NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Exemption of Petrol Stations.

... Shops and Offices Amendment Act, which Mill come into force next Wednesday, will not a PP'y to shops devoted exclusively to the sale 1 if U L r inasmuch as the weekly ha.f-holiday and closing hours are concerned. Ibe effect will be that petrol stations may keep open continuously. The hours for employees will be observed as formerly. Scenic Routes. A suggestion from the Napier Chamber of Commerce, that native bush along the chief scenic routes should be preserved, was regarded as an excellent one by members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday, but in the opinion of one of the members it might mean an expenditure of half a million. It was decided to express sympathy with the suggestion, without making any proposal how it could be carried into effect. Civic Propaganda. That Auckland's attractions should be more advertised was advised by Mr. L. A. Eady, vicepresident of the Auckland Advertising Club, at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Mr. Eady proposed the publication of a book setting out the city's attractions, industries and city life, generally, so ... -^ uc kland would become better known, especially overseas. The council decided to support the proposal, and Mr. J. R. Rendell was appointed to act on a committee to "o into details. ° "Roger, Poor Roger!"

Old Roger had worked in his steady, plodding way while others of his kind were worn out by heavy loads and the bustle of city streets, and at the age of 28 he was still equal to a long day s work. His well-earned rest at length arrived, and it was thought that Roger would slowly mellow under the gentle touch of old age, 'but a few weeks of.spell had a wonderful effect. His lost youth returned in the garden-like suburb where he passed the time away, and his dumb appeal to return to the scene of his former labours could not go unheeded. Into harness he went again, and at the age of 32 Roger is to-day the faithful old plough horse of the Auckland Infirmary. A week ago he had the delight of a companion for the first time, a steady horse of nine years, not timid of a shrieking motor- siren, and reputed to be free from all vices. Roger has shown his appreciation of some companionship in his old age, and is more active now than he was four years ago, when Mr. M. J. Coyle, ex-chair-man of the Hospital Board, who had become very devoted to him, praised him with telling effect at a board meeting, when he used the poetic quotation: "Roger, poor Roger!" Price of the Loaf. Although the price of the loaf has not risen in Auckland, the Chamber of Commerce is inclined to the opinion that the new tariff has prevented a fall in price that would have taken place. At a meeting of the council of the chamber yesterday, it was stated that the tariff had been in operation since November 1, and the Minister of Customs stated in a letter that he had heard of no increase in the price of bread in any part of New Zealand. He did not think that any increase would be brought about by the duties, but he preferred x to wait for a time before making a definite decision as to whether the duties on wheat and flour would increase the cost of living. The chamber objected to the "disturbance of trade" that was involved in waiting for further developments. ° Oat for a Walk. Completely naked, and evidently well wanned by the hot sun of a summer's day, a man of about 25 years emerged from a clump of trees some distance from the tram terminus as three joung ladies hastened to catch a car for the city. He walked across a clearing to another clump of tres, about 50 yards away, apparently quite unconcerned about anything in the world except his own : 'back to Nature" programme for getting fit. On seeing the ladies he did not begin running with all possible speed to get under cover, and he didn't dawdle to pick up dandelions and clover leaves that were growing about the paddock. Evidently he was enjoying the sunshine thoroughly. By the look of him he had been in it as a regular routine, and was as brown as a bushman. Immigration and Insurance. An opinion that immigration should be checked, as it was Increasing the amount of unemployment, was voiced by Mr. A. Ci. Lunn (president) at a meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon. If the present influx of from 10,000 to 12,000 immigrants a year could be stopped for a time, he thought the position would gradually improve. The question of unemployment insurance appeared to be affected by the number of immigrants arriving, and there was the further consideration that people might be induced by such an insurance scheme to crowd into the towns when jio work was available. Insurance benefits would tend to discourage men from going to jobs in the country. The chamber decided to obtain further information regarding immigration. Point Chevalier Post Office. "Now I want to refer to your post office," said Mr. H. G. R. Mason, M.P. for Eden, at Point Chevalier last evening. There was laughter and ironical cheers. "I mean, Mr. Chairman, your lack of a post office," he added, and explained that the Post and Telegraph Department had made a grant of £50 a year for postal facilities in the district when there were only a hundred houses. The growth of business appeared to entitle Point Chevalier to £100, although the proposed increase was to £75 only. As to a site for a post office in the future, there was clearly a difference of opinion, but the Mount Albert end of the district claimed to have the larger volume of business. The meeting carried a resolution requesting Mr. Mason to urge upon the Government the need of a post office in Point Chevalier and a telephone box at the hall corner. A Tree's Tummy-ache.

Mr. Johnson, gardener to St. Cuthbert's Presbyterian College, Epsom, is not one of those who replace their text book® 'back on the library shelf and say: "That's all there is to it" (says the "New Zealand Smallholder"). He goes on thinking for himself. And during the past few j years he has been wondering whether we could not doctor a tree internally. We do doctor our- j selves and our horses and cows internally, do we I not? Who is rash enough to assert, and learned enough to prove, that a tree is superior to internal medicament? "I have always been taught," said Mr. Johnson, "that the soil is the stomach of the tree, and that its roots have no power of selection. They take in anything that is digestible." Perhaps tree medicines would be compounded on different formulae. But, strange to say, Mr. Johnson selected for test one of our most familiar human potions—Epsom salts. He took a tree that had silver blight, applied Epsom salts in the autumn in a trench du» 2Jft from the trunk, and had a healthy tree jjgxt spring. He would like to operate on other people's trees gratuitously. He next let his reflections run along different lines. He wondered if he could induce disease in a healthy tree by injecting some impurity —say, the slime of slu«rs and snails. He thought perhaps this slime (greatly though we appreciate it as an organic plant food) might be disgusting to a tree. Silver blight followed—silver blight which haunts the damp shady places where slugs and snails love to play. But just imagine the scope for inoculation treatment against brown rot of plums, peaches and apricots! Mr. Johnson did imagine it, and he put it to the test in several gardens, with results that intrigued him so much that he persuaded the Government to supervise his subsequent inoculations in three different Henderson orchards. The results did not convince the G° v " emment authorities, but one of the orchardists said the effect against brown rot and leaf curl was perfect; and the Government suggested ho should try again. This he intends to do»