NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 112, 14 May 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Curtailed! An Onehunga correspondent reports that ho owns a small black spaniel bitch, which two clays ago had a litter of five pups. "One of them," adds the writer, "was born with a short tail, about the usual length of ji docked tail, and I would like to know if you have heard of a similar case."

An Aged Native. The death has been reported of a single native man, To Keepa Mahia, who was believed to have been 108 years old, says the '■Jlanawatu Standard's" Foxton correspondent. Deceased, who passed away a few days ago, was a resident of Marotiri, Shannon. No particulars of his association with New Zealand are at present obtainable.

Railways Magazine. Features of this month's issue of the "New Zealand Railways Magazine" are the many fine photographs of scenic resorts and a. special article on the agricultural possibilities of the Far North. There are also contributions by James Cowan, Robin Hyde and Margaret Maephereon. The number of pages in the publication has been increased by 10 to 04, and several new features have been added.

Envoy Buick Injured. Envoy S. Buick, as he stepped across a Road at Vogeltown, Taranaki, was knocked down by a cyclist. Mr. Buick received injuries to the head, and was attended by a medical man. Though he is an old man of 77, however, he had recovered by the evening and attended the usual Salvation Army meeting. The only change was that he wore yards of bandage round his*head, and was described as the first turbaned ollicei - to attend a New Plymouth meeting.

The Coddled Prisoner. "In Australia it costs £1 4/3 weekly for the upkeep of a man in gaol, 14/9 weekly for the warming of water to keep a shark in an aquarium, 0/ weekly to keep a dog in a dog's home, and 5/9 weekly for an unemployed single man; it would bo interesting to know the relative costs in >Te\v Zealand," said Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., in the Civic Theatre in Tauranga. "Some of our sharks cost us much more than that," said an interjector, a remark which provoked loud laughter.

Not a Kiss. There wne a good deal of amusement to lighten the more ecrious aspect of the meeting of returning' officers which wne lield in the Christchurch City Council chambers. Tlio attendance was nearly 500. In one instance the chairman, Mr. A. Sleeinan, was answering a question whether it was illegal to strike out a name by drawing a line through it. The official method, he said, was to mark a eros«s beside each of the favoured candidates. A eign euch as that was not really an expression of disgust or of anything else. It was just a sign. A voice from the back: "I always thought a X meant a kiss." The meeting appreciated it.

Yachts in Winter Quarters. The opportunity of fine weather over the week-end was used by many yachtsmen to dismantle their craft, and on all the bays and beaches where hauling out is still allowed there were a number of boats put ashore with the mid-day tide. Crews were busy in the afternoon hauling their boats up above high water mark and blocking them up in their winter quarters. At Judge's Bay over a dozen craft were pulled up, also a number at Wlmkntakataka Bay, ineide Hobson's Bay, which is becoming a "very popular hauling out place. St. Mary's Bay "and the Victoria Club's slipway, too, were busy, and next week will see our" pleasure licet ashore, except for a few hardy motor boat men, who try to get the most out of each season.

Auckland's Volcanic Features. Reference to the volcanic formations which are a characteristic of Auckland was made by Mr. 0. W. Firth in a lecture on the influence of geology on scenery at the University College last evening. There were, he said, some Cj volcanic centres in and about Auckland. Lake Pupuke, at Takapuna, and the Panmure Basin represented what were known as explosion pits, while Rangitoto and Mount Eden were typical of another stage of volcanic development, with considerable lava flows. Simple volcanic cones were also in abundance, and extensive volcanic areas were to be seen near Pukekohe and the Waitakeres, where the rugged aspect of the West Coast presented a contrast in the main to the typo of shore line to be seen on the Waitemata and also on a great part of the Manukaii Harbour.

Citrus Fruit Inspection. Under a recent amendment to tlio regulations governing the importation of citrus fruit from Fiji, a consignment of nljout 1000 cases, mostly of mandarins, which arrived by the AoraHgi yesterday, was landed and ia being repacked by the importers, under the supervision of a Government inspector. Fruit affected by fruit fly is being set aside for destruction. Hitherto the fruit has been inspected on the wharf by a Government inspector, who opened a proportion of the cases in each line, and if he found the fly prevalent in these, condemned the whole line. This was considered to be unnecessarily wasteful, and, at the same time, to.leave too much to chance, whereas, under the amended regulations, which are the result of representations made by Auckland interests to the Depart* ment of Agriculture in Wellington last week, the whole of the fruit will be inspected, but only the affected fruit will be destroyed.

