NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 69, 22 March 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Birkenhead Farm Rating. The loss in revenue from the consolidated rate of 7(1 in the £ occasioned by the reductions made by the special Assessment Court in the uiimproved value of Birkenhead farm lands amounted to £213 for the current year. The reduction.; aggregated £7481, the properties being practically all ill the Birkdalc area. Mako Off Great Barrier. A party of Auckland sportsmen, during a fishing cruise just concluded in the gulf, succeeded in capturing a mako shark measuring Oft and weighing 3001b. The mako was hooked off Wellington Heads, Great Barrier, and provided exciting play for nearly an hour before being landed. This was one of a great variety of fish, including hapuka up to 001b, caught in these waters. The Offer to Mr. D. M. Rae. Commenting on the Education Department's attitude to the offer of a Carnegie travelling scholarship made to Mr. D. M. Rae, principal of the Auckland Training College, the Christehurcli "Press" save: "The New Zealand education system is desperately in need of fresh knowledge and fresh ideas, and it is difficult to believe that anything Mr. Rae can do by remaining in New Zealand will be one-tenth as valuable to the community as the experience he would gain by accepting the Carnegie Corporation's offer." Bulls Hold Up School Children. A complaint that bulls straying on the road were a danger to children was made in a letter received by the Auckland Education Board from a householder living at Whangarat'i, near Tuakau. The writer added that he had decided to keep his children away from school until the animals were removed. Members of the board were of the opinion that the matter was one which should be dealt with either by the police or by the Franklin County Council. Compulsory Swimming. It was advocated at a meeting of the Auckland Schools Committees' Association last evening that there should be compulsory instruction in swimming for primary school children. Mrs. P. Mcßride, who brought up the question, said that cases of drowning had pointed to the need of adequate instruction. The meeting carried a resolution urging compulsory teaching of swimming and life saving, and it was decided to approach local authorities with a view to having water for school baths supplied free of cost. Ways and Means. With the increasing need for private letter boxes, to guard against the depredations of pilferers, an Avondale resident has hit upon an excellent idea. The lock of an old suitcase' has been attached to the bottom of the letter box, and the catcli is affixed to the door. This, when locked, proves a very effective safety device, at a minimum cost. Another resident, however, does not trust to flimsy catches and locks, and the would-be pilferer is confronted with a formidable combination padlock. White Butterfly Mortality. As a result of the white butterfly competition organised by the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society in connection with the autumn show, there will be 134,297 less in Hawke's Bay this year, for that w-as the total entered for the competition, states the Napier "Herald." Calculated on a breeding basis, however, one would be liable to get a very violent headache trying to work out how many less butterflies there will be flying around. Not that one notices any great difference in the number when going into the garden on a day of sunshine, for these white butterflies appear to be as numerous as ever. Alsatian in " Custody."* A sable-coloured and collarless Alsatian male dog was found wandering in the city on Tuesday night by a young woman, who gave it into "custody" at the city police station, where it spent the night. Yesterday morning it was taken to the City Council's kennels, where it awaits its owner. The large dog, fully grown, was in playful mood while at the city watcli-hous£, and amused itself by playing with a rubber ball in the yard, and would sit, roll over and feign death, give its paw and perforin other tricks at the command of a number of constables, all of whom, of course, were strangers to the animal. "Hard on the Teachers." A memorandum received by the Auckland Education Board from the Education Department at its meeting yesterday stated that the reprint of the Education Act had been obtained, and that a supply of ten copies for official use was being sent to each board. Any inquiries for copies from the general public, including teachers, stated tho Department, should be referred to the Government Printer, who would supply a copy on rcceipt of the sum of 3/!), being the cost plus postage. "It seems rather hard to make teachers pay for a copy, seeing that they are required to" keep one at each school," commented the chairman, Mr. T. U. Wells.

