NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 158, 6 July 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Trotting Betting Figures. Owing to wet weather conditions prevailing in Auckland on quite a few . occasions during the present trotting season just concluded, it was not, surprising to note' the Auckland Trotting Club showing a substantial decrease in. the totilisator turnover. During the 1933-34 season the sum of £211,570 10/ was put through the machine, against £189,054 in 1934-35, a decrease of £122,221 10/. An Unusual Event. When the coastal vessel Kapiti. arrived at Kaikoura recently to unload' pipes- fbr tlie, proposed water supply scheme from' one of the valleys, a large number of spectators gathered to watch the work. It is e four months since a vessel- last paid a visit to Kaikoura, and several years since there was a regular trade. The unloading was well timed for Sunday morning, when people were free to-take an interest in what was going on. The vessel had lain out at sea on the previous night. Wellington Rugby Club Jubilee. Within the past year or two Rugby football organisations, clubs and unions, from Auckland to the Bluff, have been busy with •jubilee celebrations owing to the fact that/ the game was established in New Zealand round about GO years ago. The unions opened the fashion of celebrating their half-century, ani} clubs have followed with their (iO-year festivities. The latest is the Petone Club, of Wellington, whose secretary advises that the club's jubilee will be celebrated next year, and old members in Auckland and elsewhere are asked to assist by getting in touch with the secretary. Chicago's Dust Storms. Mr. Pprcy Graham, the head of a large manufacturing concern in Chicago, .writing to a Nelson resident, says: "For the past three years we have been suffering from great dust storms in various parts of the country, the. top soil being swept off and blown thousands of miles. Breathing in one of these storms is difficult, and sometimes dangerous. It whs estimated that several million tons of dust fell in Chicago during the two -days' visit of one of the storms. I must send you .a clipping telling you about them." Seasonable Business. It's an ill heat wave, likewise an ill blizzard, that blows no "sand" into somebody's pocket, declares the "Marlborough Express." During the recent extraordinarily hot summer there was a high mortality among watch mainsprings, and the watchmakers profited accordingly. The recent cold snap has also had its effect on the mainsprings, and the same branch of industry rejoices. Of course, if it ever got really cold in Blenheim —like it does at Hanmer, where 31J and 30 degrees of frost, were recorded last winter—the mercury in the thermometers would probably burst its bonds and be available for golf balls, to the chagrin of the legitimate golf-ball trade. Only the Rumour Exploded. "I have heard that these materials are highly inflammable," said Dr. P. R. Woodhouse at a meeting of the committee of the South Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, when samples of a German synthetic wool fabric were exhibited to members. On. being given permission to learn from a practical test if his information was correct, Dr. Woodhouse, ignoring warnings from members lest the material burst into a fierce flame, applied a match. Contrary to expectations, the fabric burned slowly, showing that its reputation for inflammability was not justified. "As a wool grower, I am grea J .'y disappointed," said Dr. Woodhouse, amid laughter.

t Stock Embargo. At the annual general meeting of the Helensville District Cattle Dipping Association a resolution was passed strongly protesting against the lifting of the embargo on the importation of live stock, as increasing the risk of introducing foot-aiul-moutli disease into New Zealand. Main Highways Fund. At a meeting of the No. 2 Highway District Council it was decided to urge the Main Highways Board to raalce representations to the Minister of Finance concerning the main highways fund. The suggestion will be advanced that 110 further sums be diverted from 1 the fund for purposes other than highways. Pakatoa and Rotoroa. It has been decided by the Salvation Army headquarters to amalgamate the administration of the work at l'akatoa and Rotoroa Islands, which up to the present have i been separate commands. Adjutant P. G. Normali, who is the present mangaer of the men's inebriates' institution, will take over the control of Pakatoa ".Island in addition to his present duties. Assistant officers have been appointed as follow: Major and Mrs. Fantham to Pakatoa, Adjutant and Mrs. Elston' to Kotoroa Island. Driftsand. The high winds recently experienced have moved an exceptional amount of drift sand along the coast, covering large areas of pasture land, reports the Wanganui "Herald." Between Wanganui and Waitotara high ferns, high lupin aiid other growth have been completely smothered by. tons of .sand. The southern side of Wanganui, too, has had a similar experience, which emphasises the great importance of reclamation, work and planting carried out at the youths' camp at lvaitoke, meriting the heartiest support from all in a position to assist the lade. Old Silver Penny. Mention was made recently of an old English silver penny, a tiny coin about half an inch in diameter, which is possessed by a Dunedin resident, and was thought to have been struck for the Great Exhibition in London on account of