NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 238, 8 October 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tram on „Fire. Fire broke out on an outward-bound Onehunga tramcar in Symonds Street about 5.20 last evening owing to a fault in Hie resistance coil underneath the vehicle. '1 wo engines from the Central Fire Station and one from Parnell answered the alarm, and the flames were quickly suppressed. Only slight damage was done to the woodwork. Although the car was crowded at the time most of the passengers remained in their seats during the episode, which held up tramway traffic for some 15 minutes. University Peace Ballot. It is expected that the peace ballot at the Auckland University College, organised by the New Zealand University Students' Association, will be closed to-d'ay. Ihe ballot consists of a pamphlet on which are a number of questions to be answered which test the voter's attitude towards peace and war. On the completion of the ballot the papers will be forwarded to Wellington, vliere votes from all Ihe colleges will be counted. Upper Queen Street Extension. Six of the eight houses acquired by the City Council in Karaka Street and Gloucester Street as necessary to carrying out the extension of Upper Queen Street to Eden Terrace have been pulled down, and shortly the council will make a start on the work of filling the low-lying sections in order to bring them up to the level of the roadway. Lxmouth Street, which forms part of the continuous thoroughfare, which will run parallel to Symonds Strecjt from Ksirangahape Road, is being widened, and two solid retaining walls are being built on the street alignment. Power Line Break. The greater part of the southern area of the Auckland Electric Power Board's district was plunged into darkness at. about 7.30 last night. The interruption was due to a break in a power line at East Taniaki, and it was half an hour before the power was restored. The area affected extended from Otahuliu to Papakura, and included East Tamaki and Howick. The programme from the B class radio station, IZM, Manurewa, was suddenly cut off, and listeners in areas where the lights were not affected wondered what had caused the stoppage. The programme was resumed as soon as the power came on again. Appeal in Good Cause. An appeal to Auckland citizens to help the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society to pay off a mortgage of £375 on its new building was made at the annual meeting of the society at the Town Hall yesterday by the secretary and chaplain, the Rev. G. E. Moreton. Mr. Moreton referred to the gifts made to the Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society in Dunedin, and remarked: "I can't understand why we are not treated the same way here. The joke about it is that they have not got a real prison in Dunedin, but only a lock-up." A special vote of thanks was passed to Auckland members of Parliament for their past support. Air Route Photographs. An exhibition of photographs illustrating scenes on the air route from England to Australia will open on Friday at Messrs. Milne and Choyce's, Queen Street. The collection is being shown at the principal centres of New Zealand under the auspices of the Post and Telegraph Department. Among the pictures are enlargements over Oft vide showing machines of Imperial Airways used on the service, and remarkable infra-red photographs of interesting parts on the air route. A number of outstanding landscapes has been loaned by "The Times," London, and the exhibition has attracted considerable interest in the South. Rafts for Swimmers. It is not generally known that the North Shore Amateur Swimming and Life-Saving Club owns the rafts that are so popular with swimmers at Cheltenham, Duder's and Narrow Keck beaches. Mention of this fact is made in the annual report of the club, which is to be presented to members this evening. It is stated that most people are under the erroneous impression that the rafts are the property of the Devonport Borough Council. In fact, it was rumoured that the raft on Narrow Neck had been subscribed for and bought by the residents of Narrow Neck. The committee of the club recommends that, with the consent of the proper authorities, notice boards be erected on the beaches where the rafts are, informing the public that the rafts are the property of the club, and inviting subscriptions to assist it with the cost of maintaining the equipment in good order and repair. Inland Mail Services. Every form of transport that will, give reliable service is used by the Post Oflicc for the conveyance of His Majesty's mails. It lias utilised a variety of vessels in the past, from a floating crane to warships, and its road services within the Dominion exceed 1300, of which 900 are conducted on a contract for three years. The services include service cars, pack horses and carts. The railways absorb about half the expenditure on the transport of inland mails. The greatest contrast in methods of mail transit is provided on the West Const of the South Island, where at the northern end a contractor makes a "flying" start by using a motor car for 14 miles, and then faces 20 miles of extremely rough country, traversing the first 15 in a spring cart, which takes the mail across swamps and practically .unformed loads. Finally lie completes the trip on horseback, reaching a little settlement whose inhabitants rarely see the outside world, and depend for contact upon the mailman, who makes the trip once a week. And now air transport is being added to