NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 21, 26 January 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Road Improvements. Advice has been received by tlie Auckland Automobile Association from the motorist# representative on the Main Highways Board, Mr M. H. Wynyard, that the metalling of the deviation between Pokeno and Mercer has been authorised. It is possible that the stretch will latei be tar-sealed. The deviation cuts out a fairly steep incline. Improvements have also been made to the main road through the Mercer township one coating of tar having been spread on the surface. Music In Hospital. Through the kindness of Mr. A. Hamblin some of the patients at the Auckland Public Hospital used to enjoy frequent impromptu gramophone concerts. As a rule he took the instrument home with him, but one night he left it at the institution, and that was the last he saw of it The patients missed the music very much, and they have been wondering if any generouslyminded citizen would care to lend an instrument to take the place of the one that vanished. Archbishop's Plaint. "In any church where there is a good choir, as there is here, the people stay away when the choir is absent on holiday. they seem never to have heard the English church liturgy before, and to be quite incapable of joining in it themselves. They cannot answer the responses, they cannot sing, they cannot speak up without 'i choir to help them —they are a set of dumb dogs, So, you see, you boys have come to our help to-day." —Archbishop Julius, speaking in the cathedral at Christcliurch on Sunday morning to the Young Australia League's Boys' Band, which held a church parade there. New Steamer Akaroa. In order that the passengers to New Zealand on the S.S. and A. liner Akaroa, now en route from London to Auckland on her maiden tnp, might obtain some idea of the beauties of the scenery in New Zealand, six films were placed on board by the High Commissioner's Publicity Department for showing on the voyage. The films depict the chief beauty spots of the Dominion. In a congratulatory message to the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company on its enterprise, the High Commissioner pointed out that the ship's name, Akaroa, commemorated the historic event of the hoisting of the British flag at Akaroa in 1840, whereby 11.M.5. Britomart forestalled by 24 hours the French frigate L'Aube, and thus preserved the South Island of New Zealand as a British possession. Pests and Parasites. Criticism of the importation of parasites into New Zealand to exterminate pests was voiced by a AVanganui resident. The German owl was quoted as an instance. It was originally imported into the country for the purpose of exterminating the sparrow, but what it was doing was killing out the native birds. Whereas the sparrow lived round the homestead and fed on grubs in the garden, the owl sought the bush. It was pointed out that, although the sparrow was much maligned, he was one of the most useful birds imported into New Zealand, and was of great value when the potato crops were at an important stage of their growth about February. The sparrow could then be seen searching for larvae. No tomato crops of any consequence would be grown either, unless the sparrow paid attention to tli;• larvae. On the other hand, the greenfinch and tiie goldfinch were stated to be of more trouble. Dole Preferred. On the motion of the Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, the Takapuna Borough Council last night decided to write to the Prime Minister urging amendment to the existing policy of relief, particularly No. 5 scheme. Mr. Guiniven said that from what he had heard and read he was satisfied that the dole system as it operated at Home had much to commend it. It was really a form of unemployed insurance which included medical benefits. He said the No. 5 scheme was too burdensome on local authorities, while it also tied relief workers to a particular locality and gave tliem no incentive to seek more remunerative employment. The worst feature of this scheme was that it was breeding a sense of hopelessness, and did not induce men to give their best in return for the money expended on their behalf. Other councillors spoke in support, one stating that relief workers did not earn sufficient to keep their families, and certainly were not able to have the necessary food upon which to do hard work. Aviator Actor. Preferring air travel to the train journey, Mr. Norman Shelley, a member of the Dame Sybil Thorndike Company, left Wigram aerodrome at 7.30 on Friday morning and made a perfect landing at Timaru at 8.45 (states the "Christcliurch Times"). He was accompanied by Mr. Ehvorthy, who flew the machine back to Sockburn later in the day. Mr. Shelley said that he had a delightful trip. He had to fly low nearly all the way -because of low-lying banks of clouds. Over one portion of the route, for a distance of 12 miles, ho flew as low as 40ft. A certificated pilot, who took instruction in England, Mr. Shelley is a keen airman. Comparing the progress of aviation in England with that in the Dominions, he is of the opinion that the high rates, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, will retard the progress of flying, but education in aviation will quickly spread through the activities of the various clubs. For 6oine time, however, until the present rates are considerably reduced, flying will be a wealthy man's hobby. Learned His Onions. An Onehunga resident who cultivates a garden has come to believe in advertising little things. His conversion to the value of advertising .'atne about in this way. He had a patch of small onion plants growing in his garden, from seed which he had saved from an old onion left here and there in the ground the year before. Not much to start with, but the seed produced more plants than he wanted for his own use. He was about to dig the balance into the ground for manure, when a friend advised selling them, and when he protested that he could not spare the time for hawking, the friend suggested the "Star" newspaper service. The advertisement was tried, with the result that within 24 hours after it appeared the gardener had sold out every plant and netted a tidy profit. That was not all. Orders continued to pour in long after his stock was sold out, and it was with sincere regret that he had to refund postal notes worth several pounds. Repeated the following year, the advertisement again proved almost incredibly profitable. In relating his experience, he confessed that the "Star" had given him the best return he had ever received from any investment he bad made. West Coast Bathers Warned. In view of the recent West Coast swimming fatalities, the need for caution when bathing on those beaches has been emphasised much in Auckland of late, and to those warnings the Auckland Sports Club (Auckland) adds its voice. A paragraph appears in the January issue of "Alpine Sport," its official magazine, which says:—"Do not bathe at low or ebbing tide. Many do, and ire no worse for it, but the risk of being swept seaward is ever present, and, remember, too, that rescue work on the West Coast has often meant the endangering of the lives and sometimes the ieath of members of rescue parties. There are plenty of lakes, lagoons and deep fresh water pools available, so that those .who cannot wait for a favourable state of the tide can always enjoy a bathe without hazarding the lives of themselves and others. Secondly, do not swim near rocks or where the configuration of the coast causes :ddies or strong local currents. There is frequently a very strong scour round projecting rocks and points, and a bather caught in this may speedily be swept seaward. Lastly, always remember the unexpected wave, which invariably comes, apparently from nowhere, rising many feet above the usual sea level and covering rocks which to all appearances arc well above the reach of the breakers. If you err, err by being over-cautious."