Cathedral Gift. The Mayor-elect, Mr. E. H. Davis, lias

eent the following letter to Archbishop Averill: "I hasten to assure you of my intense gratification at the noble bequest of the late M. T. Horton for the establishment of a Cathedral Fund for Auckland. For many years I have been impressed with the necessity for the presence in our midst of a cathedral structure worthy of the city'a worship. Approximately a quarter of a century ago I raised the question in a letter to the Press and also talked it over with the late Mr. J. H. Upton and others. I only mention this to indicate my interest in the project and my pleasure in redding the announcement of the inspiring lead given by the late Miss Horton. I need hardly aesure you that in the fulfilment of this very worthy object you may count on co-operation and support in such directions sis I may be useful to you. I wish this great work an early accomplishment."

Boar of High Degree. One of tlio finest Tamworth, hoars ever imported into the Dominion arrived by the Monovvai yesterday. Its finer points might have been immediately perceptible to the expert, but to the layman the most conspicuous feature was its great si/e. It was bought in England shortly after winning the highest honours at the Royal Agricultural Society's show at Ipswich, by Air. A. T. Rogers, of Hopuliopu. It was shipped to Sydney by the Port Adelaide, where it underwent three months' quarantine, and after a further period at Motuihi it will be delivered to llr. Rogers. The pig goes by the grandiloquent name of Berks well Up to Date sth, and it was bred by Colonel C. J. H. Wheatley at Berkswoll Park", near Coventry. Aβ a two-year-old, it won the Royal championship. This year it was awarded the championship medal for Tan'worth hoarg and the challenge, cup for the best Tamworth pig in the show. B.U.D. sth has been handled for his purchaeer by the Farmers' Auctioneering Company, Ltd. Experts of the Agricultural Department at Sydney said he was the iinost example of >Tamwortli boar they had seen.

Supporting Foreign Missions. lii the past ten years the Baptist Tabernacle lias given over £24,000 for home and foreign mission work. This was mentioned by the Rev. jf. W. P, Laecellea last night at the opening of the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle jubilee functions. Air. Lascelles said the Tabernacle had always supported the work of the Baptist Union, the. Baptist College .and the Manurewa Home, in addition to a number of missionaries on foreign fields.

No Provision for Voting. Patients in hospitals did not vote in Inst week's elections, as no provision is made for them to do so. In reply to a question, the substitute returning ollieer at Christehureh, Mr. Albert Freeman,' said that no provision was made for sick people to exercise their franchise. Even if a sick person were transported to a booth by car and could not leave it, lie could not be given ballot' papers. People in invalid chairs, however, could be dealt with. Tho position is that tho law prescribes that ballot papers on no account must be taken outside the polling booths.

Unruly Football Spectators. "I move that a letter be sent on to the junior management committee protesting against the behaviour and language of spectators nt Grey Lynn Park last Saturday," said a member of the Auckland Rugby League Referees' Association last evening. "Especially amongst the fairer sex," he added, when tho resolution was adopted. Another 'speaker referred to the need of more control at Victoria Park, where tho services of official touch judges were required to keep the spectators from encroaching on the field. Fifty (spectators wore helping one full-back in one match, it was stated, "but fortunately they were outside tho lOvds limit."

Apprentices' Rail Fares. Extension of rail concession fares to cover apprentices over 21 years of age was sought in a letter to the Railways Department by the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, a copy of which was received by the Auckland Association yesterday. No reply has been received from the Department. At present concession fares are allowed to apprentices under 21. The association said that, as many boys now start their apprenticeship'at 17 or 18, and are still in that period of training beyond the ago of 21, by reason of recent changes in regulations and agreements covering apprenticeship, the Department should make a corresponding modification to remove the ago limit and allow concession fares to all certified apprentices.

