NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 86, 11 April 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Distribution of Perch. Arrangements, have been made between tlic Hamilton Domain Board and the Anglers' Club to catch 100 perch from the Hamilton Lake for the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. It was stated that perch were plentiful in the lake, and that the ftsh were required for distribution.

Overseas Mails. Whenever letter mails sent by the Limited can arrive in Wellington in time to connect with vessels departing for overseas countriefi, thy closing time at Auckland in future will be 4 p.m. instead of 1.30 p.m. This rule will operate for the first time to-morrow, when the English mail to be dispatched by the Somerset from Wellington to-morrow will . close at 4 p.m. Xo alteration will be made in the closing time for second-class matter.

Quadruplets Doing Well. The Johnson quadruplets continue to thrive (reports the "Star's" Uunedin correspondent). At present the weight of Bnice is sAlb, and those of the three girls, Mary, Kathleen and Vera, are approximately 511) each. The progress of the infants can be attributed in no small measure to the fact that approximately one-third of'their daily <lict for the first three weeks of life was human milk, and at the present time Mrs. Johnson is partially feeding two of the babies.

Vehicular Winter Service. In answer to representations made by the Automobile Association (Auckland), the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, Ltd., has decided to 'continue during the coming winter month* the "all night" vehicular ferry service at present operating. The letter from the company to the council of the association received at last night's meeting said that the time-table to and from Devonport up to midnight would be the sumo as that ruling last winter.

Lectures for Young Artists. An experiment in a lecture for young artists and senior pupils of Auckland secondary schools was tried last week by the Auckland Society of Arts. In an endeavour to {five young people an idea of the general principles of art and its aims and development without stressing the technical side, Mr. A. Pnscoe Redwood, of the Elain School of Art, addressed a large audience of young people in the society's clul>room. The lecture proved successful, and the society intends to arrange further lectures of a similar nature.

Auckland Ski Club. An Easter vacation party of 24 members of the Auckland Ski Club will leave next Thursday for a climbing expedition to Mount Egmont. It is the first organised party that the club hae sent to Egmont. The leader will be Mr. K. Leonard. Arrangements have been made for the party to live in the huts at Dawson Falls, and daily climbing expeditions will be made. It is not expected that any ski-ing will be possible, as reports indicate that there in very little snow at Egmont. The party will be away four days. Previous organised trips have been made to Tongariro, National Park, which have proved most popular.

Chief Justice's Joke. When Lord Hevvart, the Chief Justice of England, rose to speak at tho New Zealand dinner recently, he announced that he had received a note from a journalistic friend asking whether the Dominions Secretary, Mr. J. H. Thomas, who was sitting next tp the Bishop of London, was teaching him the mysteries of the Maori tongue. "I havo inquired," continued Lord He wart (whose brother, Tom Bostron HeWart, was formerly a journalist in Melbourne),' "and I find that Mr. Thomas has not been inculcating Maori, nor has he been dealing, for the benefit of

he Lord Bishop, in the principles of ma

feusancc, mythology, marquetry, megalomania, nor mysticism. What he has been trying to do all the evening is to convert hie Lordehip to Methodism; and I can tell you that, under the law of bankruptcy, it would be fraudulent conversion."

Number Plates Reduced. Dissatisfaction with the post of number plates, even at the reduction from 2/G to 2/, was expressed by the president of the Automobile Association (Auckland), Mr. A. Grayson, at a meeting of the council last evening. A letter from the Xorth Island Motor Union announcing the reduction mentioned that it would result in an annual saving to motorists of not less than £5000. Mr. Grayeon said he was not at all satisfied. When the system of national registration" came into force the Minister concerned got prices from various Departments for handling the work, and-the Post and Telegraph Department agreed to do it for 1/6 a transaction. Motorists were to receive the plates at cost price, but they were charged 2/(i a set. Plates at

present cost the Department 10d a set, and i was held that they should be available a

not more than 1/. Copies of a resolution embodying the points made by Mr. Grayson are to be sent to the Minister concerned and also to the Xorth Island Motor Union.

