NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 167, 18 July 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Naval Reservists. Another detachment of twentv naval reservists ieft yesterday on H.M. minesweeper Wakakura for a week's training in the Hauraki Gulf. J lie reservists, who will be instructed in gunnery and seamanship, are under the command of Lieutenant \Y. J. Connors, recently appointed gunnery officer of the Auckland Division, and bub-Lieutenant W. Garner. Hifofua Going Well. With her main and mizzen sails set, the Tonpan Government's motor ketch Hifofua, which left Auckland on Friday evening for Nukualofa, uas sighted on Saturday morning by the steamer \\ aitemata, which arrived from 'Frisco yesterday morning. The ketch was about 140 miles from Auckland, and was making good progress. The \e?sel is expected to complete her voyage of 1101 miles 011 Thursday next. Hullo, Holland! Auckland radio enthusiasts had some compensation yesterday for the failure of the recent Brisbane broadcast. A special direct short-wave transmission test from Holland was undertaken, and station P.C.J.J. was heard with remarkable clearness. The announcer's statement, in broken hnglish, that it was a test especially designed for the benefit of Australia and New Zealand was very distinct, and the musical programme which followed came through extremely well. Electricity Regulations. A new set of regulations in connection with electrical supply has been gazetted by the Government. One of tho new regulations deals with the supervision of electrical installations, and imposes on power supply authorities the duty of making periodical inspections. In past years it lias olten been urged that there should be closer supervision of electrical installations as a protection against lire, but hitherto power authorities have disclaimed responsibility beyond making the first in?f>ection of new installations. The new regulations consist of 230 clauses, with a number of technical tables. Hostel Scheme Fails. Just as brief as the announcement, ''The Bed-headed League has l>een dissolved," which will be recalled in one.of the Conan Doyle stories, u . a !' a . not ' Ce 011 the board at the Auckland I Diversity College on Friday. It stated in effect that "the hostel was dissoived from that day." J here are now some semi-homeless students in Auckland, as, after a brief career of five months, the Auckland University College hostel scheme has failed. Up to recently there were 40 students at the hostel, but they are now seeking fresh quarters, and one trio has decided to take a flat. The cafeteria at the college has been taken over by the Students' Association. Dangerous Coal. Seated alone in front of the fire at his home in Norfolk Street, Ponsonby, on Saturday evening, Mr. F. Quin had a narrow escape from injury when two loud explosions in the grate scattered the tire all over the room. The shock was strong enough to shake the house, but" no damage was done. The tire brigade was called, but tho fire had been quickly stamped out. Two similar occurrences in Wellington have caused considerable alarm, as it was thought that they were due to fragments of explosive left in the coal a iter blasting. Mr. Quiii was in the habit of putting large pieces of coal on the tire, and it is suggested that the explosions were due to a locket of gas in one of the pieces. Island Missions. "We occasionally hear tales of cannibalism in remote islands, but most of them prove to bo fal-e,'' said the Bev. A. C. Doncaster, who has been working as a missionary in the Solomon group for four years, and returned to Auckland yesterday in the Southern Cross. Mr. Doncaster said tho work of spreading the Gospel was progrossing steadily, but there was urgent need of more missionaries. They were receiving useful help from native workers, and at Maravovo, on the island of Guadalcanar, which was his own mission centre, a native brotherhood had come into being spontaneously. The members covered ground that the missionaries, who were in limited numbers, could not hope to reach.

Highway to Silverdale. Before next winter it is hoped to have the main highway to Silverdale metalled for its whole length l'ro:n s Birkenhead. Mr. M. H. Wynyard, motorists' representative on the Main Highways Board, said on Saturday evening at tlie Motor Olympia closing function that the work would he carried out in co-operation with the local authority. Xo doubt the feeling of being "lost in the wilds'' when motoring in the Pukeatua riding in winter time will soon be a thing of the past. The deep-ploughed tracks, where service cars have been making heavy time of it, lure the unskilful driver to his doom, and many a strenuous struggle has taken place within the past three months to rescue a car from a bad pinch. Maiden Island.

On her voyage from San Francisco to Auckland, the steamer Waitemata, which arrived yesterday morning, passed close to Maiden Island, a mere speck of land in the Pacific, four degrees south of the Equator. Although two detonator signals were fired, the crew of the steamer failed to attract the attention of who are engaged in working the island's phosphate deposits. Twelve miles in length and six in breadth, Maiden enjoys a healthy and dry climate, the mean temperature ranging from 70 to 93 degrees. The annual rainfall is about 17in. The inhabitants, who live in roomy and comfortable wooden houses, scrape the guano into flat heaps and allow it to dry in the hot sun l>efore putting it into bags. Some months ago the German barque Gustav brought a cargo of Maiden Island phosphate to Auckland.

Deadly Centre Poles. Still another motor accident has occurred through a car striking one of those centre tramway poles. A day or two ago was published an interview with Mr. George Henning, who pointed out how dangerous they were, and strongly urge'd that they be abolished, particularly in such a congested thoroughfare as Queen Street, where there have been scores of accidents. One shopkeeper, commenting on Mr. Henning's condemnation of the centre poles, said that was all very well, but it would never do to have a lot of poles stuck along the kerbing right in front of a man's ship window. This fear, however, is quite unfounded. Mr. Henning points out that in Queen Street there is no need to have poles at all, either centre or on the sidewalk, as the tramway overhead wires could be suspended from the buildings, as is done in Sydney. He points out that the wires could be suspended in the same way as the cantilever verandah and there would be no disfigurement of the 6hop fronts and no obstructing of the edge of the pavement.

Early Auckland Loans. When the city "took in" the suburban areas of Remuera, Grey Lynn and other progressive districts, liabilities were transferred as well as assets. A number of the amalgamated small areas had arranged loans before joining the Greater Auckland movement, and, as a considerable portion of the borrowed amount has not been extinguished, the time has now come for a renewal. In this connection the Auckland City Council finds it necessary to negotiate for a loan of £41,812. The amount of the sinking funds in the early days of local body borrowing was quite smalL "The £10,000 loan raised under the Auckland City Borrowing Act, 1899-1801, has been reduced to £9715; the Remuera drainage loan for the south-western and Westbourne Crescent areas, 1906-07, has been reduced from £3400 to £2575; and the refuse destructor loan of 1906-07 from £18,000 to £14,522. The Grey Lynn roads formation, drainage and water extension loan of 1906 still remains at the original amount of £15,000. In the renewal arrangements sufficient sinking funds are being provided to extinguish the loans at maturity.