NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Can Neither Read Nor Write. -One of the crippled children who attended ] a garden party at "Maranui," New Plymouth, was a Maori girl of 18 years. She can neither read nor write, but can speak English perfectly. Firing Disturbs Animals on the Ranges. The effect oil animals of the big gun firing on Wednesday morning was marked far away, as well as near the fort. Up at Nlhotupu, oil the ranges, birds were distinctly upset, nervously flying about in a disturbed manner. Even normally placid cows began to bellow frequently, as if in protest against such a commotion in their usually calm atmosphere. But when the reverberations ceascd they all became quiet again. Trials of River Rowing. While training on the Waikato River on Thursday last week, t the Hamilton Rowing Club's senior four had an unpleasant experience. The skiff they were rowing was swamped by the wash of a passing river steamer. To save the skiff, which is valued at £120, from damage, the crew and coxswain jumped into the water, and, by swimming alongside, managed to land a mile further downstream from the place where the mishap occurred. Wedding at Ratana. A big gathering is to be held at Ratana on Saturday next on the occasion of a wedding, the prospective bridegroom being a Hawke's Bay resident and the prospective bride a niece of Ratana, hails from Hawera. The wedding also synchronises with Ka tana's birthday, and there is to be great rejoicing in the *pa. The wedding cake, a mammoth creation, is lavishly decorated in the Ratana colours, blue and gold. Naturally Well-mannered. Those in charge of the t Waitara boy scouts' camp tell how well-mannered were the Maori boys at the camp, and how naturally they obeyed the scout laws. They were eager to do anything to be helpful, and, when given orders, obeyed promptly, without asking how or why. During the period at Mangoraka they taught their pakeha friends a liaka, explaining carefully what all the words and phrases mean. It was interesting to observe their' inborn good methods of teaching. If any of the leaders talked or interrupted, the leader simply stopped explaining and did not continue till there was silence again. Specimens oi: New Zealand' Coins. . An arrival in the Dominion of interest to numismatists is a Collection of specimen sets of Xew Zealand coins, including New Zealand's first crown piece, dated 1805. They are' being distributed to collectors and qtliers through the Treasury Department. The design of the crown commemorates the Treaty of Waitangi. It shows a Maori chief shaking hands with Governor Hobson under a Royal crown, the symbol being the joining together of the two races. The chief is holding in his hand a taiaha, and Captain Hobson is in full naval uniform. The Maori word Waitangi appears in the place where the date is usually placed. Electrically Welded. The first steel structure in Otago to bo electrically welded throughout, the spacious new hangar being erected at the North Taieri aerodrome for Union Airways, Ltd., has many features of interest in its construction. Without a single rivet or bolt, the steel framework, incorporating nearly 00 tons of steel, is nearing completion through the efforts of 20 skilled workmen, who are working overtime to have the building completed by the end of the month. The hangar, which is 92ft wide and 72ft in depth, will accommodate only one liner, which gives a good indication of the size of the company's aeroplanes. On the northern side of the hangar will be the workshops, and well-appointed administrative offices and waiting rooms will be built adjoining the southern wall. Conditions in Mining Towns. . An assurance that the Government would do its best to improve conditions of living in mining towns was given by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in conversation with deputations at Burnett's Face and Denniston, on the West Coast of the South Island. He told the residents at Burnett's Face that they could rest assured the Government would do something for them, for one of the things it wanted to bring about was an improved environment. He was getting a report on possibilities of constructing tennis courts, especial!v for the use of children. When he was at Denniston, Mr. Webb agreed to assist in getting a swimming pool completed, and to obtain information about the laying of tennis courts there. Nurses and Marriage. "We find that the prettiest and most efficient nurses get married almost as soon as thev enter the service," remarked Mr. I'. Cray, leader of a deputation from the Napier Dental Clinic Committee, which waited upon the Minister of Health, Hon. P. Eraser requesting extra nurses for the Napier clinic. He raised the question of whether dental nurses were required to enter into any undertaking regarding the length of their service. " 1 here is "provision," Mr. Eraser replied, "but I think you understand