NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 190, 14 August 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Thefts From Gardens. At least two Remuera residents are "hot under the collar" because much of their labour in their gardens has gone for nothing. Two households "in the same locality awoke yesterday morning to find that the gardens had been stripped—early daffodils, of which the grower.? were so proud, primulas and anemones, all having disappeared. A lemon tree, the day before covered with fruit, was quite bare. Brotherhood At Sea. In the captain's cabin of the Norwegian tanker Sagona, which discharged a part cargo of fuel oil at Auckland on Saturday afternoon, is a small gilded flagstaff. The flag, which hangs dead for want of a breeze to give it life, is a : blue one, with a wide red border and a white dove in the centre. It is the symbol of the Brotherhood at Sea. The brotherhood was formed half a century ago, and originally membership ■ was restricted to masters. A few years ago it united with the Young Sailors' Christian Association, and the membership now runs into four - figures, although the movement is confined to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Spring Is Here. After so many miserable week-ends, the glorh:as weather yesterday was a welcome change. There was scarcely a breath of wind, and a warm, brilliant sun shone throughout the day. A few Spartans braved the chill of the sea, and bathers were seen on several beaches, but the majority of holiday-makers were content to enjoy the sun from a warmer position on the dry sand. Tennis courts and golf courses were thronged with players, many in summer attire. A few yachts took the water again after the winter hibernation, but their crews realised that they were a little previous when the sun went down and a cold mist enveloped the harbour for the homeward sail. Motorists turned out in large numbers, and service stations did a more thriving trade than for many weeks past. Interesting Sight in the Sky. Those who take even the smallest interest in the movements of the heavenly bodies should make a point of watching the north-western sky every evening this week, for they will see a rapid planetary movement, such as will not occur for many a long day. Fortunately there is no moon, and the spectacle concerns the two brightest objects in the sky, the planets Venus and Jupiter. They are so bright that they are plainly visible 20 minutes after sunset, long before any others appear, and Venus is so rapidly approaching Jupiter that they will be almost alongside each other by Thursday evening. However, to appreciate this spectacular movement, one will need to look for it every evening when the sky happens to be clear. They can be very easily identified if viewed at six o'clock, being at that time the two lowest of.the half-dozen 6tars then visible. A Modeller of Ships. Men of the sea seem always to be interested in things of the sea, apart from the routine of their calling. Some compile diaries, which keep green their memories in after years; most read all they can about the older sailing ships, and then argue about them and their sailing capacities with their friends; and some make models. In one officer's quarters of the Canadian Highlander, a vessel which has just left Auckland, there is not a great deal of room, but in it there are both a bunk and a working bench. The bunk is usual, but on the bench, like a half-completed vessel in a dockyard, is a, model of an old-time warship in the making. She was the Sovereign of the Seas, one of the most interesting: of the first of the early war vessels. She has been gilded and carved and painted just as was the original. She is exactly to scale, even to the rigging—modellers take a pride in the exactness of their work. She is dainty as a model, yet clumsy-looking to ourview; ' but those early mariners were wonderful seamen, and could sail very close to the wind in those cumbersome "arks." Though the officer has been working since January last in his spare time, the model is nowhere near completion. Snapper In Well. At the Devonport Fire Brigade's annual reunion on Saturday evening Mr. E. W. Alison said the biggest fire Devonport ever had was in 1888, when seven shops and as many private residences were destroyed between Clarence Street and the wharf. They only had a "bucket brigade" in those days, and could do little to stay the flames. It was in 1894 that the brigade as now existing was formed, and there was only one of the original members living. He ' told the story of the well which had been dug as a water supply for the borough, and how, when he proposed that Lake Pupuke should be the source of supply, lie could not oven get a seconder for his motion, which came before the council. A live snapper, which had jus); been caught by a boy on the old wooden wharf, for which he paid a shilling, was put in the well, and was swimming about in the water when Mr. Pond, the analyst, came across to test it. It was the greatest piece of diplomacy lie had ever performed, and did more to give Devonport her picsent water supply than anything else that could have happened. The Old Coaching Days. It is a long way back in the history of this country since Sir William Fox, who was four times Premier,.last held that office. Sir William knew pioneering as fow Premiers did. The recent death at New Plymouth of Mrs. Emily Morgan, at the age of 85, brings to mind the hospitality of the Morgan homestead in the old coaching days. Mrs. Morgan came to New Zealand when she was two years old, and married the late Mr. E. M. Morgan in 1870. They settled | at the mouth of the Manawapou River, half-way between Patea and Hawera. The coach road ran along the beach past the Morgans' farm, and they often offered the hospitality of their home to the passengers of Cobb and Co.'s coach when high tides at the mouth of the river held them up. It was while travelling by that route, before the main roads were made, that Sir William Fox was delayed for hours at the Morgan homestead because of an exceptionally high tide. Sir William had,been on the box seat, and was very wet. Before a roaring fire the distinguished though homely guest was able to dry his clothes. He was a staunch teetotaller, and it is related that he refused a glass of hot grog. Right up to the end-of his days Sir William never forgot that tedious coach journey on the West Coast, and always spoke with gratitude of the Morgans' hospitality. There was no finer type of pioneer settlers tlian the Morgans. Bluejackets Unlucky. ; Seven bluejackets in H.M.s. Diomedo were out of luck on Saturday. They are members of * the North Shore senior B Rugby fifteen, which ' up till last week had hopes of winning their grade. On Wednesday the Diomedo went into ' the Hauraki Gulf for exercises,, but in order that ; the seven bluejackets might play at Eden Park ; they were granted special leave, and were landed at Waiwera at half-past eleven on Saturday i morning. Arrangements had been made for the ; footballers to travel to Auckland by car, but the i engine "seized" before the journey was Com- ; menced, and it was after one o'clock before an-' ■ other car could be secured. Good.time was made i on the run to Devonport, but the players did not 1 reach ,Eden Park until a few minutes before ; three o'clock, when , the match in which they j were to have played was ..just finishing, The 1 bluejackets found that their places had been filled i by juniors, and that their team had been beaten. '< Although' keenly disappointed, they spoke enth.u- i siastically of their commanding officer, himself ( a University'blue in' England, whose regard for i the Rugby game undoubtedly influenced him in i granting the men special leave and landing them i by ..motor boat at Waiwera, It was bad luck for 1 the officials of the North Shore Club that they ] had to take the field with a weakened side, for < on Friday they tried in vain,' as a precautionary ] measure, to have their game postponed until 3 i p.m. '[(