NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 206, 1 September 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Waitakere Fire District. Notices have been posted in the Waitakere Ranges that the area is a fire district. The whole of the ranges south of Bethell's Road, including the coast area, constitute the Waitakere lire District. Within it, during the months of Novem>ber, December, January, February and March, the lighting of fires is prohibited, save with the consent of a forest oflicer and with such precautions as he may prescribe. Death of Old Shibboleths. The world had advanced beyond the thought of 1914, said Sir James Parr, speaking to members of the Auckland Creditmens Club recently on "Pillars of the Empire." "We shall never go back to the days of 1014," he said, "whether it be to war, trade, money, or anything else. A statesmanship, he added, would have, to arise which would see that the old shibboleths would no longer hold sway—possibly even in the realm of economics. In Search of Bargains. An amusing incident occurred recently to an Invcrcaivrill resident in search of bargains. She hud made some purchases, which she justifiably considered came into that category, in one shop, and entered another crowded establishment with her bag full in search of further successes. She was unfortunate; emerging from the crowd, she found her bag emptied of her precious purcnases. Some members of the crowd had certainly secured "bargains." Filling the Bottle. What might almost be termed an excess of efficiency resulted in an Invercargill chemist suffering a loss recently. A small urchin appeared in his shop with a bottle, which he handed over the counter with great solemnity. The chemist took it, noted the number on the name which happened to be one. of his own, made up the pre-; scription, and filled the bottle. "That will bo 3/0, please," he remarked suavely to the waiting mite, who thereupon burst forth querulously: "Xo, no. I didn't want that. I wanted to sell the bottle." The Common Link. "How many of us try to realise what the world would be like to-day without newspaper advertising?" said Mr. E. H. Whiting, in addressing the YVanganui Rotary Club recently. "Most of the things that help to make life pleasant have been brought to our notice by advertising— and more particularly newspaper advertising. Think of the many people who have secured their present positions as tho result of replying to advertisements they saw in the daily paper. Mass production and lower prices wore never possible without advertising. Without it the manufacturer could not possibly get into touch with enough consumers to get rid of his output." Japanese At Rugby. In the Japanese colleges Rugby football is regularly played, and a year or two ago a Japanese Rugby team toured Canada with a deal of success: So it was not unexpected to find a Rugby football team on the Japanese training ship at present in Auckland, and in a match played nt Eden Park yesterday afternoon against a Training College fifteen tho Japanese team showed an intimate acquaintance with the rules as played in New Zealand, and played a fast, open game. The local team had a considerable advantage, in size and weight, but they were fully extended to win the game, 21—10. Three tries, of which two were converted, and a penalty goal were scored by the Japanese, and their goal' kieker, Mokuchi, showed himself a dangerous man when within range. Eeady-tongued Prisoner. "Arc you in the habit of using bad language?" asked Senior Sergeant W. l'ender of a I man charged in the Napier Magistrate's Court with disorderly behaviour and obscene language 'in a public [Mace. "Well,", was the quick reply, ,"I am an engineer by trade." "Why wore you trying to knock down the cell doors this morning?" the accused was asked, following his assertion that he had not caused any trouble to the police. "I wanted a smoke, and I thought that if I kicked up a noise I would get one," replied the accused. "But," he added regrctlully, "I got chewed up instead." Palm Trees and Salt. When the palm trees donated to the Xapicr Aero Club some weeks ago were planted in the vicinity of the club's hangars, they were placed in excellent soil, with rock borders, and heavy rain which followed shortly after gave the members of the club every reason for believing that the trees would thrive. However, they actually commenced to wither and die, and at ono stage it was feared that tho club was going to lose these valuable assets to the appearance of the aerodrome.' Then it was discovered that the rain, far from bringing benefit to the palms, had washed the salt from the ground round about to their roots. Accordingly, a supply of fresh water was maintained for about three weeks, with tho result that the trees recovered and are now in a healthy condition.

Peach Blossom Time. Farm houses in the Far North are already surrounded by spring blossom, pink and white, and the willows bordering meandering streams are well a-leaf. A train traveller between Whangarei and Optta may lament the lack of effort to improve much of the fertile. Maori land through which the railway line runs at intervals, but he cannot fail to bo impressed with the delightful touch given to it by the delicate pink of full-blossomed peach trees surrounding many a quaint native dwelling—a framework that transforms a winter eyesore into a picture of delight. Up at Russell visitors from the Australian Squadron continuously admired the great masses of arum lilies growing wild like weeds in the byways and along the watercourses of the little village. They revelled in gathering armfuls of the wild flowers. Bush Preservation. With the increasing popularity of the West Coast beaches, and the great improvement in the roads traversing the ranges, there is a real danger that the native bush will suffer. The average person is far too ready to break down boughs and to take berries and flowers that catch his eye, or to remove altogether native shrubs and ferns. Members of the Alpine Sports Club will now be the better enabled to fulfil that object of the club, the preservation of native fauna and flora, by reason of authority recently conferred on them by the trustees of the estate of the late Mr. F. J. Rayner. Members are now empowered to enter upon and range the properties in such estate, which include the greater part of the Piha Valley, and to expel therefrom all unauthorised persons, and all persons doing damage to vegetation. Solomon Islands Tragedy. Details of a tragedy which occurred on the island of Ysabel, in the Solomons group, are contained in a report received by the Melanesian -Mission authorities in Auckland from a member of tho mission staff. The story is best told in the words of the mission worker in whose district the tragedy occurred. "David, a splendid little boy of four years," he writes, "was playing with his-father eleso by a creek. He was running backwards, laughing and shouting. Then the terrible thing happened. In the creek a crocodile' was waiting, the cruel jaws snapped, and little David was gone. The father sprang up with a cry and rushed to the water. In the clear water he could see the crocodile. Without hesitation he dived in and seized the animal round the ■belly, yelling for help as he did so. Others from the village came running to see what had happened, "but only one boy bad the pluck to dive in to help. Father and helper held the crocodile fast and squeezed so hard that at last the little mutilated body came forth. They could then ho'd on no longer", and let the bea<it go. David's body was laid to rest in the villafc cemetery the same evening." The letter adds that when the pric-t, who was absent at the time, returned to the island, a requiem wus held, and that David's fatliCF, mother and brothers were among those who attended. \, i