enough of human nature to know that if the highest bond was imposed, if a girl's life was mortgaged for ten years and she wanted to get married, she would get married anyhow. Then the Department would be faced with the necessity of squeezing these girls if the requirements were enforced. An Impromptu Dance. A delightful "unrehearsed incident" followed the dispersal of the huge crowd near the Town Hall after the Royal proclamation ceremony yesterday. The microphone and broadcas'ting apparatus had been removed, the table and carpet taken inside, and before long the temporary platform was dismantled, but it remained in position long enough to be an object of interest to several enterprising youngsters, who climbed upon it. During the lunch hour it was discovered by two tiny little girls in blue frocks, who solemnly performed a few dance steps, much to the delight of the onlookers. Incidentally, it was a striking reflection on the mutability of human affairs that while those little ones might reasonably be expected to see another proclamation ceremony, those of the crowd who had reached mature years had no such certain prospect. After all, it is not often that one can dance on a platform built to announce the accession of a king. Discovered " By Accident. The incident reported in a recent issue of the "Star" of a child falling into an old well, which had caved, in because the wooden coverin" had grown old, is only one instance of old wells being accidentally rediscovered in many parts of Auckland. A strange case of an oid well being found right in the middle of a front path leading to a house erected about 15 years ago happened on the Xorth Shore a month or two. ago. The well had supplied the water for an old house near at. hand, and had been properly bricked up in the most, approved fashion, but when a water supply had been crot for the district the owner filled it in with limbs of trees which had to be cut down when the place was divided into smaller sections for building purposes. The purchaser of the section where, the filled-in well ( was knew nothing of its existence, and when he was building his house wagons containing three tons of timber and iron were driven over it without giving any indication that there was a well there: In time, however, the timber rotted, and after heavy rain last year, the top caved in, and two people coming down the j path with umbrellas up almost disappeared; from sight and got tJvj fright of their lives. 1

"Yours as Much as Mine!" ."I like your car," remarked a passenger who was given a lift to town from Port Ahuriri in the Ministerial automobile following the deputations which waited upon the Hon. Peter Fraser there. "Well, it belongs to the country, and is therefore yours as much as it is mine," replied the Minister. "The only difference is that you're not in the habit of using it," he added with a smile. Ivy Unpopular. Ivy and other creepers growing oil public buildings are not favoured by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, who has ordered the removal of ivy on the walls of Government offices at Hokitika. The Minister said that liis opinion, which engineers supported, was that ivy on a building retained damp, rotted the timber, and that the roots crept into the mortar. The foliage harboured pests and germs, and generally was detrimental. Tribute to Napier. A remarkable tribute to the attractiveness of Napier from the viewpoint of residents in other parts of New Zealand was paid by a party of visitors from Auckland. They were conducted round by a Napier resident, and expressed themselves as so impressed with the appearance of Napier, especially of the Marine Parade at night, that they had decided to return to Napier for a holiday at the conclusion of their Auckland visit. .Prior to arriving in Napier they had no intention whatever of spending, a holiday in that district. Payment Twice a Month? A neat point was scored off the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, by the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. J. R. Fow, when the latter was speaking at the official opening of the national conference of the women's division of the Farmers' Union in Hamilton. "It's not often enougli," interjected the Minister when Mr. Fow was referring to the importance of the 20th of each month, when the distribution of butterfat payments were made. "Yes, of course, we have a new Government," retorted the Mayor. "There is a chance that we may get the 20th of the month twice a month." Purchase of White Butterflies. A proposal that the Waimairi County Council (Canterbury) should pay 2d a dozen for white butterflies was made at a meeting by Mr. C. E. Cross, who suggested this course in an endeavour to control the pest. Mr. Cross said that the white butterfly was becoming very plentiful in the district. Mr. G. G. Gardner declared that the only way to destroy the pest was by the use of