NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 70, 23 March 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Misunderstood. "Do you ever go to the races ?"_ asked counsel of a. Maori judgment debtor in the Napier Magistrate's Court. '"Yes," was the reply. "When did vou last go?" asked counsel. The Maori looked puzzled for a minute. Then: "Oh, to the races ? I thought you said did I have any relations." Ingrained Road Sense. The manner in which horses have become accustomed to motor traffic was demonstrated in Mataniata this week. A pair of horses started off unattended in Waharoa Road. When nearing the crossing the horses stopped to let a motor car go over the crossing, and then trotted past Mr. W. M. Griffiths' station to the cheese factory. Anzac Day Services. The president of the Papakura branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. S. D. Rice, in hie annual report last evening, referred to the control of the AVizac Day services generally. The local branch had been asked to co-operate with the Papakura Town Board in the running of this service, and Mr. Rice remarked that this was a step in the right direction, but he thought that the Returned Soldiers' Association should have full charge of the memorial services. It was their day, and their service. They, however, would co-operate with the town board. Custom Versus Chart. A point raised at last week's meeting of the South Island Motor Union was the correct spelling of Croisilles, or Croixcllcs, for the name of the well-known bay about 25 miles nort'n of Nelson in Tasman Bay, and in which are the inlets known as Onitea, Okiwi and Stone Bays. Several members, on being given the test, spelled it with an "x," and common usage, at least in Nelson, would have it so. However, authentic maps and the Admiralty chart spell it Croisilles, and apparently that is- the correct spelling. The name means "little crosses," and the bay was named Croisilles on January 22, 1827, by D'Urvillc. Agricultural Training. Satisfaction with the training in agriculture was expressed by the principal of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, Mr. G. J. Park, at yesterday's meeting of the board of managers. Mr. Park said: "During the holiday camp held at Rotorua, practically all of the vegetables used by tlie boys wpre supplied from the college agricultural area, and the cookery room is now being kept going with vegetables grown on the area. We have purchased 24 fowls, and have placed under Mr. H. P. Leeves' supervision, sq that the boys will receive poultry instruction from one who is regarded as one of the best poultry men in New Zealand. I hope gradually to extend the work on the practical area by taking in bees, and possibly a cow or two, so that the work will be gradually made more beneficial to the boys."

" High Finance." What" is known in Auckland as Pals' currency, a system which is being circulated on a somewhat limited scale, oamc prominently before the Monetary Inquiry on the last day of the sitting in Auckland. Mr. Harold Schmidt, the author of the scheme, explained how it operated and gave an example of an Auckland launch owner who wanted his boat painted. The work was done by several unemployed painters, and their reward for service was a free excursion. The captain was very pleased, because he had his boat painted for nothing," added Mr. Schmidt. The chairman (Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P.) nsked how the value of the scheme had been attested from the point of view of providing those workers with food. "That is the whole point," replied the witness. "It was a fishing excursion, and the men and their families got more fish than they could eat." The Tourniquet. Whether from a sense of delicacy or merely in sympathy with the Scanty knowledge of the general public on first aid matters, a chivalrous gentleman spent considerable misguided energy yesterday afternoon on the victim of an accident on the Prince's wharf, when the Monowai was leaving for Sydney. Mrs. M. Parry, of 55, Calgary Street, S.mdringham, had dropped a bottle of liydrogier. peroxide, which exploded on hitting the wharf, and a piece of flying glass severed a vein on the top of her right foot. She was taken inside a wharf shed with the wound bleeding profusely, and the chivalrous gcntle?maii promptly applied a tourniquet in the niosf. fleshy part of the calf, where, of all places, it would do least good, whether the cut had been in an artery or a vein. Mrs. Parry's stocking was left on the leg, which was propped up on a case. Delicacy or no delieacjy, it might as well have been removed immediately before it was sealed to the foot by blood, for when tlie St. John Ambulance attendant arrived he promptly cut away the stocking round the toot, after * applying a tourniquet block at the knee. Mrs. Parry was token to the Auckland Hospital, where the cut was stitched. Shotguns as Aids to Business. "I should like to hear from members of this conference some practical suggestions as to how legitimate business can be protected: from insane eumpetition and ridiculous pricecutting," said Mr. T. Somerville at the annual conference' of the Master Printers' Federation, held in Wellington on Wednesday. Instantly there came from a Wellington delegate the ejaculation, "Buy them shotguna!"