not appreciated' by the 126 men who had affixed their signatures. May Have to Merge. "We are a very small society now," remarked Mr. H. J. Duigan, president of tho Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, at a recent meeting of the council. He pointed out that a close season for opossums and tho small monetary value of the skins would result in a falling off in licence fees (says the "Wanganui Chronicle"). The finances of the society were seriously affected by the Government taking over the Taupo fishing rights. It was probable that Wanganui would have to consider a proposal to merge with another society. "Big fish" had been eating into the district from the outside. Somewhat Exaggerated. New light was thrown yesterday on the Sponge Bay upheaval, near Gisborne, where the foreshore has been raised eight or ten feet (states a Press Association message). The spot is a rather lonely one, seldom visited, excepf by picnickers." For some years, however, Mr. S. W. S. Strong, geologist to the Taranaki Oilfields, has made periodical visits there. He stated yesterday that he looked upon the small geysers or springs as a safety valve, and considered that similar ones_ in Poverty Bay may have beneficially affected Gisborne during the big earthquake on 3rd February. Regarding tree stumps being heaved up from the depths of the ocean bed through the upheaval, Mr. Strong said that that could not be correct, for he had seen tree stumps in the same place on the day previous to the- earthquake, and four months ago had taken photographs of them and written a paper on the subject. The trees had probably been there for hundreds of years, and probably grew on land on the coast, which gradually eroded and fell into the sea. The recent earthquake may have pushed them up yet further, but even on that point he was not satisfied. The only great change Mr. Strong could see as the result of the upheaval was the appearance of a new boulder bank near the shore. The Trout and the Eels. The Huatoki River, which tuns through New Plymouth, was renowned among the Maoris for centuries for the large number of eels which waxed fat and large in its waters. Now that the water is running at summer level, eels may be seen, in abundance. On a recent afternoon a dozen or more eels congregated around a piece of bacon that had been thrown into the stream. They ranged in size from modest halfpounders to big plump specimens a dozen pounds in weight. While the eels were tugging and biting the bacon a 21b trout appeared on the scene. Despite tho fact that; the eels did not attempt to fight each other, a couple of the larger ones attacked the trout. One seized the trout, lifted itself and its victim out of the water, and shook it as a terrier shakes a rat. When the trout eventually escaped, its side was torn, and it floated away on the current, probably to die and be devoured by the eels. First Steam Bus; ■ N The first steam omnibus, built to the order of the- Auckland Transport Board, was given a trial run on Tuesday (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). The trip was,most successful and the passengers • expressed surpriso at the remarkable performance given by the bus, which consists of an old typo of chassis fitted with a Doble steam engine. The striking feature of the vehicle is the absence of clutch and gear transmission, so familiar on the common motor-bus, the vehicle moving off rapidly from a standstill with steadily increasing velocity. The absence of gears makes for unusually smooth-travelling, particularly on hills, where gear-changing in. the familiar motor-bus produces a jerky movement. With a load of 30 passengers, the steam bus commenced climbing Parnell Rise, which has a grade of 1 in 8, at 20 miles an hour and retained that speed all the way to tho top. It sped along the road to Point Chevalier at 50 miles an hour, reckless of speed _ limits, and moved off from a standstill on a steep slope silently and smoothly. The driver said that management of the bus was mere child's play. There being no gears or clutch, all that was necessary to do was to take off the brake and turn a wheel that opened the throttle. Tiie bus need not stop to replenish its water tank, as the steam, after use in tho cylinders, is condensed arrd tised again. The engine runs on crude oil, which costs 8d a gallon,, one gallon being sufficient to run at least five miles. Electric Tramways Doomed. The view that electric tramway systems are now practically doomed as a means of, transport in Great Britain was expressed by Mr. L. V. Moses, architect, of Auckland, who returned by the Maunganui after an extended tour abroad, states tho "New .Zealand Herald."- The Transport Commission, in judging that rail traction should be banned from British streets, had only followed" public opinion which had long condemned this method of transport as cumbersome, inelastic, and inefficient, Mr. Moses said. Motor-buses were rapidly taking the place of trams all over England, not only in thickly populated areas, but- also in to-Vns where tho population was scattered, as in Auckland. . Not Infallible. That Magistrates' notes of cases were not infallible was pointed out by Mr. Justice Herdman in the Auckland Supreme Court during tho hearing of a claim for damages arising from a mo-tor-car collision (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). In cross-examination counsel referred to the discrepancies between some of witnesses' statements and their evidence given in another Court. The difference was revealed both in counsel's own notes and in those of the Magistrate. "You know how many mistakes are made in Magistrates' notes," said Ms Honour. "Counsel in taking notes also make mistakes." : Large Climbing Party. What is considered to be the largest party to have made a successful ascent of Mount Egm'ont was one of 42 members of the Taranaki Alpine Club, which climbed to the summit on Sunday, under the leadership of Guide R. W. Larsen, from the North Egnvont Hostel, states a New Plymouth, correspondent. Conditions were good for climbing, but owing to the largo number making tho trip, it was necessary to go at a steady pace. Although some of the members showed signs of the strenuous climb, none found it impossible to complete the trip. After tho party arrived above Humphries Castle, thick mist obscured the mountain, and the climbers did not obtain the view they had expected. After lunch on the summit the party commenced the descent. Good time was made and glissading was indulged in for a 'considerable distance.