A Bridge-building Problem. The difficulty experienced by the engineers in the construction of a concrete bridge across the Puarenga Stream, on the Rotorua-Whaka-tane main highway, one mile from Kotorua, has been overcome, and the completion of the structure is now in eight. For the past sixmonths the work has been at a standstill in an effort to secure a foundation for the bridge. Pipes were repeatedly driven down to a distance of 00ft, to encounter nothing more substantial, apparently, than volcanic mud. As it became evident that a solid base on which to rest the superstructure was not to be found, another method hae been tried and is proving successful. Four massive concrete piles, 70ft in length, have been sunk, and are held in position by what the engineers describe as "skin friction," the piles being held in a secure grip by nothing but suction pressure upon their sides. The result is that the bridge is literally to be held in a state of suspension by a plan used in other countries where the sub-stratum is of soft volcanic material. The new bridge, which is not more than a 20ft span, is expected to be opened for traffic early in June.

Maori Versus Pakeha Psychology. "The pakeha has no soul," declared Mr. Taiapa, of the Maori Arts and Crafts School nt Ohineimitu, in a recent interview. Mr. Taiapa was talking of his beloved art of wood carving, and his life's avocation is the reetoration of Maori arts and crafts. In justification of his somewhat sweeping assertion, he instanced the vast difference between the public oratory of the Maori and the pakeha. "The white public speaker seeks to repress his emotions and to present a plain, matter-of-fact statement to his audience in an ordinary conversational tone. The Maori orator, however, becomes on fire witli his topic; he pulses

with anger, thrills with sorrow, gesticulates in derision, wooes with persuasion, and his whole body moves in unison with his torrent of words." "This," said Mr. Taiapa, "is soul, the expression of racial psychology." Mr. Taiapa amplified his contention bv an indictment against the pakeha of glorification of commercialism, as opposed to a support ot the aesthetics of life, in which he claimed the Maori was the superior of the white race. "There are no nature-lovers like the Maori race," he declared. "The poetic names given Ly them to every mountain, river and natural feature in their own land demonstrates this,

and proves my contention that the Maori has a superior soul, for after all what is soulpossession but being in tune with Mother Nature and the Infinite through the mighty manifestations of creation on tho earth."

Procession of Witness. The New Zealand Church Fellowship has arranged for a Procession of Witness to be held in Auckland on the evening of Good Friday. The first station will be in Quay Street, the speaker being the Rev. W. W. Averill. The second station will be in Victoria Street West, the speaker being the Rev. H. K. Archdall. A service at St. Paul's Church will follow, the preacher being the Bishop of Waikato.

Public Library Vandalism. "I regret to report that stealing of magazines and mutilation of papers is still practised by unscrupulous people," reported the public librarian, Mrs. Christian, to the Palmerston North City Council last week. "The physical culture magazine and cover have disappeared. This is an impertinent theft, ae the cover is quite large, and one wonders how it could be taken unseen. As several copies of this magazine have been stolen, I conclude one person is responsible, and when this person is caught I ask that my committee should prosecute."

Hunting and Wire Fences. Pleasing impressions of hunting in Poverty Bay were obtained by a visitor from Ireland. Mr. G. F. Mortimer, who enjoyed a day with the Poverty Bay hounds this week. "The jumping was very good," said Mr. Mortimer, "although we found the wire fences a little terrifying at firet. They really are rather frightening until one gets used to them." Mr. Mortimer said that in his home county of Meath the obstacles comprised hedgee, stone and earthen walls and streams, all of which were obvious to the eye, although they might have concealed hazards. Wire jumping he found quite exciting. The quality of the horees seen out with the hounds wae the most interesting feature.

A Fast Crossing. The old Pupuke, which was on the Stanley Bay run during the severe gale last night, Captain Clark in command, put up some record timee for the trip acrose to the city side of the harbour. On the 6.30 trip, with a fierce jriile behind her, the ferry made the crossing in six minutes, and passengers who had to go to the post ofllee had plenty of time to do so and catch the (1.45 boat back. It was a different story, however, battling against head winds and choppy eea, and it took double the time to reach Stanley Bay on the return trip. The Pupuke, which is over 20 years old, is doing very well in making records, and no doubt in later years stories will be told of what a wonderful old boat she was, for the wind will not be reckoned then.

