NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 33, 9 February 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"When in Rome "

A recent arrival from Auckland offered a novel explanation to Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington on Tuesday ™r "Tr V"J le " h f, WaS char - cd with leaving his car unliglited in the city. "If you leave a car in a parking place in Auckland without lights you are immune from the by-laws," he said. Mr! >.almon. rhat is so, but it is different in Wellington. lou will be fined 10/ and costs. - ' Orakei Garden Suburb. Koadmg operations on the Orakei Garden suburb area has progressed rapidly during the summer, and about 250 sections have now been dealt with. On another block of 250 the work is well advanced, and the remainder of the lavout, with about 700 sections in the subdivision plans, has received preliminary treatment. The progress and final completion of the whole undertaking will depend upon the demand for sections, which will be gauged at the auction of the first 40 sections next week. Not Favoured. "It has been said," remarked Mr. Justice Blair in his summing up in a case of alleged bookmaking at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, "that juries do not favour this particular law. Because the tote is allowed on racecourses, many hold there should also be bookmakers I feel sure you gentlemen of the jury wiU not allow the wisdom or otherwise of the legislation to enter into the question before you, and that you will return a verdict according to the evidence. In 45 minutes a verdict of not guilty was returned. Price of Milk. A meeting of city milk vendors and producers was held yesterday to consider the question of raising the retail price of milk, but no definite decision was reached. As a result of the exceptionally dry weather, it is stated that retailers costs have risen, as they have had to i go further afield and to pay enhanced prices for supplies to supplement the greatly reduced quantities available from their regular contractors. , costs of tho producer have also increased, as supplementary feed has had to be supplied to the cows. At yesterday's meeting a joint committee was set up to consider the matter further and an announcement is expected before the end of the week. Road to Waitomo. Representations are to be made to the Tourist Department by the Auckland Automobile Association with regard to the condition of the last six miles of main road leading to Waitomo Caves. At last night's meeting of the association council it was stated that the road was in a deplorable state, and its condition acted as a restraint on tourist traffic. The Highways Board had offered the \\ aiiomo County Council a subsidy of £3 for £1, but the local body was unable to raise its quota. The responsibility for the upkeep of the road, said Mr. A. Grayson, should rest on the Tourist Department, for it was used solely by traffic bound for one of the Government s best patronised scenic resorts. A Novel Class. Sunday school teachers of the Auckland Union enjoyed a hearty laugh on a recent evening when a prominent officer of the union was called upon as little "Peter" to supply some simple Bible information, which ha was unable to give. Another laugh occurred when a well-known past president of the union answered a question correctly, and was greeted with "Good boy, Charlie," and called to the front. The occasion was a demonstration of methods of Bible study and memory work, given by Mrs. Cooper, a visiting lecturer from Honolulu. In order to demonstrate her methods, Mrs. Cooper occasionally treated her audience as a class of boys and girls, and caused much amusement by "stumping" wellknown workers with sudden requests for simple facts about the Bible. The Perfect Fertiliser. The mixing of fertilisers, says the "New Zealand Smallholder," is (on general principles and ignoring practical considerations) technically wrong. The manufacturer has given you a perfect article, and admixture may unbalance it. Soluble manures (the valuable ones) are those in which the chemical components are in a state of disaffection and longing. Mix them with something else, and you may enable them to revolt and form less valuable combinations. We say the_ have "reverted"; they have lost some of their solubility, and solubility is the very thing that the manure factories exist to secure*. Hundreds of millions of'pounds have been spent in erecting palatial factories throughout the world just to make manure soluble. A Rare Fish. A deep-sea fish, with large recurved teeth like a tiger's, found at Kaikoura, is rare in New Zealand waters, but this is not the first time it has been recorded from New Zealand, a specimen having been noted at Castlepoint, on the east coast of Wellington Province, some 28 years ago (says the "Lyttelton Times"). It is most plentiful in the Western Atlantic, and it has been found at Madeira. Deep-sea fish appear fairly often at Kaikoura, where a current sweeps in from the ocean, and where there is deep water. This fish with formidable teeth seems to be known in other places as the lancet fish. It is about 4ft long, has a big fin on its back, and is ecaleless. In ichthyology it is known as Alepiosaurus ferox, the savage saurian without scales. The Kaikoura specimen has been sent to Canterbury Museum by Mr. Sidford, a resident of that town. Ants' "Parking" Station. Brown ants ran blindly about the well-baked loaf, while the head of the family searched in the breaks of the crust to clear out small colonies from temporary quarters. "Oh, aren't they too awful," complained the mother, as sh& saw them on the cake and in among the scones. An "ant invasion" during the week-end had left the family in a suburban home lamenting. The insects went on foraging expeditions in the cupboards, parked in hundreds on the sweets, and descended into the darkness of the bread tin. To deal with them was the problem of the moment. In a practically new house in Pon-1 sonby about 25 years ago a resident found himself in the same situation. Promptly he obtained a supply of disinfectant and went to work. In a remarkably short time the ants were killed, the food was flavoured with pungent chemicals, and the scene was one that brought dismay to the industrious wife. Problem of Speed Limits. "There will be traffic congestion in every large city if the speed limits set out in the Motor Vehicle Regulations are observed," said Mr. J. B. King, a member of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association, at last night's meeting. It was stated that the regulations retained the national maximum speed limit of 35 miles an hour, whilst within the limits of boroughs and town districts a maximum of 25 miles an hour was prescribed. When approaching intersections, overtaking stationary omnibuses, or passing stationary trams bound in the opposite direction, the limit Of 15 miles an hour would be applicable. On curves where visibility ahead was limited to 40ft, and inside Eafety zones, 10 miles an hour would be the maximum. Excess of these limits would be deemed sufficient evidence to establish dangerous driving. It was decided to communicate with the Prime Minister objecting to the regulations, and also to organise a depntation to discuss amendments with the

Minister of Public Worite. . _