NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 309, 31 December 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

New Year's Day. The "Auckland Star" will not be published to-morrow (New Year's Day). Advertisers should make their arrangements accordingly. Samoan Anniversary. A Press radio message to the "New Zealand Samoa Guardian" states that the first anniversary of the death of High Chief Tamaeese and his Samoan compatriots was observed on December 2S by a procession of several hundred women of the Mau to Tamasese's tomb near Apia, wreaths being placed on the cairn. No Samoan men, with the exception of native pastors, took part. A strong force of constabulary was present, but there was no disturbance. The "Down and Out" Mission. Mr. F. Williams, who, with Mrs. Williams, conducts the "down and out" mission in Albert Street, wishes to thank the public for the assistance given to him during the Christmas holidays. Gifts were distributed during Christmas Eve to the poor and needy, and a meal was supplied to 60 men. On Saturday and Sunday evenings over 180 people, men, woman and children, were given a special tea. Further assistance in extending the work of the mission over the New Year is invited by the missioner. New Parking Regulations. The ban on all-day parking in the city will come into operation to-morrow. Under the new by-laws, drivers will not be permitted to leave their care unattended all day outside their places of business, as has been the practice in the past. The City Council traffic department has decided to station officers in the principal streets affected for the first few days to remind motorists of the altered regulations. There are a number of streets to which the ban does not apply, but nearly all these streets are some hundreds of yards from the centre of the city. Spread of Esperanto. Mrs. Betty King, a prominent member of the British Esperanto Association, who is at present in Auckland, reports that at an international conference, held at The Hague in September, great progress was recorded. The Rotary movement has given its support to the cause, and it is hoped that Esperanto will eventually become the international Rotarian language. Mrs. King has forwarded copies of "Heroldo de Esperanto," the official journal of the association, to the Hon. H. Atmore,. Minister of Education, and Mr. A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, and has received replies from both, promising support for the cause. Empty Houses Pilling Up. Nowhere does prosperity seem to be returning so quickly as on the North Shore. During December it is .estimated that more empty houses have become occupied than in the six months previously. The reason given for this is the freedom from transit worries and the special concessions which are given to residents who travel by ferry' boats. One day this week no lees than ei'ght families took up residence in a few streets adjacent to one another. Empty houses are becoming less noticeable, and altogether a more optimistic tone pervades the whole community. The North Shore is so well provided with beaches that that is also a reason for many families wishing to enjoy the facilities they offer for swimming and sun bathing. Record Christmas Weather. "We haven't had Christmas weather as good as this for 36 years," remarked a well-known yachtsman. "I've kept a record of the holiday conditions since then, and I remember well how, in 1884, there was not enough breeze to carry our yacht along when we were on a trip to Drunken (now Islington) Bay. We had to paddle with anything we could get hold of to get to our destination. When we wanted to come back, in a day or two, it was just as bad, and the sun simply poured down on the placid waters. Those were simpler days than now," added the veteran, ''and what I remember is that every person on board had his food packed in a big Maori kit, made out of flax, so common in those days, and they carried it down to the 1 yacht over their shoulder. No one would do that nowadays. Many of the old free and easy habits have departed for ever, and we are not any happier for it."

Advantages of the Telephone. The new telephone system in the Marl* borough Sounds was certainly a great improvement, humorously remarked Mr. J. H. Saunderson at a public function a few days ago, but the wretched old service was not without its advantages. He spoke as the secretary of various organisations, including the Farmers' Union. Wihen irate members rang him up to vent their feelings about the Unemployment Act or something else, he, fortunately, could not hear what they were saying, and all he could do was ■ to offer an occasional "yes" or "no," generally at the wrong place. When they met him again they had cooled down, and he could breathe freely. Again, the small, hard-working farmer could misunderstand his wife when she rang up from town to ask if she might spend the rest of her money supply on a new hat. He could pretend that she was asking him not to forget to feed the cow. Not, of course, he could not put her off like that. The hearing wae too distinct.

A Staccato Trip. During the holidays an Auckland motorist drove a friend over to Bethells, on the West Coast. It was observed that, for tiie first time in its long and useful career, the car was not running smoothly. As a matter of fact, it was very much the reverse, progress being jerky, as though two of the cylinders were missing. The driver and his passenger were not expert mechanics, and as long ae the car kept going they did not mind the somewhat staccato performance. Arrived at Bethells, they requested a motor mechanic to have a look. "Good heavens!" he said,."you've only got half an engine." What had happened was that two of the coils of the ignition system were missing, so only two of the four cylinders were working. The missing parts could not be replaced on the spot, but the owner decided that if the car had got them out it could get them back. A little crowd on the beach gave a cheer as the disabled engine woke to pulsing life once more; and the return journey was safely accomplished. Popular Automatic 'Phones. It may not be generally known that New Zealand ranks third among the countries of the world in the use of the automatic telephone, being second to only the United States and Canada. The • annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department reveals that the United States leads the world with a telephone density o£ 16.3 instruments per 100 of population. Canada being second with 13.7 to the 100, and New Zealand third with 10.2. The average for the whole world is fewer than two telephones to every 100 of population in those countries which use this form of communication. At March 31 last the number of telephones in service in the Dominion was 161,323. Gisborne has the highest proportion of telephones to population, there being over 17 instruments to every 1.00 persons. Wellington comes next with 17 to every , 100 persons, and Hastings and Hamilton are third with about 16.5 each, Dunedin, Cliristchurch and Auckland are at the bottom of the list of the chief centres, Auckland haviug only 9.5 instruments to every 100 persons.