NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 30, 6 February 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Railway Conference,

A conference of heads of departments of the raj way service throughout New Zealand is being held m Wellington this week for the purpose of discussing staff, transport and other matters. In t is connection Mr. E. Casey, Divisional Superintendent for the North Island, Mr. J. G. Rickerby, iJistnct .Traffic Manager at Auckland, Mr. J. F. Mack lev, Locomotive Engineer for tlie North Island, and Mr. B. R. Sword, Traffic Assistant to the Divisional Superintendent, left for Wellington by the ordinary express last evening. Daylight Limited Comes Off. On account of the lack of patronage given by the public to the daylight Limited, the Railway Department has decided to take the train off the Mam Trunk run after next Saturday's tups are completed. This is much earlier than was the case in previous years. At the present time, however, the Easter time-table is bein» compiled, in which provision has been made for the reinstatement of the daylight expresses between Auckland and Wellington and vice versa for a few days in order to relieve the anticipated heavy holiday traffic. Kauris Well Distributed. There is a prevalent idea that the kauri, the most noble of the New Zealand forest trees, glows only in the Auckland province, and north or latitude 38, a line practically from Tauranga to laupo. As a matter of fact, the kauri is well distributed. AVanganui has a flourishing kauri S[-e and Dunedin has an excellent specimen. "Ho have a kauri growing at Kew Gardens," said Dr. A. W. Hill, who visited the kauri bush at the Cascades, in the Waitakere Ranges, yesterday. He said that lie had also seen a kauri growing in Italy. Mr. H. E. Vaile said that while on his recent tour of the East he saw kauris growing in Ceylon. Mount Wellington's Water. Mount Wellington's water supply problem was discussed at a meeting of the local Ratepayers Association on Saturday evening. With 'a \iew to deciding upon a suitable source for a district 6cheme, it was decided that samples of water from the spring at the foot of the mountain, and also from other suggested sources, should be taken, and sent for examination by the Government Analyst. It was considered that a chlorination plant might be installed if a suitable supply could be tapped. In regard to the present water shortago in the district owing to the drought, the meeting decided to urge the Road Board not to charge ratepayers for the delivery by wagon. Treasure Hunting. Treasure hunters, mostly in summer whites or bathing trunks, with sugar bags, baskets, and a digging implement of a more or less crude type, scattered themselves over the north end of Muriwai Beach on Saturday, and it was soon clear that a particularly ardent search for toheroas was in progress. Some, who could not secure a suitable stick to scoop out the sand, worked busily with lingers. The net result was that a full supply was quickly laid in. The treasure hunt aspect of the search lended zest to the efforts, in which women and kiddies took their part. Whenever a rich patch was struck, the luckv finder soon had the disappointment of seeing others crowding him out of his "claim," but good humour prevailed, and the appearance of the beach after a few hours was reminiscent of a paddock just abandoned by gum diggers. Traffic to Muriwai. Every year, quite the busiest time for traffic on the Great North Road is during the two days when cars are travelling to and from Muriwai Beach for the Auckland Automobile Association's annual motor race meeting. Although this year over 3000 cars crossed the Whau Bridge, there was no confusion, and with one or two exceptions, where motorists seemed to be in a great hurry, the traffic was very orderly. Mr. R. Culpitt, traffic inspector for New Lynn, supplies the following figures:—Saturday: Outward, for hours, from 7 a.m. until 12.45 p.m., and from 2.30 p.m. until 4.30 p.m.. 1193; inward, for 4i hours, from 4.30 p.m. until 9 p.m., 839. Sunday: Inward, for 5} hours, from 4 p.m. until 9.30 p.m., 1102. In the 17? hours during which a tally was kept 3134 motor vehicles crossed the bridge. It is estimated that about 800 cars were'at"Muriwai on Saturday, compared with 700 for last year and 800 for 1928. The record year for Muriwai raccs was 192-3, when there were 1000 cars there. Warships' Autumn Cruises. H.M. ships Dunedin and Diomede are to make cruises in New Zealand waters during the autumn. The Dunedin returned to Auckland on Saturday after being away for eight days on a Whangaroa visit, and is to leave here on February 16 on a month's cruise of Southern ports. Her itinerary will include New Plymouth, Port Hardy, Westport, Greymouth, Milford Sounds, Paterson's Inlet, Timaru, Akaroa, Lyttelton and Wellington; returning