the list of methods of carrying the mails, and a weekly air service is in full operation from Hokitika to Haast, Bruce Bay and Okuru. Formerly the trip was served by pack horses, taking between them two and three days. Now the service is reduced to as many hours. The " Good Old Days." "You talk about the price of milk," said an old Pukekolie farmer who has been livingj in Auckland for a number of years, and who had recently found amongst his old papers a report of a meeting held at Pukekolie on June 24, 1889, to discuss the price the farmers were t willing to take for milk supplied to the New Zealand Dairy Association at their creamery at Pukekolie during the coming season. The meeting was held on a Monday following Buckland's cattle sale, and lasted many hours. The association offered 2Jd per gallon, the separated skim milk to be returned to the suppliers. The discussion centred around getting another farthing for their milk. The association said that for the whole season 2Jd was the most they could give in order that they would not be working at a loss, and that even an advance of the eighth of a penny might mean the stoppage of the association's activities at Pukekolie. An effort to get a resolution through that the meeting refuse to supply for less than 3d per gallon was not carried. "Those were indeed hard times, and the wages paid on farms were very low indeed, and no farmers ever worked harder than those who were trying to keep their heads above water, just at the time the dairy factories were trying to get a profitable market for their butter at Home. No party was mad enough to even suggest guaranteed prices in those early days, but we won through, and I feel it in my bones now that the farmers don't want guaranteed prices, because they are wise enough to see that it will recoil oil them and give them a pretty hard kick."

Lorry on Fire. The engine and cab of a motor truck in the City Council's yards at Freeman's Bay was damaged yesterday when fire broke out as the result of a backfire. A fire engine from 4hc Central staticn answered the alarm, and managed to get the flames under control with the use of the first aid chemical extinguisher. Hamilton's Oldest Inhabitant. Over 50 visitors called on Mr. Philip lc Quesne, of Hamilton East, yesterday to congratulate him on attaining his 09th birthday, while a large number of telegrams and letters conveyed the felicitations of friends all over New Zealand. Among the visitors were the Mayor, Mr. -T. B. Fow, Bishop Cherrington, and many relatives and friends. Maori Relics at Whakatane. Further interesting discoveries have been made in the course of the excavation work for Canning's premises on the Strand at Whakatane. Maoris employed on the work last week found a complete set of Maori oven stones and the greater portion of a native skeleton, which had been buried there about So years ago. They also found an onewa stone, used by natives for wood carving. Primary Producers' Tour. The British National Union has arranged for a party of Empire primary producers to make a tour of New Zealand early next year. It is hoped that the party will include not only primary producers but members of allied industries, and the New Zealand Government and Dominion farmers, through their organisations, intend to do everything possible to make the tour interesting and instructive. The British National Union has previously arranged tours to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. On this occasion the visitors will spend 34 days in the Dominion. Carriers and Self-respect. "We feel that it is time the carriers dignified their calling somewhat and got rid of that inferiority complex," said Colonel K. F. Gambrill, chairman of the No. $ District Transport Authority, in addressing a meeting of carriers in Napier. In too many cases a carrier looked upon himself as merely a carrier, he stated, whereas he was in reality a most important link in the primary production of the country. The service was a good one, and should bo done thoroughly. "If we cannot get fun out of our work we might* as well be dead, and we can get a lot of fun out of our work if we take a real interest in it," he added. Accident Victims in Hospital. The Auckland Hospital authorities report that the condition of Mrs. Charlotte Tarvcr, aged 50, the wife of a farmer at Puni, Pukekolie, who was burned on the back and shoulders on Sunday, is still fairly serious. The motor cyclist, Horace Freestone, aged 17, of Nelson Street, City, who was injured in the collision on the Great South Bo.ad on Sunday evening that resulted in the death of his pillion passenger, William Guzwell, is now reported to be in a satisfactory state. Allan John Edmonds, aged 21, single, of 51, Sussex Street,"Grey Lynn, who suffered concussion as the result of a fall from his bicycle on Sunday, has improved, and he is now off the serious list. No Hurry for Station. The view that there was no necessity to press for the building of an expensive new railway station at Christehureh in view of the tremendous development in aviation throughout New Zealand was expressed by Mr. F. W. Johnston. Mr. Johnston presided at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League. "A railway station costs £1,000,000," said Mr. G. M. Hall, "but an aviation ground apparently can be secured for £500." The remarks were passed when it was mentioned that the members of the Bail way Board would visit Christehureh. near the end of the month, and they might be approached regarding a new station. No action was taken.

