NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 20 January 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Picnickers Start Bush Fire.

Picnickers left a lire near a bush reserve close to Raglan Beach on Sunday afternoon and caused the destruction of an acre of on the property of the Bryant House trustees. The fire had been lit to boifa '-billy." For three hours and a half Mr. D. V. Bryant and helpers fought the flames, and were not successful in extinguishing them until they had caused considerable damage. Music Teachers. Over 500 applications by music teachers for registration under the Music Teachers Act, 1928, will come before the Registration Board in Ghristchurch next Monday. Since the board was set up it has received 1400 applications. The Act makes provision for the registration of miisic teachers without diploma qualifications who were in practice for some time prior to 1928. They have now had their last opportunity of registering. Schools' Air Race. Six secondary schools of New Zealand will be represented in an air race at the Auckland Aero Club's pageant on Saturday. The pilots will be old boys of Wanganui Collegiate School (Flight-Lieutenant J. D. Hewitt), Auckland Grammar School (Mr. J. H. Atwcll), Soddon Memorial Technical College (Mr. R. A. Kirkup), Pukekohe District High School (Mr. P. C. Lewis), Wellington College (Mr. A. B. Randy), King's College (Mr. G. M. Firth). School colours will be flown in long streamers from the wings of the 'planes. Six Months' Harbour Trip. Informed by his doctor that a six month's' ocean trip would be the only certain means of restoring his health, an Auckland patient found himself face to face with an almost insurmountable difficulty, for there were only a few pounds left in his exchequer. But, thanks to an inspiration, he made an investment that brought in a golden dividend. Purchasing a season ticket on the Devonport. ferry, he spent six months going to and fro across the harbour, and there was not a single day when his familiar figure was missed on board the steamer. As a result of the six months spent "at sea," he is now a new man. Samoan Visitors' Cricket. The two Samoan youths, Atigi and losefa, who are touring New Zealand at the expense of Mr. S. S. Allen, Administrator of Samoa, spent the week-end in Morrinsville as the guests of Mr. J. M. Allen. On Saturday they joined in a cricket match played by Morrinsville teams, and showed a good knowledge of butting and fielding; Cricket is very popular in the Islands, and the Samoan schoolboys know all about the game. Although it was a warm day, the visitors wore pullovers, and remarked that the cool nights in New Zealand made them feel the need for plenty of bedclothes. More Spurious Notes. Two more spurious Bank of Australasia £1 notes were detected, yesterday. It is believed that a few of the forged notes circulated in the city on the afternoon of December 24 are .still about, but that all will in time reach the banks. One of the notes yesterday was discovered by a clerk at the Auckland railway station when he was checking the takings of the previous day. The number of the note was 885,114. The second note was detected by a clerk, in the Bank of New Zealand. Officials do not believe that there is another attempt being made to pass the counterfeit notes by those responsible on Christmas Eve. Pythons Disappearing. Reports from tropical countries show that the python- and monitor lizard arc in danger of extinction because of the demand for their skins for use in making* women's footwear. The Government of India has prohibited the export of the skins of the larger lizards. In the interior of South America the reptiles are being decimated to meet the demand, and large fortunes have been made. One result is a great increase in the number of rats in South America, and the sugar plantations are in danger of destruction. Rate are the natural food of the python, and the destruction of pythons, has created a serious problem.

Yacht Races Whaleboat. A whaleboat and a yacht took part in a race held over a 17-milc. course from Houhora Harbour on Sunday. The whaleboat was owned by Mr. John Mclntosh, and the yacht was Mr. Con Thode's 18ft M class yacht Miechicf. The very light north-east breeze favoured the Mischief, and it won comfortably, passing the home mark three hours after the starting time. The whaleboat crossed seven minutes later. It is 70 years old, and was purchased 40 years ago from the American whaler Cape York. At the time of the Elingamitc -wreck, off the Three Kings, in 1902, Mr. Mclntosh us'ed the whaleboat in important rescue operations.

Plea for Church Unity. A resolution in favour of Church unity was carried at a Taumarunui meeting convened by the Church of England Men's Society. There were 100 men representing the Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches and the Salvation Army. The resolution expressed the opinion that the cause of Christianity was seriously hindered by the division of the Christian Church into numerous denominational churches, and that the maintenance of denominational religion resulted in economic waste and deprived mission fields and social service work of funds. It was resolved that, in the opinion of the meeting, the time had arrived when it was the duty of every sincere Christian to endeavour to find a means of overcoming the differences keeping the churches apart. Maori Hospitality. Maori war weapons and mats were presented to the officers of H.M.s. Veronica when a naval party was entertained by Maoris at the Judea meeting-house on the outskirts of Tauranga on Saturday evening. The entertainment was held in a Maori assembly house of the old type which has been in use for 30 or 40 years. The Maoris are known as the Ngai-Te-Rangi people, who have a gift for hospitality and speech-making. 1 Their ancestors, in alliance with other natives, held the Gate Pa at Tauranga in the historic seige. There is a military and naval cemetery in the vicinity of Judea, and it has been the custom since the Tauranga War for warships to call occasionally. H.M.S. Veronica was in port at Tauranga for a week, and left there yesterday morning for the Hauraki Gulf. Highways Board Tour. The continuation of the biennial tour of the Main Highways Board is being keenly awaited by local bodies in the North Auckland and South Auckland provinces in order that they may have an opportunity of discussing reading difficulties and the problem of financing various proposed works. makes tours of the North and South Island in alternate years, and so far this summer has covered the East Coast districts as far as Hawke's Bay. Excursions have also been made to Opotiki, Whakatane, Rotor ua, Tauranga, Ohinemuri, Hauraki Plains, Thames and Coromandel. The board has also found time to discuss the permanent surfacing of the Bombay deviation with the Franklin County Council. The Northern tour will be commenced on January 28, when members of the board will leave Auckland. After visiting Warkworth, Whangarei, Kaitaia and Dargaville, they will return to Auckland on February 2. During their stay in the city they will be met by deputations, including one from the Auckland Automobile Association, relative to the surfacing of the Bombay deviation. Amongother subjects that will engage their consideration is that of the completion of the road between Auckland and Whangarei. The board will round off their tour by visits to Hamilton and various smaller conferee in the Waikato district.