Palmerston's Cricket Coach.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 269, 13 November 1935, Page 6

Palmerston's Cricket Coach.

Mr. G. Wlieatley, the Australian crickcter, who lias been appointed to take charge of the sports ground for the Palmerston North City , Council, made his first appearance on the field , as a member of the City Council team on Saturday. He acted as wieketkecper. Motor Sense at Seventy. At the age of 70 years a woman was yesterday granted her first license to drive a motor car. In mentioning the matter a traffic inspector said the woman had passed the severe tests without the slightest trouble, and was one of the most efficient motorists lie had met. She had the motoring sense highly developed, and during the tests was calmness itself. Not Progressive Enough. A communication was received by the Onehunga Borough Council this week from Mr. John Wyim asking tlie council to rescind the present by-law fixing the closing of billiard rooms on Good Friday and Christmas Hay, as all the city saloons were open on these days. The proposal did not meet with the Mayor's approval, and lie suggested that j\lr. AV'ynti be informed that Onehunga was not yet progressive enough to see eye to eye with his application, and it was declined. " Four Clubs I " The fact that some inveterate card players find it impossible to forget their favourite pastime, no matter what their surroundings, was illustrated in an amusing incident which occurred at Waiohiki during the exhibition match given by Miss l'am Barton, the noted Kulvlish golfer. The match at the time was at the seventh green. Miss Barton, amid dead silence, had just failed to sink a 14fi putt for a win from J. R. Hobbs, her opponent. There iwas a muffled gasp. Then, clearly, from the centre of a group of women golf enthusiasts: "She went four clubs, my dear, and—" The rest was lost in the scramble to the next tee. Austria's Thanks. In a happy little speech, made before the final presentation of the Viennese Boys' Choir's performance in If is Majesty's Theatre last night, Mr. O. J. Thedens, the Austrian Trade Commissioner, thanked the people of Auckland for the good will and hospitality shown to the members of the choir since its arrival here a week ago, and said that the boys would take back to Vienna happy memories of a kindly people and a beautiful country. Following Mr. Thedens' speech, the choir sang first our National Anthem and then the Austrian National Anthem, the latter in honour of their National Day, which fell yesterday, the audience standing throughout both performances. The choir's thrilling rendition of *liaydn's immortal air was received with rounds of applause. Invercargill's Goldfish. During past months many attempts have been made to beautify Jnvereargill and add to its amenities. Not all have been successfid, however, and one enthusiast has been sadly disappointed. The pond in the Rose Gardens seemed an ideal spot for water lilies, but, alas, they did not thrive. Undaunted by fhis reverse, it was decided to stock the pond with goldfish. The fish would, 110 doubt, have been a source of interest and pleasure to children and grown-ups alike, but the water must have been of the wrong quality, for the fish quickly succumbed and floated grotesquely on the surface'of the pond. A hurried burial saw the end of yet another worthy effort to add something more to the beauties of the city. Preservation of Rangitoto. To ensure closer co-operation with those organisations particularly interested in the preservation of Kangitoto as an untouched domain, the Auckland Council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture decided at its meeting on Monday evening to ask the Rangitoto Domain Board to co-opt by statute two members from the Institute of Horticulture and two from the Auckland Institute and Museum. The motion stated that the council regarded with great apprehension the erection of numerous dwellings and a hall 011 the island, in contravention of the statutory provisions for its retention as a domain, but added that it wished to place 011 record that the Domain Board had to deal with an existing situation, and had done and was doing very good and useful work. Moving Rock in Earth Fault. Tho supervisor, Mr. J. Adams, reported to the Thames County Council meeting yesterday that a slip 011 the north side of Boundary Creek, 011 the coast road, had proved to bo an earth movement at this point. Volcanic rocks had intruded through the sedimentary grits. The pressure was working northward, and the volcanic rocks were shattering and falling. One prominent portion of the volcanic rock was observed to rise some six inches, tremble, and then settle back into place. It was necessary that the boulders should be watched for sudden falls, thus requiring a considerable amount of attention.. It was not unusual to find the road covered with spoil which had fallen during the night, said Mr. Adams. It was estimated that the roadway in' the vicinity had risen at least six inches. The movement was undoubtedly a. fault in the i making, and would be interesting to watch. Visitors to Aorangi. Many visitors went aboard the Canadian- ' Australasian Royal Mail liner Aorangi before her departure for Vancouver yesterday. They wished to inspect the cabins on ,C deck, which , were reconstructed and refurnished at an estimated cost of about £60,000 while the ! vessel was laid up at Sydney recently for her annual overhaul. Such innovations as tubular non-dazzling lights over the dressing tables , and switches that automatically turned 011 the lights in the wardrobes when the doors ■ opened greatly appealed to the feminine fancy, while the men folk were more interested in the handsome timbers used for panelling and the neat workmanship shown in fitting them, this part of the work having been ( done entirely by the company's own carpenters. Actually, however, the most difficult . and most costly part of the alterations was ■ hidden. This was the plumbing, that was . necessitated by the installation of hot and cold water supply in all the cabins and of . separate bathrooms adjoining each of the de ■ luxe cabins. It is believed that during subsequent overhauls tlie cabins 011 other decks will be similarly improved. City's " Wild " LoqUats. Tucked away at tho back of business premises in the heart of the city are many 1 tiny plots of land. Here, "where once a gar- ' den smiled," Wie surviving fruit trees make a brave show of blossom every spring, and, in favoured spots, peaches and apricots come to ' maturity as the season advances. This year - that early-fruiting tree, the loquat, is heavily 1 laden, and in odd corners such as have been / described the bunches of yellow balls are : hanging in great abundance. More than one tree which is within the reach of passers-by 1 shows evidence, in broken branches, of the attentions of the übiquitous small boy, but J there are many which are well out of harm's way. Two notable examples remain in the • deserted garden within the enclosure of the ] Lands and Deeds Registry Office at the foot - of Courthouse Lane. High above the pave- ' ment, and securely fenced in, the loquat trees 1 have grown to an exceptional size, and ,the • heavily-fruited branches of one of them 1 hangs over the long-disused:.flight of stone - steps at the High Street corner. Incidentally i this old garden is now a riot of overgrown 1 vegetation, and would be none the worse for " a tidy-up. -