NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

King Country Development. While in the Ohakune district recently, Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., was struck by the remarkable development of market gardening there. He said that locality, and perhaps others in the King Country, seemed to be well suited to the growing of vegetables and root crops. The prospects for market gardening in the King Country should be particularly bright, as it was situated favourably in regard to both Wellington and Auckland, and could command both markets. A False Alarm. A curious episode occurred at the Waihi Hospital the other night, and it all came about owing to a mistake in ringing up the wrong 'phone num- : ber. Some interloper was noticed by one of the : staff roaming about the grounds after midnight, and she immediately rang up what she thought was the police station. A few minutes later those on duty were much astonished to witness members of the fire brigade pouring into the grounds, looking for the seat of the expected outbreak. Explanations followed, and it is assumed that the midnight prowler, hearing the roar of the approaching fire engine, made off in a hurry. Tribal Territory Defined. A plan showing the territory occupied by the various native tribes from the North, Cape to Auckland has been completed by Mr. Les. Kelly, of Helensville, for the Akarana Maori Association. It is to be used for lecture purposes. Some time ago Mr. Kelly did an elaborate map, showing Maori of the North. The Akarana Association anticipates that the Government will eventually arrange for aerial records being obtained of well-known Maori pa sites and hill fortification earthworks. This would be in line with surveys now undertaken abroad. Troublesome Gold. "The winning of alluvial gold art unions is not all that it seems—in fact, one's troubles just start when one wins the first prize," stated a speaker at the complimentary supper of the Napier Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club, in referring to the fact that the club won the Mardi Gras art union. He stated that so far the club had been unable to realise on the gold at what it considered a reasonable price. The gold was Waihi gold, and was valued at £100, but the most the club had so far been offered was something in. the vicinity of £70. Family's Weekly Budget. When hearing an application for a prohibition order against a man at the Nelson Magistrate's Court the other day, Mr. T. E. Maunsel, S.M., worked out the following weekly family expenses:—Rent, £1 2/6; groceries, £1 5/; meat, 12/6; milk, 5/. "That makes £3 5/ a week, allowing you £ 1 5/ out of a wage of £4 10/ for your smokes, to clothe yourself, wife and six children, and spend a little on pleasure." The magistrate considered if the man could then afford to get drunk he managed it in a manner of which he (the magistrate) was ignorant. Hardship on Workers. Since the site of the new railway station was definitely fixed, the Railway Department has been criticised for not giving more consideration to the interests of workers. In spite of assurances from official quarters that the site in the old Mechanics' Bay is the only possible one, there is a feeling that arrangements could be made to run workers train:* through to Queen Street. The Papatoetoe Chamber of Commerce and the local Welfare League discussed the position at a conference last evening, and decided to call a public meeting at Papatoetoe next Monday, to which all local bodies in the south suburban area would be invited to send delegates. Mr. H. C. Ernest, president of the chamber, said hardship would be imposed on workers by having to use trams, or to walk, from the new station to the city. The Department had been urged to rearrange its plans, but had made .no change to meet the requirement of workers. Unionism in Samoa. Samoan carpenters form just as close a corporation as the B.M.A. or any other professional union, where the etiquette is very strict. In his lecture last night on the Polynesians, Dr. P. H. Buck was explaining how the Samoans held rigidly to their old customs —more so than any other people in the Pacific. When he explained the organisation of the carpenters, his hearers were reminded of some very strict unions of the present day—both of workers and professional men. Samoa had its special guild of carpenters, and its members built all the houses. If a person decided that he wanted a house built, he had to consult one of the guild craftsmen, feed all the carpenters while they were at work on the "fale," and in addition give them a decent tip now and again. If the owner failed to keep up the food supply or the backsheesh, workers would down tools, and the job would be boycotted by the rest of the guild. New Zealand Manufacturers' Campaign. Miss E. Melville has been appointed honorary lecturer to the Auckland Manufacturers' Association. It will be Miss Melville's task to visit and address meetings of women's organisations in all parts of the Auckland Province on the advantages of , buying New Zealand-made goods. In its campaign to increase the demand for local products, the Manufacturers' Association has circularised thousands of copies of the farewell message of Sir Charles Fergusson, ex-Governor-General, and also copies of a speech made recently by Mr. James Fletcher before the Auckland Rotary Club. It was stated at yesterday's meeting that 900 copies of Sir Charles Fergusson's message had been sent through the schools of Auckland; 3000 had been sent to Christchurch; 2000 to Wellington; and another 2000 to Dunedin. A total of 13,000 would eventually be sent out. Five thousand copies of Mr. Fletcher's address had also been obtained for distribution. Popular Dr. Buck. Naturally there was a crowded audience at the University College lecture hall last evening, when Dr. P. *H. Buck was announced to lecture on "The Diversity of Polynesian Culture." The address was given under the auspices of the Auckland Institute, and the president, Mr. H. E. Vaile, presided. The doctor has always been one of the most popular lecturers on the institute's list, and his admirers were glad of the opportunity of hearing him once more. He is now on his way back from Samoa to Honolulu, where he is on the staff of the Bishop Museum. He gave a most interesting account of the past and present cultures of the Polynesian people. Dealing with the Maori people, he showed how their migration to New Zealand had quite changed their culture, and he said the Maori would in a similar manner be able to adapt himself to the European culture. He pointed out that in the past too much had been expected of the Maori, who was expected to suddenly change his ways and methods of life; but to-day more allowances were, made, and the Maori was being helped, especially in the matter of making the best use of his land. Dominion's Heavy Fire Losses. "The insurance business in New Zealand during the past two years has been bad, and the fire loss of 21/9 per head is the highest in the world," remarked Mr. Edward L. Lumley to a Christohurch "Press" reporter. Mr. Lumley, who is managing director of Messrs, Bennie S. Cohen and Son, Ltd., Lombard Street, London, and an underwriter at Lloyd's, is at present touring New Zealand. He said that it was a tribute to New Zealand that the burglary hazard was very small —probably smaller than in any other country. The fire insurance waste, on the other hand, was the highest, and at the present time amounted to about £5000 a day. showed that these happenings came in cycles, and the insurance companies hoped for an improvement. Asked if he could assign a reason for the fire waste being so high, Mr. Lumley replied that . one factor was the large amount of electric wiring done during the war with inferior material. Then there were many more wooden buildings in New Zealand than in either Australia or England. In comparison with New Zealand., the loss by fire in Australia was not great.