bearing the dat'ft* 1851. An Auckland resident, Mrs. W. D. B. Rist, writes stating that the conjecture that the coin was struck ae a souvenir of the Great Exhibition of 1851 cannot be correct, as she possesses a like, silver penny which bears the date 1858. Mrs. Itist has had the.coin for more than 50 years, having been given it by her mother before the family left the Channel island of. Jersey. ' " On With the Sale." liail, rain or snow, the Addington stock sale must go 011. From it most of the meat to supply Christcliurch is drawn. There was 110 interruption to the selling during the snowstorm last week. Few farmers attended at the sale of store sheep, and the difficulties of transport, due to the heavy fall of snow 011 Sunday night, resulted in a'very meagre entry —the smallest for the year. The yarding of fat sheep was fairly large, and in many fanes graziers were keen to dispose of them, so that condition would not be lost during the cold snap brought on by the snow. The Sheep Census. There are almost 20,000,000 sheep in the Dominion, so the June "Abstract of Statistics" says. That was the total at April 30, and it represents an increase of over 30,000 011 last year's figures. This marks, the second consecutive increase since a succession of decreases which reduced flocks from 30,840,000 in 1030—the highest number ever recorded — to 27.750,000 in 1033. The largest number for any one district in New Zealand is in the Gisborne-Hawke's Bav where there are 0,020,000. Otago is second with 0,301,000. In the Auckland district there are 3,108,000. / So It Goes On. Nothing illustrates so clearly the presentday reversion to old sidfeshow methods in sport as the use of a "title" as a peg on which to hang a "spiel." For instance, a great deal has been heard recently of the Empire title in connection withy wrestling, but in actual fact "there ain't no sich thing." The claim was made in New Zealand a few years back for advertisement purposes, and has been freelv used at times since, but there is 110 such'official title in professional wrestling. A definite hurdle to claimants, which lias been conveniently ignored to date, is the existence within the Empire circle of one or two notable Indian wrestlers, who remain unbeaten by their Britigh brethren. Exporters of Fruit. All the principal export areas were represented at the annual conference .yesterday <>f fruit exporters of the Auckland district. Jlr. H. S. I'zard, the Auckland member of the Fruit Export Control Board, presided, while Messrs. R. Paynter and W. Benzies, chairman and secretary respectively of tlie board, also were present and addressed the meeting 011 matters connected with the export of fruit. Discussions centred round remits which are to be forwarded to the Dominion conference to be held in Wellington on July 25 and 20, and instructions were given the delegates, Messrs. H. L. Becroft (Port Albert), C. Shutes (Huapai) and T. Geralja (Henderson). Mr. Izard, who is not seeking re-election, was accorded a vote of thanks for his services 011 the Control Board. Some Men Have the Luck. Say what you will, some men have ltick— — and it is not confined to Chinamen. Here is the story to prove the contention.' A painter was working on some scaffolding 12ft from the ground. Behind him was a revolving wheel on a shaft. He turned to speak to someone, and the pocket of his overalls caught in the centre-pin of the flywheel. The arms were torn from his overalls, his shirt was torn from his back, and he himself was just beginning to be carried into the belting when his good luck became apparent. The foreman, who at that psychological moment happened 011 the scene, tore the rest of the lucky man's clothes off his back, and he staggered free. His clothes went whirling away into the belting, where he himself would have been but for luck. A little later an ordinary painter's knife, which he had in his pocket, dropped from the machinery, and as the lucky man picked it up his luck was borne home 011 him. The knife was in three pieces, the steel being twisted in two pieces. Even the wooden handle was bent. He looked at it and muttered the appropriate version of, "But for the grace' of God, there goes John Bunyan. S.P.C.A. to the Rescue. Considerable amusement and some concern was caused yesterday when a canine vagrant of the bold fox terrier breed effected a successful "liold-up" in a shop in Victoria Street. No cajoling calls or enticing w thistles could tempt him from his quarry, and the man bailed up, though anxious to leave the premises, was reluctant to move. A policeman, concluding that the S.P.C.A. should be able to deal with the matter, called at the society's office nearby for advice and assistance, , In the meantime an interested crowd had gathered around the shop door, where the cause of the disturbance could be seen, legs firmly planted and body quivering, with his eyes fixed on his prisoner. No one seemed willing to lay a hand on the agitated animal. The crowd obstructing the footpath brought a second and third policeman. Motor cars pulled up and blocked the street, but the dog would not give an inch. Then came along two S.P.C.A. committee members, and a well-aimed lasso forced the dog to discontinue his unwelcome attentions. The touch of a sympathetic hand acted like magic, and the erstwhile fighter quietly followed his rescuers along the street to the S.P.C.A. kennels, where he immediately engaged in a gleeful romp with a neighbouring fox terrier.