NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 31, 7 February 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tariff Commission "Moves On."

After sitting in Auckland for three weeks, the Customs Tariff Commission has concluded its work here, and to-day left for Wellington. A call will be made at Ohakune 011 the way. Evidence has been taken with regard to all branches of trade and commerce, and many prominent local business men have supplied information. The sittings have been held in private, but a report will probably be issued after the findings and recommendations of the commissioners have been laid before tlie Government. The members of the commission are Mr. G. Craig (Comptroller of Customs), Mr. G. W. Clinkard (Department of Industries and Commerce), and Mr. J. H. Forrester and Mr. T. 11. M. Tanner (Customs Department). Sport at Kaipara Heads. A bright day's sport was enjoyed yesterday by a party of Auckland anglers who travelled by motor to Helensville and journeyed in a motor launch to the sclinapper grounds near Kaipara Heads. Over 200 fish were caught and nothing under a foot in length was retained. At one period in the early afternoon over 40 big schnapper (average weight were caught iu less than 20 minutes. There was also an exciting tussle with a shark, which was galled and captured. This was good fishing even for Aucklanders accustomed to big bags, and it proved a great experience to 0110 of the, party, who had not long arrived from England. A Change in Travel. The vice-regal party, which has been visiting North Auckland, has been able to motor over a large area to various points of interest in consequence of the good roads that are now available. In the old days of the North, bad roads were numerous, and the homely wagonette, or four-horse brake, were the mediums for travel on State occasions. The ancient jehu >vas often a local character, probably a graduate from one of Cobb and Company's coaches, and an adept at handling tlie reins. A Governor visitinir Whangarei on one occasion was entertained at a banquet, and a drive to the Wairua Falls was planned for the following day, the fact that an early start was necessary being duly emphasised to the driver of a four-horse brake overnight. Somewhere about 10 a.m. next day the jeliu and his team put in an appearance at the iiotel where the Governor was staying, to brave the wrath of an extremely angry aide-de-camp. "And if yer 'ad 'alf the 'ead 011 yer what I've got on me this mornin', yer wouldn't have hceii hero till .some time termorro'," said the delinquent, ruefully, when he got a chance to say a word. In the Garden. It was an awful season for snails and slugs, according to those suburban residents who spend their spare time in assisting to rob John Chinaman of a livelihood. After these predatory creatures had done their best to consume the good things so kindly grown for them in the early spring, the -Irish blight'' smote the potatoes, and some other blight made a savage assault on the tomato plants. Now the turnip fiv, the cabbage fly, and other varieties of fly are making a combined onslaught on the vegetables planted for late autumn and winter tfse, the birds are picking the late peas, the late beans refuse to sprout, neighbours are allowing weeds to grow rank alongside the ground carefully cultivated by the industrious, so that a fine crop of slugs may be hatched for next season— and the amateur vegetable grower is beginning to think of "chucking it,'' and allowing" John Chinaman to call again. A Chinese Picnic. The Chinese fruiterers, market gardeners and laundrymen forgot all about their work yesterday, when they went to Brown's Island for their annual picnic. It was one of the most unusual outings ever held in Auckland. The Chinese Masonic Society invited about two hundred guests, comprising Europeans and Maoris, Members of the three races were on the most friehdly terms, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Before embarking 011 the ferry steamer at Auckland, each guest was presented with a coloured buttonhole ribbon, inscribed with the of the Masonic Society, and bearing a welcome in Chinese. On the deck of the steamer everybody danced to the strains of a jazz orchestra, "while below a Chinese orchestra dispensed its native music. There were races for both children and adults, tug-of-war competitions, national and international, and exhibitions of Chinese physical exercises and war liakas. The winners received good prizes. The grand master of the Chinese Masonic Society, Mr. Cook Yuen, and the president, Mr. Chin Iving Lim, welcomed the guests in their native tongue, while Mr. Albert Duk added a welcome in English. On behalf of the Europeans, Messrs. A. Doel and W. Cox replied, thanking the officers and members of the society for their genuine hospitality. Three cheers were given for the society. "The Shortest Dresses on Earth." "Nowhere have I seen shorter skirts than those •worn by the Auckland girls," said an Aucklander recently returned from a world tour. "The flappers of London, Paris, New York, Chicago or Sydney can't teach New Zealand anything about abbreviated dresses. Why, they wear them shorter here than they do in Sydney, and Sydney's hard to beat, as you know. Why is it? * Well, I'll tell you my opinion. This Dominion, of course, is an island, and the inhabitants have all tho conceit which is characteristic of insularity. The girls here live so far from world centres that they are compelled to depend upon pictures in newspapers and magazines, and, in their anxiety to be really up-to-date, they interpret the extreme samples there displayed as being the current mode. It's simply a difference between those who make the fashions and those who try*to copy them, and unconsciously exaggerate the" total effect." Thereby Hangs a Tail. A dog story possessing unusual features is in circulation in Wanganui. The proud owner of a cherished animal went away for a holiday, nnd on his return was informed by a neighbour that the dog had been run over by a car. It was now under the sod in the owner's section, the kindhearted neighbour having given it a suitable interment. He was thanked by the bereaved owner, and the matter dropped. But it was revived again when the dog inspector called 011 his rounds, and insisted on the exhumation of the corpse. From the subsequent examination was evolved the theory that the dog had been shot. Further developments are now said to be pending. Sneak Thieves Rob Yachtsmen. Sneak thieves are very active at St. Mary's Bay, and yachtsmen have suffered annovins losses. On a recent afternoon an 18ft open boat sank at her moorings, and a friend of the owner went to investigate. The floor-boards were floating away, so he collected them and stacked them on the beach While he wis away 011 a second trip to the boat, some person quietly removed the boards. They were of little monetary value excepting to the "owner of the boat, so i"t is probable they have gone to "keep the home fires burning."' Not at Russell. In a special train 306 expert anglers—members of the London Anglers' Association—left Paddington recently for Marlow. For nearly six hours they used their wiles and all their seductive bait in efforts to lure fish from a seven-mile stretch of the Thames. Then all the fishermen gathered for the weighing-in. They found that the Green Cup and a gold medal had been won with the catch of a 7oz perch, and that between tliem all they had caught five fish of a total weight of lib lloz 14 drams! It Was Rough. "I think that is a bit rough on me. While 1 am umpiring, two cricketers ask me to take care of their money, and then when I return to-the pavilion, I find that some skunk lias been to my coat and robbed me of my money."' >aid Mr. C. Webb to a "Taihape Times'' reporter 011 a recent Saturday after the match between Moawhango aiid Taihape.