NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 285, 2 December 1933, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Wooing the Housewife. "About 500 ranges would give us approximately £5000 additional revenue," said Mr. S. P. Day, secretary to the Franklin Power Board, this week. "We have at present 1539 milking motors, but only 549 ranges," so the power board gave the secretary permission to launch a campaign to increase the number of electric ranges. The Japanese Lily. •, A recent photograph in the "Star" of a Japanese lily in bloom has drawn attention to the fact that the flower is fairly well known in Auckland, and popular in gardens. Mrs. C. H. Skinner, of 75, Arthur Street, Onehunga, has a 50-year-old specimen of the plant. It is now in flower, with a bloom 3ft long. Demonstration By Boys' Bands. This evening the. Auckland City and Mount Eden "boys' bands, between 70 and 80 strong, will march in massed formation from Liverpool Street, via Karangahape Road, to St. Matthew's Hall. This demonstration is to be given with the idea of showing citizens what is being done for the lads in Auckland in "iving them a musical education, in common with the Ponsonby Boys' Band and similar other musical organisations. A Faulty Stamp. Of interest to philatelists is an item of news received from a United States correspondent, who states that owing to an error in the illustration of the N.R.A. stamp issue of IS cents, only 350,000 stamps were issued before being recalled (says the Woodvillc "Examiner"). The illustration depicts President Roosevelt's recovery plan, and the figure representing the professional man can be plainly seen with only one leg. Sloop's Voyage to England. As mentioned last week, the sloop Veronica is to leave Auckland on February 24 next for England, where she will probably be broken up. On her way Home she will call at Cairns, Port Darwin, Singapore, Colombo, Aden, Port Sudan, Port Said, Malta and Gibraltar, with possibly calls at the Dutch East Indies. She is scheduled to reach Chatham on June 19. The vessel is compelled to make the long voyage to England in easy I stages, as she is a coal-burner and possesses [ only a limited cruising range. Hard to Define. "It would, I think, be an absurdity to say that a traction engine regularly using the road is not a vehicle, and if it is a vehicle it is also a motor vehicle within the meaning of the Motor Vehicles Act," said Mr. R. M. Watson S.M., in a reserved judgment delivered at Marton,. referring to a case in 'which it was held by counsel that a traction engine was not legally a motor vehicle. The judgment referred to many authorities. The fine impose<r Tor operating a traction engine on the Bulls-Turakina highway without first having obtained the consent of the Rangitikei County Council was £4, with coste 12/. Electing a Bishop.

The Archbishop of New Zealand haa appointed the Rev. Ifi. M. Cowie, M.A., vicar of Kliandallah, in the diocese of Wellington, to bo his commissary for tlie purpose of calling and presiding at the Synod of the diocese of Nelson, ivhicli will elect a successor to the present bishop, who is retiring next year. It is proposed to call the special session for the election of a bishop for Thursday, December 14. Mr. Cowie,has issued a letter to the clerical and lay members of the Synod calling them to meet for a quiet day of prayer and devotion on Wednesday, December 13, as & spiritual preparation for the important work for which the Synod is being assembled;,

Good Singing Appreciated. "I was very glad to hear you people .sing the National Anthem prettily and 60 accurately," eaid tlie Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, when addressing the school cliildien at Cheviot. There were few persons in the Dominion who heard the National Anthem sung so often* as their Excellencies, Lord Bledisloe continued. Many times lie and her Excellency had heard it sung out of • tune, out of tin/e, and often very nervously. At Cheviot it had been sung in good time, in tune, and with confidence, as though the children really believed that they had a great King and a great man ruling them. "You have not only a great monarch, but one who has 'set a brilliant example to the Empire. Nor is there a woman who has set a nobler example to the women of the British race than Her Majesty the Queen." New Zealand and the Sea. Pointing out that two great bonds which hold the British Empire together are sentiment and ships, Captain Cosmo Graham, of H.M.S. Diomede, made an effective appeal to members of the Gisborne Kotary Club to promote a spirit of sea-consciousness in the community. "The impression I have gained since coming to New Zealand is that the people of this country are losing their sea:consciousnes6," said Captain. Graham. "To-day it appears to me.,, they have their backs to the sea and their faces to the land, thinking no doubt that their future lies there. I wonder if the analogies of the rise of Britain and Japan, for instance, by the development of a sea spirit are not applicable to the case of New Zealand. The bulk of your income is from the sea. The products of the land do count, but they must be sent over the sea for sale, and it is on the use of the sea that prosperity depends."'

