NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 56, 7 March 1929, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Education Board Seat.

The election of a member to represent the north ward on the Auckland Education Board will be concluded on Wednesday, March 20. Voting closed yesterday, and a fortnight is allowed for ballot papers to reach the secretary of the hoard in Auckland. The seat was left vacant by the death of Mr. J. D. McKenzie, and two nominations were received—Mrs. Viva Donaldson, of Whangarei, and Mr. R. T. Wrathall, of Mangonui. Produce Grading. Keen interest was taken in the grading competition with which the Dairy Factory Managers' Association Conference opened in Auckland yesterday. A number of butter and cheese samples which had been previously gone over by the Government graders were regraded by the competitors. The results were:—Butter: J. A. Blake (Wahikti), 99} points, 1; D. R. Anderson (Aka Aka), 99 points, 2; A. H. Roberts (Te Awamutu), 9S} points, 3. Cheese: A. Graham (Manawaru), 101 points. 1; A. Baird (East Tamaki), 100* points, 2; B. Barnes (Matamata), 99 J points, 3. Swimming in Schools. Sympathy towards a proposal that swimming instruction should be made compulsory at schools where facilities were available "was expressed at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday. The chief difficulty, said the chairman. Mr. A. Burns, was the cost* where swimming pools had to he provided. Many schools had natural facilities, which enabled instruction to be given regularly if supervision by the tr.ichers could be arranged'. The board decided to ask the Education Department for a capitalion allowance to provide for instruction in such cases. Lost in Transit. A suburban lady, having visited a book exchange, was returning home with a large bundle of good literature under her arm. Unfortunately, her way led up Queen Street, where she succumbed to the lure of a •"summer sale" notice on a draper's window. She entered. In the stocking department, she still maintains, there were some good bargains, so good that she put down her bundle of books for an instant to examine the hosiery. Only for a second was her attention riveted on the wares, but when she turned to pick up her parcel, it was gone. Having entered the store without any intention of buying anything, she could not even say, when she returned home emnty-handed, that her parcel was lost in a good cause. Rangitoto's Exotics. The protest of the Auckland Museum and Institute ag-iinst the importation of exotic plants and shrubs to Rangitoto Island came before the Domain Board at its meeting last everuL , ?. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. Hislop) pointed ont that the law prohibiting such importations had Icon in force for many years. He said that on more than one occasion '"direct action" had been taken in order to prevent peonle taking pla.i + s and shrubs to the island. "We are in a somewhat clifiicult position,"' said Mr. Hislop, "fo- the simple reason that Rangitoto is not u revenueproducing asset. We shall, however, be glad to confer with the institute council, or any other body, which can suggest how the n*.-><?s.- - arV fund? for preventive and protective work can be raised." Water Supply Needed. The question of a water supply for the district of Mount Wellington has again been discussed by the Road Board. In view of the recent shortage for domestic purposes, and the lack of protection from fire—for several buildings have been destroyed during the last few months—the po*i- ! tion has reached an acute stajre. The board prepared a scheme designed to form the liii'-'cus of a permanent reticulation, providing only for domestic purposes. However, ohji-ct'oi.- witi> lodged, and when the proposal was jsi'imiJtted t;> the Local Government Loans D'i:'.ril. ii was not approved, the Loans Board station that the district was very scattered. Aimtli?r reason advanced was that several years must elapse before the effect of suburban settlement would materially reduce the heavy burden the present ratepayers had to face. The Road Board decided to recommend to the incoming board the advisability of having data prepared by an independent engineer with a view to again taking up the matter with the Local Government Loans Board. Trio of Accidents. Slight concussion and a fractured arm were the injuries received by Mr. James Devine, single, aged 22, who lives at the Grand Hotel, when his motor cycle jumped the kerb and struck a wall in High Street late yesterday afternoon. Swerving suddenly to avoid a collision with another vehicle was the cause of the accident. The St. John Ambulance took the injured man to the Auckland Hospital. To-day he was reported to be doing well. Mr. J. Devlin, aged 25, of 11. Currie Street, Edendale, received a compound fracture of the leg as the result of an accident, in Quay Street about five o'clock yesterday afternoon. He was taken to the Auckland Hospital, and was operated upon last evening. Today the authorities said his condition was only fair. Through having his left foot jammed between two heavily-laden trays, a labourer, Mr. Lewis Morris, ased 65. of 1, Marewa Road, Green Lane, was taken to the Auckland Hospital last evening with a broken ankle. When the accident happened, Mr. Morris was working on the Commonweath and Dominion Line's motor ship Port Freraantle. He is doing well. Naval Men's Railway Passes. What appears to be partiality in treatment in the New Zealand division of the Navy was brought under the notice of Mr. J. W. Munio, M.P., of Dunedin. and he has promised to make full inquiries with the aim of obtaining a similar concession for New Zealand ratings (says our Dunedin correspondent). It was pointed out to Mr. Munro that wives of officers on ships of the New Zealand division are given free railway passes to enable them to travel in New Zealand to ports at which their husband's ships are located. The sailors and petty officers, however, are unable to obtain similar concessions for t.ieir wives, whom they see very infrequently. At least a reduction in the full railway faics nowcharged was asked for. The men feel that, .is they are absent from their home ports for extended periods and located at other po-t-s foweeks at a time, their wives should b> :rven the same facilities as the wives of the t'fiirers. Mr. Munro suggested that perhaps the Nava! authorities were against ratings marryinir. but ~t was stated in reply that extra pay was to married men, and provision was*also made for children. Papatoetoe's Advance. Like a fresh mushroom crop that has sprung up alongside some older member of its species, a small district in the Manukau County, just outside the Papatoetoe town boundary, "has grown in the last few years to a size that give* some ground for its pretensions to be regarded as a part of the town. When the original Papatoetoe Road Board had control of an area of several square miles, this particular district, which is known as the Sunnyside E*tate, on the southern side of Papatoetoe, was part of a progressive dairy farm, and the verdant pastures of spring and summer gave a rural charm to the landscape. The formation of the town district. eleven years ago, resulted in a compact area of two square miles being selected from the road district for the higher municipal status. The contour of the boundaries, however, left some room for criticism, and the residents of Sunnyside, in putting forward a petition that they should be absorbed ipto the town of Papatoetoe, have drawn upon the geographical position for one of their chief arguments. The area proposed for absorption is about 50 acres, the signatories to the petition number 42, and the population is denser than in some of the outer parts of the Papatoetoe town district on the westerly and northern sides. Sympathy with the movement of the petitioners was expressed by the Papatoetoe Town Board on Tuesday evening, and those concerned were recommended to seek the approval of the Governor-General to their proposal.