NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 155, 3 July 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Reduced to Three. The appointment of a headmaster of the Takapuna Grammar School was discussed by the Auckland Grammar Schools Board yesterday afternoon in committee, and the number of' applicants was reduced to three. These will bo interviewed by the board Miext Monday, and a final selection will then* be made. Converted Dairy Farmers. ' "I would like to bring under the board's notice," reported the manager of the Thames Valley Power Board yesterday, "the fact, that quite a number of farmers who have been dairying have now converted'to sheep farming; This particularly applies on" guaranteed •lines." ~ ■'. '.' - ■ Homework Cut Out for a Term. . English boys' of Maidstone Grammar School will not have 'to do homework for a whole term". The experiment has been undertaken after consultation with the parents, and the results will be carefully reviewed, and sent to the Board of Education. The idea is to find what effect no homework has on the boys' work in the day and on their, health. Parents will observe how the boys- use their extra leisure. Annual Donations. "We have no power to earmark revenue in advance, to make annual donations," said the Mayor, Mr. R. Ferner, at the meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council last evening, when a letter was received from Mr. G. J. Park, honorary secretary of the New Zealand Crippled Children's Society, asking for an annual donation. It wr.s decided to make 'k donation of £5 5/ and inform the society that application for a donation should be made annually. School Statistics. An increase in the number of pupils attending the 741 schools in the Auckland Education Board's district was shown in a return for the term ended in May. compared with May, 1934, presented to the" board at a meeting this morning. The return showed that in the first term this year there were 02,039 pupils on all school rolls, an increase of 407, while the average attendance, totalling 57,542, had also shown an increase of 432 pupils. _. ' Replacing Locomotives. By scrapping old locomotives as they wear out and replacing them With modern engines, the Railway Department'is gradually reducing the number of types of locomotives in use. It is understood that the Department in Christchurch is still receiving a few engines from the North Island. A few years ago the number of types in use was more than 20, and the plan;.provides for reducing this number to eight, which object will be achieved before long. The scrapping of old locomotives and their replacement with modern type* will make for increased efficiency. * Australian Trees in Ethiopia. . As one approached Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, one could not be but struck by the large plantations of Australian bluegums.which obscured the view of the city buildings, said Mr. C. H. Barton, a missionary in Ethiopia, during the course of a lecture at New Plymouth. For years it was the custom to move the capital town as surrounding country became denuded of trees. This considerably disorganised the trading, and in the yeai 1900 lurge quantities of gum trees were imported. To-day there were millions of them growing in Ethiopia. No Appearance of Whitebait. The whitebait season officially opened on the first of the present month, but so far no supplies of the delicacy have reached Auckland. This is due to the fact that the recent rains have stirred up the mud in the waters of the Matata, Maketu and Lower Waikato, the principal sources from which supplies are. drawn, and the conditions are not suitable for netting. It is considered that a few days will elapse before there- is an improvement in conditions and the whitebait reaches the market. At the start of last season whitebait commanded 2/ a lb, and it is-etated that the price this year is likely to be around that figure again at the commencement. Uniformity in School Elections. ! . A' proposal that the next election * for intermediate school committees should' be for a term of three years, in order to bring the elections into line with those for primary schools, was dealt with in a communication received by the' Auckland Education Board from the Education Department at a meeting this morning. It was explained that one triennial term of office, followed by biennial terms in future, would give uniformity desired, and members expressed the view that the Department, when asked ;for further information on the proposal, had not realised the position. The matter was referred back to the Kowhai School Committee, which originally made the proposal. A Costly Snowstorm.It ,was mentioned by the PostmasterGeneral, Mr. Adam Hamilton, that the recent snowstorm in Canterbury was, from the Post and Telegraph Department's point'of view, one of the most serious, ever experienced in that district. The damage was