NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 257, 31 October 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Cattle In City. Quay Street was tlic scone of an unusual eight to Aueklanders this morning at 7.43 o'clock. A herd of 40 head of cattlo were driven along the busy street, with two stockmen in charge. With the cracking whips of the expert mounted etockmen and the yelping of farm clogs, the street took on a country atmosphere. Eggs Are Fragile. While it may lie of no avail to cry over spilt milk, it i>s certainly usclese to waste tears over broken eggs. This must have been the thought in the mind of a truck driver whose vehicle, in turning from Kent Terrace to Cambridge Terrace, Wellington, on Friday afternoon, shed several crates of eggs into the roadway. The damage, states the "Post," wae all that could be expected. Auckland To Sydney. Auckland ie especially well served in steamers for Sydney this week, a period when there will be no Sydney sailing from Wellington. The Aorangi, from Vancouver, sailed from Auckland last night for Sydney, and the Monowai will leave for the eame port on Thursday. On Friday the Monterey will arrive from America, and will sail the eame day for Sydney. Railway Courtesy. On a recent morning the suburban train was ready to etart, time wae up, and the stationmarster as'<ced if everybody wae there — meaning the "regulars." Seemingly everybody was aboard, so he rang the bell and the guard blew his whistle, but away over the bridge was seen a young woman running hard, but, hampered by numerous parcels, making hard work of it. So the engine driver, instead of going "ahead," went "aetern" and met the young woman. At the next station a manand woman were helped in like manner. This is the courtesy the New Zealand Railways is extending to its suburban patrons to-day. Waipahi For Island Trade. Replacing the cargo steamer Karetu, the Union Company's Island eteamer Waipahi ie to 'be recommissioned in the Auckland-Fiji-Tonga service next month. The Waipahi, specially fitted for carrying fruit, was in the Pacific Islands service from April 1932, until June last, when slackness of trade caused ' her withdrawal. Fruit hae since been brought from Fiji to Auckland toy the Aorangi and Niagara, and also by the Karetu. The Karetu ie to be withdrawn on her return to Auckland on November 7, and the Waipahi leaves Auckland on November 15. She is due back on December 13 with fruit for Christmas trade. "Pull Down Your Skirt." During the hearing of the charge of murder against John Hubert Edwards at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon a conetable had eome difficulty in describing how the clothing of the murdered woman was when lie saw the 'body on the floor of the sitting room. Hie Honor Mr. Justice Herdman suggested that the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. V. Meredith, should make use of his gown to demonstrate the position. Mr. Meredith ' did so, pulling the hem well above knee-high, whereupon his Honor remarked with a smile: "I think you had better pull your skirt down, Mr. Meredith." The Wairarapa Wreck. It is 39 years since the- steamer Wai-_ rarapa, 1766 tons, was wrecked at Miner's" Head, Great Barrier Island, on October 29, 1894. with the loss of 120 lives. Bound from Sydney to Auckland with passengers and cargo, the Wairarapa ran into a dense fog coming down the coast of the-North Auckland Peninsula. After the watch had been changed at midnight on the 2Sth the new lookout man had been at his post only a few minutes when he observed a dark mass ahead, which he knew must be land. The order for full speed astern wae given, but had scarcely commenced to take effect before the vessel struck and slowly commenced to sink. A considerable sea was running, and many people were ewept away ae they attempted to reach the shore. News of the disaster did not reach Auckland until four daye later, when some of the survivors arrived by the Argyle from Port Fitzroy. Menace of Vicious Seagulls. After a lull of several weeks, seagulls, which earlier in the season caused a certain amount of mortality among young lambs in the Farndon district, in Hawke's Bay, have resumed their unwelcome activities recently, in a more serious degree than before, one farmer having lost no fewer than 19 lambs on his property in three days. The serious menace represented by the attacks of seagulls is particularly evident when mortality occurs at this late stage of the season, the lambs attacked being well grown, and approaching the 301b mark, practically ready for the works. Observations made on this property would seem to indicate that _ the majority of the attacks are the work of single gulls, rather than of flocks. The gulls do not attack the lambe while there are human beings about, and in most cases the attacks appear to have been made in the very early morning. The heads of the lambs are opened up in some cases, with eyes usually picked out. Canada and Defence. Canadian opinion concerning the necessity of defence, especially naval defence, is much divided, according to a statement made by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart when speaking at a lunch organised by the Auckland branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations yesterday. The elder Canadian statesmen, said Mr. Stewart, were much concerned about external affairs, but the younger men were inclined to eay that they were not concerned about the Navy, foreign policy or trade routes. Canadians generally admitted an obligation to the League of Nations and to the various international pacts, but said that they would not be concerned in wars in which they had no part. The country was more isolationist and nationalist than New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. After mentioning these facts, Mr. Stewart eaid that, on the other hand, he had been greatly impressed on seeing in Toronto a parade of kilted Territorials. He had, he said, inquired into the Territorial system, and had learned that the young men were extraordinarily keen. It was difficult for an outsider to form a definite opinion of the feeling in Canada towards defence.

Liked the Spirit.

Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth, who liae had manyadventures in his Polar explorations, is not so keen to talk of them as he is of the spirit of a young New Zealander who has made a business proposition to him. Several days ago Mr. Ellsworth received a letter from this young man, who told him that on Campbell Island, which lies roughly between New Zealand and the Bay of Whales, were 5000 sheep, the shearing rights of which he hoped to buy. Would Mr. Ellsworth, he asked, take him, with two other men, doge and stores, to the island when he went south, drop them there, and pick them up again on hie return, minus the stores, but plus some bales of wool? ADy sort of accommodation would do —just somewhere to steep. They would, if necessary, provision themselves. A percentage of the wool cargo, he suggested, would be the payment. It might be a business failure, or it might not. The writer was lees interested in that than in the fun of the thing. "Xow, that's a real man," said Mr. Ellsworth. "And that's an adventure I should certainly like to help, and, though there arc a lot of obvious difficulties, I will sec what the captain of my ship saye vrhen he arrives." J