NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

/Important Farm Purchase.

A farm of 1000 acres at Kiwitahi, in the Waikato, has been purchased from Mrs. J*. J. Bell by Mr. Leslie Lanier, son of Mr. V. J. Lar"®ri °f Auckland. The sale was negotiated by Mr. F. W. Kemp, of Hamilton, the purchase price, £25,000, being paid in cash. Mr. Leslie Lanier owned the BlacMiead station in Hawke's Bay, which he sold recently. His new station will be used for sheep raising. Good Lambing Season. Conditions for pasftoralists in the Taihape district have been very favourable this season, and stock is doing splendidly. An estimate of iambs of the higher hill country, as determined ! €Ce o n - dockin "> shows the yield to have been . ,3® P er cent, and in the lower country a yield of 110 to 120 per cent has been recorded, ibis year has so far been exceptional as regards weather, and experienced settlers prophesy a good wool season. Although perhaps the texture will be much finer, the quantity may not compare with last season's return owing to the mildness of the past winter. Onting for Botarians. ~ P of Rotarians and other donors to v erection of the new lodge at the x .JVIJLr.A. camp at Hunua is being arranged for some time in the next few weeks by Mr. Robert Laidlaw, clifcrman of the Boys' Work Committee of the Rotary Club. The architect for the desigmng of the lodge (Mr. B. B. Hooper) states that the building will be completed within the next three weeks. It is an attractive structure, which provides a large hall to serve as a dining room and a place of entertainment, an office, a kitchen, and a large verandah, which will be invaluable for many purposes in camp life. The work has been carried out expeditiously by Mr. F. B. Avery and his sons, who state that they have greatly enjoyed the experience of camping. Stock Exchange "Hammered."

The expression is sometimes used that a firm has been "hammered" on 'Change in London and other large cities, but it is certainly unusual tor a whole brokers' association to be hammered out. That however, occurred this week to the members of the Auckland Stock Exchange. Owinir to the alterations now being made to buildings in which the brokers meet to hold calls three times daily, the noise of the hammering was so deafening that it became practically impossible to do business. As the work of alterations could not be stopped, it simply meant that Li the interim the brokers had to find a more silent haven in which to do business. For the next fortnight at least the calls will be held at the Uiamber of Commerce, Swanson Street. Starry-white Blossoms. Along the road which winds across the Waitakeres to the sea the clematis is now showmg in white patches on the sombre green backwith its festoons of 'starrywhite blossoms of delicate beauty. The old Maoris called it pua-wananga, the sacred or sanctified flower, and it has long been used for the Purpose of ornamentation. Later, when the beautiful flowers wilt, will come feathery wreaths of seeds, e&ch in a cluster bearing a silvery P' which are carried far in the wind. In the Waitakeres thare are instances where clematis has climbed right to the tops of the forest trees with its leaf-stems coiled spirally on the branches, clinging tenaciously right up to the highest point, in order that the flowers may get the first of the morning sunshine. "Shipmates o' Mine." A feature of the jubilee reunion of May Queen passengers >in Auckland last evening was the prominence of the Stevens family. Whereas 50 years ago five sons and three daughters came out with their parents from England, the family tree now consists of something like 100 branches. Of the eight surviving senior members of the family, who are now living around Auckland in excellent health, the sons are Messrs. T. H., W., John, Jameß and A. Stevens, and the daughters are Mesdames Shugg, Grindrod and Beaney. When facing the inescapable cameras at Point Erin Park yesterday afternoon, the family provided an imposing group. Two old friends came from as far distant as New Plymouth in response to the call of "Auld Lang Syne." They were Mrs. J. Welham and Mr. J. W. Rawlinson. It was a wonderful time that the old shipmates enjoyed yesterday afternoon, and again last evening, basking in the sunshine of-lifelong friendships and becoming acquainted with members of succeeding generations.

Profitable New Industry. Now that the consignment of high-grade Angora rabbits has reached the Dominion, and other shipments are due to arrive, we may expect before long (says the "New Zealand Smallholder") that the first lots of New Zealand-grown Angora wool will be ready for disposal. In addition to the ordinary channels of trade through which the wool is bought by an agent and Bent direct to the mills, Mrs. D. B. Williams, a wellknown Angora breeder, has made the interesting suggestion that Angora wool be hand-spun into yarn. What this Angora woolspinning notion may mean to some of the growers cannot be estimated in these early days. The great thing is that hand-spinning pretty well trebles the price that is now to be obtained for Angora wool when that wool is disposed of to the usual buyer—the big millowner. It is stated the cost in England of the necessary outfit for hand-spinning is under £4.

Trafalgar Day. To-morrow is Trafalgar Day, the 123 rd anniversary of Britain's greatest naval triumph, and of the death, in the hour of victory, of Lord Nelson. A special parade service will be held in St. Matthew's Church. Officers and men of the Naval Reserve will be present, and also representatives of the City Council, the League, the Victoria League, the Returned Soldiers' Association, and other public and patriotic organisations. The service will be conducted by the vicar, the Rev. Grant Cowen, who will be assisted by the. Rev. G. T. Robson (chaplain to the Naval Division), and the Rev. Thomas Carew. Collections will be taken in city churches to-morrow in aid of the funds of the Missions to Seamen, whose institute, under the sign of the "Flying Angel," in Emily Place, does such useful work. A Lesson from France. Auckland is not verjr well sign-posted. In this respect it rather resembles London, and both are very much behind Paris. France manages these things better (writes an Aucklander who has just returned from the Continent). Not only in Paris, but throughout the country, he who" runs may read, and none but the illiterate should go astray for want of directions. Each street in 1 aris has its name on an enamel plate, white letters on a blue ground, at both ends, on both aides, and in the case of a long street there is a plate at every few blocks, so that there is no need to walk to the end of the street to find out where one is. But the most remarkable thing about this sign-posting in France is the wonderfully complete manner in which practically every country lane had its sign. The signs are made of cast iron, the letters being raised, and the posts are also of iron, so they are practically everlasting, and proof against the stone-throw-ing propensities of little boys. The names of adjacent villages, with the distance in kilometres, is shown, and their direction is indicated by arrows. The uss of arrows means that where lour roads meet only two "boards" are necessary, instead of the four arms on the usual crossroad type of signpost. The complete _ and thorough way in which the work is done in France is amazing. Another thing that appeals to a stranger is the system of name signs at the antrance: to large villages and towns. Some distance on either side of a township the traveller - will come on a prominent sign giving the name of the place. These signs are generally the gift of some automobile association, or firm interested in motoring. Many British countries might well | take a hint from France in this matter. ofsign- [ posts. -■' *