NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 203, 28 August 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Too Many Dog Medicines

"There are too many medicines given to dogs," Mr. A. Leslie, F.R.C.V.S., told members of the Canterbury Kennel Club. Even in England a veterinary surgeon had to carry a stock of powders—teething powders and such—to satisfy dog owners. "Perhaps the powder has a psychological effect—not on the dog 'but on the owner," he said.

Successful Eel Fishing. Elaborate arrangements have been neees eary at the Tuahiwi pa, near Timaru, during the visit of the Maori prophet, Ratana, am his party, to provide meals on a large scale The Maori chefs have been more than equa to the occasion. There has been no recourse to Maori ovens, but skill in eel fishing hai played a considerable part. A large partj spent most of one night eel fishing, and caughi sufficient to feed 300 at three sittings. Undei Eatana'e system only two meals a day ar< provided, but each is substantial. Tamaki Drainage. The drainage operations which are beinj carried out in the Tamaki district are bringing to light much of geological interest, and the perplexing strata of country have resulted ir some unexpected difficulties. In one instanci ■beneath a bed of clay 27ft in depth there •was found remnants of a buried forest, the timber being so soft that it could be du< through. The finding of compressed raupo has suggested a former swamp of considerable extent. In one of the Tamaki tunnels a flow of clear water was met with immediately below the clay overburthen. Tarred Roads and Cancer. A relationship between tarred roads am cancer was suggested at the health conference in Bristol (England) recently. Conimentinf on the "strange increase" in tlie disease, t prominent specialist said that for 25 yean we had been spraying onr roads with tar anc grit, and it was significant that for 20 years there had been a marked increase in cancel of the lungs. The cancer-inducing propertie. , of tar were well known, and in his opinior experiments -with grit and dust with regarc to their effect on tho lunge might prove profit able. New Domain Board? , An offer of a group of residents in the One Tree Hill Borough to lease the reserve of about 2J acres between Waiohua Streei and Konini Road from the council as a domair was considered by the meeting of the council last evening. The lease would be taken oul under the name of the Konini Social Club a 1 a peppercorn rental, and the council couk constitute themselves as a domain board. The Mayor, Mr. I. J. Goidstine, recommended the scheme to the council, .stating that althougl the council would be able to provide toole foi relief workers to use in improving the pro perty, they could not supply supervision. The council derided to go ahead with the for malities necessary to have itself gazetted af a domain board, the work of laying out the grounds to b& proceeded with as eoon as pos sible.

Pigeon's Unusual Nest. Consternation in the pigeon world has been caused as a result of structural alterations to the Wellington Magistrate's Court building to minimise the danger in case- of earthquakes. During the operations the workmen came across many pigeon nests, which, of course, had to be removed or destroyed to enable the work to proceed. One pigeon, however, was quite undaunted when its home wae broken up. When the workmen returned to the south face of the building after being engaged for some days on another portion, they found that the pigeon had rebuilt the nest almost entirely of rusty nails, ingeniously cemented together with whatever suitable material was available. Hundreds of nails had been used to reconstruct the nest.

No Slums in Auckland. The technical group of the Auckland ■branch of the New Zealand Town Planning Institute has been making inquiries into the question of slum clearing, and finds that there is nothing that could strictly be called a elum area in the city. The chairman of the branch, Mr. R. A. Lippincott, said that as a reeult of the investigations they found a number of houses that should be demolished or renovated, and others which demanded attention because the ordinary amenites of life were lacking. No slum area that needed wholesale! demolition and replanning was found in Auckland. During recent yearc some 2000 houses ■had been demolished, but members of the group formed the opinion that there were many that might be added to the list for destruction. That referred to . individual houses, and not to any definite area. The 'branch did not propose to go any further in the matter at present.

