NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 243, 14 October 1929, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Smouldering Sleeper. A smouldering sleeper in the Parnell railway bridge was the cause of a call to the Parnell Brigade about 7.15 last evening. The cause Avas a spark from the firebox on a railway engine, and there was no damage done. Such a fire is of frequent occurrence, the brigade being called out oil.an average about five times a month. Commerce Visitors' Tours. Pleasant harbour and motor excursions were enjoyed by largo parties of delegates to the Associated Chambers of Commerce conference and their wives and families, over the week-end. On Saturday the visitors made visits by ferry to Motuihi and Rangitoto, and yesterday they were taken by various picturesque routes in private cars. Afternoon tea was partaken of at Drury, and the cars returned to the city via One Tree Hill and the Domain. Willing to Work. About thirty replies to a two-line 'Wanted" in the "Star" for a man to clear a half-acre of land shows that there are many men keenly watching the advertisements for employment of any kind. The work was stated to be at Takapuna, but the addresses of the bulk of the applicants were in the city and Auckland suburbs. They were mostly married men, with good credentials, and many "pleaded" to be given the job. People with gorse-infested property, by availing themselves of idle labour, could do much to help men badly- needing work. Not Quite a Porpoise. "Look, daddy, there's a porpoise!" said a small boy to his father on a harbour ferry boat this morning. The youngster indicated a sleek black object which rose occasionally in the trough of a wave. "By jove, so it is," said daddy, and called a friend to see the deep-sea visitor. A momentary glimpse of black was seen after the next wave had passed, and other passengers assembled. A good natural history paragraph was ruined by the next appearance of the "porpoise," which proved to be nothing more interesting than a discarded motor tyre, floating perpcndicularly, as is the wont of this species. Day of Atonement. All Jewish business houses in Auckland were closed to-day for the observance of the Day of Atonement, the close of the ten days of repentance which mark the opening of the Jewish year. Services were held in the synagogue, lasting until sunset. The year SGOO in the Jewish calendar opened on October />, and the Kol Nidrei service was held in the synagogue last evening, Rabbi Goldstein officiating. Chronology in the Jewish faith estimates the period from Adam to Noah as IGSO years, from Noah to Abraham as 292 years, and from Abraham to Jesus Christ as 2044. Flounder Caught on Line. •"Sane Grey" writes: "In your issue of the Oth inst there appeared an account of a flounder having been caught in the Waitemata Harbour by means of a line, and it was suggested that it must have been foul-hooked. It may interest some of your readers to hear that while I was camping on the shores of the Manukau I witnessed in less than one week the catching of three. flounders on lines. On each occasion the angler was using cockles for hait, and was fishing' for sprats. All three flat fish had sucked the hook well into their mouths, thereby proving they were not foul-hooketl. Also, I would mention that I have been informed that mullet have been caught on lines at the mouth of the Wanganui River."

Secondary School Athletics. Keen disappointment at the attendance of parents, friends and the general public at the secondary schools' athletic meeting on the Domain on Saturday was expressed by the officials, who had made a big effort to assure the success of the tourney. The takings at the gates were approximately £30 less than the expenses, and were less than those last year, when unfavourable weather caused a postponement from a Saturday to a Wednesday. The poor support given by the public was particularly unfortunate as a fine standard was provided by the competitors. "Our takings were a long way below*' expectations, and we would welcome any small donations," remarked one of the officials. Cheery Volunteer Workers. Armed with spades and grubbers, a working bee of about a dozen householders gathered at the new Richardson Road School, Mount Albert, on Saturday afternoon and lifted the turf from a large area which is to be surfaced with scoria and used as an assembly ground. Several loads of scoria were spread, and the work will be completed by another gang of volunteer labourers during next week-end. Before the school was opened last moniji the residents of the district spent several Saturday afternoons planting a hedge round the school grounds with trees provided by the Education Board. Humorous comparisons of the work with the Government's unemployment projects kept Saturday's volunteer labourers in a merry mood, and the job was put through in a picnic spirit,. Visitors to Samoa. On and after November 1, Germans and Austro-Hungarians will be permitted to visit and reside in Western Samoa. The civil disability which was passed under the Samoan Immigration Consolidation Order of 1924 enacted that Germans who were within the bounds of the German Empire in Europe on the outbreak of the war were prohibited from landing in Samoa except with a license from the Administrator, a similar ban being placed on Austro-Hungarians. The restriction also applied to ex-enemy subjects whose fathers came within the terms of the order. A further disability made them subject to deportation orders merely on the grounds of their nationality, and European residence on the outbreak of the Avar. The removal of the restrictions is announced by an Order-in-Council which lias just been issued. Health Department's Origin.

The circumstances in which the Health Department in New Zealand was created were the subject of an amusing anecdote by Rotarian R. W. D. Robertson at the last weekly lunncheon of the New Plymouth Rotary Club (says a Taranaki paper), when he was moving a resolution of thanks to Dr. E. J. Mecredy, the speaker of the day. The Health Department was founded as a result of the discovery by Dr. Gilruth of the first plague rat in Auckland, said Mr. Robertson. Mr. Seddon was Prime Minister at the time, and he became much alarmed at the discovery of the rat. "You will'get your Health Department," he said to Dr. Gilruth, who had been agitating for the establishment of this Department, and thereupon the Prime Minister departed hastily for Rotorua. '"I think that even if Dr. Gilruth had not found a plague rat he would have manufactured one," added Mr. Robertson. Summer Time in Force. When the city clocks boomed out two o'clock yesterday morning, most alarms and family timepieces had already been advanced half an hour to conform with the summer time regulations. Those who had neglected to make the change had plenty of time for reflection'on Sunday, and consequently Sidey time was introduced with a minimum of confusion. There were singularly few late arrivals at shops and offices this morning, testifying to the facility with which the public respond to the order to advance their clocks by thirty minutes now that they have become more or less accustomed to "tinkering with their tickers" 011 given dates. Clocks in Government Departments were put forward at the stipulated hour, but one or two' outside of city buildings were not altered till this morning. The Alison Memorial clock near the Devonport wharf had its hands swung forward on Saturday evening, and this caused a degree of consternation to some motorists who arrived to connect with the last ferry. They were relieved, however, when, the ferry showed up and ran in accordance with its regular schedule. The operation of the new time was responsible for the Main Trunk express arriving from Wellington at seven yesterday morning instead of 6.30 by the clock, the official time having been altered en route. However, all railway time-tables will be run to the new schedule from to-day.