| Mr. Somerville, in laughingly acknowledging the interjection, agreed that in some cases lethal weapons might bo the only deterrent,| but from his lengthy experience of the print-! ill? industry he declined to believe that printers in general would prove immune from the claims of logic and reason, lie reminded the conference that the printing industry was the second largest industry in the Dominion, and that it had maintained its integrity even in these present difficult times by virtue of its essential service to the community. In conclusion, Mr. Somerville answered his own question by stressing the necessity of an educational campaign among newly-established printing concerns, whicnj should properly inform those in control of the incidence of hourly costs and operational times. The conference heartily endorsed his suggestions. Soldiers' Pensions. Mr. S. P. Day, the president of the Franklin area of the U.S.A., in the course of some remarks last evening at Papakura, urged the returned soldiers to support the new bill which Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. for Grey Lynn, was bringing before Parliament. This, if carried, would be the greatest advance that had yet been made in the matter of soldiers' pensions. The main principle of the bill was to throw the onus upon the Pensions Board of proving that - man's injury did not come from war service; now a man had to prove than his disabilities were the result of war service, and this was a very difficult task, which would grow greater as we got farther i from the period of the Great War. Mr. Day j gave the instance of a man last week, who, on going before a doctor, had been pronounced medically fit and organically sound, but was] advised that he could work only about two days a week, because he was completely run down and there was no chance of winding him up again. This was no doubt a case of | the man's war service having worn him out, but under the present condition of things this man would have to go to a tremendous lot of trouble to prove that h:s condition was due to war service. Mr. Day urged the members to push these pension matters day and night, so that the authorities would see that the 11.5.A. were in earnest, and then reforms would come.

Prices of Tobacco. Uniform prices for tobacco and cigarettes are likely to be announced at any moment as the outcome of conferences held at Wellington to "discuss standardised rates. It was stated this morning that the first announcement would probably be the fixing of a temporary retail price tariff. Disappearance of Statue. During last week-end a statue of a youth, which has stood in the Mjllbrook Reserve (Cliristchurch) for some time, disappeared, states the "Star." Residents stated that the plaster figure "had had an exciting time," for some months ago an accurately-thrown missile removed an ear. One said that ho hoped that the statue had gone for good. The statue stood in the middle of a fernery, and was noted by all passers-by, " Come Into the Open." "If any member has a grievance, or thinks he has a grievance, let him bring it up at a meeting," said Mr. J. Richardson, who was re-elected to the position of president of the Wanganui Rugby Football Referees' Association. "It is far better to do that than go round the streets talking to this person and that person. If I may be straight, gentlemen, bring your complaints to this table. Don't go airing them at the street corners." Stock Phrase. Following an inquiry of the Papatoetoe Chamber of Commerce aa to the fate of the chamber's remits approved by the last sixmonthly conference of the Franklin combined chambers, the secretary replied that the remits had been forwarded to the various Governmental Departments, the invariable reply to which was, "The matter has been noted for reference, and will bo duly considered." Clay Over Concrete. Motorists coming north between Drury and Papakura in the, past few days were intrigued to notice a layer of clay all over the newly-laid concrete road. The laying of earth on the road-to-be was not any new process for the "fixation" of the concrete, it was explained, but merely took the place of wet bags. It had an unusual appearance, though, and gave rise to considerable comment among those whose knowledge of a road was mainly confined to using it. Wires Damaged by Spray. "Considerable trouble has recently be«n experienced through the action of the salt spray on lines in the section between Haumoana and Te Awanga, resulting in three I broken wires during the last seven months," j said the engineer to the Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board, Mr. H. L. Benjamin, in his ' monthly report to the board. "A start has been made overhauling the line and joining in new pieces of cable at the insulators where the wire is corroded." Carried the Point.