both extensive and expensive, and cost of repairs, labour . and material would run into several thousands of pounds. Close on 200 men wore employed on repairing the havoc wrought by the storm. Miles of wire were brought down, and many posts were broken and damaged. The effects of the heavy fall of snow were most severe in the Eangiora district and oii the ■ open plains. Little damage was done in Christchurch, and Timaru completely escaped. The Minister paid a tribute to the Department's staff of workers, who had effected repairs with commendable speed in very adverse circumstances. Tennis Court in Rua's Village. "The formation of the road through to Waikaremoana has done much to open the Urewera Country to visitors, though the only way to reach Maungapohatu is still by a pack track that follows streams and> climbs interminable' ridges," states the journal of the Alpine Sports Club, Auckland. "The" principal pa is situated high on the slopes of the mountain at an altitude of approximately 3200 ft. The nearest streams are some distance away, but water is obtained from convenient springs which apparently come down from the mountain. The dance hall, the circular temple, the elaborate house of Rua,. all have disappeared. In a smaller pa some distance away (inhabited one would imagine by Maoris who are not. so closely identified wjth Rua) a number of whares are built of timbers which from the painted designs still showing on them apparently have once formed part of the old -temple. Near where Rua's dwelling formerly stood there is now an earthen tennis court, further evidence of the march of progress. A little down the track, about equidistant from the principal pas in the neighbourhood, are a native school and a mission station. The old wharepuni still stands and is regularly used. It was this building which served in 1910 as sleeping quarters for the. police, a hospital for the wounded, and a prison for the captives. And the sacred Rocky Mountain, its summit lake untroubled, guarding deep in its caverns the bones of generations of fighting chiefs, its mantle of bush' and mist girt about it, "watches over all. But-even it shows the passage of time. Great scars on its face mark slips that occurred during the earthquakes of a few years ago, though none can equal that great land slide that occurred in 1870, when a hu.-e' nick avalanche swept down the mountain and cleared a path a quarter of a mile wide through the forest for one mile and a half.

Sunday Pictures. At a meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations last evening the question of the proposal of. the Auckland City Council io allow pioture theatres to be opened on Sundays was discussed. Finally ,it was decided to ask the City Council to receive a deputation in connection with the matter. Work for Unemployed. Dissatisfaction with the present position of the'"unemployment problem was placed on record at a meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations last i evening, and the opinion was expressed in a resolution that war? passed that, in view of the balanced Budget and of restored cuts, the time had come for 'works of utility at standard rates of pay for the unemployed. Shrubs for Streets. . An offer by Mr. Wright, nurseryman, of Avoudale, to donate 500 to 000 rhododendrons for park'and street development was received and accepted by the Mount Albert Borough' Council las,t evening. Recently the council received from Mr. Wright • 340 laburnum shrubs and 00 from Mr. A. J. Stallworthy, M.P. The council decided to send letters to the donors expressing appreciation for the gifts. Rural School Transport. A request for an increase in salary of £00 a year, for work in connection with the management of Departmental buses carrying pupils to the school, was'made to the Auckland Education Board at a meeting'this morning bv the head teacher of the Pio Pio District High School, Mr. R. S. Webster. "There is a principle involved here which Von Id affect a number of other schools," remarked the chairman, Mr. T. U. Wells.; "It. is a policy matter." At the chairman's suggestion the request was referred to the Education Department. Broadcasting of Fixtures. At the meeting of the junior management committee of the Auckland Rugby League last evening, a complaint was made that several junior teams defaulted on Saturday as the .result of a radio station announcing that "The principal matches in the Auckland Rugby League competition will • be played." This was taken to mean that junior fixtures' would not take place. The chairman, Mr. D. Wilkie, said that the clubs should know that the only official source of information regarding fixtures was the Rugby League office. It was decided to "circularise the clubs in this matter. -. >. ' Shortage of Fish. The unsettled weather of' recent weeks has interfered with the Operations in the Hauraki Gulf of the seine net boats, and the result is that