Ragwort and Maori Landowners "I am afraid the Maori is not the only offender as far as ragwort is concerned," said Mr. 11. Wilson, chairman of tho llaglan County Council, yesterday. "The pakcha is really the big offender. The Maori lias been placed in an unfortunate position through the white man bringing the pest to his country. The Maori is the last man we should tackle; we should go out after the chief offender, tho pakcha, who deliberately lets ragwort grow." Mr. Wilson's remarks followed a proposal that Maori landowners should be issued with notices, and then if they did* not clear their properties before tho new year their pensions would ceasc. "Tlie only solution is to strike a rate to provide funds to deal with the menace, as wo have already suggested," commented Mr. Wilson. The county's noxious weeds inspector, Mr. K. M. Wright, had been instructed to prosecute in all instances where sottlers did not clear their properties. In Kaglan County, with an area of over 000 square miles, the Government had only, issued a quarter of a ton of sodium chlorate.

The Craving for Home. When discussing the question of sanatoria for T.B. patients in the Auckland Province at the Hospital Board meeting this week, one member who claimcd that in his youth he was supposed to be a T.B. subject said that by adopting Spartan measures in his own home he had overcome his infirmity. Many people he knew had. a great horror of sariatoriunis, and then, waxing eloquent, he told how even up to the present time, and including many years back, he had been sleeping in the open air on a concrete floor! "Oh, you can't tell us that," chimed in a number of the other members; "you don't sleep on a concrete bed." Then it was that the I speaker realised what ho had said, and joined] in the laugh, at'the same time saying that] he had a comfortable bed on the concrete floor. A T.B. patient who had been ordered to a sanatorium last week had told him that she would sleep on a roof, or on a verandah, or anywhere in the fresh air, near her own home, where she could be with friends, rather than go miles away where she would only be 1 with other afflicted folk.

Pheasants in North Canterbury. Nearly 700 pheasants are at present being liberated in approved properties by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Socicty. The society does not intend to have an open season for pheasants in the coming shooting season, and consequently no recommendation for one has been forwarded to the Dep.ntment of Internal Affairs. " Open Season for Bankers." '"It has been suggested that the best cure for our economic ills would be an open season for bankers," remarked Mr. W. R. Heney, amid laughter, when speaking at the farewell gathering to Mr. A. 11. B. Jones, manager of the Bank of New South Wale#, at Christchurch on a recent evening. In a happy speech, Mr. Heney said that Mr. Jones had proved himself such a sportsman and good friend to all his clients that he should be entitled at least to somo He thought the suggested cure was "rather drastic." Cost of School Books. The lack of uniformity in school books was mentioned at the meeting of the Auckland School Committees' Association la3t evening. This caused an additional cost when pupils transferred from a school in one part of New Zealand to another. Mr. A. A. Buckley said that there was a case of a student who came from a Pahnerston North secondary School to Auckland, and had to pay £2 14/0 for a set of new books on preciselyj the same course. Other speakers said one source of trouble was that power had been given to teachers in some schools to choose what books should be used in their classes. Correcting a " Greasy Corner. An important work in (he direction of increasing the safety of motoring on the Taradale"Road is at present being carried out by the Hawke's Bay County Council at points near the Napier Park racecourse, which have in the past been the scenes of several accidents. There are several bends in the road near this point, where the surface slopes the wrong way, providing what is known as a "greasy corner," and during the past few years several cars have collided with posts, while others have turned completely round on the road. The work, which is in progress now, involves the banking of the road oil the outside at the corners, and when completed this will do much to minimise the danger which has hitherto existed. Traffic Supervision. The need for supervision of traffic at the intersection of Great South Road and Manukau Road was emphasised at the meeting of tho One Tree Hill Borough Council last evening. It was pointed out that the corner was really within the jurisdiction of tlie Auckland City Council, and it was suggested that the matter be mentioned to Mr. G. Hogan this afternoon, when an inspection is to be made of the traflic conditions at Greenwood's Corner. The Mount Roskill Road Board had requested the council's co-operation in controlling traffic there at peak hours, but the One Tree Hill Council thought that would be unnecessary. Mr. W. G. Mulholland stated that tho South Road intersection was iri more urgent need of control between 7.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., and between 4.30 p.m. and 0.30 p.m. The council agreed that a traffic officer on duty at these times would be of benelit. Old Reservoir Proposal. A proposal that the disused reservoir, adjacent to the one at the corner of Ponsonby and Karangahapo Roads, should be converted into a tepid swimming bath was made in a communication which the Auckland Grammar Schools Board received yesterday from the headmistress of the Auc'cland Girls' Grammar School, Miss E. M. Johnston. The headmistress asked the board to approach the Auckland City Council, as tho site was central and close to a number of schools which liad_ no facilities to teach swimming and life saving. Provision for heating would have to be made if the baths were used for more than a few months of the year, and much of tho school work in teaching life saving could be done in the winter. Tho board decided to take up the matter with the city waterworks engineer to ascertain if the scheme were feasible. Extra Leg on Crayfish. Within the past few weeks Mr. W. Fullerton, of the National Fish Export Department, has found three crayfish, each with an extra appendage in the form of a leg on the tail part, states the "Otago Daily Times." 4'hese abnormal crustaceans were forwarded to Mr. David H. Graham for examination and scientific rcscarch. The specimens with supernumerary legs are the first Mr. Graham has seen, and up to the present no scientific record can be found of other crayfish with similar abnormalities. Crayfish, Mr. Graham states, have fivo pairs of legs, one forming the claws, while the others are walking legs. These are attached to the stiff part of the body of the crayfish, but in the spccimcns with tho supernumerary legs the leg in every case is attached to the first segment of the movable or tail part. Just whether this extra leg would aid the crayfish, in its movements Mr. Graham considers problematical. Supernumerary limbs in frogs, toads, chicks, doves, ducks, lambs, calves and foals are not uncommon, but the phenomenon is most unusual in the marine world.