Hardwood v. Concrete. Mr. G. T. Parvin, at the monthly meeting of the Franklin Power Board, said that he thought it was false economy to import ironbark poles from Australia, when locally-made concrete ones would do the job and last much longer. In fact, it Was found that after a few years the hardwood poles had to be replaced by concrete oijes. , This meant that concrete poles would last a lifetime, and were cheaper in the long run, even if they cost mor& now. Mr. H. P. Garland said at the present it was' a matter of cost. To get within the stipulated payable percentage cast, the instalment cost of the nine miles in question could not be increased. Further, there was the question of giving service to the settlers at Awhitu, who were' badly in need of electricity. The load offering was only payable if advantage was taken of every saving possible. The tender for hardwood poles, £470, was accepted. The Lonely Little Lady. The wharf was crowded, and the decks of the Monowai were lined with departing passengers on Thursday afternoon. The ship's jazz 1 band played lively selections amidships, and now and again the ship's bugler blew the customary warning orders. The chatter of v friends ashore and the farewell cries from the ship and shore swelled the noise. But above it all sounded the drone of bagpipes. Well towards the after end of the deck a lonely little lady leaned against the rails, one hand crammed with streamer ends, and the other clasping a bouquet. The other ends of the streamers were held by a group of a score of people on the wharf, in the midst of whom, neck swelling, face crimson, imperturbable as a guardsman, the piper piped. The group were probably Caledonians, and liked the idea, but they stood apart from other seersoff; or vice versa, and on deck the lonely little lady had no neighbours for several yards on either side. It is only fair to say that the lonely little lady looked sad, probably because she was leaving her friends. After all, not everybody feels the same about bagpipes. / I

Matter of Methods. "As you get older you give up 'bullocking and use your head more," saj<d a witness in the Dunedin Arbitration Court, when being examined as to his capacity for work following an accident. "When a man reaches tne age of 00, he uses his brains more and his hands less, and he gets through the same amount of work." "Make Us Truly Thankful." It was in an Auckland restaurant. A young Aucklander .was practising the almost "forgotten art of "saying_ grace." He had hardly stopped when a voice at his side whispered, "Is your meat bad, sir." It was the manageress, who, seeing the bent head, and being aware probably of .the hot summer's day, thought that her client was smelling the meat. Beach Golf Discouraged. The practice of visitors to Foxton Beach bringing golf clubs into play was. referred to at a recent meeting of the Foxton Harboui Board, when it was suggested that steps be taken to stop this dangerous practice. The practice, a most reprehensible one, is also common 011 other beaches along this coast, states a Foxton paper. Hatched In Garden. A grey duck which hatched out eight ducklings in a Christchurch garden recently was given an opportunity of taking her brood to more congenial surroundings. Traffic at the intersection of Bealcy Avenue and Papanui Road made a clear passage for the mother and ducklings as, driven by three children, they made their waddling way across the intersection and finally arrived 011 the banks of the Avon. "No, Not the Museum." Although careless dialling of" tho automatic -telephone is frequently annoying to the person who has to answer the call, particularly if he has to„ leave his warm bed during the night, the results are ■ often decidedly humorous. A housewife might imagine; she has dialled the number of her butcher, but the response to her ring will show she has called up instead the residence of a cleric. An example of the consequences of such carelessness was heard by a member of Parliament when strolling through the building. ' "No, this is not the museum, but tho Legislative Council," he heard a messenger retort in answer- 4 o a telephone call in that section of the building. Yachting Safeguards. 1

The question of compelling yachting crews to use some form of life-jacket aro-s at a meeting of the Wellington Provincial Yacht and Motor Boat Association, when the recent yachting accident in the Wellington Harbour came under discussion. The chairman, Captain W. J. Iveane, said that since the accident he had been in touch with a firm that manufactured life-jackets, and he was getting quotations for a waterproof kapok jacket to take the place of the oilskin garment generally in use at present. If jackets of a suitable nature could be obtained at a satisfactory price, it lay with the clubs to see that their members wore them whenever they ventured out.

