NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Duchess at tiie'waeel. There was nothing of a ceremonial nature in connection with che visit of E.H.s. Renown to the E.iv of Islands, and the Royal visitors pleased themselves iu a care-free way. The Duchess of York ursatly enjoyeti cruising in the small launch Jean amongst the beautiful islands of the Bav. although naturally only a few out of the 114 could be visited. Even in a tairly rouuh sea the Duchess was quite at home. The Duchess insisted on taking her turn at che wheel. Oil Friday, when che Jean was returning to the warship, the small white-hulled launch made a pretuv picture, die sharp bows cutting through che waves and sending che spray dying like silver rain, while the Duchess guided che small craft on a straight course for the battle-cruiser. Seagulls in tiie City Parks. Probably owing to che unsettled weather prevailing during the week-end tnere has been a sudden increase in the size of che seagull docks which frequent Auckland's parks and recreation grounds. The Domain, Albert Park, Victoria Park, and even the small lawns of Emily Place are visited regularly by gulls from the Waitemata, but it is seldom that they assemble in such large numbers as was the case yesterday, and aaain this morning. The seagulls in Albert Park appear to have a special fancy for the lawns in the imniediace vicinity of tiie dagstan, and there a dock of nearly a hundred was parading in to-day's bright sunshine. Touring Footballers Eetura. By the Takiti and Harama, which arrive at Auckland to-morrow morning, the two New Zealand football teams, che Maori Rugby tourists and the League combination will return after several months abroad. The Maoris on tour were a happy side, but a discordant note was scruck early in the tour of the League team, and several players went on strike and refused to take the field. It was an unfortunate happening ami will form the subject of an inquiry to be held by che New Zealand Rugby League Council on Wednesday evening. On their return to-morrow the Maoris will be -.riven a civic reception at the Town Hall. Fire Follows Collision'.

The Frankton Motor Transport Company's passenger bu.-j, and the motor lorry, which slipped over the bank on a deviation of the Great South Road on Saturday morning, were both destroyed by tire about midnight on Saturday. The bus had recently been overhauled, and despite the insurance, the owner will probably be a heavy loser. The lorry, which was owned by Mr. McCormack. carrier, of Hamilton, was loaded with some twenty barrels of beer, the majority of which were destroyed in the tiames. The origin of the tire is a mystery. Eotarians Assembling in Auckland. Member:; of sixteen Rotary Clubs in all the principal cities of the Dominion are assembling in Auckland for the tilth annual Rotary conference, which is due to open on Wednesday at the Auckland University. Rotarians from Wellington, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wanganui. New Plymouth, and otiier centres arrived to-day on the Limited express. They were welcomed by the reception and transport committees of the Auckland Rotary Club, arrangements having been made in advance for their accommodation during the conference period. Rescue Trom Drowning Of Milford. The value of the Milford Life Saving Club was strikingly exemplified yesterday afternoon, when a young man. apparently a good swimmer, who was seized with cramp whilst in deep water, was rescued. He was seen to be in difficulties, and the club team promptly went out to his assistance. The man at the end of the line was not long in reaching the unlucky swimmer, who was quickly brought ashore, but it was a long swim, and the rescuer was very tired by the time his task was accomplished. A Showery Week-end. Generally wet weather prevailed at Auckland during the week-end, and the atmosphere was very humid. On Saturday afternoon and evening. and again until daybreak yesterday, rain fell at frequent intervals. The conditions yesterday morning were tine, but in the afternoon the wind changed from the north-east to the west, and the weather became squally. In the evening there was a recurrence of heavy showers. To-day, with a light breeze from the south, the weather was fine and sunny, and there is no immediate likelihood of further rain. The total rainfall for the week-end was .51 inches, a figure which increases the fall for the month to 5.58 inches. The latter figure is 2.55 inches above the February average of 3.03 inches, but is considerably below the record fall of li.fiT inches registered in 1317.

Plate Glass window' Smashed. Damage to the extent of £20 was done by a motor car, which moved off from its position in Lome Street, ajd crossed Welleslev Street to finally crash into the plate glass window of Messrs. Neil and Mackav, chemists, shortly be•fore eight o'clock on Saturday 'evening. The car was unattended at the time. It was the property of Mr. A. M. Smith, Mount Hobson Road. "All the Time San ' r Swathed in a yard and a-half of good Eng- } lish towelling, wound about his neck, and giving a mildly turban effect to a massive head and j shoulders, an official, who went up to the Solomon | Islands a few years ago in the Government service. made a portly figure in the official corridors. His enormous bulk, no less than 22 stone, unfitted him for the ordinary duties connected with his office, and much of his time was absorbed in periodically attending to his toilet, which, to parody Shakespeare, "'all the while ran sweat," under the merciless oppressiveness of the tropical air. His was not the only case of officials who have gone from this temperate clime to suffer the agonies of acclimatisation in equatorial regions. It is a painful process often, but the present case appears to be one with singularly beneficial results, for this bulky official, with such a superabundance of physical manliness, now turns the scale at a comfortable 0 stone, and carries out his onerous duties with zeal and pleasure. "When. Crickets vvere Plentiful. Certain Northampton residents recently refused to pay further rates until the Town Council dealt effectively with a plague of crickets. One dry summer, many years ago. the crickets were very plentiful in the- Kaipara district. A story is related of the private secretary to 2. visiting! Minister of the Crown being horrified, when he woke up one morning, to notice that crickets had done such damage to his nether garments that he could not wear them. The good-natured hotel-keeper lent the secretary a pair of trousers, which, being far too big, had to be gathered in at the waist, and turned up very high at the feet. The local council was not, however, called on to deal with the cricket nuisance. Federation 0? Island States. "A federation of island States under New Zealand would be the best ultimate destiny for j many, if not all the island groups in the western \ part of the Pacific," declared the Plcv. .J. F. j Goldie. who. for 2o years, has been engaged in | mission work in the Solomon Islands. "Many j of us would like to see some link between those j islands and the Dominion commercially." he adds, j "because we have noted that New Zealand is making such a success of its mandate over Western Samoa/' As to the value of the trade, he says rhat there was not £3000 worth of produce exported a year when he first went to th<' Solomons group, hut last year the value of copra alone was over £300,000,