NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 51, 2 March 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"An Extinct Bird." Giving evidence at the Magistrate's Court in Blenheim last week with regard to the invasion of his surgery by a gang of shearers asking for medical advice concerning a skin disease, Dr. It.-Noble-Adams stated that he did not know, at the time, that they were shearers. "They looked more like prosperous solicitors," he added. A prosperous solicitor," jocularly remarked a member of the Bar, sotto voce, "is an extinct bird! Kindness Appreciated. Men employed on relief work at the Auckland Training College grounds, Epsom, last week, were supplied with tea at 10.30 a.m. and at midday. In a letter to the "Star" a man, who signed himself "Two Days," expressed the thanks of himself and his work mates to the stall and students of the college, who, he understood, were responsible for the "supply of the tea. "Such acts as these," he wrote, "tend to lighten labour and promote harmonious conditions." Motorists' Eyesight. Approval of the institution of visual tests •for motorists was expressed by Mr. E. A. Sargent in his presidential address to the New Zealand Institute of Opticians in Wellington. "The institution of a visual test for motor drivers, the regulations for which are to come into operation next year, is a step in the right direction," he said. "Up to the present there has been no law under which an application for a driving license could be turned down on account of eyesight." "The Best Seller." A colporteur of the British and Foreign Bible Society named Khoo Chiong Bee recently made a seven weeks' visit to Dutch New Guinea and sold 5500 books, including 111 complete copies of the Bible and 247 Testaments. The rest of the books were various portions of the Scriptures. The books were in the Malay language, printed according to the spelling adopted by the Dutch Government. A Dutch mission has been working in New Guinea for 75 years, and the president informed the colporteur that there are now 15 missionaries and 15,000 Papuans who are Christians. Hauraki in Port. Fine weather was experienced by the motor ship Hauraki on her voyage from New Plymouth to Auckland, and the temporary repairs which were carried out after the vessel had grounded when berthing at the Taranaki port on February 21 gave no cause for concern at any .stage of the journey. This morning the vessel started the discharge of her Pacific Coast cargo at the Prince's wharf. As soon as all her cargo has been put out, the freighter will go into dock for repairs. As her tanks are constructed with a double bottom, no water leaked into the holds, and the cargo is undamaged. The full extent of the damage, which was caused when the vessel "sat" on a boulder, cannot bo ascertained until the ship is dry docked. Telephone Box Robbed. S A public telephone in a cabinet at the corner of Springs Eoad and Church Street, Te Papapa, was robbed on Saturday night. The box containing the mechanism is made of iron, and the front portion has two tongues at the bottom, which fit into slots to hold it. The top ii> secured with a lock. When the pennies are inserted in the slot at the top, they drop into a chamber where they remain until a postal official unlocks the front and removes them. On Saturday night someone bored two holes in the front plate, and, after removing it, threw it ?way. The internal mechanism was left exposed, but apparently undamaged. It is not known how much money the thief obtained. Champion Axemen. In the wood-chopping competitions at the Auckland Show on Saturday the spectators found it an interesting diversion to Match the axemen comparing blocks before the events. One of the most successful competitors of the clay, D. Silva, produced a tape measure, and the circumferences of the 14in taraire blocks were measured at 44|in in all except one instance, and then the difference was less than a quarter of an inch in favour of a young axeman. Satisfied about the size of their 'blocks, the competitors began to examine the grain, and one, at least, was agreeably surprised when he found in the heat of the* contest that his fears of hidden knots were groundless. After he had won, the smooth block was found to be one of the best in the ring. P is not often that the skilful eye of a champion is deceived in this way. Sheep Stealing in Southland. Sheep stealing in Southland was discussed at a meeting of directors of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Saturday. A Woodlands farmer said that this season h had had no fewer than 350 good quality wethers and hoggets stolen from his property. Owing to the fact that no farmer could adopt an exclusive brand for his sheep, it was always extremely difficult to detect thefts. It had been suggested that he should adopt a special brand, • but he had discovered that that was not permissible under the regulations. Several of the directors expressed the opinion that the regulations should be altered so as to make the detec- j tion of thefts more simple, it being generally admitted that a, good deal of sheep stealing was being carried on in Southland. A Lucky Injury. A knock received oil the football field proved a blessing in disguise to a youth who was a student at Wellington College some years ago. The youth received a severe injury to his head, and when the wound healed it left a large patch of grey hair. From his home in the King Country the youth went to Scotland, where he passed his final medical examinations with distinction. Deciding to stay in Scotland, as his practice was flourishing, the young doctor wrote to a girl in New Zealand asking her to go Home to become his wife, and the girl consented. People who knew the doctor by sight, but who did not know the cause of his grey hair, were surprised that the girl was marrying a man who appeared so many years her senior, although, actually, there was only one year between them. In a recent letter to a friend in Auckland the doctor said that his grey head had been a great help to him in establishing himself in his practice, and he regarded the knock he had received on the football field as the luckiest thing that had ever come his way. Exchange of Students. Under an agreement entered into by the German Academic Exchange and the New Zealand University, any student of Canterbury College who wishes to study abroad may now have free room, board and tuition at any one of the German universities or technical schools he cares to select, and similar advantages are available to any German student wishing to study in New Zealand. In a recent letter to the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, Dr. Klaus MehneWt, of the German Acadejnie Exchange, writes: "I am delighted to find your interest in tae proposal and your readiness to participate in that co-operation. I accept with thanks your offer to give free tuition, room and board at Canterbury College to every German exchange student. We on the German side are prepared to render the same facilities to a corresponding number of New Zealand students. May I suggest the beginning of the school year, 1931-32, which is on October 15, as the starting point for the exchange? If you have applicants, however, I Avould be glad to get them by about July 1, in order to do the necessary preparations." The same facilities are offered students at the Auckland University College, but unfortunately the local college has no hostel at which German students could be given accommodation.