Fashions in " Losings." According to tram conductors and the drivers of motor buses, the trend of feminine fashion has added a new item to the liet of lost property this season. "Chubby" umbrellas have yielded first place on the list to the light belts, of patent leather or fabric, with which this season's frocks have been equipped. In most cases the belts are not fitted with hasped buckles, but with fasteners of the slip or clip variety, and they tend to become unfastened somewhat easily, and left behind when Madame is gathering up her parcels. Single gloves have for years held a high place in the list, being ae common in the daily collection of losings as pairs of gloves are rare, and handkerchiefs arc also regular items. Ladies' umbrellas are not so frequently left behind owing to the sensible new fashion of equipping them with a leather strap for the wrist.

Canning of Fruit in Hawke's Bay. Arrangements have been completed whereby the canning of fruit will be commenced on a big ecale next year in Hawke's Bay by a company which has taken over the whole of the business, plant and land of Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers, Ltd. The canneries began business only eix months ago, and in that short time have worked up a large and profitable trade in fruit pulp. It is stated that already the new company has received many inquiries from wholesale firms, and speaking of potential markets, both in New Zealand and abroad, one of the principals said that during the eix months to June 30 last year New Zealand imported from Australia 20,740 cases of peachcß, pears and apricots, and that this season Australia had eold 025,000 cases of canned fruit to Britain. New Zealand had not sold a single case at Home, and the company aspired, with a good deal of confidence, to finding a market there beeidee in New Zealand.

Regulations Changed. Vendors of poisons have obtained their licenses in the past by making application to the clerk of the Magistrate's Court, and they have been grunted without fee or inquiry being iniidc, Beyond the list of persons registered appearing in the "Gazette," each year they have not been troubled to any extent. New regulations gazetted under the Poisons Act, ]9.'J4, state that applications have now to be made before April 1 each year, and they must be made to the district medical officer of health, inspector of health, or officer in charge of the police station in the district. If not considered satisfactory, the application can be refused. Fees for 'wholesalers ranging from o/G to £1 have also to be paid.

Prospective Napier-Gisborne Railway. Some results are expected to materialise within the next fortnight from the efforts of the Oisborne Railways Committee to secure an indication of the intentions of the London financial group whose interest is understood to have been aroused by the possibilities of the Napier-Gisborne line, reports the "Poverty Bay Herald." At its last meeting the committee arranged to communicate with the New Zealand s gents of this group, with a request that something definite should bo asked of their principals, in order that the committee might frame its programme for the current year. It is obvious that the railway interests of the district cannot be allowed to remain in the present uncertain etatc for long, especially as there are believed to be alternative courses open to the committee in the event of the particular group of London financiers deciding against the project of investing money in the line.

The Making of Piupiu. Discussing the manifestations of Maori psychology as demonstrated in the ordinary happenings of life, Mr. Taiapa, of the Maori Arts and Crafts School at Ohinemutu, exemplified the making of piupiu, the handsome kilt-like skirt worn by Maori women and maidens in ceremonial dances. Each of these garments consiets of about 400 pieces of specially-treated flax, woven together and coloured to suit the whim of the wearer. "Each piupiu is a creation," said Mr. Taiapa, "equally with a Paris gown beloved of the white fashion world. It represents not only the artistic skill of the designer, but ite manufacture is al«o believed to reflect her moods and fancies." In extension of this statement, Mr. Taiapa exjjlained that sometimes two or more wahines might club together to produce a set of piupiu for joint embellishment. They would cut the flax, strip it, dye it. count the strands, and fashion it together. If, when finished, there should be anything wrong with its colour or flt, there would instantly be great "searching of hearts." If married women were concerned any one of them who might have had a minor dinagreenient with her husband while the piupiu was hi progress would be instantly named as the offender. "Xo wife who quarrels with her husband can make good piupiu," declared Air, Taiapa, "and for this reason single girls are rarely associated with married women in the manufacture of these handsome kilts." He further said that it was a well-established Maori theory that success

in any artistic venture was more likely to be achieved by the possessor of a quiet mind and an equable temperament.