NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 224, 21 September 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Busy Ambulances. August was the busiest month in the history of thu St. John Ambulance in Auckland. It was found, necessary to increase the musing , staff temporarily from four to fix. tlio Dock Street Mission assisting by providing a nurse and paying her salary for six weeks. District nurses paid 1372 visits to honifjf in the city ami suburbs, travelling 174S miles. The ambulances transported 8211 patients, 122 more than in July, and travelled 04(i2 miles, while patients treated at the new out-patients' department totalled 554. Earliest Dominion Rugby. There are many reports, authentic and otherwise, as to how Rugby football started in Xew Zealand. Mr. Alex ■Pakaranrgi, who represented the native race at a sports social at Wanganui, stated that when the pakehas were chaeing the Maoris in the early days the respective sides mutually created periods of leisure. During one such break it was decided to play a game of Rugby. "I believe there was a battalion on one side and a tribe oil the other," said Mr. Takarangi. "It was said to be" a good game. I do not know 'who won. but that, I really believe, was the start of Rugby in this country." On Circumstantial Evidence. There was sorrow in some Oreymouth homes this week, for Fida failed to come home, and the kennel was empty. The stiffening corpses of more than one Fido were lying on the hillside to the east of the town, I riddled with, gunshot. The reason *for the tragedy is the fact that dogs • have been worrying sheep recently. Dogs were noticed in the vicinity, and, on circumstantial evidence, a gun was brought into action. It is alleged that the wrong dogs were shot, and, to describe the result in journalese, "a gloom was east over the community." Whether legal action will follow remains to be seen. A Precedent? The possibility of the Gity Council's action in remitting to the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association part of the moneys owed to the council being regarded ae a precedent was mentioned at a meeting of the management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association, when the honorary treasurer, Mr. W, J. E. Cliristophersen,, suggested that an effort should be made to secure a remission of the ground fees payable 'by the association to the council. Mr. W. P. Walker said that all through the lean times the association had had no relief. The chairman (Mr. W. 1 , . Broad): "Since they made a rebate to the Tennis Association, they can expect to be approached from all quarters." No Boys to Fill Jobs. "We have 77 applications from farmers for boys that have not been filled," stated Mr. X. G. Gribble, secretary of the Boys' Employment Committee, at yesterday's meeting. "Tho standard of farm jobs and the wages offered are higher than for a long time, nevertheless we have great difficulty in finding boys. WagetS are rising as the result of the shortage of labour, and the other day" two farmers offered 15/ a week for inexperienced boys, and there- were several offering 10/. Good homes are' offered, and the men are farmere with sound, practical knowledge." Mr. J. W. McGechie, acting-chairman in the absence of tho chairman, ' Sir Joseph Smith, said that the position was probably accentuated at this time of the year, as the seasonal -demand for boys wae very keen, and also many boye were waiting , to sit for their examinations. When they left school at the end of the year, there would probably be a surplus of boye available. During the month 92 boys had been placed in positions, 45 in the town and 47 in country positions. A Bull " Plays Possum." That there are- tricks in all trades was illustrated at the Matamata bull sale this week. When one of the purchasers went to take his handsome, purchase away, it lay full length on its side and refused, to move. Laymen present wondered whether the animal had-been poisoned, and the purchaser called loudly to the eeller, inquiring whether the animal "often did that." Despite pulls, (he use of straps and other devices, the animal remained prone, with eyes upturned, and re-; fused to take any interest in life. "He'll be all right presently," called the seller, who had been, attracted by the commotion. "It did that /yesterday.", He is not used to being, led. He's just sulking." The crowd grew, and the big bull still took no intercet in proceedings. Then a well-known breeder, taking in the situation at a glance, said, "What, just sulking? Wc_ will soon fix that." He 'borrowed a short stick from a bystander, and gave three or four vigorous rubs with it on the side of the root of the tail. Amid roars of laughter the bull came to life with astonishing agility, sprang to its feet, and, turning quickly, gazed at the newcomer in a most humorous fashion. Indictment of Harriers. "It is simply shocking. They take great bags of paper about with them every Saturday afternoon and leave it all over the place. The paper blocks the drainage sumps, and we have had to call men out.on Sunday to