NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 237, 7 October 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

To-morrow's Eclipse. A small partial lunar eclipse will occur tomorrow morning and tho ocgimiiug should be visible at moon set. The. eclipse proper begins at 6.16 a.m., the maximum obscuration occurring at 0.30 a.m., when, threc-liundredths of the moon's, apparent diameter will be covered 'by the earth's shadow. The eclipse will end at 0.37 a.m. "A Blunder of the Times." "We don't want to keep everything behind closed doors. It is one of the big blunders of the times," said Mr. E. H. Potter at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Electric Power Board, when a suggestion -was made that certain representations made to the board should be taken in committee. After the discussion had 'been heard members generally agreed that it was advisable that it should not be released for publication. Modernising Homes. The majority of local bodies in Auckland are in sympathy with the scheme introduced by the Modernising of Buildings Promotion Society for the relief of unemployment. The Auckland Electric Power Board, for instance, while it finds itself unable to make a donation to the society's funds, is anxious to co-operate in advancing the scheme. With this in view details of the board's scheme of financial assistance covering the cost of installations is to be forwarded to the society. Wealth from the Beach. The following appeared in the Greymouth "Evening Star" of October 2: I would like to point out that there is ample room for the unemployed to "work" the West Coast beach between Charleston and Okarito. All that is required is a cradle and a long-handled shovel I am confident that £1 per clay could bo earned. No loafers required.—"Old Miner." Tho correspondent is evidently referring to the black sand deposits, which are to be found on this 200-mile stretch of beach. Memorial Museum Inspection. Local body members and their wives have accepted the invitation of the Auckland Institute to a special view of the War Memorial Museum this evening. It is intended to give representatives of the contributing bodies an idea of the work which is being carried on, and to this end an inspection of the workshops and storerooms will be made and short addresses will be given by members of the professional staff. A demonstration of Maori weaving and plaiting will be given by Piki Tawhaki Tamehana, and there will be opportunity for a general look round the collections under the guidance of the staff and members of the council. Advertising Auckland. "Ports of Far-away which trade with London," is the title of a new series of articles appearing in the "P.L.A. Monthly," the magazine of the Port of London Authority. Auckland is the first of the scries. The writer records the interesting fact that the arrival of the barque Platina marked 'Auckland's first commercial connection with London—a trade which has grown to great dimensions. The article concludes:—"The port of Auckland in dealing with this ever-increasing trade to and from London, can favourably compare with any port in the Southern Hemisphere, and there ate few ports whose future holds such prospects; its ideally sheltered position and its beauty make it one of the safest and loveliest harbours in the world" Power for Hospital. The need to maintain a continuous supply of electricity at the Auckland Public Hospital is fully realised by the Auckland Electric Power Board. At a recent meeting of tho latter body Mr. E. 11. Potter asked tho general manager, Mr. It. IT. Bartley, for details of the present electrical supply at the hospital, and mentioned the advisability of consolidating all the existing services at the institution. -Sir. Bartley stated that everything possible had been done to ensure a continuity of supply to the hospital. More than twelve mouths ago the board had indicated to the hospital authorities arrangements that would ensure continuous power in the event of the total failure of the board's supply. Power Board Grants. "There is no- better organisation in the country." said Mr. J. Rowo at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Electric Power Board, when the St. John Ambulance wrote making its annual appeal for financial assistance. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, said that as a body employing a large body of men, the board received direct benefit from the ambulance. It was decided to donate £10 10/ to the ambulance funds. The board further agreed to become a financial member of tho Returned Soldiers' Association to assist it with its scheme of a corps of commissionaires, but declined to make a grant to the Auckland City Mission. "If we start on this sort of thing." said Mr. Holdsworth, referring to the latter application, "we will receive not one, but hundreds of similar requests." The Empire Games. One of the things that most interested Mr. E. J. Hobbs. manager of the New Zealand British Empire Games team, at Hamilton, Ontario, was the splendid spirit of amateurism that prevailed throughout the tournament. In speaking at a luncheon tendered the team yesterday Mr. Hobbs said that there was an entire absence of bad feeling and in every event the loser was the first man to congratulate the winner. After every final the three placed competitors stood on a dais in front of the main stands, the winner' being a step higher than the second man. who in turn was a step above the other placed competitor. The band would then strike up, all the spectators would stand, and as the flag of the country which the winner represented was run up to the top of the flagpole all three competitors would slowly raise one hand. Trade With Noumea. "Shellback" writes: I noticed in a recent issue of the "Star" that an effort was to be made to revive the trade with Noumea. In ISSO and 1890, when Noumea was a penal settlement, there was a good demand for New Zealand produce. The brigantincs Borealis and Dary Pratt, the schooner Nerval and the cutter Ma*a made many trips to Noumea. The usual lading was to half-fill the vessel with sawn timber and then fill up with salted beef in 2001b casks, biscuits (cabin bread) in 1001b boxes, butter in 561b kegs, potatoes, onions, etc. One trip the Norval brought a load of kauri gum to be transhipped to New York, but, as the gum was of an inferior quality, the Auckland merchants objected, as it was liable to spoil the market for New Zealand gum. The handicap now in exploiting a neAV trade is ( that an expensive steadier has to be engaged, whereas in the period to which I refer a cutter or schooner carrying three or four of a crew could be used. Wrestler's Unlucky Night. .One of the contestants in the professional wrestling match which drew a record crowd to the Town Hall last night was doubly unlucky — he lost the match when he toppled off the staging on to the floor of the main hall and stunned himself, and he also lost his dressing gown and smelling salts. When Tom Lurieh disappeared from A°icw over the side of the platform on which the ring was erected his second rushed over to him. leaving the wrestler's gown and salts at the foot of one of the posts. It was some minutes before Lurieh Avas brought round to consciousness, and by that time his opponent, George Walker, had* been declared the winner. Lurieh was bitterly disappointed, and when his second informed him that his dressing gown and smell hi" , ; alt~ had vanished while he lay unconscious he must have formed the opinion that it was indeed his unlucky night. J