NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mayoral Chair and Chain,

As the borough of One Tree.Hill lias not long been in existence, no Mayoral chair or chain lias been purchased. At a meeting of the council last night, it was finally decided 'to purchase both, the chair to cost a sum between £6 12/6 and £9 19/6,'-and the chain —9ct gold pendant and first link —£12 10/. Each additional link will cost £2. Foils Dancing. Special classes, presumably restricted to women, at which school teachers will bo taught folk and country dancing, are to be held during the coming spring vacation. This information was contained in a memorandum received by the Auckland Education Board from the Education Department yesterday. Physical culture instructors have beeii asked to arrange the classes, and the board has been requested to notify the teachers. Lost Coal. The 50 tons of coal which was dropped on the harbour bed when the barge Moehau capsized at King's wharf on Monday is apparently gone beyond recovery. A' grab was lowered from the scow Ngahau yesterday, but it brought up more mud than coal, and the mud afterwards had to be dumped at sea. The coal has been spread by the tide or has sunk into the soft mud, for soundings taken by the Harbour Board show the same depth of water at the spot as there was before tiie mishap. Daylight Saving Query. A letter received by the Auckland Education Board yesterday asked whether a school committee had the power to fix the school hours in the event of the Daylight Saving Act being brought into operation at a date earlier than in previous years. The inquiry came from Maromaku, near Whangarei. The chairman, Mr. A'. Burns, said that it was a matter for the teacher and the school committee to decide. If, however, they could not agree, the board would give a decision. Dunedin's Southern Cruise. A three months' cruise to southern ports is to be commenced, by H.M.s. Dunedin, which leaves Auckland at five o'clock this afternoon. The warship's first port of call will be Wellington, and sho will visit, Lyttelton, Tiinaru, Oamaru and Dunedin in turn. The cruiser will return to Wellington at the beginning of October to enable the crew to carry out their annual musketry course. The return trip from Wellington to Auckland will be made via Nelson, New Plymouth and Napier. The cruiser.is due back at Auckland at the beginning of November. "Life Too Easy." The cause of the present depression in the Dominion was partly the artificial standards engendered by modern living conditions, said Mr. C. F. Bennett, when speaking to members of the Auckland Advertising Club. "We now live on an extravagant system, which in turn is the result of things being made too easy for uS," he said. When things went wrong people nowadays were not content to retrace their steps, through the medium of solid work, to find the cause. They just acccpted depression, instead of fighting it. "We have forgotten what a great cure hard work is." Selection of Rhodes Scholars. The policy of selection by personal interview is usually followed in the choosing of Rhodes Scholars within the British Empire. In New Zealand the candidates from the four colleges arc summoned to Wellington toward the end of November, when they appear before a selection committee, consisting of the GovernorGeneral, Avho presides, the Chief Justice, the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University, the chairman of the University. Academic Board, two former Rhodes Scholars, and a representative of the business world. The two scholars are selected from the candidates on grounds of personal character, and of intellectual and athletic proficiency. Shoal Bay for. Airport? "My colleague's modesty evidently precludes him from saying what a cogent argument he placed before the conference in favour of the .claims of the North Shore as an air base" said Mr. 1\ T. Eyre at last night's meeting of the Devon port Borough Council. The colleague referred to was Mr. Cassells-Brown, who was a fellow delegate to the recent airoorfc conference held in Auckland. Mr. Cassells-Brown had pointed out that. Rangitoto was a splendid direction mark by day, and could easily lie made so by night. "A mile or two west would bring the visiting 'plane to Shoal Bay—an ideal place for an air base." Harmonium Wanted for Hospital. In the August number of the "Church Gazette" the chaplain of the Auckland hospital, Canon Haselden, says: "The great kindness of so many friends in giving reading matter, spectacles and a little money for extras makes the chaplain bold enough to mention rather a great want. The organ used at the services is very old, very heavy to carry about from ward to ward, and another harmonium would be much valued. If any good friend of the sick has one to spare and would give it, I shall bo most thankful. It may be that changes in some home have caused the'harmonium to be unheard, and doing no' good at 'all. In the hospital it. will do good and be heard every Sunday at the regular services, and during the week when sweet singers sing hymns in the' wards." ■

Devonport Administration. "I think it is only fair to draw| the attention of the public to one or two interesting facts disclosed by the Local Authorities' Handbook," said Mr. J. Hislop, Deputy-Mayor of Devonport, at last night's meeting of the local borough council. It was shown that the total net indebtedness on loans was 9.40 per cent, well below the average of all other boroughs in New Zealand, which was 11.56 per cent, and that the revenue of £12.28 per . £1000 of ratable capital value compared favourably with all' boroughs in the Auckland district. Tlie averages for administrative salaries and the percentage of salaries to revenue and to 'total payments were amongst the lowest in New Zealand. '"The figures contained in the handbook} would make interesting reading for people who accuse Devonport of extravagance," added Mr. Hislop Auckland Student's Success. For' the first time. for mkny years a Colonial Exhibition at: Trinity College, Cambridge,, has been won by a New Zealander. The successful student is Mr. N. S. Alexander, of the Auckland University College, who will leave for' Wellington ; this evening, and will sail for Sydney tomorrow. The exhibition, which has been allocated -ori--Mr. - Alexander's- record, -is -available -for two years. Mr. Alexander, who was formerly a pupil at the Hamilton Boys' High School, will undertake research work at the Cavendish Laboratory under the direction of Sir Ernest Rutherford.- During'the-past-two years Mr. Alexander, who graduated M.Sc. with first-class honours in physics, has been junior assistant in the physics department at the-university, and he has also carried out a considerable amount of research work. ' | ■ "j •;

A Bag of Bananas. ' Tlie ; hour was. a few minutes past five, and the liomeward-bouiid tram was ; crowded. « The old lady liad considerable difficulty in finding a seat in the first place, because she had.'her arms full of parcels.; .Those, sitting' near her noticed that one brown paper bag was hanging - somewhat precariously by one corner, but it did not attract much attention until tlie journey was somewhat older. Then, of a sudden, there was a ripping sound, and little lengths of mottled yellow danced from the split bag, under the feet of all.sitting or-standing near. The bag hanging thus dangerouslv had been a bag of bananas. The agitation of the little old lady _ attracted the sympathy of those nearby, and willing helpers retrieved the fruit.