NEWS OF THE DAY.

Whau Bridge Design. It has been suggested by the Hon. A. J. ■ S.i livv 011.1: v , Minister of Health, that alternative tendeis should be called to determine the com,l at i \ e costs of the hau Bridge, as recommended by the Main Highways Board and the more substantial structure desired by the New -.vim I own Board. The chairman of the Main Highways Board has approved the suggestion, ■.Mid it is proposed to place it before the Town l>oaru immediately. Gramophone Recital at St. Mary's. A giumophone recital of sacred music, which was given in St. Marys Cathedral, Parnell, yesterday afternoon, attracted a large congregation, the iccita was the first of its kind held 111 New Zealand. J.lie records included organ solos, ehoia. number*, and vocal selections by famous singers, one particularly interesting item being a broadcast service from a congregation of 2000 worshippers m St. Mart ins-in- the-Fields Church, Loudon. At the conclusion of the recital the vicar, the Rev. Canon .lames, said the otferin» ot music m the church was of great l.uportanee" and they should always strive to give the best. War Memorial Flood-lighted The flood-lighting of the Thames Peace Memorial Column, which stands on an elevated position at the northern end of the town, was permanently inaugurated on Anzac Day. There are tour flood-iight reflectors with 2T>O-watt lamps in each, while in the lantern at the top is a 100 c.p. lamp. The memorial, which is one of the Imest in the Dominion, is of great height and may be seen from a distance of many miles. When viewed a t nioht from the town it looks ethereally tnin-qmre.it—a wonderful effect that ij nio.-t stiiuing. At the base are inscribed the names of tho-c who sacrificed their lives in the (.real War. Memory of Auckland. Aiu.kl.ind lias been a deep and dear word to my heart. It has meant more to inc, I can sincerely say, than that of any other citv—even i hough t.hisgow has held so manv years of my lite and service," writes Dr. W. M.'Cl'ow. emeritus principal of the I'nited Free Church Colle-e, of t.lasgow, to ;l friend in Auckland. Dr. Clow adds that lie longs to see Auckland again, and to look over it from the summit of Mount Eden. Its growth and steady march to being the real capital ot New Zealand and its loveliness, lie •-ays. formed the delight of manv reflective hours. Father and Son at Football. ••Come on, young feller!" shouted a waggish spectator at the Onelmnga-Thistle Soccer match on Saturday, when ".Jimmy" Uovvet, who is well in the veteran staue, was plaving for the Scotsmen. Nobody enjoyed the joke more Mr - liuwet himself, and it is probably safe to say that he thoroughly enjoyed his 4"> minutes ot .senior football after several jcars' retirement loin the field of play. It was a sportsmanlike action on Mr. Rowet's part to turn out, and lie proved a useful asset to the side. Additional interest was added to the event by reason of the tact that father ami son were in the >a 'j e A. tCi 'l"' Xl ' " owet > .i lln -' being at left half and Jlr. Lowet, sen., at centre forward. Occupations of the Maoris. \i. 1 ' U - census papers filled in by J '° easy. It so happened that tiie f.»_() census was taken on April 20, when potatoes and kumaras were being dug, and the result was that a large number of Maoris returned their occupations as those of potatodigger or kumara-digger. Their occupations at other seasons is not known. Other replies were requently couched in a kind of phonetic Maorihnglish. Ihus "taraiwa motuka" is nothing more than 'motor car driver," while maaka is "billiard-marker," "poaka whaaina" is pig-tarnicr," and "kirimi kaata" is "creamcarter. Again, while a European would have entered the occupation of an infant or child bv mcrely denoting "infant" or "child." the more Pi ecise or scrupulous Maori often returned such entries as "I te moe" (sleeps), or "te kura" (school). Tourist Attractions. New Zealand possesses four outstanding tourist attractions, according to Colonel W. S. Juppet. of San l'rancisco, who had been invited by the New Zealand Government and the Union Steamship Company to visit the Dominion preparatory to conducting a lecture tour of the United States to advertise the country's scenic attracions. In the South Island are great forests of a type found nowhere else in the world," he said. "What the imagination pictures as green, luxuriant, tropical forest is found in temperate New Zealand. I have travelled in ten or a dozen strictly tropical lands, so I know. Then there are the South Island's wondrous glaciers, rising right out of the forests. They present sights which one expects to be found only in the Arctic regions. Tn the North Island are great thermal regions of unique and amazing variety, and the fourth outstanding attraction is the "marvellous glow-worm caves. There are great caves in the United States, Cuba, and elsewhere, but nowhere else can one find caves painted overhead with ft million stars." Juvenile Employment Problem. When the Hon. H. Atmore, Minister of Education, was in Auckland a few weeks ago, he was waited upon by representatives of the Educational Society, the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Head Teachers' Association, various aspects of the problem of placing young people leaving school being put before him. Amongst other aspects that were stressed by the principal speaker was the danger in the case of apprentices' conferences of the interests of the young people themselves being lost sight of in the atmosphere of bargaining between employers and employees generally. The suggestion was made that at the apprentices' conference the interests of the young people themselves might be safeguarded by the presence of someone representing social organisations or the teaching profession. An apprentices' conference is being called in Wellington on May 7, and it is expected to last, approximately two days. While it is understood that the extra representatives of the lads themselves are not being appointed yet, from a circular which has been issued by the Department of Labour it appears clear that "special consideration is to be given to the interests of the youn" people. & Disappearing Game Birds. The latest booklet of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society contains a striking letter from Mr. W. J. Belcher, now of Suva, who recalls old days in the Dominion. Mr. Belcher remarks: "The Wairarapa Lake was in those a paradise for water fowl, but I well remember the disgraceful slaughter of the black swan. Frequent terrific gales of wind swept across the lake, and the swans In vast flocks left the rough water and walked across the fields. Owing to the force of the wind, the helpIras, heavy birds could not rise. To their everlasting shame, the settlers went amongst the great flocks armed with heavy clubs, and the poor innocents were simply struck on the heads and slaughtered in thousands. The feathers were shorn off with the old-time sheep shears, stuffed into sacks and sold for bedding, pillows, etc. The great piles of carcases were fed to the pigs. Conditions seem bad to-day, as regards the slaughter of the native wild duck. It, is saddening to see the so-called 'sportsmen' photographed for the illustrated papers, with their heavy bags of duck, swan and pukeko. A competition appears to exist during the first week of the shooting season, as to who can be photographed with the greatest number of slain birds. Now that there is nothing much else to shoot, in New Zealand, so far as game birds are concerned, the advertising of large bags will only assist the inevitable result—the lessening •»r perhaps disappearance of water fowl alto : gether."