Sheeing Not Skeeing. It would appear that those who pronounce that sport of mountaineers, "ekeeing," have been doing the- wrong thing for 30 years, according to an article by Mr. G. Seligman which appears in a bulletin issued by the Ruapehu Ski Club. Mr. Seligman makes an appeal to fill "sheers" to pronounce thu word in the old way, because, he says, "'skee' is a horrible-sounding word, and 'eheo,' moreover, lias been the official pronunciation of the Ski Club of Great Britain for over 30 years. . . .

We would like to supplicate, too, to that autocratic body, the British Broadcasting Corporation, who have piled Vkee' upon 'Kondewit' Street and other cacophonous enormities." The writer did not wish, he said, to enter on a maze of complicated philological logic. He submitted, however, that "surely it is a stronger argument to say that the British pioneera who brought ski-ing south from its home in Norway brought the Norwegian word pronounced "slice' with them, and that for over 30 uninterrupted years the S.C.Q.B. lias been the 'Slice' Club of Great Britain, and that thin is therefore the official pronunciation in this country." Long Public Service.

Mr. W. K. Howitt, who was narrowly defeated for the North Shore seat on the Hospital Board, Ims a long period of civic service to hie credit. He fought his first contest in Southern Taranaki in 1800, when a young unmarried man, and served several terms. When his health failed and lie went to live in Scotland, near Balmoral, for several years lie served on a parish council. Later. when he returned to New Zealand and settled on the southern slopes of Mount Egmont, lie was prominent in public affairs. He was elected to the Devonport Borough Council in 1915, and was acting-Mayor during the closing period of the war and during the influenza epidemic, owing to the illnces of the Mayor, the late Mr. John Henderson. Mr. Howitt was a member of the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce at the time when the subject of main highways wan a burning question, especially in regard to the coast road to the North, as against the central route. In 1921 he was elected to the Hospital Board, and was elected opposed at each succeeding election till the recent contest, when he lost hie seat to Mr. J. Waddell. It will bo seen that Mr. Howitt hoe had nearly 40 years of public service.

Opening Up Roads. "I made 11 special point of inquiry in the United States, Canada, and England concerning the practice adopted in opening up roads, footpaths, etc., for the laying of cables and other public services, with a view to improving, if possible, the system adopted by us in Auckland," stated Mr. R, If. Bart ley, genera! manager, at a meeting of the Auckland Electric Power Board yesterday. "I find that in each instance notice to carry out this sort of work must be served on the city authorities and a prescribed number of days allowed before the work is commenced. The city authorities endeavour to co-ordinate the various notifications, and by this method prevent a considerable amount of duplication and unnecessary work. 1 gather, however, from the opinions of those concerned that the arrangement still leaves much to be desired, and it still reeults in duplication, no doubt due to emergency requirements and other causes, which lead to the necessity of opening up these roads and causeways. It is still questionable, in my opinion, 'vhether any better method can be devised than that adopted by us, and we are certainly no worse off, according to the observations I have been able to make, than our friends overseas."

Power Station Buildings. "It is interesting and pleasing to note that, with all the wonderful advances in generating, machinery and plant generally, the housing facilities have not been overlooked," commented Mr. R. 11. Bartley, general manager of the Auckland Electric Power Board, in a report on some of his observations abroad, which he submitted to a meeting of the board yesterday. "The architect has been brought into the scheme, and he hne done hie work well. The generating station of to-day not only does its work efficiently, btft. has been made to look the part; the old smoke stacks, which fit the best were always unsightly, have now been treated in such a way that they are an integral part of the building, and are no more pronounced than any other part. The general effect is outstanding and pleasing. . . ." In the cities, eaid Mr. Bartley, the question of sub-station sites presented a problem, and ho saw many attractive buildings which represented sub-stations erected right in the heart of these cities. In some instances a sub-station occupied the upper , storey of the building, the lower being used for business and trade facilities. To a very large extent the question of providing substations had been overcome by the use of suitable space on private property. These sub-stations were serving a dual purpose of supplying the particular consumer on whose •property they were erected, and at the same time functioning as ordinary system distribution sub-stations. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, remarked that the board should bear in mind Mr. Bartley's statement when new buildings were required. The board was not responsible, however, for the hideousness of the present power stations, which had been taken over from the City Council.