NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Ngaruawahia Regatta. Notwithstanding the depression, the popularity of the Ngaruawahia Regatta showed a marked increase on last year. At a meeting of the executive on Friday night Mr. H. D. Sampson, , treasurer, reported that the gate receipts and ground rentals increased by £35. The net profit on the regatta held last month was £150, compared with £90 last year. ■ Misunderstood. Advertising in a Dunedin paper for a young woman for light housework, a Dunedin lady received a reply from an applicant, who stated 'that she was already in a situation in the country, but would like a change to sea air. She added, however, that the advertiser had neglected to state where the lighthouse was. Vandalism In Epsom. Vandals have been at work in Epsom. At least one resident, the proud possessor of the flower garden on which he has spent much time and money, has had the annoying experience of finding many of his prize young plants ripped up by the roots and strewn about the beds. It happened one night last week. A low stone wall skirts the garden, and apparently larrikins leaned over this and destroyed the plants. A Welcome Bishop. The Bishop of Nelson (Dr. Sadlier) was informed at the diamond jubilee celebrations in Kaikoura on Saturday night that ho was doubly welcome to the district at the present time. Bain was badly needed, and it Was generally accepted that there was always- rain when the Bishop visited the district. "My reputation is at stake on this occasion," said the Bishop, "but we shall see, as I have 36 hours to go yet." His reputation was saved (says the "Star"), for there, was a fall of seven points on Sunday night. Only To Be Expected. Potato plots cultivated by industrious residents away from their homes with a view to easing the household economic eituation have been receiving attention at the hands of people who not so industrious as the owners of the plots, have waited till the tubers came to maturity, and aTe making raids on the plots (states the "Timaru Herald"). One Hampstead resident found that his plot had been robbed of at least a sackful of table potatoes, the seed and inferior potatoes being left on the surface of the ground. Several other residents have reported similar experiences. Pennant Golf Competition. "One pleasing arrangement which was made during the year was the introduction of the pennant system for inter-club play," said Mr. A. M. Howden, the retiring club captain, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Golf Club on Saturday evening. The pennant system, he said, would provide opportunities for the younger players to develop their game. There "had been contentions that it would cause congestion on the courses where the matches were played, but it had had the opposite effect. The system was . commenced a fortnight ago, and he thought, as the years went by, it would become the most prominent feature of the local golf competitions. ,

No Need For "Make-up." Admiration of the Germane as a race was expressed by Mr. W. R. Brugh, who has returned after a lengthy tour of Europe, in the course of an interview with an "Otago Daily Times" reporter. After referring to their friendly treatment of the visitor, he stated that he had been struck by the healthy and athletic appearance of both men and women. While one saw hundreds of thousands of women in England who made liberal use of cosmetics, one might journey for a long time without seeing a German woman who was "made up." The Germans practised all forms of physical culture with enthusiasm, and while he was in Dresden swimmers were so numerous that he could scarcely see the river flowing through the city. Electric Power Failure. Electric power supplied to the city failed twice yesterday afternoon, due to a fault in an insulator Vn the high-tension power lines betwefti Penrose and Arapuni. The first failure occurred shortly before half-past three, the power being off for three minutes. A quarter of an hour later a second stoppage occurred, and on this occasion was off for twelve minutes. For a time trams were at a standstill, and rail traffic on the Frankton-Auckland line was slightly delayed, owing to the fact that the automatic signalling apparatus was thrown out ,of action. The fact that the Limited was nine minutes late in her departure for Wellington last evening was due to the delay on the railway line following the power stoppages.

Certificated Seed. "If the future of New Zealand is bound up with the quality of its pastures," remarks the report of the chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, "then the attention being devoted to the strain work in all varieties of grasses and pastures has the greatest significance, both from the point of view of increasing and cheapening the local production of exportable produce, and also from the point of view of establishing a larger trade in the export of highquality strains of eeeds in these crops." Last year, the report states, "applications were received for the certification of 9700 acres of perennial ryegrass, but 'this year these have increased to over 20,000 acres, showing that much more attention is being devoted to the production of high-grade seed. A larger number of applications has also been received from growers of other classes of seeds, and the demand for potato certification has also markedly increased." Find of Moa Bones. A great find of moa bones, the bulk of them in splendid condition, has been made in mud springs situated on a small flat at Makirikiri, some ten miles from Wanganui. So far well over 1000 bones have been recovered, the great majority being leg bones. Some are of immense size, clearly belonging to the largest of the five genera of moa—the Dinornis giganteous. The majority of the bones belong to the species Dinornis ingens, and there are /bones of many other of the 22 or 23 species./ Only a few skulls have been recovered, but they are in perfect condition. Why and how the nioas came to the mud springs and into swamps and caves in many parts of New Zealand has puzzled investigators since'the first bone was taken to Professor Owen, in England,-by Dr. Rule, in-183ft, and identified "by him as that of a giant bird. Most of the North Island finds have been in caves, and this makes the Wanganui discovery of all the more interest. The late Mr. Elsdon Best visited the springs in 1893, and obtained a number of bones. Anomaly in Act. In the course of administering an estate, a Christchurch solicitor has discovered an anomaly in the 'Unemployment Act (states the "Christchurch Times"). A girl under the age of- twenty, who is in receipt of an income other than salary or wages, is compelled to pay the emergency unemployment charge on any income exceeding £20; while a boy in a similar position is.exempt until he reaches the age of twenty. As a case in point, two children under the age of twenty were each left a yearly income under r their father's will. One of the beneficiaries, a girl, has to pay the emergency charge, while her brother is ' exempt. According to the Act, among the persons who are exempt from the emergency charge on income other than salary or wages are absentees from New Zealand and youths under the age of twenty. There is no exemption for ; girls under the age of twenty, other than an amount of £20. Solicitors, whose attention was drawn to the anomaly, admitted that it was quite < unfair.