Trade Duty and Music Revival. The Government's decision to abolieh the duty on British pianoe is welcomed as likely to be most helpful in quickening- the- revival of interest in personal music. This opinion was offered by Mr. R. H. Nimmo, who recently headed the deputation of the New Zealand piano trade to the Minister of Customs. Mr. Nimmo stated that the proposal would undoubtedly react to the benefit of the New Zealand public, and the music trade generally. It was a timely and proper gesture to the Mother Country, which in the end would involve the Government in no loss. On the contrary, he was of the opinion that the decision would ultimately be the nieane of producing revenue, as a certain amount of employment would be created in the Dominion and in course of time revenue from the trade would be forthcoming through taxation. During t!he year 1025 the value of, the imports of pianoe into New Zealand approximated a quarter of a million pounds, and from then on declined yearly with such rapidity that the total imports of pianos from all sources in the year ending March. 1934. amounted to onlv £367.

Old-time Auditing. The new Companies Act, 1933, requires of auditors and company secretaries an extensive knowledge of law as well as of accountancy. Annual returns and requirements abound in profusion, and many personal monetary penalties are provided for omissions. At the conclusion of Mr. J. M. Paterson's lecture on the 1033 Act to auditors and accountants in Dunedin, the oldest member of the Accountants' Society told a true story illustrating the contrast between old-time auditing and that of to-day. The story, which follows, is true with the exception of the auditor's name. In the early days of Otago, at a local tody meeting in a riding not far north of Dunedin, the annual accounts were submitted to members. One member, airing his knowledge of accountancy, drew attention to the fact that the accounts did not 'bear an auditor's certificate. Members were nonplussed as to what procedure was required of them, when it was decided that a second meeting would have to be held, at which the accounts, complete with! an auditor's certificate, would have to be pre-; sented. In due course members assembled from ttheir (homes in the backblocks for the second meeting. The accounts were again laid before them, but as discussion on the , financial position had been exhausted at tho first meeting, and as the auditor's certificate was now incorporated, everyone was satisfied, and the formal part of the meeting was concluded. The- auditor's certificate read: "Audited and found correct, Pat Blank—His Mark."

National Park Excursion. An Auckland Grammar School party of 43 boys and masters will leave Auckland for the Chateau by the 3 p.m. express to-morrow. This is an annual trip, and this is the fifth year in which Mr. F. M. Price has organised ii Grammar School party. Nine days will be spent at National Park in ski-ing and mountain climbing.

The "Security" of Napier. When the New Zealand Dental Association approved its executive's recommendation to hold the annual conference at Napier next year, an appreciative Hawke's Bay delegate was quickly on his feet. He said some reference had ibeen made to earthquakes, but if in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurcli people were seen moving furtively about the streets as though looking for cover, "you can be sure they come from Hastings or Napier, and long to get back to the security of their own towns."

Beautification by Colonists. The early beautification of Hamilton by some, of its first pioneers was the subject of comment by the Mayor, Mr. J. 11. Fow, at a display of historical lantern slides in Hamilton East. "Despite the outlook that lay ahead of them, as eoon as the 4th Waikatos had landed they started to establish themselves in their new surroundinge, , ' said Mr. Fow. "The long avenue of trees in Grey Street shows better than anything their aspirations and ideals in setting out on a beautification scheme at such an early and uncertain stage."

Park at Papakura. The Papakura Town Board district has for its western boundary the Manukau Harbour, and on ite shores the Town Board is fortunate to have some valuable reserves. At the right state of the tide, bathing, fishing and boating are extensively indulged in. One section was found to have no owner. The Town Board thought it was a "reserve," but on a search being made recently for the new valuation of the district, this section was discovered to be no man's land. The Lands Department has now declared it to be a domain vested in the Papakura. Town Board, and the board decided to call it Seaview Park.

Variable New Zealand. While the city has been enjoying a period of perfect mild spring weather, Wellington has been in the grips of a storm, Canterbury has had telegraph polee knocked flat by another tornado, and the King Country has suffered severe early morning frosts. New Zealand, it seeme, is variable in more than her scenery. Right from Tarhape to Frankton frosts were experienced, white frosts which whitened the countryside like enow, and cracked underfoot, like shell from the beach. Passengers by the. expresses this morning spoke of the nip in tihe air, and how glad they were to see Auckland and the sun.