to Auckland on April 17. Tho Diomede is to arrive back on Thursday morning from Russell to take in oil fuel and will leave the same day for the East Coast and Southern ports. The places included in the itinerary are Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui, Greymouth, the West Coast Sounds, Paterson's Inlet, Dujiedin, Akaroa, Lyttelton, Picton and the Marlborough Sounds, and Wellington. She will return to Auckland on May 3. On February 27 the Dunedin and Diomede will go to a rendezvous off Greymouth for exercises. They will again meet at Paterson's Inlet and Akaroa, where harbour drills will be carried out, and the crews will attend regattas at each place. The Silent Forest. The silence of the forest was impressive when Dr. Hill, Director of Kew Gardens, accompanied by the Mayor of Auckland and a representative party, visited the kauri bush at the Cascades yesterday. The scarcity of New Zealand birds amid what should be the most congenial of surroundings was remarked upon by several members of the party. An oocasional wild pigeon—a glimpse of green and white—was seen winging away across a deep ravine, and now and again the clear fluted call of the tui and the friendly twitter of tho pied fantail was heard. Yet in the old days the pigeon, tui, kaka and makomako were all plentiful on the Waitakeres. The kaka is now very scarce, and the makomako, with its glorious bell-like call at dawn and sunset, appears to have vanished. In the past few years at least two good Australians have made considerable progress. The magpie haunts the fringes of the forest, while the gaudy rosella parrot has become plentiful. The latter has flourished at the expense of the gentle native pigeon. The rosella lives on the berries of the New Zealand forest trees, and thus the outlook for the native birds is not a very hopeful one. "Saving the Forest." "We are havirig a report made, and intend to take up the matter at once," said the Mayor (Mr. George Baildon) at Waitakere yesterday, when the Director of Kew (Dr. A. W. Hill) remarked on the need of the greatest care being taken to preserve the kauri bush at the Cascades. At the moment the grass and scrub country near the Waitakeres is as dry as tinder, and already several small fires have occurred. There is a good deal of open country at the northern end of the Waitakere Ranges, particularly in the lower valley of the Waitakere River, where many years ago the bush was cleared from the land to make a farm. Now, it is a wide, undulating country of dry danthonia grass, with occasional patches of vivid green where the deep-rooting paspalum has established itself. In the vicinity are hundreds of acres of undulating land where gorse, blackberry and water fern struggle for pride of possession. For the past six weeks a pitiless sun has streamed on the Waitakeres from a cloudless sky. Some of the forest trees are dying; many have a withered appearance. Old residents there 6ay that it is the hottest summer on record. _

"Hello, There!" "Hello, there!" came a voice from the darkness, and in the smooth water was Been a man swimming lustily. He approached a boat that was some distance from the shore, and those aboard, who had been roused from peaceful slumber by the midnight shout, craned their necks to discover the identity of the visitor. Soon he reached the boat, and, upon climbin" aboard, was recognised as a friend from ashor£ After a vain effort to sleep, he had been attracted bjr the water, gleaming in the moonlight, and knowing that his pals were aboard the boat had decided to pay them a visit. A brief stay apparently was al! he desired, for he was soon swimming with powerful strokes for Narrow Neck Beach. Salvation Army Progress. The official opening of the new Salvation Army Hall, recently erected in Richmond Avenue, Grey Lynn, took place on Saturday afternoon. Commissioner James Hay conducted the ceremony, and there were present many prominent officers, including Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Toomer and Brigadier Scotney. The Commissioner said that the work of the Salvation Army in Auckland covered a period of over 40 years. As the various suburbs had become merged into the town area, new residential districts had sprung up, and the Army had fouad it necessary to lay down a regional system of church corps. The Grey Lynn hall was one of several buildings which had been recently opened, and he handed it over to the administration of the Auckland Divisional Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Toomer. Brigadier Scotney and the Divisional Commander also spoke of the success of the Salvation Army activities. Special services were held during the week-end, and a lecture, '-The World-wide Activities of the Salvation Armv," was given by the Commissioner yesterday afternoon. Further meetings will be held this week.