the parasite, and he was in touch with the fields division of the Department of Agriculture with the object of securing a supply with which to combat the menace. Air Service Uniforms. The uniforms for pilots and officers of Union Airways is similar to that of the Air Force, but is navy blue. It looks very smart (states the "Manawatu Times"). Pilots will wear dark blue caps with UA in front, and will wear wTngs with UA in centre, above the left breast pocket of the tunic. Knginecr officers will wear "half-wings." The badges of rank are as follow-: —Service manager, three gold stripes and diamond; chief pilots, three gold stripes; first officers, two and a half gold stripes; second officers, two gold stripes. First engineers will wear two gold stripes on blue, and station engineers one gold and one blue. Purely Honorary. In the last number of the "Justices' Quarterly" the following opinion received by tlie honorary registrar from the federation's legal adviser,* Mr. L. F. Loary, appears: "With reference to your inquiry as to whether a man who is elected Mayor is by virtue of that office a justice of the peace, and so entitled to the society's medallion, there is no doubt that he is not. He is sometimes given the title of your Worship, and has been in the past referred to as the chief magistrate. These phrases arc purely honorary, and con- j note no judicial position." Timber Stocks Low. Though not serious enough to cause a delay in actual building operations, there is a shortage of timber in the city at present. This is thought to be due to an increased activity in house building and to the wet weather, which has prevented mills from expanding their output. The position, however, is merely temporary, as new areas of bush are being opened up and the mills are now being able to expand their output. The timbers most affected are heart of rimu, matai and joinery totara. Factory managers state that-their reserve of dry timbers is reduced. OrdcrS had been so heavy that while they had been able to execute demands, they had not been able to build up the same stocks. They have, however, l>een able to begin increasing their reserves again. Territorial Camps. The permanent staff of the New Zealand Military Forces will have a busy time during the next few months organising and controlling a series of territorial camps throughout New Zealand. Most territorials look forward to the few days spent under canvas each year, and it is anticipated that the numbers going into camps this year will compare favourably with those of last year. An alteration will he made this year in the composition of the camps. Last year the various sections, such as infantry, artillery and mounted rifles, went into separate camps. This year co-ordination of training is being sought by grouping units of infantry, mounted rifles, artillery, and, where possible, a detachment of signallers or engineers in the one camp. Great Paradox. "In 1034 about three and a half million people died of starvation or committed suicide rather than face it." >So says the World Committee for Relief. In the same vear enough foodstuff was destroyed to have given each of these people 20lb of sugar, a live-year supply of coffee, and a 30-year supply of wheat. This destruction was meant to keep up prices. Rut the -question will not down; would not prices have been better kept up if this and other destroyed food (middlewestern pigs, for instance) had been supplied to these people, even for nothing? There's food enough for all the people. There are people enough for all the food. Any system which can't make real the balance here indicated is a doomed system, whether its name is communism, co-operation, socialism or the profit system.—"North-Western Christian Advocate." The City's Mourning. The task of draping the facade of the General Post Office with mourning streamers was "completed about 3. o'clock yesterday afternoon, and was watched by many people after the accession proclamation crowds dispersed. Hampered by a steady breeze, the men in charge found some difficulty in handling the 32ft drapes of purple silk bordered with black, wliich are mounted on battens at top and at foot, while the sides are secured, by .ties on either side fastened to the window frames of the third floor of the Post Office. Ladders reaching from the poveinent to the second floor enabled the streamers to be secured to the stonework, but the sides and tops had to be anchored by Post Office employees, who crouched ■■ on the narrow window sills and the masonry ledge of the third floor. As the jutting iedge prevented them from seeing the work below, a group of men signalled to them from the opposite side of the road. It is noteworthy that few of the older buildings of the city have any provision made to facilitate decorations, whether for mourning or rejoicing, and the carrying out of these appears to onlookers to be attended with- some, risk.