NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 227, 25 September 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Singing for Charity. The popularity of the community singing gatherings that have been held at the Town Hall during the lunch hour this season is indicated by the fact that the proceeds of the collections, which will be devoted to charity, is in the neighbourhood of £100. The final midday "sing" was held yesterday, , but the season will not end until Wednesday evening, when a record gaihering is expected at the Town Hall. Professorial Gaiety. The proposed State payment of university lecturers does not seem to give rise to any fears of bureaucratic control for Professor F. P. Worley, judging by the optimistic view taken by him at a meeting of the Auckland University District Court of Convocation last, evening. "If the University Senate determines the salaries for professors," he said, "and the Government undertakes to pay them, there will be some good in 'the proposal. It will contribute to the gaiety of the country in some way or other." Secondary School Holidays. Dates for secondary school terms throughout New Zealand have been notified by the Education Department as follows:—First term: From Tuesday, February 3, to Friday, May 8. Second term: From Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, August 21. Third term: From Tuesday, September 15, to Friday, December 18. Commencing date of 1932 school year, Tuesday, February 2. Except that the secondary schools have a week longar at the end of the second- term, the holidays are the same as those for primary schools. Rotorua Preferred. The next annual conference of the Municipal Association will open at Rotorua on March 4. Tliis announcement is of special interest because the association's previous conferences have not been held in the small centres. It is an indication of the tendency of Dominion conferences to move round New Zealand, and to include the smaller centres in the tour. On this occasion the Municipal Association received invitations to hold the conference in Rotorua and New Plymouth. Probably 150 delegates will visit Rotorua during the first week in March. Newmarket Improvements. In completion of an improvement scheme at Victoria Crescent, Newmarket, the Newmarket Borough Council decided last evening to undertake the paving of the approaches to the overbridge. Since the bridge was built three years ago the approaches have fully consolidated, and they will be concreted during the Crowhurst Street improvements. Tho cost will be covered by the balance of the £12,000 loan raised maiuly for the bridge. Ratepayers recently sanctioned a loan in connection with the Crowhurst Street proposal, and one of the first steps will be to acquire the necessary properties. Value of Organ Recitals. The opinion that the introduction of gramophones and wireless into homes and schools has not altogether taken the place of organ recitals was expressed in a communication from the Primary Schools Committees' Association to the Headmasters' Association. Mr. S. E. Chappell, chairman of the first-named organisation, stated at yesterday's meeting, that appreciation of the recitals given by Mr. Maughan Barnett, the city organist, had also been expressed. The association considered that the question of taking scholars to the recitals should be left to the discretion of individual headmasters, taking into consideration the distances of particular schools from the city. Work at Manna House. In the course of his investigations into the question of the unemployed in Auckland, the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, Mr. William Wallace, visited Manna House, Cook Street, to see the work that is being done there in providing free meals for men out of employment. Since Sister Esther and the Presbyterian Social Service Association started the idea 25,000 free meals have been provided for men out of work. The figures were highest in August, the coldest month of the year, when 6487 meals were given. For the first three weeks of the present month the total reached 4818, and, unfortunately, says Mr. Wallace, there is no falling off in the demand. Commenting on his visit, Mr. Wallace said to a "Star" reporter that in his opinion 50 per cent of the men were unfit, and his visit convinced him that effect should, be given to the Rest Homes Act passed last session. Such men might be able to, earn enough to keep themselves, but could never fight their way in the world. He was impressed by the good work being done at Manna House. He emphasised the fact that all the help was voluntary—with tho exception of the cook and the assistant cook. The Rev. T. Halliday, secretary of the Presbyterian Social Service Association, is in charge. Where the Old Ships Lie. Many writers in the "Star" lave recently been discussing the last resting-place of ships that ended their days in Auckland. No two writers seemed able to agree, and to settle the matter the "Star" wrote to Mr. Alfred R. Alison, now of Waiheke, who for many years was in charge of BroAvn's Island, the "graveyard" of a number of old craft, including several of die. old boats of the Ferry Company. Mr. Alison writes: "I think I can tell you where the.bones, of most of the old vessels lie. At Brown's Islandthere are the Examiner, the Caberfeidh, the John Knox, the Bellamarina and the Senator, the lastmentioned being the first boat in the San Francisco mail service to be fitted Avith power; her , engines were of the old-fashioned beam type. -At' Pine Island lie the ship America, the barque Leon and the Retriever. The Clara Hargreaves lies at Drunken Bay (now Islington Bay); the M. A. Doran at Matiatia, Waiheke; the Mary of Argyle at Home Bay, Motutapu. The Cloud'was blown up in the Tamaki River, Avhere she Avas used as a poAvder hulk. The Royal Tar Avas Avrecked on 'Shearer Rock, off Tiritiri, and the mate was drowned. The Northern Star founded while on the voyage to Gisborne Avith a cargo of bricks. The ship Wolverine, formerly a man-o-war, was broken up in Stanley Bay. All the above-men-tioned vessels were barques, with the exception of the Senator, the America and the Wolverine." The Smallest Constable. Mr. Thomas Hickman,-who'died at ; New Plymouth last week, Avas the smallest in stature of any of the men Avho have done service in the NeAv Zealand Police Force. He performed (ffine of the hardest and most trying Avork over a long period of years that any policeman Avas ever called upon to do'when he Avas stationed at Opunake. Old - settlers - speak with enthusiasm of how he kept the balance even betAveen pakeha and Maori and lioav he.Avon the esteem of both races. John Ballance, the great Liberal Premier, Avas an idealist who found it hard to get the people of this country to absorb some of his advanced ideae, but he never made a greater masterstroke than Avhen, five or six years after John Bryce's raid on Parihaka, Avhen Te Whitu and Tohu Avere arrested and taken to the South Island, he withdreAv the armed force Avhieh' Avasstili maintained to keep peace at, Parihaka, and replaced it with the smallest policeman in the country. It is a story full of romance how, after Te Whiti returned from captivity and Hickman was in sole charge of the district, he, by a carefully conceived plan, had Te Whiti arrested: at night in his own Avhare and conveyed to New Plymouth to ansAver a simple charge. Hickman had done single-handed Avhat it. had taken ;an armed force of nearly 2000 under Bryceto do previously. Hoav Ballance chuckled over the achieA r ement, for although the circumstances were different, the incident was talkci about from one end of the country to the other, and it lost nothing in the telling, especially by the partisans of the Liberal.party, •- ' .