NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 9, 11 January 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Borough Revaluations. After several weeks, one of the Auckland district valuers completed hie revaluation of the Ellerslio town district yesterday. Revaluation of the Birkenhead Borough will be started on Monday, and it is hoped to complete the whole borough by the end of March. It is a long job. Every property in the borough has to be inspected. Smoke Shroud. Tiritiri Island for a period yesterday was enveloped in smoke as the result of a burnoff of old pastures. At times, as clouds of smoke drifted over the mainland between Takapuna and Whangaparaoa, visibility was less than a mile. .Apparently the smoke was not dense, but owing to the light winds it was not readily dispersed from the island. The burn-off was extensive and successful. Daily Mail Service. The Ohope Beach, Wliakatane, Post Office will have a daily mail service during the months of January and February, and, until such time as a more frequent service is found necessary, bi-weekly during the rest of the year." Efforts are still being made to have telephone connection established to provide the much-needed bureau and telegraph facilities for tlio residents and visitors at the beach. Chinese Wood Carving. An exhibit of Chinese wood carving is at present on display in a Wliakatane shop. The carving reflects the meticulous care of the artist, who has with acute detail fashioned' his block of wood into one of the Chinese beasts of burden, with the figure of a Chinese seated beside him. The entire work has been done by hand, and exceptional care has been observed in tracing the hairs on the animal's skin. A Bowler's "Hatful." When an Australian bowler arrived at the West Harbour pavilion, Dunedin, on Saturday morning last to join in a practice game of bowls he could not believe his eyes, says the Dunedin "Star," when, on opening his handbag, and expecting to see two bowls and a blazer, lie found that it was crammed with silver coin and bank no tee. Quickly thinking of his previous movements, it dawned on him that on leaving the hotel he must have removed the house banking bag instead of his own. With visions of a flying squad of police on the track of an Australian robber, he motored back to the hotel in record tunc. Better Weather. Auckland is now experiencing a return to summer weather conditions. After the prolonged spell of cold southerly weather, yesterday's bright sunshine and heat, tempered by a light north-easterly breeze, was entirely seasonal, and a pleasant change for the hundreds of families who are still holidaymaking at seaside resorts. Exceptionally large crowds paraded the streets during the day, and the effect on business was noticeable. During December a fortnight's ideal summer weather waa experienced, but on December 18 there was a change, and periods of boisterous, showery weather were frequent. On Monday, for the first time since December 27, the barometer rose above normal. Conditions this morning were again of the summer variety. . , Ambulance Man's Journey. Forty-five miles by horse and launch were covered by the St. John officer on Waiheke Island to attend to an injured man on Tuesday night and bring him to Auckland yesterday morning. The patient was Mr. William James Gordon, aged 07, married, a farmer, at Awaroa Bay, who was struck by the limb of a tree while felling bush on Tuesday. The St. John Ambulance officer at Ostend, 10 miles away, was called by 'phone, and rode to Awaroa. After attending to the patient, he rode back to Ostend, a launch, embarked his patient at Awaroa Bay, and brought him to Auckland, the St. John Ambulance meeting the launch at the wharf yesterday morning to take him to the Auckland Hospital. Mr. Gordon was suffering from injuries to his head and nose, but his condition is not considered serious. Effects of a Storm. I Visitors to Gisbornc liavo been interested in the evidences of the big storm experienced throughout Poverty Bay at the beginning of January. A peculiar effect of the wind in the borough and other* parts of the district adjacent to the sea was that trees, hedges, flowers and vegetables were all badly blackened by the wind-blown salt. The effect was just the same as that of a heavy frost, with the exception that the "burning" took place on only the side which received the full force of the gale. In many instances vegetables and flowers were destroyed, and those that escaped, complete destruction present an unsightly appearance. The beautiful flowers in the Gisborne Botanical Gardens were greatly damaged, dahlias in particular being badly damaged. It will be some time before all traces of the effects of the storm are effaced. Dogs in Takapuna. Locally-owned dogs were defended