NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 193, 17 August 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Test Cricket Inquiries. Perhaps the busiest telephone in the Dominion on Sunday was No. 46-993, Auckland ("Star" subeditors), for by 11 a.m. the 7OOth cricket Test inquiry had been answered. The third and fourth hundred were put through between 9.17 and 9.40 a.m., and the succeeding hundred in the next 25 minutes. Hokitika to Timaru by Air. In the remarkably fast time of one hour and 20 minutes, Captain I. W. White and Mr. H. M. Mackay flew in a Spartan aeroplane over a new route from Hokitika to Timaru last week. The trip indicates great possibilities of speeding up the journey between the west and east coasts of the South Island, for the journey by rail occupies 12 hours. The trip was made by way of the Whitcombe Pass over the Southern Alps. One Way Out Of It. A Wanganui landowner who had a small section in a King Country town, in which the rating on unimproved values was in force, was at a loss to get rid of the burden. He could not sell the land, and could not give it away to any resident. Finally, a "happy" transfer was made to a man who, two months later, left for shores afar. To-day this individual's name appears on the rate book with the illuminating little note of information beside it: "Address unknown." No one pays the rates on tha- section now. Band Contest Abandoned. Owing to difficulties regarding finance, it has been decided to abandon the Auckland band contest, which was provisionally arranged for October. A suggestion to enlist the support of guarantors to cover the amount of cash outlay involved was not pursued, delegates being of the opinion that the time was inopportune. It is intended to proceed with the formation of an Auckland Provincial Brass Band Association, as it is felt that euch an organisation can do much to foster the work of the many bands that are in existence. Tax on Domestics. Advice hae been received by the Waikato Hospital Board from the Hospital Boards' Association that the 3d in the £ emergency unemployment charge must be deducted from the wages received and the value cf the board given to all employees, including the nurses and the domestic staff. The exemption only applied to privately-employed domestics, and not to those employed in a hospital. It was decided at a meeting of the hospital goverr.i body to protest against the deduction in respect to the value of board given to employees.

New Guinea Stamp Issue. The Commonwealth Government has decided to issue a new set of postage stamps* for its mandated territory of New Guinea. The stamps, a pictorial set, will depict the island's peculiar bird of paradise, and will replace the present isrsue, showing a native hut. The issue will cover all denominations between a penny and a pound, and will be used on the goldfields air mail service as well as for normal postage. They will coincide with the tenth anniversary of Australia's civil administration of New Guinea, and will have the legend, "1021-1031," upon them. The design* were prepared by an official of the Public Works Department at Kabaul, the administrative capital. Tahiti Disaster Recalled. Yesterday was the first anniversary of the receipt of the news that the steamship Tahiti had lost her starboard propeller, and was adrift in the Pacific, about 4(iO mile* from Rarotonga. At 8 a.m. on August 18 wireless advice was received from the ship that the Norwegian steamer Penybryn had been standing by the Tahiti all night. The Matson liner Ventura then came up. During this time tr > crew of the Tahiti had successfully resisted the inrush of the waters. The passengers and crew of the Tahiti were transferred to the Ventura. Captain Toten left the ehip at 1.40 p.m., and the Tahiti sank at 4.42 p.m. (Karotongan time), or •'! p.m. New Zealand time, on August 18. The Ventura arrived at Auckland from San Francisco last Friday. The No-hat Vogue.

The Felt Hat Employees' Union of Australia expresses concern kvst the growing craze among men of going without hats should result in unemployment for members of the union. One has no doubt that a similar protest came from the blacksmiths of England when knights gave up wearing armour, remarks a Sydney correspondent. The union's protest reads: "It may appear that the individual in saving a few shillings, yet the saving of these shillings nieaiiH unemployment to a large number of people, including the sheep breeder and his employee.", the shearer and wool scourer, the rabbit trapper, tli > agents, and othsrs who handle the raw material, the transport workers by road and rail, and the people engaged in preparing the raw material before it is made into hats." Cheque Preferred to Cash. Australian firms do not like to be paid in Australian notes —at any rate when the money is sent from New Zealand. In the past few days a Christchurch retailer had an experience illustrating the point. A friend, having £10 in Australian notes, suggested that he might send them to Melbourne in payment of an account, instead of fonvarding New Zealand money. He did so— more to see what might happen than for any other reason—and received them back by the next mail from Australia. With them was a letter, asking for payment by cheque as had been customary, and pointing out that special rates were charged for goods supplied to the Dominion. He has returned the rejec'xl notes to his friend, but has decided that the Australian firm, having rejected the £10, may wait for a cheque until the money lias earned Mm some interest in New Zealand. This Superstitions Age. People are superstitious, whatever may be said of the progress of this age of science and invention. Little idiosyncrasies which the man in the street has had from his childhood persist, no matter how his reason tells him that they arc foolish. For example, the other day alterations were going on to a building in a prominent street, and a ladder made a substantial angle with the pavement and the wall. Though there was room and to spare for a man to walk beneath instead of going round, the steady stream of passers-by formed single file like sheep round the base of the ladder, which presented no obstacle. Some people's weakness is the collection of pins. A man, begloved and wearing a bowler hat, came out of a building fairly fast, and then suddenly stopped. He bent down and tried to add to his collection and to gratify his weakness. The first time ho failed. He tried again, and again he was unsuccessful. With a perseverance worthy of a greater cause, he removed his glove and went away triumphant.

Fishermen's .Luck. "Fishermen's bad luck" would perhaps be a better description of the day which five enthusiastic anglers spent on the Manukau Harbour during the week-end. Newe of the big winter snapper that had been caught in such quantities earlier in the week had induced them to make a day trip of it, but their hopes of a record catch were doomed to bitter disappointment. The change in weather conditions was the all-impor-tant factor, for a westerly gale had disturbed the harbour beds, driving the fish out to sea. In the course of six hours' fishing they landed only two email gurnard, and not a single snapper. To add to their troubles, the launch struck a mudbank on the way home, and remained aground for a couple of hours until the rise 01 the tide. The final tax on their anglers pniiosophy was imposed when at last they reachea the wharf at Weymouth, where they found that a small boy had just landed a fine snapper witn home-made tackle. It was ten o'clock before ™e anglers reached home, much to the relief of wives and relations, who had begci to feel Fiaioue.