NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 234, 3 October 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Silting River. Anyone visiting Turna after an absence of some years and viewing the river from the wharf will he astounded at the change that lias taken place (writes the "Star's"' correspondent). A few years ago the river was very wide, but in the interval a mud bank has formed, and now it is an island of many acres, with a dense growth of vegetation. Changing Street Names. With a view to removing confusion caused l>y duplication of street names the Newmarket Borough Council lias decided to alter the names of the following streets in the borough: York Street to Kent Street, Eden Street to Teed Street, Union Street to Suiter Street, Railway Terrace to Laxon Terrace, Now Street to ('layton Street, and Short Street to Morgan Street. Branch Post Office for Devonport. A branch post office is to lie established at Devonport North, according to a letter received from the chief postmaster be the Devonport Borough Council last night. The new office is to lie under the management of Mrs. Harding, and is to lie an addition to her stationery shop opposite the junction of Lake and Old Lake Roads. Postal, telephone and postal note facilities are. to be provided. The letter added that the work would lie commenced immediately. Renunciation of War. Twelve students of the Trinity Methodist Theological College and two Auckland University College students have sent a letter to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. <1. W. Forbes, declaring that they will refuse to train for war or to participate in any war. Contending that Jesus Chi*?st demanded adherence to the methods ot love and that the whole spirit of His life and teaching exemplified the peaceful nature of His Kingdom, they aflirm that loyalty to Ilim demands their complete nonparticipation in war or in preparation for war, whatever might be the opinion of the State and whatever the consequences. Harbour Pollution. The question of whether or not the sewage outfall into the Auckland Harbour has a far-reaching-effect on the shellfish and other animal life of the sea has been a vexed one, but a surprising fact was disclosed by Mr. A. W. B. Powell, conchologist to the Auckland Museum, who described some of the preliminary results of an investigation of the sea bed at a meeting of the Auckland Institute last night. Mr. Powell said that dredgings had been made up to within half a mile or so of the Orakei outfall, and outside thislimit sea organisms were found to be very healthy. Members expressed surprise at the apparently limited effect of the outfall. Air. Powell said that it was no use talking about the pollution of the harbour and the destruction of shellfish unless there was some standard to judge from. Canterbury Art "Art" Unions. The view of the Auckland Society of Arts that the Government puts every obstacle in the way of the sale of tickets for art societies' art unions is not supported by the secretary of the Canterbury Society of Arts, Mr. G. L. Donaldson. In an interview with the "C'hristchurch Star-Sun" Mr. Donaldson said that for about 30 years the society had conducted two art unions annually. One of these was public and the other for members, a third of whose subscriptions, if they so desired, being returned to them in the form of tickets. There had never been any difficulty in obtaining a permit from the Minister of Internal Affairs, and he knew of no obstacles ever placed in the society's way. There were certain regulations tc, be observed, but these were perfectly logical, and could not be described a* obstacles The prize had to be a work of art, a picture. A Takapuna Protest. "The Unemployment Board is tantalising those out of work and there are some families in Takapuna who are almost starving," said the Mayor, Mr. .T. Guinivcn, at last night's meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council, after hearing a deputation from the local branch of the Workers' Unemployment Movement. The deputation asked the council to support the organisation in its protest against relief workers being compelled to go to camp at small wage's for "task" work. Mr. Guiniven added that tilings had been 50 per cent worse since Sir Alexander Young had ceased to be Minister of Employment. Oil the motion of Air. Clifton, seconded by Mr. Gibson, the council decided to send letters of protest against the board's action to the Prime Minister, Unemployment Board, Defence Department, and Public Works Department, A protest,is also to be made objecting to the board throwing the responsibility of unfit men on to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and local bodies. |

Politics and Maori Candidates. According to Maoris arc in a position to know, tlie forthcoming? Western Maori election promises to be more exciting than previous contests, and an announcement was made at Te Kotira last week that the Maori "King" would hear the various candidates speak at Huntly on October 8. During the course of his address at a meeting nt Te Koura, near Okahukura, the other day, Mr. J. Asher, of Toknami, who declared himself a supporter of the Democrat party, said if they elected him as their member all the native ((iiestions would be solved, because the people Ihe represented had £30,000,000 ready to release in order to alleviate distress, do away with unemployment, and settle all native problems (reports the "Star's" Te Awamutu correspondent). The member for tlje Western Maori electorate, who was present at the meeting, made several interjections in Maori. | He offered to bet the Democrat candidate £1 to a peanut that he would be returned to Parliament, and after stating that he knew his opponent was of Jewish descent, advised him to take all his money back to Palestine. The natives present showed considerable interest in the political situation as presented to them by the two candidates, and after participating in a "pokai" (feast) dancing was indulged in until the aspirants for political honours departed from the pa.