at last evening's meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council, when the question of the levy for dog licenses was discussed. It was claimed by one councillor that the dogs which were a nuisance on the beaches were those brought over from the city by holiday residents. The Takapuna dogs seemed either too sophisticated or too considerate of the name of the borough to be unruly on the beaches. If the levy were to remain the same as at present, there would be fewer dogs in the borough, whereas if the suggested reduction were carried into effect the place would be crowded with them. Mr. T. M. Rollo considered that it would make no difference to the prolific nature of the animals whether the charge were 10/ or 7/6. The council decided that the fees should remain as at present —2/6 for working dogs and 10/ for others. Naval Man's Motor Trip. Sub-Lieutenant R- H. A. Kidston, of H.M.s. Diomede, -said when he arrived in Auckland from Wellington by motor car about 10 o'clock last evening that his trip was in no sense an attempt to break the record. He left Wellington about 9 .o'clock yesterday morning in his super-charged Mercedes-Benz sports car, which he recently imported from England. "The fact that I was driving a fast car probably gave rise, to the false impression that I was endeavouring to cover the distance in record time," he said on arrival.. "It was merely a .normal holiday trip from Wellington to Auckland." . South of Wangan'ui the tread of one of the tyres stripped, and a stop was made for repairs. Another tyre was stripped near Waitara. On the way through Hawera the driver lost his way, and followed the coastal road to New Plymouth. Some time was spent at Waitara»working on the car. When passing through the Awakino Valley, south of Te Kniti, the driver was unlucky enough to break a leaf in the offside rear spring. There were 30 gallons of benzine in the tank, and the back of the car bumped more heavily than usual. On his way towards Auckland, on the Great South Road, SubLieutenant Kidston was stopped by a traffic inspector, who said ho had been sitting on a camp stool on the roadside with a packet of cigarettes since 7 o'clock waiting for the Mercedes to pass. After a short chat, the naval man carried on to Auckland. He had taken nearly 10 hours from Wanganui.

Suspicions Confirmed. It was reported recently that fireblight had made its appearance in an orchard at Leeston, Canterbury, and since then reports of other suspected cases have been received ; from Irwell, Leeston, Lakeside and other parts of the district. An officer of the Department of Agriculture visited the district last week and confirmed suspicions in a number of cases. Apple, pear and quince trees are affected. Hungry Pig. An up-river Wanganui farmer has reported the loss of a foal which was eaten by wild pigs. He stated that he saw the foal ; alive one day, but on going back the next ; all that remained of it was two hoofs. Later a pig hunt was organised under the direction i of the farm manager, and the undigested hide ' of the young foal was found in one of the pig destroyed. Hamilton's Anniversary. The 70th anniversary of the foundation of Hamilton will fall this year, and at least one early resident of the town, Mr. T. Pearson, of Wellington Street, is doing his best to : arouse interest in the occasion. The Early [ Settlers' Association, of which Mr. Pearson is secretary, propose to hold a week's celebra- : tions next month. Steps arc taken to : enlist the co-operation of sports bodies and i the public generally. Wool Shed Removal. After standing for about 00 years, the wool shed at Ostend, one of the best-known landmarks on Waiheke Island, is being de--1 molished, the Ostend Road Board having decided to make a public reserve on the threeacre site surrounding it. Built of kauri, the ' shed is in a good state of preservation and is to be re-erected on'a more central site about two miles nearer Onetangi. Local kauri, pitsawn on the island, will also be used in the reconstruction. Fruits of Victory. Mr. Fred Earl, president of the Auckland Cricket Association, has announced his intention of presenting a bat to D. R. Garrard for the best all-round performances in the games for the Plunket Shield, which lias been won by Auckland. Both he and his brother, W. R. Garrard (wi<jket-keeper) are past New Zealand representatives. The sterling work in the field or the young champion, Mervyn Wallace, has not been passed unnoticed. He, too, is to receive a bat, presented by Mr. J. Roberts, for his dashing display in that most important but eadly-neglected department of the game. Loan Acceptance Confirmed. The long-deferred acceptance of the loan of £2000 at 3 per cent for three months from the Auckland Electric Power Board was confirmed