NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 230, 29 September 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

How to Carry a Gun,

"I was taught to cany a gun straight or straight up—those are ilie only two t>afe ways," said Mr. F. Iv. Hunt, S.M., coroner, at the inquest yesterday afternoon into the death of an Albany youth, who was accidentally sliot by his companion while out rabbitting. Evidence was given that the youth had carried his gun waist-higli.

Water For Schools. The Mount Albert Borough Council has decided that it will not continue to provide free water on the existing scale to primary schools in the borough after October 1. A decision to provide free 500 gallons a child and to charge the cost rate of 1/3 -per 1000 gallons for any amount above that was reached. The eouncil has endorsed a programme of reducing water expenses in the borough and this step is one of 1 the first moves.

Harbinger of Spring. The long-drawn call of the sliining-back cuckoo, or, as the Maoris call it, the pipiwharauroa, was heard yesterday by a Xorthcote resident, who, after careful watching, saw the speckle-grey breast and bronzed-green wings of the bird flitting round the branches of a, tree. The shining-back cuckoo, also the koheperoa, or long-tailed cuckoo, make an appearance about in September. Most of the cuckoos leave Xew Zealand in the autumn of the year to spend the winter in the South Sea Islands. There arc occasional laggards who stay in the Dominion all the year.

Farm Camps For Boys. Among the proposals to discover the aptitude of youths who are unable to find employment in the cities is a scheme to establish in the Auckland district a training centre for those between the ages of 10 and 21 who are keen to take up rural occupations. One of the mam features of the scheme is a. month s camp for boys who have no knowledge of farming, and it "is suggested that, if the movement were extended to the other centres of population, about 500 boys could be dealt with at the •same time in such camps.

"Negligence" Defined. "As to whether there are three different kinds or degrees of negligence—ordinary, gross and slight—has been the subject of conflicting opinions expressed by judges," said Mr. Justice Reed in the Supreme Court at Wellington. His Honor said he accepted the statement of the law as laid down in "Salmond on Torts," which said: "The law does not recognise different standards of care or different degrees of negligence in different classes of cases. The sole standard is the care that would be shown in the circumstances by a reasonably careful man, and the sole form of negligence is a failure to use this amount of care."

No Mishaps. But for the big shrinkage in the totalisator turnover compared with the spring meeting twelve months ago, the Avondale Jockey Club's two days' fixture, which ended yesterday, would have been entered up among the most successful ever held on the suburban course. Recent rains had made the course heavy, and, with solid fields contesting the majority of events, there was ever the prospects of horses falling, but the only falls occurred in the hurdle race each day, and the racing throughout was particularly clean. Not once during the two days were the officials called together to hold an inquiry, and the meeting passed off without a hitch of any kind.

Response to Disarmament Petition. The totals of signatures so far secured in various countries to the petition for world disarmament were announced by Mrs. E. Gibson, of the Women's International League, at the disarmament meeting held in the Concert Chamber last evening. Great Britain led the way with 1.133.000 signatures, followed by Switzerland -with 193,000, Sweden with C 5.000, Canada with 03.000, France with 50,000, Norway with 45,000, Germany with 25,000, and Australia with 22,000. 11l New' Zealand 13,000 signatures had so far been secured, including those of 40 members of Parliament. Mrs. Gibson expressed the opirion that, on the final figures, New Zealand's total would stand comparatively "high.

Case for Central Bank. The trend of events in Great Britain in recent weeks does not in any way weaken the case for the establishment of a centra] bank in NewZealand, said Professor H. Belshaw, of the Auckland University College, in an interview to-day. He added, however, that .it would be unwise to give full effect to the recommendations in the report of Sir Otto Niemeyer until exchange stability had been attained; and that the present might rather be regarded as a favourable time to prepare a draft of the necessary legislation, so that a centra] bank could be established as soon as circumstances warranted it. In relatively prosperous times the necessity for such an institution was liable to be overlooked.

Nev; Zealand Farmers in Scotland. During their tour of agricultural Britain, the 30 New Zealand farmers who left the Dominion last May were welcomed at Threave farm, Ivirkniiehac], Scotland, by Sir Charles Fergusson, late Governor-General. Colonel Houldswortli. who acted as personal escort, said he realised the visitors were inspecting all the most up-to-date farm buildings and the foremost herds in Great Britain, but he was prepared to boost the Ayrshire against any other breed elsewhere. Mr. W. Bunciman, of Papatoetoe, who returned thanks on behalf of the visitors, said that although Sir Charles had been Governor-General of New Zealand for five years, they had to go to Scotland to meet him for the first time. He also said that he thought New Zealand farmers should give more attention to Ayrshire cattle.

Dicmede's Southern Cruise. Scheduled to leave Auckland for the South this afternoon, H.M.s. Diomede will be absent from this port for nine weeks. Her first port of call will be Wellington, -where she will remain from October 1 to October G. From Wellington the cruiser will go down the west coast of the South Island, calling at George Sound, Doubtful Inlet, Dusky Sound and Preservation Inlet. A short stay will be made at Bluff, and later the warship will call at Dunedin, Oamaru, Tiinaru, Lyttelton and Akaroa. On November 24 the Diomede is to return to Wellington, and two days later she is to depart for Napier, where she will remain from November 27 to December 2. No other calls' will be made on the East Coast, but before returning to her berth at Devonport the cruiser will carry out exercises in the Hauraki Gulf in company with H.M.5. Veronica and H.M.s. Laburnum. The cruiser is due to return to port on December 9.

World Spirit Changing. That a new spirit of co-operation is developing between nations' was the view of Ee\. WT G. Monckton. in an address on ''Christianity and the Present-day Economic Crisis" at the annual meeting of the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations last evening. Of recent jears. he said. America had shown a. desire to _extra ct international debts to the utmost, to build high tariff walls and. to seek the prosperity 01 the country at the expense of others. "weie now recognised as the causes of the present depression, and leading men were now beginning to see that the remedy lay in co-operation, not in rivalry and competition. The countries of Europe were now realising that the application of the spirit of Christianity should apply to nations as to individuals, and the result was seen in the. growth of economic units for self-help in trade. The essence of Christianity was that people should look to the prosperity and interest of others as well as to their own. What was needed was a change of spirit among nations, and unless that was done political nostrums nsclcss.