NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 276, 22 November 1927, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

German Steamer's Visjit.

Bringing a cargo of sulphur, the German I ■steamer Pessat is now on her way from Galveston, Texas, to Auckland, via Australian ports. She will be the second vessel flying the German flag to visit this port since the outbreak of the Great War. The first- German vessel to come to Auckland after the cessation of hostilities was the barque Gustav, -which brought a cargo cf phosphate from Maiden Island about 18 months ago. / The Artificial Complexion. "I cannot conceive that a young woman dressed in her finery for a dance would risk her artificial complexion in the water, and then go back to the dance hall," said Mr. E. H. Northcroft yesterday at the Marine Department's inquiry regarding 'baths for Point Chevalier-. He added that the idea seemed absurd, and it was unreasonable to suppose that 4 the legitimate patrons of a cabaret would want to go swimming at night.

Week to Pay. An inebriate at the Police Court this morning was much concerned when he found that he had to pay 10/, or be imprisoned for 24 hours. "Give me a week to pay," he pleaded. A smile went round the Court when he added: "I've got money in the bank, but I don't want to take it out." The magistrate suggested that the police could arrange the transfer without undue difficulty, but when the defendant volunteered the information that his pass-book was at Blockhouse Bay the week's grace was granted, a condition being that the money should be forthcoming after next pay-day. New Salvation Army Home. The official opening of the new Salvation Army home for men at Williamson's Avenue, Ep9om, will take place to-morrow afternoon. The ceremony is to be performed by Commissioner James Hay, commanding officer of the Salvation Army operations in New Zealand. The new home replaces one of wood destroyed by fire some time ago. It is two storeyed, constructed of brick, and ample arrangements have been made for the housing of inmates and staff. At the home a number of industries progress under the direction of Salvation Army officers, these including net-making, paper-sorting, and the renovation of old clothing. Exploiting the Boss Sea.

A Norwegian whaling man at Port Chalmers inquired from an "Otago Daily Times" reporter why New Zealand did not go in for whaling in the Ross Sea. 3" i could easily learn the work connected with whales. Norway was so far away that practically two months' wages had to be paid to the large whaling crews to reach New Zealand, and a similar amount to return. That was a considerable item of expenditure from which a New Zealand whaling company would be exempt. The Norwegian whaling ships delivered their oil at New York on the way home to their own country, and that was a consideration, but in different circumstances it would probably be found that American oil ships trading to New Zealand would take whale oil as return cargo. Protest by Natives.

"Kia Ora," concluded Mr. Kahupake Rongonui, in a letter to the Mount Eden Borough Council, after writing to record a protest in connection with the proposal to build a model Maori pa on Mount Eden, his contention being that the Akarana Maori Association, which took the first steps in the matter, has no rights nor connection with the ancient history of the mountain. The writer also protests against the recent haangi demonstration and the planting of a totara tree on Maungawhau (Mount Eden), claiming that the land really belongs to the tribes of Te Waaohua. He says that he and others of his tribe are the only surviving descendants of the hapu who held the mountain in ancient days, and that the dead who are buried there belong to them. Speedometer Testing.

In reply to a request regarding methods of testing speedometers, the Wellington Automobile Association received a letter from an expert, which stated that it was very difficult to arrange any type of testing equipment suitable for all makes of speedometers. Each type of speedometer had a different standard speed. One make, at 3360 revolutions per minute, recorded 60 miles an hour, while another at the same revolving speed recorded over 180 miles per hour, because the latter read 00 miles at 1000 revolutions a minute. This was further complicated by the fact that several makers made different models running at different speeds adapted for different models of cars. This would involve different types of adaptors before the testing machine could test the different speedometers. A rough sketch of a suggested machine was attached to the expert's advice, providing for the adaptations necessary to test speedometers under various types of car connections. Meeting of Railwaymen.

Members of the Auckland branch of the Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association of the New Zealand Railways, to the number of 200, met on Sunday in the Trades Hall to discuss the question of the position of Mr. R. Carroll, of Auckland, who had been displaced as president. Mr. F. Cunnold, president of the Auckland branch, presided. Messrs. J. F. Lie win (presi'" nt) and W. McArley (general secretary), of the New Zealand Association, were also present, and explained that Mr. Carroll had been displaced under rule 77, which stated that anyone who Tiad been removed from the footplate owing to failing vision could not hold office in the association. Mr. Carroll pointed out that rule 53 provided for the executive council to interpret' the rules, and it had decided to retain him as president. Mr. A. J. Denz, of Frankton, supported this contention. He said that a remit had been forwarded to the executive council asking that rule 77 should be deleted. The meeting concluded without any decision being arrived at.

The Modern Rose. Discussing the modern rose, the "New Zealand Smallholder" says: "Doubling is an insolent affront botanically. But then the -whole art of modern plant production is a gigantic liberty with Nature.- The rose only Jives to bear seed and produce little rose babies. And in order to have plenty of elbow room to do that she shaped 'herself single—that is, with only about four or five petals—so that there should be plenty of room for using her stamens and pistils, by which rose : babies are manufactured. But man. came along in his characteristic mood of middling and set. about lumbering up the rose's baby factory with unnecessary additions of petals—idle petals, onlookers, encumbrances, beautifully dressed, but obstructing the workers. And not only so, but man whispered treason into the ears of the hitherto faithful' stamens, and induced them to 'down tools' and themselves become mere petals. Look closely into the beautiful face of your next buttonhole rose, and ask yourself .how a busy bee or any other insect laden with its precious limbfuls of baby seed could possibly carry its lbad down through all those petals. That is, of .course, .looking at the matter entirely from the rose's : viewpoint. But there are other considerations. A rose, like anyone else, must— to justify her existence—be a useful member of the community. Her chief destiny in 1927 seems to -be to comfort mankind, and perhaps to fill scent bottles. And she can do that best by being double. To rosekind the hip is her crop; to mankind the precious harvest is the bundle of petals tightly fitted together, lasting, fragrant, long, and flashing in wondrous colours."