clear them. When they cross a man's paddock they smash a'gate post to get in, and then break down wires in the fence to get out." The foregoing was an indictment of Chrietehurch cross-country runners voiced by Mr. W. W. Scarff at the meeting of the Heathcote County Council (reports the "Press"). He explained that he had asked the county clerk to make a complaint to the harsfcr sub-committee of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association. The chairman of the sub-committee, in reply, stated that he was doing everything possible to minimise the distribution of trail paper and damage to property. "Iβ it really as bad as that?" aeked the chairman, Mr. C. Flavell, after Mr. Scarff had made the remarks quoted above. Mr. Scarff: "It certainly is." A,member asked what kind of paper was used. Mr. Scarff said it was frequently waste newsprint cut into wide strips. It was often wide enough to cause blockages of drains. Mr. Flavell: "They should use confetti." The letter of the chairman of the harrier eub-com-mittee wae received. Exhibits of Old Maori Weapons. Fine specimens of old-time Maori weapons were exhibited at the lecture given .on "The Maori as a Warrior" by Mies 0. Adams at tiie Auckland War Memorial Museum, under the auspices of the anthropological section. It was illustrated by many lantern slides showing the designs of Maori fighting weapons, both for long-distance and close fighting. Also shown were pictures of the trumpets and gourds used for sounding the alarm, or for signalling when fighting was in progress. Many extremely interesting specimens of old-time weapons were exhibited, tlweo being part of tho museum collection, which contains many historic examples. Two beautiful large greenstone meres were shown, and a stone patu decorated with a beautifullymodelled figure, a tewhatewha of carved wood, a,nd a fine carved battle axe or mangamate, set with an ominously sharp greenstone blade and fringed with dog ■ hair. An unusual weapon was the barbed throwing spear, con-j sisting of a oft slender shaft, into the end' of which was set four flexible, sharply-barbed terminate. Thrown after a retreating enemy, it would bring him to a standstill, even though not inflicting a mortal wound. Some of the' finely-carved wood kotiate, or flat* club-like weapons, were used mainly in posture dancing or in ceremonial. Darts or spears of undressed manuka wood often had heads of wood made" from the tree-fern, which broke off and inflicted a nasty wound. Tlie hoeroa, a long, thin, curved whalebone weapon, wae thrown

An Oversize Hogget. Considerable interest was centred on a hogget, displayed in a shop window at Pukekolie to-day. This sheep, which is just over • twelve months old, came from the farm of - Mr. D. Colgan, soldiers' settlement, Pimi, and > when placed on the ecalee this morning , weighed 1'451b deadweight, whereas the average r weight for hoggets is about 051b. ' Hospital Grading List. J Regarding the grading list for the staff of the Auckland Hospital,, which was adopted I by the board this week, Mil. M. M. Drcaver says the reason for her opposition was that she considered the ecale was too low. In her opinion the grading in the administrative and clerical office, which includes the head office, I relief, dental and infirmary, should at least I- he on a par with the City Council grading, i I Leaped Before he Looked. A case of "mistaken identity" recently ! was the cause of nn East Waikato Rabbit ! Board trapper receiving injuries to one of his , hands. The trapper, according to the story '. told to board members at Matamata, had '■ heard of a black rabbit on a settlor's property. \ One day lie saw a black object disappearing ; in the scrub. He was setting his trap when the object came out again. Dropping; his trap, the trapper hurled himself at the object. The animal was not a rabbit —it was a wild cat. New Ship for Shaw, Saviil. Advice that the Shaw, Saviil and Albion ! Company 'intends to place an order for a new passenger motor ship was received in Weli lington this week from Sydney. Xo particulars as to the size or accommodation capacity . of the new liner are given. The Slfaw, Saviil • motor freighter Waiwera is now on her maiden . trip out to New Zealand, and she will be fol- , lowed in November by the same company's new freighter Waipawa, now being completed. ■ The company also has another freighter under construction, which is to be named the Wailiinjii; she should be in commission early next year. " Real Tourist Service." Enthusiasm for the New Zealand Tourist Department's methods of business was expressed tp a "Post" reporter by Br. G. A. Barker, a profeeeor of geography in Colorado, U.S.A.. shortly after his arrival* in Wellington from Sydney by the Maraina. "It is a real tourist service you've got here," he said witfi a. smile, when, within an hour after his landing, his tour programme through the North Island had been completed. "I think that New Zealand has got an outstanding service i indeed." He had no complaints to make about the Customs; either; in fact, he had been much less irritated