NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"Mayor's Sunday." "Mayor's Sunday," as it is called at Home, was observed in Auckland yesterday, when the Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon), accompanied by the town clerk, a number of members of the City Council, and several heads of Corporation departments, attended a special service in St. James , Presbyterian Church. "Churching the Mayor," as it is called in Scotland, was also observed at Devonport, where the Mayor, Mr. E Aldrid<*e and members of the Borough Council attended morning service in St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. Divine service was also attended by the Mayor of Mount Albert (Mr. Rhodes), and members of the council.

Alterations at Devonport. '1,., ther day the clock on the buildings at Jie Devonport end disappeared, and it was thought by some that Auckland's versatile burglars' activities had taken another turn. But no, the timepiece's disappearance was merely part of the general scheme in connection with the alterations that are to be effected to the approacli to the new wharf, which is gradually being extended farther out into the harbour The ticket office is shortly to find another resting place also, and already it has been' raised from its foundations preparatory to removal. It is probable that the plans for 'the readjustment of the Marine Square will be before the next meeting of the Devonport Borough Council. Colour Effects. Although the average ferry boat traveller has none of the thrills that accompany a journey up-harbour in a thirty-mile-an-hour speed boat, thera are certain amenities that lend attractiveness to the transharbour trip. This morning, for instance, the few fortunates who occupied the forward end of an early ferry from Devonport experienced a mild enchantment as they watched tho curling foam under the bow, and saw beautiful colour effects and rainbow tints in the furtive gleams of sunlight that streamed from the direction of Rangitoto. Tho sight was one that delighted many on board, and rivalled an evening seascape touched by the' fading rays of the sun. ° Rosella on the Ranges. The rosella. a gay-plumaged parrot and native of Australia, has spread amazingly on the Waitakore Ranges, and is now often seen by visitors flitting from one high tree to another. Possibly the rosella misses tlje scented chrome of the wattle of its native land, but evidently a diet on tho berries of the New Zealand native trees agrees with the Australian visitor. Perhaps for the reason that it can hold its own against predatory birds, even the bush hawk and the sparrow hawk, the rosella prospers, although at the expense of. the pigeon and tui. as it means that the food supplies of the New Zealand birds are being further reduced. Canberra Stamps. When tho Commonwealth Government asked for designs for stamps to be issued the day Canberra was opened by the Duke of York, there were competitors from all over the British Empire, including several from New Zealand. The late Mr. J. A. W. Parsons, of Devonport, was one of those whose design was favourably commented upon, although it did not win a prize. By the last mail from Australia, Mrs. Parsons received a letter from the authorities at Canberra enclosing two stamps of tho chosen design defaced with the official stamp the day the capital was opened, and expressing the wish that they would be a treasured memento of an auspicious and historical occasion, and a reminder that Mr. Parsons had competed? in the design test with muCa skill and ability. Where There Is Vision. "Where there is no vision tho people perish" was the text taken by t'ne Rev. W. Lawson Marsh at St. Paul's Church, Devonport, yesterday. The service was attended by tho Mayor of Devonport (Mr. E. Aldridge), councillors, officials and members of the fire brigade. The preacher said that he was glad that there were men of vision at Devonport, as had been proved by the local Borough Council's attitude towards town planning, and their broad view of civic affairs. The Mayor, who wore his chain of office for the first time in public, read the Scripture lesson. Detour Routes. Surprised at the frequency of detour routes met with on a motor journey" through the North Island, a traveller who recently arrived from Brazil remarked to-day that in a journey of 440 miles from Sao Paulo to Ribeirao Breto the trip was notable for the fact that, in 440 miles, there was not a single detour. Part of the road was only two years old when he passed over it, and the terrain was by no means an easy one to deal with. All State road work in Sao Paulo followed the plans prepared in 1921 for a connected system, although detailed surveys of all the projected roads had not been made, and, in some cases, the exact route was not determined until the contractor had started on a section. All the roads were made by contractors, and tho State Administration undertook the maintenance work. Lights of Auckland. It is claimed that one of the most beautiful sights of the world is Rio by night, when the great Brazilian city is viewed from 4he hills behind it. A similar claim can be made for Auckland. Lovely though the panoramic view from Mount Eden is by day, it is even more impressive by night when the surrounding areas are studded with points of light. Electric installation on a general scale during recent years has contributed largely to the colourful effect, and the regular rows of electric street lamps make a striking contrast to the eustered," unevenlydistributed house lights. To old Aucklanders the blaze of light in the city and suburbs gives an impression of the wonderful growth of modern Auckland, and the groups of lights that faintly reflect from the outer districts, in indentations along tho northern shores of the Manukau Harbour and on the Waitakere foothills, are an indication of a greater city to be. Confiscated Native Land. After hearing evidence for several months in various parts of the North Island, the commission set up to investigate and report upon the grievances of Maoris in respect to native lands which were confiscated after the Maori wars has finished its public sittings. The commission is required to submit its report before June 30, and is now about to consider the. voluminous mass of evidence preparatory to framing its report, which will probably come before Parliament in the course of the session. It was, stated in which claims were advanced regarding burial places, fishing reserves, etc., but the chairman observed that inquiry into those matters would be useless, as he could not see what relief could be given; the places could not be restored to the natives. One of the attendant counsel caused some amusement by declaring that one of the sacred places referred to was now a racecourse. The Trooper's Steed. Another effect of the supplanting of the horse by the motor car is seen in a notice appearing in this week's "Gazette," amending a paragraph of the New Zealand military forces regulations. Years ago the majority of the members of the mounted rifles regiments provided their own horses, and provision was made whereby compensation was payable to the owner if the mount suffered injury or was killed in the course of military training. The position has now largely changed, and many members of mounted units are obliged to borrow tneir steeds. It has, therefore, become necessary to provide for the payment of compensation to the owner, who may not be a member of the forces, should his animal suffer through accident in the course of military instruction. The amount of compensation remains the same—not exceeding £25 for the loss of an animal, and not exceeding flO, including veterinary expenses, if a horse is injured.

Chamois on Mount Cook. A group of sixteen chamois were seen at fairly close range by a party at the Hermitage, Cook, on Monday (says the "Lyttelton limes ). The animals were sighted from near the top of the Sealy Range, and upon hearing the climbers they made for the Mueller Glacier. In doing so they gave an exhibition of their fleetness and sureness of foot among rocks which even an experienced mountaineer would have skirted. The animals were within a mile of the party. Several thar were also seen, though they were not as numerous as avalanches, which repeatedly thundered down the sides of Mount Sefton. Raising the Level. A particularly low-lying part of the Great bouth Road between Ellerslie and Penrose has been flooded at intervals for some years past. In the floods of last May it was a daily experience for traffic to the southern suburbs to ford the turgid waters. On one occasion a motorist arrived in mid-stream with a heavy load from a suburban market garden when his motor truck came to a standstill. Not able to restart in nearly a foot of water, he had to abandon the journey. The small boys around, however, found the conditions decidedly attractive from the point of view of boating excursions, and aquatic sports on a novel scale flourished in the winter time in this particular neighbourhood. Because of the traffic problem that was created by the periodic flooding, the One Tree Hill Road Board has decided that the road surface is to be raised sufficiently to prevent trouble of the kind from recurring in the future. Between Jubilee Road and Green Park Road, a distance of half a mile, the Great South Road is to be closed from to-morrow morning for a month or six weeks. A portion of the work will consist of excavations in the form of a cutting and an embankment along the adjoining section of the road. The road will be finished off with a concrete strip 2Gft wide, with bitumen shoulders. While the work is in hand there will be a deviation route around Rockfield Road and Green Park Road.