NEWS OF, THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 195, 19 August 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF, THE DAY.

Speeding Motorists. No fewer than fifteen motorists, travelling at a speed of between 32 and 38 miles per hour, caught the eye of the Takapuna Borough Council s traffic inspector on Sunday last. It was stated at a meeting of tho council that further steps would have to be taken to eliminate speeding within the borough. Hot Showers at Baths. desire to have hot showers at the Hobson Street Baths has been felt for some time by patrons, and last night tho City Council decided, on the recommendation of the city engineer, to liavo four such showers installed in separate cubicles. A charge will bo made for the use of tho showers. The City's Family. Point Chevalier, **1110 lusty and wellnourished child of tho city," was described by Mr. L. A. Eady at the City Council's meeting last evening as a youngster that had flourished at tho cost of tho city ratepayers. He said that Avondale would be another fortunate infant, and, ho added, "there are others 011 the wav." (Laughter.) Road Improvements. A complaint was made recently by members of the Auckland Automobile Association that portion of the Nortlicote-Takapuna Road, in the Waitemata County, was in a deplorable condit'on. Advice has now been received by the association that it is tho intention of the council to scarify and resurface the road at an carlv date, and within four weeks all cause for complaint will have been removed. Training for the Sea. No able seamen are employed 011 the Westmoreland, a unit of the Federal Company's fleet of Homo traders, at present at Auckland, as all tho work on deck is dono bv tho 25 cadets who aro included in tho ship's crew. The lads receive four years' training before getting a junior officer's appointment. The Devon and the Northumberland are also used as training ships by tho Federal Company. Large Shipping Clearance. It is likely that the outward c.earance of overseas shipping from the Port of Auckland will be unusually heavy to-day. Shortly after daybreak tho Canadian Prospector sailed lor Wellington, and the Matatua was to leavo for Antwerp and London about mid-day. Tho Port Albany, the Ruahine ind the Walcheren, all for Wellington, are to sail this afternoon, and the Maraina. for Sydney, is scheduled to depart at 5 o'clock this evening. Assistance for Motorists. In some Automobile Association districts, telegraph poles that skirt little-frequented and dangerous routes have beeu painted whitftt to assist motorists to follow tho road lino more easily at night. In tho Auckland district, which does not possess the tamo number of dangerous bends as many of tko Southern areas, comparatively little has been dono in this direction. Poles on some of the worst stretches only have been painted, this work having been carried out by the Post and Telegraph Department. His Master's Postman. A strange mail delivery is that in which a dog owned by a resident i>u the Wanganui River plays a prominent part, says the Wangaiiui "Chronicle." On tho days that tho steamer passes on its way up-river, the dog is always somewhere along tho bank below his master's house, and it makes its presence known bv excited caperings alone the water's edge and "loud barking. Tho mail jmekago is hurled from the steamer to the shore, and is quickly pounced on and borne away by the dog— frequently the only living creature at this particular spot.* Relic of Early Surveys. While the gardener at Moutoa Oar.lcns, Wanganui, was removing weeds, he'came U|>on a hard substance, which ho thought to l>c a stone, near tho surface. Ho decided to remove it, and unearthed un interesting rclic of curly-day surveys in the form of a concrete base with blocks at either end a chain long, for checking old (luiitcr survey chains. It had been buried a great many years, and no doubt was associated with the early surveys of Wanganui. It was adjacent to this spot that Major Nixon nnd the early magistrates lived, and also where the distribution of goods to the Maoris by Wakefield took plucc. Otahnhu's "Peeping Tom." Judging by what liap|>oned at Olahiihu last evening, tho "peeping Tom*' who was causing some trouble a few weeks ago is again in evidence. Two residents in Albert Street have seen tho man, and one of them states that lie would recognise him again. Not content with I»eeping, the man has been known to actually entcr tho bedrooms of two houses l»ctween 8.30 and 9.30 on a recent evening. Nothing of value was taken from either residence, but the contents of drawers were scattered about the rooms. Tho intruder was in "such a hurry to leave one house that he left a pair of Ir.uts" and socks on the verandah. North Shore Ambulance. Some excellent work has been done by the North Shore ambulance, and in cases of urgency fast trips arc made to some of the back districts, where roads arc often in a bad condition. Recently there was a call at 12.30 in the morning from an outlying district, and, despito the stato of the outlying roads, the patient was brought across the harbour l>v the 1.30 a.m. boat, and was soon at tho Auckland Hospital. It is stated that during the past two years the North Shore ambulance has moro than justified tho excuses of upkeep, -and the action of the Auckland Hospital Board in purchasing the conveyance for tho use of residents on that side of tho harbour has been fully appreciated. "Bobby" Calf Industry. During the past few days the pcrccntago of rejections in connection with tho new "bobby" calf industry in the Waikato has been greatly increased, and is now very largo. A spccial investigation made by tho "Star" last week showed that the industry was on an unsatisfactory basis, and calves were being accepted which wero considerably less thau three days old, and had been taken from tlioir mothers a few hours after birth. Trucking arrangements also left a great deal to be desired, and tho condition of some of the youngest animals was ono that caused an outcry immediately it was known that they arrived emaciated and unfed after a long journey, unprotected from the cold. The "Star's" investigation extended to tho works at Horotin, where the calves were arriving daily in hundreds, the percentage of rejections being small at the time, and large numbers being accepted, although less than three days old. Specialist Teachers. "It is only telliii<r us what we already: know," said the chairman (Mr! H. S. W, Kiiig) at a meeting, of the* Scddon 'Memorial Technical College Board of Managers yesterday afternoon, when a Jettor was- received front the Minister of . Education, stating that the board's unavailing effort to secure specialist teachers was not singular in New Zealand. It was impoislble to accept' -a. suggestion that tho salaried at present paid in .the 'Australian- schools should be regarded as a basis for the grading of Australian applicants. In regard- to trade teacheta,.'lt was-necessary to appoint men and women with a sound knowledge of a trade by actual experience under tfado conditions. As elsewhere, however, the problem-of getting a supply of trade experts who. were also trained teachers was still unsolved. The chairman said that lie understood that there was technical training of tcacbera in Australia, and it was hoped that salaries would be. approved which would induce teachers to ! come to New Zealand. "However," he concluded, "it doesn't get us any further."