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Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 244, 15 October 1925, Page 6

The weather of Auckland is not likely to remain among the sunny recollections of Australian Davis Cup players. When the cup final was played in Auckland in 1020, about Christmas time, the first day's play had to be postponed on account of rain, which was followed by brightness and sultry heat. On that occasion the Cup was lost to Australia, and the leading players from across the Tasman have been making pilgrimages to America in quest of it. Thrive or four times they have passed through Auckland after the Cup games, and have played exhibition matches. And on each occasion they have had wet-court conditions. Of course, in the early spring one expects a deal of rain, but we do have quite a number of fine, bright days when tennis is a joy.

After completion of the discharge of her cargo of copra from Cook Islands, the Union Company's steamer Flora ia to go to an anchorage in the stream to up for an indefinite period. The Flora, which arrived at Auckland from Wellington this morning, has been engaged in the fruit trade from the Eastern Pacific Islands for a number of years. Dealing in motor cars is not always a profitable occupation. A dealer was sued at the Magistrate's Court to-day for the return of £20 deposit paid by a young man on a car sold him for £ 100 cm terms, the ground of the claim being that the young man was under 21 years of a»e. The dealer protested that he had specifically asked the young man a question on the point, and had been told that he was over 21 years of age, With the result that when the young mans father tried to call the deal off and get the £20 back, lie refused to agree to it. Later the far had been towed back to the garage it had been kept in for defendant, requiring £-5 work in repairs to put it in running order, and otherwise depreciated about £40 by neglect. Now the young man's father sued for the return of the deposit. "Judgment given for the plaintiff for £20 and costs,"' decided Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., adding that a man who dealt with an "infant" took the risk, as it was his duty to find out definitely that the other party was of legal age. Xo place in Auckland can develop a traffic block so quickly as Broadway. During a rush hour yesterday sixty or seventy cars lined up from this Newmarket bottle-neck in less than five minutes; and one explanation of the hold-up was the unnecessary delay of a. tram car. According to the by-law motorists are required to wait until passengers have alighted or got aboard a stationary tram; but, 'if the tram does not start again for some minutes, motorists are not expected to wait all that time. Most drivers are aware of this, but a motorist who think 3he is courting prosecution by passing a stationary tram under any circumstances may easily be the cause of a traffic congestion. The system adopted hy the traffic inspector at Takapuna in timetaking in speeding cases was strongly criticised by several members at last night's meeting of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association. One member said that motorists were not getting a fair "spin" in speed cases. He and another man had watched the inspector going about his work. His system was to watch cars through a pair of field glasses, start his stopwatch when the car was 440 yards distant, and stop his watcli when the car paesed him. Mr. J. li. King said that lie heard of a case the other day where a motorist was proceeding along when the inspector darted out from behind a hedge. He emerged so suddenly that the motorist had to swerve so abruptly that he nearly collided with a horse and trap. "Hβ should have run over the inspector," said another member. After further discussion, it was decided to protest to the Takapuna Borough Council against the inspector's methods, and to ask for an improvement. It is not often that practical clothing experts are found willing to devote thuir spare time to the cause of technical education in their own particular line. At Stanley Bay School every Monday night, however, Mr. Nathan Roibinson, who by day transforms mere material into wearables, instructs a flourishing class in the secrets of garment manufacture. By .blackboard design and careful measurement, Mr. Robinson and his assistants sectionise the garment under review and the class are instructed in the art of pattern drawing and cutting. The work is done on a doll model and the mysterious processes of basting, felling, and cross-stitching are all fully demonstrated and explained. The class, which is Mr. Robinson's own voluntary idea, is run under the auspices of the local school committee and has a roll number of about seventy girls of school age. It is quite an interesting sight to see these girls absorb so important a feature of domestic science outside the school course and under such practical tuition, which cannot but bo helpful to the after sequence of ordinary feminine existence. Mr. Robinson is also inaugurating a series of model yacht trials for the boys of the district. Cruelty to dumb animals meets its just reward, and a good 6tory how four women meted out punishment to a country yokel for ill-treating his horse was related ; by an Australian lady who attended the annual meeting of the South Canterbury branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, held in Timaru recentl3 r . Complaints were herd of the youth having thrashed his horse across the head, and the women decided to administer punishment, so, attired as men, and armod with whipe, they accosted the youth and challenged him with the ofl'ence. He pleaded for mercy, as most cowards did, but the plea fell on empty ears, and the youth was saddled with a heavy log, which he was made to pull up a hill. Every time he halted he was whipped, and at the end of the journey he vowed he would in future respect all animals.

Thousands of acres of mud flats bePools and Rye, England, are being turned into meadows by the spread of what is called cord grass. This plant began to invade the shores of the Solent in 1805, and has now reclaimed thousands of acrca on the sea coast round Southampton. By binding the mud together, this grass has converted useless mud flats into good pasturaae for cattle. The Dutch have been petting seed, of corn grass to help in the reclamation of the Zuvder Zee. The Newmarket Borough Council are desirous of obtaining the services of two police constables for point duty in Broadway. Some ago a request to that effect was forwarded to the superintendent of police. At last evening's meeting of the council the superintendent advised that the seamen's strike and the necessity of having every available man on wharf duty prevented the immediate manning of the points. The superintendent, however, promised that, following a settlement in the strike, efforts would be made to station constables at the points mentioned. Heavy carting of scoria boulders for road-making purposes is making havoc with the roadway in Ladies' Mile, Renniera, between Abbott's Way and Peach Parade. Big holes are worn in the thoroughfare, with the result that travelling on that section in a motor car is quite an interesting experience, and should be a good remedy for a sluggish liver. Drivers tack from side to side to try to dodge the holes, but nevertheless there are plenty of bumps met with.