Council Chamber Philosophy. In the pleasant surroundings of the Provincial Council Chamber the Arbitration Court is holding a sitting at present (states the "Christchurch Star"). When proceedings reach a dull stage, the fine decorative work in the chamber is a subject of study, not the least interesting feature of the place being the particularly apt inscriptions suitable for contemplation by public men, which form portion of tho stained gluss windows. In those days of factions very topical is the text, "l'arty is the madness of many for the gain of a few." Others that are always worthy of consideration arc: "Be not a hypocrite in the sight of men, and take good hood when thou speakest"; "Weigh thy words in a balance lest thou fall before him that lieth in wait"; "The credit that is got by a lie only lasts till tho truth comes out"; "Anger may glance into the breast of a wise man, but rest only in the bosom of fools"; "Censure is tho tax a man pays to the public for being eminent"; "By others' faults wise men correct their own."

The " Kickapoo " Dentist. Just a third of a century ago a small covered-in wagon travelled through Taranaki with a placard labelled "Kickapoo" 011 it, stopping at every town and setting up for business on the most convenient vacant section which was available. The wagon was litted out as a miniature dental chambers, and buckets full of teeth were put out <111 the front steps to show passers-by that drawing teeth was its owner's principal business. The man inside was a big man of most engaging presence, and soon did a roaring trade. The local chemists were the chief teeth extractors at the time, there being only one dentist between New Plymouth and Wanganui. No local anaesthetics were used, and those with aching teeth dreaded getting them out. The man in the caravan was wonderfully expert, and seemed to draw the molars with a minimum of pain. He was not a registered dentist, however, and took no fees for drawing the teeth, but he sold a cake of "kickapoo" soap for 2/, and that covered all charges. As time went 011 the big tooth-puller became known- as "kickapoo," and memory of his work was revived when recently it was discovered that in his old age, and with failing health, he has come to Auckland to live, and intends to end his days here. He says that the memories of his caravaning days, when he was a vigorous mail in his prime, are the happiest of his life.