» " Summer Is Icumen In." ' I So runs the initial line of the oklest song in the English language. When English liedge- ; rows blossom and bedeck themselves in glory, I when the mighty Nile overflows its banks as it has done through the ages, when the overcrowded -plains of China throw off the yoke of devastating floods and bring forth their whesft and rice plants, when the sacred Ganges rises with the melting Himalayan snows and renews the veneration of millions, when a new cotton crop arises—dust, snow and flood forgotten—out of the plains of the Mississippi, when eels and godwits have travelled half across the world to mate and humankind takes up with renewed vigour the ever in:'v custom of courting-—then may the world kiH.w that winter is past. But Auckland has no 'English lanes, or Nile deserts, no | rice, and cotton harvests, no sacred, snow-fed Ganges' to denote when the change of the seasons is upon the land. By the air and the plants must man take his cue in this evergreen country. And those plants which tell it most conspicuously arc imported exotics. Just now the plane trees in Grafton Valley and Symonds Street Cemetery are a wonderful mass of delicate cloudy green, the black trunks and branches standing clearly outlined against the young foliage. But thousands of morning travellers to the city take their spring announcement by the two English may trees on the slopes of Albert Park facing Weilcsley Street East. These pink and red- ' flowering trees have not yet revealed the end of the* winter season, remaining for a brief | while yet leafless and unadorned.

Coals to Newcastle. A disconcerting occurrence befell a New Zealander who recently sent her brother in England a greenstone tiki ornament as a curio. In the course of his letter thanking her for the gift, her brother said: "Did you notice, by the way, that the ornament was made in Birmingham?" What Democracy Means. "In a real democracy there is free discussion, free circulation of ideas and free debate," said Mr. Jiben Wilson, principal of the Hamilton High School, at the old boys' reunion dinner. "Unless opinion is an educated one, the whole form of government becomes a farce, and if the opinion is merely class opinion, or opinion induced by repression, then democracy is a sham. . Our future welfare depends largely 011 our schools." Summer and Motor Cars. "Judging by the amount of business transacted in a recent spell of fine weather, we may look forward to record business if the summer be favoured with fine weather," remarked a Wanganui service station proprietor. Motorists appeared to respond readily to the call of the open air with the advent of summer weather, and in one day the service station had catered for the requirements of nearly 100 motorists. Novel Wedding March. r J lie blowing of fire engine sirens formed a novel accompaniment to the departure of a newly-married couple from the Birkenhead Presbyterian Church last night. After the wedding, which was that of two well-known Birkenhead residents, Mr. Harry Wilkins and Miss Edna Verran, members of the fire brigade formed a guard of honour, and as the pair drove away from the church the fire brigade cars went ahead, continuously blowing their sirens. What's in a Name? | The discussion which has been taking place in the "Hawke's Bay Herald" recently regarding a suitable name for the 475-acre block has resulted in attention being drawn to the name of a place near Porangaliau which has 44 letters. Jt is Kotetaumatawhakatangiliangakoauauotamatikoiki, which means .1 small hill (or peak) where Tamatikoiki plays his flute. Formidable as this name is, it does not come up to, in number of letters at any rate, the name of the Welsh village' Lllanfairpwlehgwyngylchgogerchrwyndrolyllandisllogogogoch. Rare Unicorn Fish. A rare crested band, or unicorn fish, found 011 the Coromaiulel coast by Mrs. A. McLean, Whangapoua, has been presented to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It is about 3ft 1 long, fiin wide, and Jin thick, and somewhat resembles a ribbon or frrtst fish. Mr. A. W. P. Powell, conchologist at the museum, said that the fish was a very rare deep-water species, and 011 that account was seldom washed ashore. There had been few occurrences of the fish in New Zealand, although there were instances of their being washed ashore at Taranaki, Wellington, Duncdin and the Chatham Islands. The fish was also found in Australian waters and in the South