NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 187, 9 August 1932, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Profitable Business. It is evident that local bodies are profiting from fees and fines. According to the quarterly accounts, the sum handed over to them by the Government for tile three months ended June 30, 1932, was £15,027, whereas the amount for the corresponding period last year was only £5709. Unusual Accident. An accident of a most unusual nature befeil , Mr. H. Hammond at Wiltsdown last week. He " had - been using sodium chlorate in conjunction with lime as a top-dressing, and apparently some of the mixture worked into liis boots. When he ; put his feet near the fire the socks immediately burst into flames, causing severe burns. Mrs. Hammond, in helping to put the flames out, had her hands burned. , A Thieving Cow. L The attention paid by a cow to the contents of a baker's delivery van at Ngongotaha on ' Friday caused considerable amusement to passers- - by and anxiety to the owner of the van. While ; the baker was delivering orders, the cow evinced , a liking for bread, and, the van doors having be»n left open, decided to satisfy its desires. A | very surprised' roundsman returned to find the cow enjoying the feast, its head being inside the ; van. It was some considerable time before the cow could be persuaded that there are better things to eat than bread. A Night in the Snow. Overcome by a snowstorm while walking from the West doast to Ohristchurch, Jamo.s Henderson, a single man, aged 31, spent Wednesday night in the open between the Bealey and Springfield, states the "Christchurch Times." He was found in an exhausted state the following morning by men from Mr. Kobert Blackley's station, Castle Hill. Henderson was suffering from frostbite in the feet. Mr. Blaekley and a willing band of helpers set about restoring circulation, and after 13 hours' work the man had recovered sufficiently to be removed to Darfield and later to the Christchurch Hospital. Ancient Maori Ovens. Several Maori ovens, complete with stones and piecfes of charcoal, have been uncovered by relief workers who are levelling the Canterbury College land at the corner of North Parade and Shirley Road, Christchurch. These ovens have remained undisturbed for at least a century, and there is evidence, in the form of bones, of the feasts that were held in the vicinity. It was on this land that several greenstone adzes were unearthed a few weeks ago, and it is understood that the site was a resting place for the Maoris who were making their way from the Ivaiapohia pa to Banks Peninsula. Aeroplane Sold to New Guinea. A D.H. 50 aeroplane for which the New Zealand Defence Department had no further use has been sold by tender to Mr. L. H. Holden, of New Guinea, where it is. understood it will be used for the purposes of air transport, according to a stntement by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, "Tenders were called for throughout Australia and New Zealand. Seven tenders were received —four from Australia and three from New Zealand. The highest tender was that of Mr. H. W. Holden, as attorney for Mr. L. 11. Holden, of Salamoa, New Guinea, and its acceptance has been approved." Olympic Games Stamps. The United States postal authorities never let an opportunity for the issue of commemorative stamps slip by—even Arbour Day this year had a special stamp issued for the occasion— bonce it is not surprising that the Olympic Games at Los Angeles have been honoured with a special set of stamps. These *4fre issued towards the end of June, and some values have already found their way to New Zealaud. Among the decidedly attractive designs is one which snows a runner crouched in preparation for the start of a race, whilst another shows the well-known classical ' figure of the discus thrower poised in front of a globe. Little Rain in July. The only places where more than the average ' rain for July was recorded were in Southland, ' on the shores of Foveaux Strait, Invercargill, for ' instance, having an excess of 6 per cent. Everywhere else the rainfall was below normal. In many cases the total was the lowest hitherto recorded. The interior and the northern and ' western portion of the South Island was parti- ■ cularly dry. Nelson, for example, had rain on only three days, and the total was only 10 per ' cent of the normal. Still more remarkable was ! the Waiho Gorge Hotel's total of 0.15 in, falling ' on only one day, compared wit'll a July average of 15in. ' Dog's Sagacity. 1 A North Shore dog which is often brought ? over on the ferry boat to get a feed of meat 1 at the butcher's, and then told to go home, 1 usually does this in leisurely,, fashion. But one ( day last week he was noticed to be in a great * hurry to catch the ferry boat back. The sagacity ( of this was found out when the animal got off < at Stanley Bay jetty, and, still at top speed, ran s along the wharf and acrors the park, and then . J across the mangrove and mudflat till it reached Victoria Park. It was si race to beat the tide, * for he knew that in a brief space the tide would c cover the whole area, and his journey home f would have been a mile or two further round. He was anxious to get the short cut home. 1

A Costly Kick. I Thousands of people saw one incident in the | Rugby League Test match at Carlaw Park between England and New Zealand, but few know the sequel. Sullivan, the English captain, kicked the ball hard and unnecessarily t.o send it sailinginto the Auckland Domain. Perhaps he felt a bit annoyed at the 1 time, partly for the reason that he liad missed a couple of goal shots and did not like the shape of the ball. With another ball the game was continued. The ball that sailed high into the Domain bush was not seen again by its owners, and it might be that some small Auckland boy appropriated it as a souvenir of the occasion. Sullivan's kick caused the English team a loss of £1, the value of the ball. The amount has been debited by the New Zealand Rugby League to the English team's account. Wellington Town Hall. Wellington's Town Hall may be the last word in temperature comfort under the right weather conditions, but at this time of the year the weather conditions are all wrong and the heating system is only partially successful, stoke though the stokers may, states the "Evening Post." With good fortune and with a sufficient number of special watchers to see that as soon as a door is opened it is closed again, and given also sufficient consumption of fuel, the hall can be kept pleasantly warm, but it cannot often be done in the winter months. It is probable enough that the heating system is out of date or inadequate for some other reason, and if this is so it is contended that it would pay the council very well to have the system thoroughly overhauled, for artists and big business may go elsewhere, and will go elsewhere,. if the public is not satisfied. Rest as a Restorative. A statement attributed to a celebrated medical man at the annual meeting of the B.M.A. at Home last month was that in many cases of sickness which could not be accurately diagnosed, and for which the source of the illness could not be found, the patients- through rest and careful nursing got better and walked out of our hospitals in renewed health. This was endorsed by 0110 of Auckland's prominent doctors. He believed he was within the mni'k when he stated that each year there were in our public hospitals scores of people with their cases not accurately diagnosed, yet after a week or two these people recovered and walked out of the hospital fit and well. A member of the Hospital Board said that it was well known to all the members that tlio statement made at Home had been confirmed in their presence more'than onco by medical men holding the most rcspoileiblo positions.