NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 138, 13 June 1929, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Carnegie Library Grants.

In a letter to the chief librarian of the Canterbury Public Library, the president of the Carnegie Corporation states that it has made arrangements to distribute collections of leading American books on education and psychology to librarians than those of educational institutions. The corporation does not contemplate making appropriations for building projects either in Australia or New Zealand, nor do the powers of the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust extend to the Dominions.

Land Settlement Meeting. A public meeting is to be held in the Town Hall on June 21 under the auspices of the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League. The case for land settlement will be presented on the same lines as that already presented to and approved by the Prime .Minister. Figures will be placed before the meeting showing the close relation of settlement and employment, and setting out to prove that a real solution of the unemployment problem can be readied only through land settlement.

Air Port for Auckland. Reference to the suggested conversion of Shoal Bay for the purpose of the provision of an air port for Auckland was made by Mr. Harold J. C. George at the meeting of the Northcote Borough Council on Tuesday. On his motion, it was unanimously resolved: "That the Northcote Borough Council views with satisfaction the proposal for an air port for Auckland, and records hearty appreciation of the effort's being put forward to vards its establishment, and wishes the movement every success."

A Referee's Misfortune. The idea that players only may he injured in a football match has been dissipated by an accident which befell Mr. T. Chernside an Auckland Rugby League referee, last week-end, when he received an accidental kick. The matter was brought before the Management Committee at last evening's meeting by the Referees' Association, so that the injured official would get the benefit of insurance. It was reported that Mr. Chernside would have to undergo an operation this week.

Vehicular Ferry Fares. The Auckland Automobile Association recently approached the Devonport Steam Ferry Company with a request that the return fares for cars conveyed between Auckland and Devonport should be reduced from 3/4 to 2/li. The company replied that no reduction could be made. The new landing stage had decreased the journey, but increased harbour dues and the extra cost of a more frequent service made it necessary to maintain the existing charges. There was a possibility, however, that annual tickets might be issued in respect to 7 h.p. cars.

Anchor Recovered. An anchor and 45 fathoms of cable belonging to the tanker Brunswick were salvaged from the bed of the harbour yesterday. Through a pin dropping out of one of the shackles in the cable, the "hook" had been dropped in the middle of the harbour when the vessel anchored overnight. After the Brunswick berthed at the Western wharf, a launch swept the place where she had lain, and located the missing anchor. Yesterday afternoon a diver went down and attached a steel hawser to the loose end of the cable, which was then hauled aboard a punt. The work was not completed until last evening, when the puiit was towed alongside the Brunswick; and the tanker's windlass lifted the anchor and cable aboard. Together the anchor and the section of chain weighed about 12 tons.

Waiwera Hill Tunnel. A suggested scheme for the construction of a tunnel to eliminate the steep grade on Waiwera Hill was submitted to the council of the Auckland Automobile Association last' evening by the consulting engineer, Mr. G. T. Hurray. He pointed out that work was proceeding on the existing route, and reconstruction would follow this course unless some better scheme was brought forward. The road climbed for 220 ft on Waiwera Hill. A foreshore road had been proposed, but he thought a better scheme would be the construction of a ten-chain tunnel. The total length of the route, including the tunnel, would be 83 chains, as against 104 chains by the present road, and the cost would be about' £14.000. It was decided to bring the pronosal under the notice of the Main Highways Board. ,

Convent Rates. The Valuer-General notified the Mount Roskill Road Beard that he was of the opinion that the Monte Cecilia Convent School was exempt from rates, on the ground that it was not carried nu exclusively for profit, but that the grazing land was not entitled to exemption, for the reason that it was not, strictly speaking, for a school. The Auckland office had been instructed to apportion valuation so as to leave four acres assessed with the school buildings, and the balance as land for grazing. This course would probably facilitate the payment of rates, but would not bind the board or the owner in any action either may deem fit to take. Mr. G. E. Tansley remarked at the board's meeting last evening that the Lady Superior had. stated she was willing to pay the rates on the land used for grazing. Tt was decided to ask the Auckland Valuation Office to expedite the revaluation of this property. and the subject will then be further considered by the board.

Relief Work at Takapuna. Urging that < the Government should make the provision for unemployment' a national matter, and not leave it to the local bodies, and particularly that attention should be given to the matter of insurance against unemployment, a letter from Mr. J. Guiniven was received by the Takapuna Borough Council last night. Information on the working of the scheme was being sought from Home by the present Government, said Mr. A. M. Seaman. The council adopted a resolution urging upon the Government the effective consideration of insurance. It was stated that 98 men from the ranks of the unemployed were now engaged upon the borough's footpath improvement scheme. A special meeting of the council, it was stated, had taken preliminary steps for raising the loan of £4000 for the footpath improvement scheme. A letter had been received from the Prime Minister, in reply to the council's application for a £ for £ subsidy up to £2000 for the relief of unemployment, stating that the representations would receive careful consideration.

A Rugby Greyhound. A greyhound that leaped and bounded all over the place and made the fleetest wing threequarter look slow caused ;: diversion in the match between the ' Auckland and Australian Universities at Eden Park yesterday afternoon. It was half-way through the second spell when the hound dashed through the gate leading on to the

ground and made a beeline for the ball. As soon as it was convinced that the sodden leather was neither an electric hare nor one of the blood and fur variety, the dog turned its attention to the players, and generally made itself a nuisance by jumping up at them and getting in the way. Some spirited whistling from the stand brought the hound off the field, and the stout efforts of a St. John Ambulance attendant resulted in it being put over the fence, despite efforts by the dog to brin"- its teeth into play. At Palmerston North in 1925, when the Victorian cricketers were batting against Manawatu. a fox terrier intercepted the ball, and the batsmen ran eight before the dog crossed the boundary and outside fence with it. Thereon lost ball was sis-nailed, and six more runs were added, making 14 altogether for the stroke. Ediar llavne. the visiting sk'typer. however.' had the score book altered to three, the actual runs scored at the moment the dog beat the fieldsman*