NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 204, 29 August 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Dying to Get Into It. A motor hearse was an exhibit in a civil action at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. It was a handsome affair, and the litigating parties were concerned over its workmanship. 'J. s good work?" queried plaintiff's solicitor, when questioning a witness. Quick as a flash Mr. F. I). McLiver, who was appearing for defendant, said: "Oh, yes. It's so good that people are dying to get into it." The decorum of the Court was somewhat disturbed. Good Work in the Borstal.

During six and a-half years 1621 youths have passed through the Invercargill Borstal institution, and only 141 have subsequently reappeared before the Courts. The Point Halswell Borstal institution for girls shows even more satisfactory results. Only four girls of the 44 released since its inception three years ago have again been before the Courts. This is especially encouraging (says the Prisons Department in its annual report), since 20 girls have been released during the past two years. Forty Years' Service.

Reference to the long record of service on the waterfront of Mr. T. H. Higgins, chief waterman in the employ of the Auckland Harbour Board, was made at yesterday's meeting of the board, when he wrote tendering his resignation. He had held his position for 44 years, it was stated, and the traffic manager reported that during that time he had carried out his duties conscientiously in all weathers. Members of the board paid a tribute to Mr. Higgins, and it was decided to grant him a year's leave on full pay in recognition of his fine service. Town Board Elections.

Wednesday, September 19, has been fixed as the date for the election of members of the town boards in the Auckland district. There are seven vacancies on each board. Nominations will be received at Manurewa on September 6, at New Lynn and Glen Eden on September 7, and at Henderson on September 8, before noon each day. Other districts adjacent to the city governed by town boards are Ellerslie, Howick, Papatoetoe and Papakura. It is required by the law that the date of closing shall be not later than ten days and not earlier than 14 days before the date of the poll. Prisoners' Literary Tastes.

It is not surprising to read in the Prisons Department's report that the superintendents of the larger institutions report that the books most favoured by inmates are principally "Western" fiction and adventure stories. There is comparatively little demand for historical and other works of the earlier English authors. However, nearly all the inmates are readers, the proportion of non-readers being less than 5 per cent. An average of 472 books a week was issued at the Invercargill Borstal institution. Dangerous Blasting.

Blasting operations in the Mount Albert district have been causing much uneasiness to people living in the vicinity. The matter was mentioned at last night's meeting of the council, when it was alleged that several shots had been dangerous. One householder who complained said that if something was not done she would be compelled to take her children away and abandon her home. Another person told councillors that a piece of stone 12in square had dropped quite close to his little boy. The council decided that their instructions should be strictly enforced at the private quarry in St. Luke's" Road, and the inspector was authorised to take action if necessary. "Bled White in Interests of Wowserism." In trenchantly condemning excessive taxation during his presidential address at the annual meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club, Mr. B. S. Irwin said: "The Government meets us with specious arguments when we ask for a reduction of taxation. I say that the Government is not carrying out its promise to racing and trotting clubs, given when the taxation was imposed, that when times were better taxation would be reduced. I tell you, gentlemen, that the racing community is being bled white in the interests of wowserism. That is what it really amounts to. Politicians who pose as statesmen are afraid to do the right thing—they are afraid to reduce taxation on racing because they might offend the 'other side."' Points for Pianists.

A little homily on tone variety in pianissimo was delivered at the Auckland Competitions by the musical judge. Mr. Keery, when dealing with the class for children involving a test piece and own selection. The latter were of many different styles, from pro-classic down to late romantic. The players had not sufficiently differentiated between tho styles and the different nationalities. '"The piano used to be considered a percussion instrument,"' he added, "but Chopin developed the singing tone. Then Debussy introduced the subtleties of tone colour, which was a very necessary variety to modern piano work, otherwise there was a weakness in performance." Commenting on vocal items at another session. Mr. Keery observed with a smile that it was unwise to assume that a judge knew only one language. That had cost some of the competitors a loss of points. Maui Pomare Dues.

On the ground that. Government vessels carrying freight-earning eargo should pay harbour dues similar to shipping companies, the Auckland and Wellington Harbour Boards are insisting on the payment of certain charges made in connection with the Maui Pomare. from which the Cook Islands Department claims it is exempt. It is suggested that the Government is taking advantage of a clause in the Harbours Act, framed for the purpose of giving assistance to vessels engaged purely in Government business. The Department, however, j>ointcd out in a communication to yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board that the Maui Pomare was exclusively engaged on Government service, and was supplying communication with the island dependencies that private enterprise had failed to supply. The board decided that it could not see its way to remit its claim, and to eo-operate with the Wellington board in the action it was taking in the matter. Mr. Campbell Johnston observed that if there was any loss on the running of the Cook Island service it should be a Dominion loss, and not a Harbour Board one. Tho Will to Die.

A writer in the "Star" this week, commenting on a sermon delivered by the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh on the subject of w r orry, said that it was fear which made a Maori sit down and die after he had unwittingly committed a breach of "tapu." An authority 011 Maori tradition, speaking 011 the subject to-clay, said that the statement of the critic was most misleading, not only as regarding the Maori people, but also European peoples as well. He said that perhaps this was never more clearly seen than in a case which happened in our own country a few years ago. An old man nearly a hundred years old was very proud that he was the oldest inhabitant at one of our institutions for aged people, and felt elated when visitors inquired about him, but one day it came to his knowledge that a man two years older than himself:- just a hundred years of age, had been admitted to the institution. His chief claim to distinction and one of his chief joys in living had been taken from him. Without any trace of jealousy or fear, he turned his face to the wall and died full of contentment that he had lived so long, just as the old Maori chief of a former day when he found that his eldest son could now lead the men of the tribe into battle better than he could, wrapped his mat more closely around him, and with thankfulness in his heart that he had reared so valiant a son, went to a corner of his whare, and without fear set his face to the setting sun and passed awa^.