Bivouac Camp at Gisborne. Practically the full strength of the headquarters wing and B Company, Ilawke's Bay Infantry Regiment, mustered on Saturday for the week-end bivouac camp at Muriwai, 17 miles from Gisborne, and great interest attached to the work carried out, intensive training in the use of machine-guns, rifle grenades and other weapons and in tactical training. Features of the tactical work included the explosion of a number of land mines and also several hand* grenades, these being exploited as defensive measures by skeleton forces against which attacks were directed. One platoon commander had an exciting encounter with a land mine and hand grenade, which exploded close to his position, and at another stage a fine blast of explosive scattered frogmen's of timber among a group of machine-gunners adyancing ever the sand dunes, but in no instance was there any danger of injury. Centenary of Historic Church. The centenary of the Anglican church at Russell —probably the most historic church in New Zealand —is to l>e marked by the erection of a permanent chancel which will ultimately form part of a complete stone church. The Governor-General. Viscount Galway, has been asked by Archbishop Averill to lay the foundation stone on Sunday, December 20. The church, which is the oldest still • standing in New Zealand, was built in the 'thirties, but the year of its completion is unknown. Within the building Captain Hobson, on the day of his first official landing, January ,'JO, 1840, read his proclamations, including those authorising him to establish British sovereignty over New Zealand. It survived the burning of Kororarcka by Kawiti in 1845. The marks of bullets fired in the affray are still to be seen in the weatherboard walls, and in the churchyard a monument to the men of H.M.S. Hazard who were killed on that occasion. A tall cross marks the grave of Tamati Waaka None, the friend of the British. It was largely through his influence that Captain Hobson obtained the first signatures to the Treaty of Waitangi. Snake, Rope, and Rabbit-hole. Reference to, rabbits and rabbit holes (of which there has been a fair amount lately)! induced an old-timer now living in Auckland to relate an amazing experience that befell him many years ago in the Australian bush. He was "humping his bluey," otherwise "waltzing Matilda," , or, to put it simply, carrying his swag, and making camp every niglit in the wilds. His companion was a man of sixtyodd, a veteran of the first Coolgardie gold rush, who was extremely bush-wise-, knowing every trick of the tramper's trade. The -part of Queensland which tlio pair were honouring with their presence was bad snake country, but the old man knew a trick that would beat any snake. He always carried a coil of rope, and, when the pair made camp, he would carefully lay it round them oil the ground in a big circle, approximately 12ft in diameter. No snake will cross a rope, and the tranipers snored in safety. Imagine the younger man's horror when, in the middle of one dark niglit, he stirred in his sleep, threw out one hand, and touched the cold skin of a gliding snake. Leaping up, he kicked the lire into a blaze and woke his companion. Yes, the snake was there all right, and it was a seven-foqter. They yanked the rope aside and it glided away. The old man scratched his head, 'for he had "laid the rope" very carefully. Then he proceeded to search the ground, foot 'by foot, until, half-hidden by a tuft of brush, he found a rabbit hole. The snake had evidently spent the day in the burrow, and when he came out at niglit there was no roj- to worry him. They searched carefully for rabbit holes after that.