NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 165, 15 July 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Silver Paper Burned. ' My only regret is that the silver paper collected by the society—half a ton of it —has been burned in London,said Mrs. J. Cracroft Wilson, the re-elected president, at the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Plunket Society. Where the society expected to realise £70, she added, it had received a cheque for only a little over £0. Solicitors had been consulted, but there was no redress. Government as "Fair Game." "Some people seem to look on the Government as fair game," said Mi-. E. D. Mosley,/S.M., when sentencing a man for theft from the Addington _ workshops, at the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch. "And some quite reputable members of the community seem to look on* it in the same way, not, of course, in the matter of petty theft, but with reference to such things as. making statements for the purpose of income tax, and so on." New Botanical Hybrid. Mr. A. D. Beddie, of Petone, who for somt years has been successfully studying hybridism so far as concerns the native trees and shrubs near Wellington, has made the important discovery that the pokaka (not a very common tree in this district) and the hinau cross and produce a remarkable race of trees hitherto unknown. Dr. L. Cockayne fully concurs in Mr. Beddie's supposition, and proposes to publish an illustrated account of the group in an overseas journal devoted to genetics. The group is to be called X Elaeocarpus Beddianus. Venison for All. By proclamation in the Government "Gazette" of July 4 last, deer cease from that date to be imported game in a long list of Acclimatisation Society districts. The proclamation does not a pply to some districts at present, chiefly beause the stalking season has not expired there yet. In the Wellington, Auckland and Feilding districts deer still remain officially imported game, but as these stalking seasons end the deer in these districts will have protection removed, until deer everywhere in New Zealand will be anybody's venison. An Unusual Visitor. A mild sensation was created in the Thames district when it was found that a young sperm whale, in the course of. its wanderings round the upper reaches of theHauraki Gulf, had swum up the Waihou Biver with the tide on Sunday, and, in endeavouring to go inside a nest of piles south of the Hauraki Bridge at Kopu, had grounded on the river bank. It was left high and dry by the tide, and apparently died during the night. Later its finder floated it down close to the bridge, where it has attracted a large number of people to view it. The Urge of Ambition. An Auckland schoolgirl, aged 13, was asked to write an essay on the career of the late Prime It was an admirable effort, emphasis being laid on Sir Joseph's rise from humble beginnings to the highest position in the land, and his example to tho younger generation of New Zealanders being pointed out. One of the introductory paragraphs was distinctly funny, "Sir Joseph was born at Bluff," said the young authoress, "and at an early age he rose to be a telegraph messenger. However, ho wanted to rise still higher, so he became a member of Parliament." Business Man's Dilemma. The rate of telegraph exchange for money between Fiji and London is 6% per cent, and that between New Zealand and London is 6% per cent. An Auckland business man who arrived from Suva by the Niagara yesterday, in discussing the financial situation, said at the present time he had £24,000 on call in New Zealand bank. The _ money represented payment for goods belonging to the English firm he represented, and it was earning 5 per cent interest. In view of the heavy telegraph exchange rate, it was better business to get 5 per cent on call than to transfer the money to London, which would mean a ' loss of 1% per cent. "I don't know how long 1 my principals in London will allow this to go i on," he added. "I shall certainly have to send the money sooner or later."

Railway Transport Anomaly. At a meeting of railway workers held at Hamilton / during the week-end, it was stated that the class of goods accepted by motor carriers was all high tariff stuff, of classes A, B, C and D, which on tho railways was carried for 69/1, 57/9, 47/ and 37/1 respectively, whereas tho low-priced, rough-handling lines, whi'clf the motors refused to carry, such as manures, coal, shingle, flax and rubble, ranged from 18/ to 8/5 per ton. To meet this competition the Department had reduced the tariff on tho higher classed goods, including a free delivery. 'It was found, however, tliat in many cases the carrier was receiving more for carting goods from the station to the consignee than the Department was getting for bringing the goods from Auckland to Hamilton. By-election Problem. An interesting position lias arisen regarding the contest for the Western Maori seat, which was rendered vacant by the death of the late Sir Maui Pomare. Speaking at Christchurch yesterday, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates eaid there had previously been some understanding that if Sir Maui was not opposed for the Western Maori seat, Sir Apirana Ngata would not be opposed for the Eastern Maori. The matter was also mentioned by the Prime Minister. "The Maoris may have had some understanding," said Mr. I Forbes. "The question of representation has usually been left to the Maori members in the House of Representatives. There is no arrangement between the parties, and the question of the contest has not yet been discussed by the United party."

Handbook for Aviators. A 'New Zealand edition of the "Air Pilot," a Government publication giving information of interest, official and. otherwise, to aviators, will 'be published before the end of next year if the hopes o£ the director of air services, WingCommander S. Grant Dalton, are fulfilled. The publication will provide information on the conditions affecting flying throughout the Dominion, and will include air navigation regulations and directions, general information to pilots, notes on climate, pilotage instruction, notes on aerodromes and landing grounds, plans of aerodromes and route maps. The production will be made available at cost price to all aero clubs and pilots, and will be kept up-to-date by the issue of supplementary sheets. "It must be realised," said Wing-Commander Grant Dalton, "that the value of this book will depend upon the co-operation of the flying public throughout the country. For information on air routes and the supply of up-to-date plans of aerodromes and landing grounds, reliance must be placed on local authorities, aero clubs and air lines." Helping the Farmer's Wife. "At the risk of using language more fit for the platform than the chair of this association," said Mr. H. F. Toogood, president, at the conference of the Electric Supply Authority Engineers' Association at Wellington, "I would point out that no one is more deserving of all the help that electricity can give than the farmer's wife. She faces her obligations as a mother, wife and homebuilder better than any other woman in our community, and with the greater disadvantage of obtaining domestic help only with much difficulty. Electric service means much more to her than to the more fortunate women in the closelysettled areas, and I feel that this association will support most heartily, if not quite unanimously, any movement which has for its object the removing of the disadvantage the rural authorities labour under with regard to the bulk supplies purchased from the Public Works Department."