Several Parties Interested. Monday next will see the commencement of the of the commission which is to allocate among the interested local bodies of Hawke's Bay the cost of the diversion of the j Tutaekuri River. The bodies concerned are the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board, the Hawke's Bay County Council, the Napier Harbour Board, the Napier City Council and the Taradale Town Board, and oil behalf of these bodies counsel ,ara now engaged in the preparation of their?,different arguments. The costs which are to be borne by the bodies will be apportioned by Mr. J. S. Barton, C.M.0,. who gained an extensive knowledge of the affairs of the district while, he was in Napier as Commissioner following the earthquake. It is" expected that the sitting of the commission will take some days to complete. Underground Cables For Hamilton. Work on tlie underground electric cable system in the business portion of Hamilton is to be in the spring of 1934, according to a decision reached at this week's meeting of the Borough Council. The electrical engineer, Mr. I. Webster, reported that it would not be advisable to delay the lowtension underground cable distribution system later than another year. "I suggest, as the tenderers will require about four months to get the full data on this that con-, sideration be given to the calling of fresh tenders either in December or January, with a closing date in April, 1934," stated Mr. Webster in his report. The material would then be received in time for installation in the spring and summer of 1934-35, added Mr. Webster. The tests on the present _ aerial lines during the'winter's loading disclosed that in Victoria Street the lines were fully loaded, Colllngwood and Ward Sreets were carrying a 50 per cent overload, and Hood Street a 10 per cent overload during peak hours, and' some of these 'feeders were quite warm to touch, showing that there was a heavy loss with them with a consequent reduction in voltage to consumers and loss of revenue- N _

Hedgehog in the Night. The secretary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Mr. E. S. Wilson, stated at the meeting of the executive that a woman residing at the north end of Dunedin had called on him With a complaint a cat had been cruelly treated. She said that a man had apparently set a trap to catch cats. She .had heard a cat screaming and had then seen ttie man come out of a house and hit it on the head. Mr. Wilson said he had instructed Inspector Hinchcliff to look into the complaint. The inspector said that there was nothing in the complaint. It was true that a man had set a trap, but he had set it to catch rats, not cats.; He had not caught either, ;but had trapped a hedgehog. The man lia,cl heard the hedgehog making a noise during the night, and had coriie out of his house and killed it. The,members of the committee also, discussed briefly the question of the poisoning of dogs, and while • they were unanimous—or almos-t so—that there was no excuse for poisoning a harmless dog in the environs of the city, it was held that there was justification for , a sheep owner who destroyed dogs that were worrying hi.s sheep.

Historic Watch Lost. An historic gold watch has been lost, and a plea is made to any finder to return it to its owner, or its owner's descendants. On January 7, 1563, the Orpheus was wrecked off the Manukau Heads, and some of the survivors were cared for with, true hospitality by Apihai te Kawau, who was the grandfather of .. Te Hira Pateoro, the old Maori whose passing Orakei so recently mourned, who was a child when Hobson landed on the beach before the settlement 92 years ago. The captain of the Orpheus presented the watch to the old Maori as some recognition of his goodness. As for the reason for the wreck, that is best' -told in the words of old Rawinia Tainui; the widow of Te Hira, herself 95 years old, who lives to this day at Orakei. "The Orpheus, why,- 1 elie ran aground because' of what her captain said he was going to do to the Maoris," she said. "He said that he would clean away all the Maoris before his kettle boiled; but he did not, for he was wrecked. But Apihai, he ldok-ed after those who came ashore, so the captain gave him the watch because he had done that. But Apihai, he 1 passed the watch on, and it was lost afterwards at Mangere. It was a very fine watch, all gold, with a, fine inscription inside telling about it all. But it was lost. Would you ask. that anyone who found it would return it to me here, because it belonged to my husband?" j