NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 259, 1 November 1932, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Natural Laws.

''You can't break natural laws," said District Governor Harry Valder, when discussing economic problems with Auckland Eotarians yesterday. "You can break yourselves against them. When Maude Eoyden was here she was stressing this point, and told of a man who flung himself from a precipice. 'He didn't break the natural, law of gravity,' said Miss Koyden, 'he simply illustrated it. , " Tramp to Bay of Islands. A tramp from Napier to the Bay of Islands is being undertaken by a resident of Napier, accompanied by two Englishmen. They left Napier a fortnight ago, and are now approaching Rotorua. From Napier they tramped to Bangitaiki, then striking off in a more northerly direction, through Ruatahuna. The party intends to strike the East Coast in the vicinity of Whakatane, from there following the coastline until they reach Tauranga. One of the trampers carries a small but serviceable tent, capable of accommodating the three of them. Current For Cockle Bay. The Auckland Power Board has decided to reticulate the Cockle Bay estate, Howick, at a cost of between £000 and £700. When the board was asked some time ago to do the work it asked a guarantee of £62 a year in revenue, but the residents thought the board should do the work "on spec." Reporting yesterday to the board, the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, said he had now 21 signed applications for current, and the revenue would be £50 a year. The applications were for lighting only, but he was certain the customers would want power for heating and cooking as soon ae the supply was available, and lie felt certain the board's estimate of £02 would be comfortably reached. The reticulation is to be started at once, so that the supply will be available during the coming holidays, the locality being a popular summer resort.

"Brett's" for the Old Country. There has been a keen demand, as usual, for Brett's Christmas Number, particularly for sending abroad to friends. New Zealand's scenery is so famous that people who have never been here like to get a publication that so well describes the country photographically, and people who have been here are always delighted to renew acquaintance in print and picture. New Zealand is thoroughly well pictured in "Brett's," and it would be difficult to find a more suitable Christmas present. The next direct mail, by which the postage to the Old Country is one penny, will close at Auckland on Thursday at 7 p.m., go via Panama by the Port Gisborne, and reach London on December 9, in plenty of time for distribution at the time when people are thinking of friends overseas. The next mail after the Port Gisborne's will close at Auckland on November 10 at 7.30, and will be carried by the Opawa, clue at London on December 16. "Penny for the Guy." The presence of many juvenile devotees of "Guy Fawkes" about the city etreets these evenings has kept the approaching celebration well in the public mind. It has been obvious also that people have not been ungenerous, prompted to some extent by the impression that numbers of little Guys have been' helping in a humble manner to swell the family puree. What seemed to be a cute exception to the presumption was obeerved in Kaiangahape Road, where a girl, with darkened face and sporting an outsize in men's coats, wag .accorded good support. Afterwards she purchased quite an expensive article. She waited outside the shop, and profusely thanked a small boy who had executed the favour. The latter wae not dressed up for the occasion, and registered displeasure when he found that the little miss was giving nothing beyond an expression of gratitude as reward! Territorial Encouragement. Gratifying progress in the volunteer system was reported yesterday at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Territorial Association, Northern Command. During the year 52 ordinary members and five life members joined the aesociation in the metropolitan area, while in thp, country districts the excellent total of 175 ordinary members ' was enrolled. Colonel N. L. Mackay emphasised the need for active recruiting during the coming year. He suggested that the co-operation of employers should be enlisted; they could be asked to grant trainees leave to attend camp. "They would also help greatly in giving their moral assistance," said Colonel Mackay. The gift of a silver cup, to be known as the Major John Whitney Memorial Cup, for annual open competition under service conditions, from Mr. C. A. Whitney, was recorded. Rifleman I. C. Spry had won the trophy for the first time at Saturday's meeting. The retiring officers were re-elected! Mr. J. M. Elliffe was added as honorary auditor, and Mr. F. L. G. West as honorary solicitor. Mr. C. A. Whitney and Mr. Hallyburton Johnstone were elected life members.

A Steamer's Wanderings. The maeter and officers of the British tramp steamer Haleric, which is at present discharging a cargo of Ocean Island phosphate at the King's wharf, have been a long time away from their home port. It is exactly two years to-day since the ship left Methil, Scotland, bound for Oran, in North Africa, with coal. After discharge of her coal cargo the steamer went to Texas to load case oil for Auckland and Australian ports. She visited this port in February of last year, and since then has been chiefly engaged in carrying grain from Australia to China and returning to the Commonwealth via one or other of the Pacific Islands that supply New Zealand and Australian farmers with phosphate. In September of last year the vessel was'at Hangkow at the time of the big floods, and the second officer has a fine collection of photographs showing the Chinese going about their ordinary business in the streets in sampans. At the time the Haleric was in the flooded area cholera was raging, and people were dying in the Hang Yang camp at the rate of 100 a day. In her two years' tramping the Haleric has been singularly fortunate in the matter of weather, although on one occasion she struck the tail end of a typhoon about 400 miles south-east of Japan. Although the steamer has been so long away from home, her officers are not yet counting the days for her return, as, under her existing articles, she is not due back in England until October of next year. Underground Water Streams. The discussion which took place at the North Shore Water Board in regard to a water supply for the North Shore boroughs brings to mind the efforts made in Devonport in 1914 to locate an auxiliary supply on- Mount Cambria, states a correspondent. The Rev. Mr. Mason, so well known before his death as a successful water diviner, placed his services at the disposal of the council, and on his report it was decided to bore into the hill, and a tunnel was put in, which was to carry the pipes v. hen the water was located. After several hundreds of pounds had been spent in boring to where the water was supposed to be there was still dry land. When a new council came in, in 1915, it was decided to abandon the project, but in 1918, in the July before the war closed, Mr. Mason verified his previous predictions, and said he thought that if half the money had been spent in putting down a bore that had been spent in putting in a drive, the water would have been easily located, only it may have been 200 ft or 300 ft down. That is how the Mount Cambria water project stands at present. One of New Zealand's greatest water diviners says there are rivers of water under the hill, some of the smaller tributaries reaching right out to Cambria Road. What has happened in the One Tree Hill locality, the most recent being the 240 ft bore at the infirmary, where a 6in bore produces 2000 gallons an hour, ehowe that under our volcanic *?ones are streams of water, some big and some little, which, would produce volumes of s"' • ~~~ .-.■ ■ "^