Primitive Judicial Setting. Another Court day fraught with difficulty and lack of dignity was held at Putariiru on Friday. Tho last three sittings of the Magistrate'e Court have been held in the Court clerk's office, on road level, where the only persons in the room able to be seated are the magistrate and the clerk. The public and others stand behind the counter, with the footpath not two paces away. Friday was a stock sale day, and the noise of moving cattle and the increased traffic, with its cacophony of lorries and motor cycles, did not tend to create the judicial calm and dignity associated with Court routine. All parties are eagerly anticipating the day when the proposed new courthouse is an accomplished fact. An Egg Bombardment.

Savouring of humour of" the slapstick variety, a minor motor car accident near the Leith Bridge in King Street, Dunedin, recently provoked considerable merriment . amongst those who witnessed tho scene. Apparently a ■burst tyre or eome such trouble was experienced by a small delivery wagon while in motion, and resulted in the development of a wobble of the steering gear of sufficient violence to eject several crates of eggs from tho top of the van with unfortunate results. JCot only were broken eggs strewn about the road, but a stationary $>ut entirely unoffending) motor ear was the recipient of more than a generous supply of tfhe unwelcome deluge.

Southland's First Football Club. "Riverton has the honour to be the first town in Southland to form a football club," said Mr. J. Clapp, of Nightcaps, in responding to the toast of "The Old Brigade" at the diamond jubilee banquet of the Riverton Football Club. (Invercargill formed a club the same year.) "Every club must have a founder, and in this ease it was the late Thomas Howell." Referring to the matches at Biggar Street, Invereargill, in the early days of the club, he paid that whereas in the city one could now get only lemonade, in those days a halMjoliday was declared for the fixtures, and the populace congregated round a bar on the grounds!

Late Deliveries. Complaints against the suburban postal delivery were made by Mr. W. G. Mulhollarid at last night's meeting of the One Tree Hill Borough Council. He produced two letters which had been addressed to him from Mount Eden, stating that in one case the letter was delivered a day later and the other a day and a half. He also eaid that he had posted a letter at the Newmarket Post Office at 8.30 p.m. on a Tuesday, and it reached its destination in Stanley Bay the following Friday morning. After a brief discussion by councillors, during which, others mentioned delay in delivery, the meeting decided to ask the Post and Telegraph Department to njako an effort to ensure a more prompt delivery in suburban districts. It Avas claimed that a letter posted in Auckland to Hamilton would be delivered before one posted to one of Auckland's suburbs.

Lonely Sunday Island. Tho fact that the Auckland yacht Nga

taki, which is expected to sail on a three

months' Island cruise this week, is to mako Sunday Island, in the Kermadees, her first f stop, recalls an unsuccessful and tragic attempt at settlement on the lonely island eight years ago. In 1926 Mr. C. H. Parkei • and two companions were landed at the island i from the Government steamer Hinemoa. The . owner of 275 acres granted by the Crown, . Mr. Parker, with the help of his friends, built i a tiny hut and then set about tho task of . planting tobacco plants. Three varieties of ' plants, Havana, Virginian and Blue Pryor, . were put in, it being believed that all three f varieties would do well on the island. A large . quantity of maize was also planted, and for i some weeks everything went well. The island ■ abounds in fruit, wild goats ensure a plentiful , supply of fresh meat, while fish are there for the catching. When the party had been about ■ three months on the island Mr. Parker , scratched the middle finger of his right hand when cutting a track through a patch of fern, and v the wound slowly led to blood poisoning, I from which he died. In compliance with his I request, his companions buried him on the ! fringe of the pine forest, overlooking the sea, and Jiis grave was marked .by a small cross. As neither of the dead ,an's companions owned any property on \ .e island, they rej turned to Auckland when the Hinemoa next ' called there to see how' the attempt at settlement, the first for 36 years, was progressing. Early in the Great War the German raider Wolf, when engaged in laying mines about the Xew Zealand coast, made her headquarters at tho Kermadees, and it was off Sunday Island that the steamer Wain-.na was stopped by tho raider and sunk by gunfire.