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Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 225, 22 September 1924, Page 4

Over seventeen hours of bright, sunshine were experienced at Auckland during the week-end, yesterday's total being nine hours thirty-five minutes. On Saturday a cold breeze blew fromthe south-west while the sky was cloudy with rain threatening. As the day went on the conditions improved and the wind dropped, the barometer meanwhile remaining steady. When the observations were taken at the Government Observatory, Albert Park, yes terday, the barometer showed a risin? tendency, the mercury standing at 30.209 inches. Since then the level has been rising steadily, the reading at noon to-day being 30.5 inches. The rainfall for the present month to date stands at 3.58 inches.

The odd numbers had ft very successful sequence at the Avondale races on Saturday. Race after race horses carrying an odd number were first and second. When the field were saddled up for tho last race only one competitor carrying an even number had returned a dividend, the exception being Landbird in the Hurdles. Those patrons whose gambling is influenced by such happenings commented on this, and while many stuck to the odd numbers others took the even in the last chance of the law of average proving true. And it did, for both first and second horses carried an even number, six and two respectively.

| In the minds of many persons the Government is fair game for exploitation. Certainly this must be the case in regard to tho Postal Department, i judging by the pains some people take to beat that branch of the service even for a postage stamp. For the convenience of the public penny "slotmachines are placed at convenient places, principally in most post offices and on railway stations. That an abuse of this convenience is made is shown by the fact that in one machine in a city and no less than thirty-two metal discs, imitation of the penny, were recently pressed into requisition. That this victimisation of the Department was the work of one persons is evident _rom the fact that the source from which the metal came has been traced, and a fair idea of the offender is even held. But for the lack of substantial confirmation he would probably be brought to book. Instances have often been given of the champion mean man, but the palm can certainly be given to the individual who goes to such pains and trouble to defraud the Government of a penny stamp or the price of a telephone ring.

The flying of kites in the vicinity of electrical transmission lines has been causing considerable trouble and expense to the electrical branch of the Public Works Department during the past few weeks, says the "Lyttelton Times," and, as there is a great deal of danger to children whose kites become entangled i,n live wires, the Department has found it necessary to issue a warning to parents and guardians with the object of checking the practice. When children get a kite caught in the wires there is a tondency to pull the string attached to it in the hope of pulling it free. In doing this they swing the wires together, with the result that they would instantly fuse and break, the ends falling to the ground, to the danger of the children and others. During wet weather, children tugging at a string atare liable to get a severe electric shock, taehed to a kite caught on live wire. Another very dangerous practice is for schoolboys to kick footballs under electric wires. A football may swing the wires together, and cause a fuse, thus bringing the wires down. This actually happened once at Heathcote, and resulted in a great deal of inconvenience to consumers in tho district and ex> pense to the Department.

A Masterton lady who is visiting America forwarded the following clipping to comfort those who complain about pests in New Zealand:—Burlington. la., August 5: The Mormon fly, one of the most dreaded pests which annually visits the lower Mississippi cities of lowa nnd Illinois, this year is present in even larger numbers. Local citizens and those of Muscatine, Fort Madison, and Keokuk, and small cities, are using every known device to rid the locality of the pest. A few days ago city employees hauled away 27 wagon-loads of dead insects, which, after a night's festivity round the arc lights, dropped dead on the street below. All shops and street lights, wherever possible, are being covered with red paper or cloth, as red seems to be abnoxious to the pest. Large fires also nre being used to attract the fly. and in which they are burned. The fly is from li to 2J inches long.

It is to his dog that Mr. J. Gibbs attributes the fact that ho was not burned to death while sleeping alone in a small five-roomed cottage at Kolciri (writes a Greymouth correspondent). After retiring to bed between 10 o'clock and 10.30, Mr. Gibbs was aroused about midnight by the dog's whining and frantic pawing. He found the • bedroom enveloped in flames and barely had time to throw a few clothes out of the window and make his exit when the bed itself caught alight. There was no insurance on the place, and some money in notes was burned, but in spite of his heavy property losses, Mr. Gibbs considers himself fortunate that, thanks to his faithful companion, he escaped with his life.