A graceful tribute was paid by a country member of the Hospital Board to tho value of tho two lady members when the question of a mixed staff for the hospital kitchen was under discussion. One member had suggested that a mixed staff of males and females would not do, the cooks should either be all men or all women, because the two would not work well together. Then it was that the gallant member with much scorn declared: "What nonsense to say that; look how thl# board has been improved since we have got two lady members elected to it." It was an unanswerable argument in favour of the equal status of the sexes which would act as well in tho kitchen as in tho board room. The houpe committee's report on the subject to employ a female cook as one of the kitchen staif was approved by vote of the members. The Colour Problem. The ignorance of tho average male on the subject of colour effects, and bis child-like surprise at the simplicity with which a "blend" can be turned into a "contrast," were amusingly illustrated by comment at the Auckland Rugby League junior management committee's meeting this week, when the ageold problem of club colours were discussed. "Our colours were "icon and white, but we changed them to white and green, and they were quite different," declared tho Point Chevalier delegate. Tho Ellerslio delegate related a similar surprise at tho difference made by changing a blue, white and red combination to red, white and blue. It was clear from the discussion that followed that delegates did not fully realise that the colour problem in football garb is based on departure from certain artistic fundamentals. Uhey complained of the clash of colours, and then went on to prove that what they really wanted was a distinctive clash, or contrast, and what they did not want was a blend of colours among different clubs. A discerning woman, with a woman's trained eye for certain dominant colours, would soon have solved the problem.

Lure of the Seven. The hundreds of art union ticket buyers who immediately Search for a number ending in seven will no doubt be thrilled to learn that in the recent Golden Chance art union not only did the first prize ticket end in a double seven, but also every ticket winning ! .I'.'jUD, £200, £100 and £50 contained a seven in its digital make-up. All of which gives food for thought of other possibilities. An eager statistician discovered that out of the total 207 prizes there were just 9.'} containing a seven—ten more than the average of each j figure in the prize-list. Nine tickets held I double sevens, including the " £2000 winner; I eleven tickets held two separated sevens, j while only one, a £o prize, contained three i sevens. However, 22 tickets ended in seven | —again slightly more than the average for all the figures. The double-figure luck seems to have been very prominent. Better than the nine double sevens were the 11 double fours (including the £2000 ticket) and the 13 double threes. Then, again, there were the trebles. Only five different figures enjoyod combinations of three—l, 2, 4, 0 and o—there0 —there being three sots of triple twos. Four must be very lucky, having a double in the first prize in addition to that double seven, also a i treble in another ticket and even a quadruple. Awl if A 7444 (Milford) didn't deserve more tlinn a £10 prize, then all this digital luck business is, to quote the Yank, "phoney goods." The Torch of Civilisation. In his presidential address before the annual conference of the New Zealand Master Printers' Federation, held in Wellington on Wednesday, Mr. A. Dennison, of .Auckland, . emphasised the importance of the printing industry as an accessory to modern commercial enterprise. Mr. Dennison referred to the fact that printing was known in literary terms as "the art preservative of all arts," and claimed for it even higher prerogatives and duties. He said that "as in the past, so in the future, the printing industry will have an important part to play in the ordering of human relations. It is not the source of human inspiration nor the power that guides j, I the stumbling progress of civilisation, but it I is undoubtedly the moat potent instrument I for the enlightenment of the mind of I humanity, and while mankind remains eager 1 to be taught, there will be work of the first iiuportanco to be done by printers and printing machinery." This eulogy was introduc- | tory to a plea by Mr. Dennison for a businesslike adjustment of the practical problems now confronting the industry. Major among • these was "an orgy of debased prices, lax ; trading conditions, and loss of unity among ■ the component sections of the industry." Mr. Dennjson outlined a policy which aimed at the co-operation of all concerned in an endeavour to maintain and improve the status of ; the industry. J