by the Takapuna' Borough Council last evening. The loan had been arranged by Mr. M. L. Wilkins, chairman of the finance committee, but owing to the premature closing of a former meeting of the council the money on deposit to their account had not been formally accepted by the council. At the meeting on December 19 the Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, had refused to take the business, as it had not been specified on the order paper, which was for a special meeting. Prime at Fifty. The controversy over the placing of men over 50 years of age on sustenance has encouraged Mr. William Forbes, of Ponsonby West, who turned 70 on Christmas Day, to recall that he served throughout the war after he had reached his 50th year. Before going to France with the British forces, Mr. Forbes undertook the nine months' heavy training which was prescribed for volunteers, and claims,that he withstood the rigours of active service without difficulty. "I was in my prime at 50," he asserts. "To-day I am over* 70, and I am regularly engaged in gardening work, and 1 like it." The Holland Memorial. The question whether a local body is fulfilling its duties to its ratepayers by making a donation to a fund for a memorial to the late Mr. H.. E. Holland, the Labour leader, was discussed at a meeting of the Papakura Town Board. The political aspect was not touched, but Mr. D. Weir, an ex-chairman of the board, said that it was not wise in a matter like this to make a donation. He thought it was a question of private subscription from friends and admirers. Papakura is in the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey's electorate, and it refused a similar request when a donation was sought for Mr. Massey's memorial. The board refused to make a donation. Bees Looking for Homes. The increased number of swarms of bees this summer lias been very noticeable in the Opotiki district, and in some instances considerable inconvenience has been caused by the bees settling in unusual positions. One ; swarm began to settle in a motor car, but the owner, before the bees could make them- 1 selves comfortable, drove away and left them behind. In one quarter-acre section in the 1 borough no fewer than four swarms were observed, and a bee fancier was able to secure : a good hive. The unseasonable weather ex- > perienced during the late spring and early : summer is suggested as a possiblo cause for ( swarms being so. much in evidence. 1934 Year Book. • __ < In issuing the 1934 New Zealand Year . Book, the Government lias had to keep within the limits set, for economy reasons, in the past year or two. The curtailment of ser- , vices, as the Government Statistician states, ( has reduced the available data from eome . sources, and considerations of time and space have made it impossible to expand in other directions where much could be said about ' the eventful changes recently made in the ad- J niinistrative and economic affairs of the country. Everything has had to bo subordinated ! to the single aim of preserving continuity of 1 matter and presentation indispensable in a 1 year book, and the claim appears justified 1 that the value of the new issue has not been substantially impaired. While no major addi- ] tione could be made, there is added a brief J article on "Mean Time and Time Service," ' relating to a subject of increasing interest. ' In the section dealing with defence there have < been important changes, and extensions have ' been made to that dealing with currency and i banking. 1 Clans and Captains Foregather. s Apart from the many old cricket repre- ( sentatives of Auckland and other major pro- j vinces at Eden' Park, there was quite a gallery ( of captains for the jubilee game with Canterbury. One group photographed included four of team which- yesterday clinched its , claim to be the New Zealand champion eleven (A. J. Postles, G. L. Weir, D. R. Garrard and * J. E. Mills), the others being F. J. Ohlson, Tom Elliott (the Wairoa player who led 1 Auckland on its forlorn hope in the South £ in 1905-6), W. Brook Smith and N. C. Snedden. 1 Yesterday a spectator was the Rev. E. O. Blamires, the ex-Wellingtonian against whom E Snedden played his first Basin Reserve game I in February, 1912, and J who later captained * Otago when it first lifted the Plunket Shield i in 1924-25. H. E. Buron . was'another'Wei- c lingtonian present, who was a past leader of c that province, and probably Harold Lusk and 1 H. B. Whitta (the latter, like Snedden, is I now a New Zealand selector, as was "Curly'' t Ohlson in the past) at some time or other f has charge of Canterbury. Douglas Hay, t manager of New Zealand's first team in Eng- e land in 1927, captained Auckland at both 1 Rugger and cricket, and North Island at the i latter sport. 1 Jc