NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Cyclamen Blooming. With summer not yet over there is blooding in a Rertiuera garden a cyclamen plant which, in ordinary seasons, would not flower until midspring. In the 9ame garden there are several anemone plants growing vigorously. The wet, cold summer Is no adubt responsible for these unusual occurrences. Magistrate Dislikes Slang. "He tried to put it over my client," said counsel in defending a motor driver in the Magis trate's Court .at Christchurch. "I .wish you wouldn't use that term, 'put it over.' I don't know what It means," said Mr. JjJ. £). Mosley, S.M. "It is hardly the thing for a professional man." "Well, he was hardly fair to my client, and tried to trap him," continued counsel. "That is legitimate English." said Mr. Mosley. "I don't appreciate these slang terms." Campaign Against Cancer. In pursuance of the cancer research campaign, the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh, of Devonport, has initiated a movement to enlist the help of the churches, as a means of raising money and providing voluntary workers. He has invited Mr. J. W. Shaw,'who addressed the Town Hall meeting on Thursday, to give an address in St. Paul's Church, Devonport, to-morrow evening, and Mr. Shaw has agreed to do so. It is hoped that a general movement in all denominations may be ' i .alf-Crowns Rare in Sydney. f A New Zealander visiting Sydney recently was impressed by, the fact that he was always given florins and one shilling pieces as change. Other than the half-crowns he brought over he saw no half-crowns and was moved to remark on the custom to a shopkeeper. The latter seated that the only time he saw a half-crown was when a New Zealand boat arrived in port. The rareness of half-crowns probably accounted for tlie fact that when tendered a half-crown the young shop assistant gave change as if tho coin was a florin. Young Sydney apparently does not know the difference between a florin and a half-crown. Free Deer Shooting. The fact that New Zealand has almost 2,000,000 deer in the herds grown from the animals introduced 40 years ago can be turned into a clever advertising feature if the 'suggestion of the New Zealand Tourist League is given effect. The numbers of the deer have grown to a point where the Government has to pay men to slaughter them in order to conserve the food for the remainder, and to prevent farming lands being subjected to incursions from the animals. The league thinks' that the Government should waive all license fees, and advertise to the world that there is free deer shooting in the Dominion and no restriction on the size of the bag in most places. , Sydney Shark-Proof Fences. A visitor passing through Auckland from Sydney expressed the opinion that the "fences" built on the Sydney beaches to guard against the shark-menace would not be very satisfactory. "The nets are suspended from island to island," said the visitor, "but are constructed strongly and permanently only at the points of suspension. The mesh is held to the bottom of the harbour by means of weights, and is not fastened to the bed itself so that nothing can move it." The currents were very swift, he said, and they might be suf- ' ficient to move tho net. If they could not, he thought that the force of the waves in rough weather, beating against the part of the net above the water, would move the weights which held the protection to the harbour bed. The oilly real, solution, he considered, was to clamp the net firmly and permanently to the bed of the harbour. Statuary for the Domain. "The Fountain of the Valkyries," by Gilbert Bayes, the beautiful piece of sculpture presented to the city by Mr. R. S. Hcllaby, of London, and formerly of Auckland, has been ' erected in, the Domain, at the lower end of the gardens, just above the tree nursery. A small stone pool and pedestal -have been provided for the fountain, which stands about 7ft high. A bronze figure of a mounted Valkyrie, or warrior maiden of Teutonic legend, stands upon a block of marble, round which runs a frieze in low relief of other Valkyries, wildly galloping upon their steeds through the' clouds. The marble is supported by a bronze capitol bearing two gargoyles, from the mouths of which flow jets of Water. The fountain is a, particularly beautiful example of miniature statuary, and has no counterpart locally, except in some 6f the small bronzes lately acquired for the Auckland Art Gallery. Discourtesy to Visitors. It was reported at last night's meeting of the New Zealand Tourist League that some of the visitors on the Malolo recently wore subjected to jeering remarks by people on the wharf, the folding "bell-topper" being one of the things that aroused mirth. Tho people so transgressing the rules of hospitality were said to be watei'siders. lii view of the fact that one company ceased to run these excursions to New Zealand owing to the annoyance given to visitors by certain people, the league, in a friendly way, asked the watei'siders if they could help sheet home the blame, pointing out that the tourists left good money in the country. The Watersiders' Union wrote in reply that it thoroughly appreciated the fact that outside money was brought in by tourists and that all classes benefited and that it was bad policy to annoy visitors and make fun of them. It maintained that none of the bona fide members of the union had anything to do with the reported occurrence and that as far as the union was concerned It would not tolerate any such practice. Films for Children. In his farewell speech at Wellington, the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, made a plea to parents to use "discrimination ill sending 'their children to cinema performances. The scheme which Lady Alice Fergusson started in Auckland for trying to improve the standard of performances for children received a setback owing to the introduction of the "talkies,", but in Auckland the sclienie was fairly good, really sound performances being held on Saturday afternoons, and they were to be started in Wellington shortly. lie had acknowledge with gratitude the cO-operation of the various iilni houses and business firms, but the scheme coald only succeed if it were made a business proposition. He urged parents to support the scheme, which could only succeed if it were made a business proposition.; Once the scheme was successfully started ,it would extend to all the . large centres. The * performances would be ones to which parents could safely send their children, iresting assured that nothing, detrimental.•'■ wouldbe sliown. to them whilst at a .very impressionable age. , , \ j y • Grafton Bridge -Traffic Rule. ; >;When--.crossing .Grafton /Bridge the other morning v it youiig woman found': her progress, im-. pcnled- by tilree' crippled- but; jpyialiokl chaps who had been- to. the Auckland Hospital for treatment-., As one of the-bid fellows hobbled aside,to .make. way for .the fair; .-pedestrian, he restrained her /with a fatherly hand, \4'hd asked, with a twinkle .in his eye, why"she did not observe tlie .instruc-. tions about crossing .on\th"e alight-hand side. "If you did Were asked," he remarked, "tlifiii we old men could : cro"ssi-in: peace.".. The. lady looked at him a moment, and then burst out laiigliing. " The old chap laughed too. "To tell you the truth,.l've never seen, the notices," was the'confession of^tlie young woman, as she passed on. The notices at each end of ,the bridge, which direct that pedestrians must -crOss by the right-, .hand"side, are ignored by the: majority of people. They -were put up some.years ago in an endeavour to get people to walk on the side where they Would face the oncoming traffic, instead of'having advancing traffic coming along behind them. In view of the awkward situations created on the crowded- pavements of the bridge on busy days, by constantly passing groups, it might be as well if the City Council attempted to show the 1 people the best way to cross. Traffic inspectors might succeed where the mute notices fail.