Atlantic. Immigration Policy. Support of an immigration policy, if necessary, to extend the home market for New Zealand-made goods was expressed by Mr. James Hogg, president of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, in an address at Wellington. Mr. Hogg declared that figures showed that New Zealand was ready and able to increase production if the market was available and sufficiently protected. With Unavailable resources of coal, electric power and raw materials, tbe time was ripe for a strong forward policy by the investment of new capital in industry and the Increase of the country's population, even by immigration, if necessary. In that way would be built up a stronger and larger market for the consumption of products made in New Zealand. He was aware there was a wide divergence of . opinion regarding the policy of immigration, • but he could, v however, see 110 other solution ] to the problem of Consumption of increasing , farm and factory products than a larger con~ , suming market in the Dominion itself, in 1 the face of contracting world trade iii~ primary 1 commodities, the New Zealand producer would , be compelled to place more importance upon j the consuming power of the home market. ,

Kowhai Gold. "Naturalist" writes:—This year tlic yellow kowliai lias bloomed earlier than usual, Mid the two lovely trees in Albert Park—the sue near the University College entrance ami the other at the top of the long path that leads down to Iknven Avenue—will soon be [iast their best. For more than a week they liave been it mass of blossom, and the petals ;) f smoky gold—(may one venture to coin a new colour phrase?)— are now thick on the ajrass. It is worth making a special visit to the park to stand under a golden canopy and >n a golden carpet, for surely there is no more f>eautiful flower in the whole realm of Nature. 3nee again the "springtime stakes" has been l '[" 1 a race between the kowliai trees and the silver birch at the farthest extremity of the park, to be the first to show signs of spring. Ihe birch to which reference is made grows "i the slope alongside Kitchener Street, quite •lose to the museum and art gallery building, ft is invariably early in leaf, its topmost twigs sometimes showing green before the end of July, long before any other tree in the park, and years of observation have revealed the fact that its closest rival is the yellow kowhai's earliest bud. A veteran member of the gardening staff used to predict the weather of summer by the result of the "sprin"--time stakes," declaring that if the birch leaves were first to show the season would be wet, find if the flower buds were first it would be :lry. This year the kowliai won the race. A Home-made Aeroplane. About four years ago MY. John Allison, ri Whakatane, set out to build himself an lei'opliine (reports the "Star's" Whakatane correspondent). It is a matter of history that this early adventure into aeronautics by Mr. Allison was not successful. The 'plane crashed and became a wreck. But there was no wreck of Mr. Allison's ambition, nor any wavering in his intention to build himself a 'plane which could be passed for service. Therefore four years ago ho set to work upon .mother machine, which is now approaching the stage of completion. Every spare hour f": - the whole four years has been given to the work, and in his shed on McGarvey's Road to-dav stands a high-wing two-seater cabined monoplane fitted with a 70 h.p. Cirrus Mark I. engine, and complete with other equipment down to wheel brakes. The machine is fitted to carry 20 gallons- of petrol, which is calculated to give a range of 400 miles, based on a consumption of four gallons an hour at a speed of between 80 to 00 miles ail hour. The landing speed should be about 40 ni.p.h. Discussing his work with a pressman, Mr. Allison said he had originally intended to make the 'plane a three-seater, but he could not get the engine he wanted. The Cirrus Mark I. was an old model, but was almost unused. He had been able to acquire it from a man in Auckland, who was prevented by unemployment from building a 'plane. He secured the engine for £2f>. It is powerful enough to lift two pc'ople, but he would have liked to have had a 100 h.p. engine, so thatlie could have carried three persons. The wing now stands stripped ready, for inspection by the Government aircraft engineer, and when that duty has been performed the 'plane — :ii |, e jviven its final coat-of paint.