NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 194, 18 August 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"Gift" From Thieves. On Thursday last a well-known resident of Hataitai and his wife received two complimentary theatre tickets. They went to the theatre, but had a rude surprise upon returning to their home. They found that the house had been thoroughly gone through by burglars, and on the drawingroom table was a note with the words: "Now you know who sent tl-.c tickets." "Long-distance" Hatching. Eeference to the successful incubation of a sitting of hen eggs after a journey from Canada to New Zealand has attracted the attention of a Whangarci correspondent. "Some years ago," he writes, "I made several experiments to see how long eggs would keep for hatching. I packed a dozen White Leghorn eggs in a biscuit tin in a dry packing of my own making, and the result of hatching after four months was eleven chicks." Engineering School. Sir George Fowlds, president of the Auckland University Council, made reference, at yesterday's meeting, to the recent visit of inspection paid to the Engineering School by a committee of engineers. The committee had been set up by the New Zealand University to report on the school, in view of a proposal that the full engineering course should be made available in Auckland. Messrs. D. K. Blair, R. S. Cree-Brown and H. Vickerman, said Sir George, had made a thorough inspection of the school, and had also visited places of interest to engineers within the city. Their recommendation was not yet known. One for the Baby. A fine, hardy race are the Maoris (says the Marlborough "Express"). It was related at last week's meeting of the Marlborcugh Relief Committee that r Maori, in applying for a supply of meat, said he had 14 in his family. The official in charge, however, remembered that on his previous visit, a week or so before, he had numbered his family at 13. "Oh," exclaimed the Maori, "we have another baby since then!" "But," protested the official, "surely you are not asking for extra meat for the baby?" "Oh, yes," came the prompt rejoinder, "he can suck a bone all right!" Motorist's Bad Luck. A peculiarly unfortunate accident occurred when a resident of Okahune was travelling from Auckland to Whangarei on holiday bent. On a bumpy part of the road the spring in the seat hurled him against the car hood, and the crown of his head struck a wooden support. In the usual course of events he would have escaped with a slight abrasion, but he had recently undergone an operation for an injury to his head, and there was no bone in the part of the skull which made contact. The result was that lie was admitted to the Whangarei District Hospital suffering from bruises to the brain and other injuries. He is progressing well. 'Quake Changes Land Level. The theory of some seismologists that earthquakes do not result in the elevation of the land is completely exploded by the results of the Napier shake. When the land rose at Wellington many years ago after a 'quake, the seismologists said it was merely an exception. At Napier, however, the results were so definite and so widespread as to leave no room for doubt as to this phase of an earthquake. A survey of the levels has just been completed, and it shows that in the town of Napier a general rise of 4ft to sft Gin took place. The highest rise was Gft Bin at Ngatarawa, a few mile: south of Hastings, and at the other end of the scale there was a lowering of the level by 3ft 4in just outside the Hastings borough on the eastern side. This gives a range of variation of exactly 10ft. Hard Times in the 'Eighties. In the early 'eighties, economic conditions were extremely "hard—much harder than nowsaid the Hon. E. W. Alison yesterday at the annual meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club. Work was difficult to obtain, and money very scarce. The ruling rate for labourers was 4/G to 5/ per day, and for artisans from 7/fi to 9/ per day. Mr. Alison recalled that the land which is now the Takapuna course was originally a mud flat. Opposite the gasworks, and for a considerable distance along the present straight, in winter the rainwater lay feet deep, in which youngsters bathed, and paddled email boats, and in which frogs croaked all the year round. "There were also a large number of human croakers, who ridiculed the possibility of constructing a racecourse on a sea-covered marshy area," added Mr. Alison, with a smile. "We Parted on the Shore." Early racing days at North Shore were recalled in the speech which the Hon. E. W. Alison, president of the Takapuna Jockey Club, gave at the club's annual meeting yesterday. Up to 1881 country race meetings were held at Christmas and New Year at Devonport and Takapuna, but the first proper race meeting took place on December 27, 1881, on a five-furlong course. This was part of the present race track, which, in those days, was covered for about two-thirds of its area by the sea. Eight races were run at the first meeting, the total stake money being £235. Most of the horses which were entered were conveyed across the harbour in a scow. A totalisator was used, and tickets were procurable at a cost of 5/. The last public appearance of bookmakers on the Takapuna course was at the May meeting in 1911, when the band played "We Parted on the Shore" and the patrons gave three rousing cheers for the departing men. New Building Bill. Important Auckland evidence will be given opposing the Building Construction Bill when that measure is before a select committee on Thursday. A conference was held yesterday afternoon between the works committee of the Auckland City Council and representatives from the Auckland Builders' Association, the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, and the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers. The bill was discussed, and the conference took exception to several of the provisions, and especially to that which would give the Minister the right to veto the issue of building permits. It was agreed that representatives from the various bodies should give evidence on the bill. The Cit; Council will be represented by Mr. J. Tyler, city engineer, and Mr. J. Stanton, city solicitor. Mr. C. R. Ford will represent the architects, and the builders will be represented by members of the executive in Wellington. Veteran Paddle-wheeler. Lying in the basin between the Central and Northern wharves yesterday was a little steamer that looked as if the long years she had been afloat.had not been kind to her. It would have been difficult to guess her age, but the fact that she was a paddle-wheeler suggested that she was built before the screw steamer had come completely into its own. The quaint craft that attracted considerable attention among visitors to the waterfront is the Kopu, which, despite her years, still makes useful money in towing barges up the Waihou River from Paeroa to Te Aroha. Once a year the little vessel comes to Auckland for an overhaul, and it is for this purpose that she is in port now. The Kopu was built at the Thames, and after some years of towing aroun- , Auckland, came into the hands of the Northern Company, her present owners. As she goes about her present duties she sends a big wash along the banks of the Waihou, and when at last her end comes she will be missed by the country J folk who know her so well. The Kopu is not quite the last of the Auckland paddlewheelers, for the tug Lyttelton is still in active commission, and regularly brings rafts of logs into the port. Time was when the Northern Company boasted a number of this picturesque type of steamer. Among the group were the Enterprise, which ran to the Thames for a number of years, and was finally blown up off Cheltenham Beach, the Terranora, both a Government cable ship and a popular excursion steamer, and the sharp-bowed Wakaterc, which, is now a etore ship in Rotten Row.