by the New Zealand Customs than by officials' in some other countries. Discovering Rugby Stars. There is a great deal of luck in the discovery of a Rugby' player who proves himself later'to. be equal to the beet All Black standard. Replying to the toast of "The Visitors" at the Wanganui Rugby Refereee' Association'* smoke concert, Mr. F. C. Atkinson tohl of how two famous players had been "spotted" — Cliff Porter and J. Mill. A member of the New Zealand Rugby Union saw a match at Levin, and was on the look-out for likely players, Nobody knew that he had that miseion. He was jiist a visitor. He- singled Clill' Pcrter out and referred his name to the "powers" in Wellington. Something the same occurred so far ae Mill was concerned. An oflieial was entrusted with the mission of looking for likely players on the East Coast, with instructions to keep his eye open for a half-back for a Maori team. His choice fell on J. Mill, whose name wae handed in. Napier Explains Her Sunshine. The value of the list recently drawn up of the mean sunshine records of places in the temperate regions, taken over a long period 1 of vears —incidentally placing Napier third to Nelson and Sydney—is reduced to a certain extent by the fact that for a number of year* the recordings of sunshine taken at the meteorological station at Nelson Park, Napier, have been much below the true- levels, says the "Daily Telegraph." Trees on the boundary of the Nelson Park School have served to reduce the Napier recordings by throwing a shadow over the instrument long before the sunshine has gone. In mid-summer, it is estimated, over half an hour of sunshine cacli day has not been recorded, while smaller shortages have occurred during other periods of the year. With the additional sunshine accumulating through the year, it is decidedly possible that Napier would have headed the list recently compiled had accurate recordings been possible. In addition to this, it is stated by Dr. T. C. Moore, of Napier, on good authority, that the recording instrument at Neleon is of a somewhat antiquated type, and in midsummer actually records ae much ns threequarters of an hour's sunshine more than it should. The trees in Nelson Park, Napier, were removed during the winter, and future recordings will therefore be accurate. Art in Auckland. "Japanese art has an international importance, and its influence is particularly noticeable in commercial art, which is now of a higher standard than ever before," said the Mcfyor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, at the opening of an exhibition of Captain Humphreys-Davies' collection of colour-prints at the Auckland Art Gallery yesterday. In referring to the renovation of the gallery and the re-hanging of the pictures, Mr. Hutchison said the new method of display made true appreciation of the pictures' much easier. There were fewer pictures on the walls than formerly, and there were as many in store ae on exhibition. "It is a matter of great regret to me that I have not been able to bring about the construction of a new art gallery during my term a* Mayor," continued Mr. Hutchison. "Such a work will be necessary not only from the point of view of the gallery, but also because the library is greatly in need of morj space. I am hoping that the time is not far off when, with the co-operation of the university, we shall be able to go on with the suggested erection of a fine arts building on the old Grammar School site in Welkeley Street." In reply, Captain Humphreys-Davies commented on the excellent work accomplished by the city librarian, Mr. John Barr, in his rearrangement of the gallery. Maori Love of Combat. War had much to do with the national character of the Maori and with his epiendid physique, almost unique among native peoples, said Miss 0. Adams in. an address at a meeting of the anthropology and Maori race section of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Most of all was enjoyed man-to-man conflict, with each showing his skill, upholding the mar.a of hie tribe. Although an old Maori prover.b gave as the main excuses for war— '!He wahine, he whenua e ngaro te tangata" ("By women and by land are men lost") —i probably . far the greatest cause of warfare was infringement of the tapu of the rangatira Maori. It was also said that old Te Rauparaha" sought war on the Waikato people to provide "a savoury for his wife's dinner." Before actual fighting began, usually a plan of campaign was worked out, then the tohunga read the signs and declared his omens —perhaps read from the twitching of the toe of a sleeping person—if the right toe, victory wae presaged; defeat if the left. A shooting , star travelling towards the enemy's camp was favourable.- An eclipse of the sun meant victory, said Miss Adams, but of course each| side, might take the portent for its own. Before commencing the fight, warriors wore first to undergo the tohi rite, or wai tana—really a form of baptism to Tu, the god of war, in the course of which the warriors were taken I to a stream and sprinkled with water from I a branch of the karamu shrub. I