• The registrar of the Otago University has received notification from the Inveicargill Savings Bank that the bank has decided to present the nuiii of £1000 to the university for the purpose of providing an annual scholarship with a currency of four years for boys from the Southland Boys' High School. The bank hopes later to endow a similar scholarship for pupils of the Southland Girls', High School. It is expected that the donation will carry a Government subsidy, which the bank wishes to be used for the same purpose.

The folly of tampering with electric light wires was illustrated when a window dresser in one of the large drapery establishments in Palmerston JNorth, Mr. R. Dredge, received a rather sudden jar to his nerves. He had been arranging the wire to suit the position of the materials he was arranging, and instead of tying the cord up, he pierced the insulation with several pins, thereby causing a short circuit to the steel fittings. The shock so upset Mr. Dredge that he lost consciousness for some little time, though beyond a sli _it burn he was not injured." The current which passes through the wires is 230 volts, which is capable of shaking a man severely if he is not expecting the connection.

The Rev. R. Horn, who is leaving Richmond Baptist Church to take up work at the Bay of Plenty as the auxiliary agent, with headquarters at Tauranga, was farewelled this week at a large gathering of the congregation. The Rev. Adam Clarke presided. Various speakers testified to the faithful work done by Mr. Horn. The Auxiliary Committee presented Mr. Horn with a money wallet, the V.M.B.C. gave him an illuminated address, and the church a purse of sovereigns. Mrs. Horn was presented by the ladies of the church with an afternoon teaset.

Some curiosity was aroused at the Savage Club's korero at New Plymouth by the use by the Chief Savage of the club of the Maori word ' _amahine," in referring to the Hon. Lucy Jellicoe. The word is not often heard, and less understood, by the pakeha, 6ays the "Wanganui Chronicle." There are terms applied by the Maori to females of their race. The kotiro is the child, the tamahine is the girl emerging into womanhood, and the wahine is the married woman.

An exceptionally clear atmosphere and cloudless sky last Friday evening was favourable for a fine view of the planet Mars. A number of people attended the Kelburn observatory recently erected by the Wellington City Council to house the corporation's lately purchased 9-inch telescope. Dr. Adams, Government astronomer, was in attendance. The planet's disk was exceptionally clear, and the snow-cap on the southern pole was revealed most distinctly. A dark marking on the planet took the form of a continent similar in shape to South Africa, tapering to a point, but spreading out widely across the equator.

A new word has been added to the language by Mr. H. Macintosh, chief traffic and motor inspector of Christchurch, who, in a recent report to the City Council, refers to a number of "omnibi" which have been registered. Mr. Macintosh (remarks an exchange) has evidently arrived at the new plural of omnibus by the example of such words as " terminus" and "termini," but, although "omnibi" may have something to recommend it, most people will prefer the recognised plural "omnibuses."

St. George's (Anglican) Church, which has stood by the sea in -forser Bay, Wellington, for over, a decade past, has been bodily removed to a new site in Church Street. Seatoun, presumably on the grounds that if the people will not go to the church, the church will go to the people. The building, which is surmounted by a small bell-tower, was trundled along the Worser Bay Road on a. large low truck. It is now on the new site, adjacent to the new brick vicarage, which is in process of erection.

The notifications of diphtheria declined still further last week, the total being eleven, as compared with fifteen in the previous weekly period. Five cases were reported from the city, five from the country, and one from the suburbs.

There was quite an influx of unskilled labourers into Te Awamutu during the past week. It was stated by several that they had been attracted to Arapuni in tho hope of getting work, but on arrival there thsy were informed that the contractors will not be ready for a. few weeks to put on men for the construction work.

The Cromwell "Argus" reports that Mr. and Mrs. W. Partridge, of Cromwell, lost their infant child, six months old, under distressing conditions. The infant had been placed asleep in a cot, and when the mother returned to look at the child a little later, found a cat coiled up on the child's face and the child quite ■dead, having been suffocated.