NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 150, 28 June 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mount Albert Rates.

The rates to ho levied liy the Mount Albert Borough Council- for this year will provide £2500 additional revenue compared with last year, the amount being 2*d in the £, as against 2 3-lod. The Increase is equal to 1/8 increase per £100 valuation. Next year's rates will be levied on the unimproved value of property, in the Mount Albert Borough. Wagon Derailed. A wagon of a goods train travelling from Maungaturoto to Auckland was derailed at Topuni, nine miles south of Maungaturoto, at about seven o'clock last evening. The northbound train to Whangarei was the only other train affected. The service was restored with a minimum of delay, and only slight inconvenience resulted.

"Hello, Garden City!" On the occasion of his visit to Auckland last week the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department (Mr. G. McNamara) indicated that Auckland telephone users would probably be able to converse with people in Chriatchurch on Monday. This, however, has not been accomplished. The work of testing the line, according to local telephonic experts, i§ of a very delicate nature, as also is the making of minor adjustments. It is in arranging these matters that the delay has occurred.

Pioneer Missionaries. In his charge to the Waikato Diocesan Synod last night, Bishop Cherrington said that he had applications nearly every week from priests who wished to come from England to New Zealand. It was a drawback that the applicants were married. What was wanted was five or six strenuous priests, without home ties to hinder them, who would go out and do pioneer work of a missionary character in the scattered areas of the diocese.

Demand for Sports Grounds. Members of the Parks Committee of the City Council and representatives of various Auckland sports bodies will make a tour of inspection to-morrow afternoon to view various suburban areas which may be developed for sports purposes. Mr. F. W. H. Brinsden, chairman of the Reserves Committee, states that it is proposed to show the party areas which the council considers may bo dealt with; also to seek the advice of the sports bodies ns to the best way of proceeding with the various scheme*.

Protest by Ministers. "The bill is calculated to greatly increase the already pronounced betting habit of'the people, which is one of New Zealand's greatest curses," said the Rev. Lionel B. Fletcher at a meeting of the Auckland Ministers' Association yesterday. The following resolution was carried: "That the association communicate at once with all the Auckland M.P.'s protesting against Sir George Hunter's Bill to be introduced to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, and urging them to vote against it. and further, that the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations be. invited to take simultaneous action on the same lines."

Praiseworthy Action. "The Christian Church is not merely a religious institution, but also a social one," said the Rev. Grant Cowen at St. Matthew's Church on Sunday evening. He said that the Church was the custodian of the sick and the poor. During the week he had received a sum of money from an unknown source, with the request that bags of coal should be bought for the poor of the parish. The writer added that the letter was from eleven girls who had given tip sweets for the week. "If any of the girls arc in this church, I would like to thank them for their kindness," said the preacher.

Adornment of the Elk. In the days of "stick and string" at sea, when the Auckland wharves were set in a forest of masts and spars, it was the practice for people of a Sunday to take a stroll on the waterfront to admire the vessels. One little brig, the Elk, was always kept like a yacht, and the "old man" used to stroll up and down the poop enjoying the praise of the crowd. He had the stuffed head of an elk, with great widespread horns, which used to form the figurehead when the vessel was in port. One Sunday morning the usual crowd that gathered on the wharf did not gaze with admiration at the snowy decks and tapered spars. They stood opposite the bow of the vessel and roared with laughter. Mad with rage at this jocularity at the expense of his beloved ship, the skipper jumped on to the wharf to see what was the matter. He found that some wag had hung a large bunch of carrots from the bowsprit in front of the elk's nose, and the noble animal seemed to be stretching out its neck in an endeavour to grab the dainty morsel.

Pons-Winnecke Visible Here. Rising in the East shortly after 10 p.m., the comet Pons-Winnecke is now visible in Auckland with the naked eye, or rather his head is, the tail being too faint. It is well above the horizon an hour later, is just about due north at half-past two a.m., and is setting just about sunrise. At present it rather resembles ono of the nebulae or star clusters of the Milky Way, with a brighter patch at the centre. One of the comets that circle round Jupiter, Pons-Winnecke was first observed by Pons in 1819, and then went missing until 1858, when it was rediscovered by Winnecke—hence the double-barrelled name. In 1915 a splendid meteoric display was attributed to the presence of this comet, and astronomers think that its relative position to the.earth on the present occasion is favourable to another similar display At present amateur observers may have a little difficulty in recognising PonsWinnecke, but later on he will appear with his tail complete, and then will look more like a comet.

Heron on Waitemata. "While poking round one of those mangrovefringed lonely estuaries that are to be found on the north-west corner of the harbour," writes "Traniper," "I was surprised and pleased to come across a firje blue heron, a bird that is anything but common. It was also the more interesting to meet him at a spot where one could, by turning the head, see the distant chimney-pots of Auckland city. One would not have thought the bird lived so near civilisation. I will not mention the name of the creek, because some sportsman would be sure to co looking for him with a gun. The-tide was out, and the heron was wading up the shallow channel of one of those mud flats so characteristic of tidal waters. He seemed to be shovelling the mud up with his feet, and from time to time he made a dart with his long slender beak, anrl seemed to have much success. A tall bird, with a lightish breast, metallic blue wings and back, with long neck and beak, the heron is a handsome bird. Although I have been living here all my life, I had never seen him outside a museum before, and was most surprised to find him so near Queen Street."'

Street Trees. An interesting article in last night's "Star" on trees suitable for street planting drew the following note from "Wallad": "The plea for an avenue of jacaranda trees is certainly worthy of support. Meir of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles who were in Egypt doing a little police duty when the Gyppos broke out in 1919 will remember the lovely row of these trees that lined the Tanta Canal, leading to the open air cafe about a mile out of the town. In the spring they were a sight with their masses of exquisite blue. The tree does quite well in Auckland, and many of us remember a very fine specimen in Jermyn Street before that thoroughfare gave place to Anzac Avenue. As for planting New Zealand trees in the streets, there is not much to bo said in favour. It was settled long ago in countries that have had more experience than New Zealand that deciduous trees are the only suitable ones to plant in thoroughfares—that*is, in climates where there is such a wet winter as Auckland gets. Evergreens are quite unsuitable, as they keep the pavement wet and sloppy. The only native tree at all suitable would be the yellow kowhai, but that is essentially a riverside denizen. It never does really well far away from water, as it gets too scraggy."

Horticultural Knowledge. "If we get the Auckland Racing Club to do something we would have a much better opportunity of obtaining agricultural knowledge at the racecourse than from the City Council," stated Mr. D. Hay, chairman of the Horticultural Institute. He said that the late Sir Arthur Myers took a very keen interest in and although there were other public men who were interested, many did not go into it thoroughly. It was pleasing to know that the City Council had decided to establish two cadctships for youths desirous of studying horticulture, but as yet the appointments had not been made. "Finish Your Job." "Shellback" writes: This is au incident that happened on board the old barque Lion when on a trip from Newcastle to Auckland many years ago with a cargo of coal. Hans, one of the crew, was on the mizzen crosstrees tightening a lashing. Using a marlingspike, he was taking a turn round the end of it. The point of the marlingspike slipped off the hard wood. Hans took a couple of back somersaults, crashed through the cabin skylight, and landed on the table in a sitting position facing the master, who was writing at the "forrard" end. "Where did you come from ?" demanded the amazed skipper. "Mizzen crosstrees, sir!" said the startled Hans, who was unhurt. "Well," retorted the skipper, "get to blue back there and finish your job."