there is still a small shortage of fish. Should the improvement in the weather continue, however, it is j anticipated that the supplies will soon be normal again. It was stated yesterday by. a retail firm that its fishing fleet had operated throughout the stormy period, but at had been forced to go as far as Napier to avoid: the northwesterly weather that has prevailed. There was a shortage of flounder, it was added, but this was only seasonal. After-care School Pupils* The opinion that some age limit should be fixed for enrolments'in the *after-eare class at the Newton East School, Belgium Street, was expressed by the Education' Department in a memorandum received by the Auckland Education Board at its meeting thi6 morning. The Department considered that enrolment should not be continued after the end of the term in which a pupil had reached his nineteenth birthday, adding that it was obvious that supervision of older pupils would be a matter of some concern. The Department asked the board to submit a repoit on the class, with any suggestions it had to offer, at the end of the year. • Growth of Mount Roskill. A satisfactory growth of population in Mount Roskill was mentioned last night by the chairman of the Road Board, Mr. G. M, MeCullon'gh. He said this was made manifest by the number of dwellings being erected in the district and the number of motor drivers' licenses- issued. The- building inspector reports fortnightly on the number of building permits issued, and last night he said that 15 buildings were.now being erected,! at a cost of £2837. A fortnight ago the ' building permits were valued at £3000. Motor drivers' licenses to the .number of 900 had been issued to date, compared with 775 for the same period last., year. Point Chevalier Transport. There has been unity of action at Point Chevalier in. connection with' the movement to endeavour to get rearrangement 'of the sections on the Point Chevalier train route. The wish of the residents concerned is to have the present section from Walker Road to the terminus eliminated, thus making a four-section run from the city to Point j Chevalier terminus, the residents claiming, that that was promised to them when the| tram service supplanted the bus service fori that suburb. The Walker Road section to the terminus was instituted on the last occasion that penny fares were introduced. Mr. M. P. Hooper, of Point Chevalier, stated to-day that the requisition to the Auckland Transport Board to eliminate the section under discussion had been signed by a large number of residents, and on behalf of every organisation at Point Chevalier. Former Mayor's Work. Steps are being taken suitably to recognise the work done for the city by Mr. G. W. Hutchison during his four years' .occupancy of the mavoral chair, and the work of Mr. A. J. Entrican, who. was a councillor for 30 years and deputy-Mayor for many terms. A meeting of representative citizens was held to further' the project, and it was decided to open a fund with the object of organising a public presentation ceremony. Appreciation was expressed at the meeting of/ the work of both Mr. Hutchison and Mr. Entrican, special reference being made to the part played by their wives, whose work it was also decided to recognise. A committee was appointed to carry out details. Mr. A. G. Lunn was elected chairman, Messrs. J. F. Ewen an(LH T Goldie joint hon. treasurers, and Mr-. E. C. Walton secretary. It was decided to invite contributions from citizens, and letters will be sent to business firms acquainting them of Wliat is being done. Referees Walk Out. . . Arising out of steps being taken to improve the Rugby football game in Nelson, the. Nelson Rugbv Union is faced with an unexpected check" through action, by members of the local referees' association.- When the members of the referees' body, attending a conference with the union to discuss- proposed changes, were informed that the, union intended to hold the conference in. open meetinn- with the Press present, the president of: tlie Referees' Association, said his members considered the proposed' changes a charge against the referees, subject only for discussion in committee. The referees thereupon picked up their hats and. walked -'out., Mr. R. W. Eyre, the union president, explained that changes were being made on the strength of an exhaustive report byi a sub-committee on the-game- and its management in Nelson. Plans to effect a change in the union executive's constitution had been adopted, subject to confirmation by a general meeting of delegates; another meeting had to deal with the relationship of clubs and players, and the present conference had proposed to consider and effect changes in regard to referees. After the referees had walked out, the union executive passed a motion of no-confidence in the Referees' Association, and decided to hold a meeting next week to form a new j association. ;. -. j