NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 215, 11 September 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

New Presbyterian Church. St. Luke's Presbyterian Church, Reinuera, which-was-built 66 yeare ago, is to be dismantled to. make room 'for a new building, and the last service to be held in the church will be conducted next Sunday. For the first ten years oi its history the church was conducted by Congregationalists. While the new church is being built, -worship will be held in the Sunday school hall. The new.church, estimated to cost £14,000, will be built of Putar'uru' stone and will be completed within a year.

Another "Nimroud." Reference was made in the "'Star"' the other day to Mr. John Rodgers, aged S4 r who came out to Auckland in IS6O 'in the ship Nimroud. He recently returned to Auckland after many years' absence and finds all changed, with all his old friends dead and gone. He was wondering if any of the old "Nimrou&s" , were loft. Mr. S. J. Gorman,'of SS, John Street, Ponsonby. writes to say that he also came out in the Ximroud. and was interested to hear that he was not alone.

Still the Same Habits. "Apparently the habits of dairy companies are etill the same as they were thirty years ago," commented Mr. Justice Blair in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North during the hearing of a ca.se concerning a bank guarantee.. His Honor said that it was evidently the practice to establish a loan account, financed by the bank, to meet immediate commitments, and pay it off by *d or id per pound from payments to suppliers. It was obvious, he observed, that the dairy industry of New Zealand had been established and built up upon bank finance and co-operative effort among the farmers.

Unlighted Tram Stops. "Narrow Escape' 1 writes: "Seldom being called into the country after dark, I did not realise the danger one runs in venturing away from the well-lit, in fact, over-lit, city. I had to catch a tramca-r in Mount Eden Road, somewhere the far side of Watling Street. There was no street lamp within many furlongs, the spot was absolutely in darkness, and, while peering into the glooin trying to pick up the lights of my outward-bound car, I just escaped annihilation at the wheels of a rather, reckless motor car driver.' One would have thought the street lamps and the tram stops would coincide. In Mount Eden apparently they do not. My knowledge of the outer districts is rather limited, but I presume one runs the same danger as one does in Mount Eden."

War Against Hawks. In the past ten years the Auckland Acclimatisation Society has paid rewards for 100,000 pairs of hawks' feet, according to figures quoted at last evening's meeting of the society by the secretary, Mr. C. M. Gordon. The war agamst the pests in the paet four and a half years had been particularly active, it was explained, a sum of £1608 having been paid for 60,000 pairs of feet. The rate of increase was alarming, said Mr. Gordon, but the reduction of the reward from 9d to 6d a pair as from July 31 last had had a slight cheeking effect. He wanted to know whether the payments should be continued, and was told by the president, Mr. F. E. MeKenzie, that they must destroy the vermin. Mr. Mc- S Kenzie pointed out that the war against hawks in the Dominion had begun as far back as 1567.

Popularising Trout Fishing. I Comment on the fact that the number of , licensed fishermen had been decreasing, although tront-nsning waters had been steadily increasing. vra=; made at last evening's meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society by the president, Mr.-P. E."MeKenzie. He believed, however, that the recent decision-to introduce weekly licenses at a charge of 5/. and daily licenses at a charge of 2/6, for a year's trial would be the means of encouraging more people to take up fishing as a sport. While the scheme would probably result in a loss of about £100 in revenue for the first year, he hoped that that would be offset in later vears. Last year only 600 licenses were issued. but he predicted that in two years' time the total of SOO issued in 192S would be regained. Formerly only licenses at 20/ a year for men and 5/ for women and boys were available. Rugby Ousts Bull-fighting.

"What I saw mostly in Montevideo was football; they are keener on it there than in New Zealand," said Mr. R. W. D. Robertson at Lepperton, in the course of a talk to farmers on his experiences abroad. While he was in Montevideo there was in course of erection a 1,500,000dollar stadium for the game of Rugby. The interest was raised through the Olympic Games, when Paraguay and Argentina took part, and Montevideo won the final. Bull-fighting had gone off. It was not half as interesting as Rugby football. Even in the stamps on letters "diputes" (games) were advertised. The game was taken very seriously, so seriously, in fact, that before matches players were searched for knives. It was no joke, as several fatalities had occurred. A voice "Worse than putting in the boot.* 5

Victorian Gold Boom. Gold production is rapidly increasing in New South Wales and Victoria, particularly in Victoria. Figures recently issued by the Victorian Director of Geological Survey, Mr. W. Baragwanath, revealed that during the past IS months gold to the value of £198,456 has been won by 6900 prospectors in the State. While in 1930 just over £102,000 worth of gold was taken, in the last six months over £96 ; 0O0 worth had been found. New reefs were constantly being reported, and nuggets of from 10oz to 30oz were found practically every day. The largest within recent weeks came from the Crystal Reef, Neilborough, and weighed 560z 19dwt. It had been, named "The Registrar's Delight." Mr. Baragwanath hoped to see a strong industry develop, and the reassuring' news of four more rich reef discovered during the week backed up his optimism. Encouraging Swimmers. The Longuet Memorial Shield, which was presented by the Wellington Rotary Club for the encouragement of swimming among the girls of the secondary schools of the Wellington district, was handed over to the Royal Life Saving Society at the last meeting of the Rotarians. The shield commemorates tie bravery of Mr. S. A. Longuet, a member of the Rotary Club, who lost his hie in attempting to save a girl from drowning at Otaki on January 22 last. The president of the i Royal Life Saving Society, Mr. G. S. Hill, said the* Government grant was sever enough for the good work that was being, done by the life-saving clubs and the N-ew Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. It was to be regretted that the municipal -bodies- were - not -doinj ,, more to help, an instance being the protracted effort to secure municipal tepid baths for Wellington. Mr. Hill also considered that every new school should be provided with a swimming bath. Soys and Golf Balls. ... Lost balls that find -their way into thej pockets of boys have become a. serious problem! for the Butt Golf Club (reports the "Dominion ). The youthful collectors frequently take advantage of long drives and pick up balls before their owners can-reach-the place where they lie. Ihe balls are often offered for sale to io, owing plavere. So bad has this practice become during week-ends that the dub committee has notified the Hutt police, who are keeping, a. watch at various parts -of the links. One constable iound half a* dozen boys wandering about the links. In reply to Ms question, they said thej were caddies.* He promptly informed them that caddies were employed at the clubhouse, and ii he eaw them wand'erine suspiciously about the links attain he would" have them prosecuted lor trespassing. When he ultimately returned to the clubhouse the boys were there looking yery innocent and waiting-to-be-employed.