NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Limited Playing Area. The annual report of the Kowhai School Committee states that the limited playing area at the school Jtas caused concern, and the Education Board lias been urged to pir.vhase an adjoining property. The board has expressed sympathy with the committee, but his not the necessary funds. Only One Objection. When the period for inspection of the urban farm land list closed at the Town Hall on Saturday, only one objection had been lodged. The objector asked to have included in the list a farm at Avondale, and so receive a reduction in the rates 011 the property. It it anticipated that the objection will be settled without reference to an Assessment Court.

Armaments and Wool.. Tlie recent improvement in the demand for wool, resulting in a rise in prices, was declared by Mr. H. Abrahams, a leading Australian wool buyer, who passed through Auckland by the Mariposa 011 Saturday, to be largely the result of rearming in Europe. Wool was needed by most countries to make uniforms for the increased personnel of their armies, navies and air forces, while tlie stocks 011 hand in Europe were the lowest for many years, and had therefore to bo replenished. Changed Activity at Newcastle. Newcastle, New South Wales, is commonly thought of only as a place that exports coal, but it is now developing large agricultural exports, according to Mr. P. W. Fryer, engineer to the Lyttclton Harbour Board, who returned to Christchurch after a brief visit to Australia. Mr. Fryer observed during his visit that a large silo for the bulk handling of wheat was being erected at Newcastle. He was informed that the large trade in agricultural produce from the northern parts of the State, which formerly went by rail to Sydney, was in future expected to bo handled through Newcastle. Band Composition Praised. The composition, "Menin Gate Vision," which was played by the Woolston Band at the memorial service in the Christchurch barracks 011 Anzac Day, evoked much highlyfavourable comment from members of the musical profession in the city, who bestowed praise upon the composer, Mr. Percy Nicliolls, a Christchurch man. Mr. 1?. J. Estall, conductor of the band, went so far as to compare it with ffigar's "Land of Hope and Glory," one of the greatest melodies in the band range. The piece was arranged for the Woolston Band by Mr. Arthur Lilly, who was very pleased with the way in which it was played.

Pohutu's Busy Day. On Saturday (reports (lie "Star's" Rotorua correspondent) Poliutu Geyser established a new record, when it played for 17.} hours without a break. Commencing early in the morning, the geyser sent up a spectacular shot, reaching a height of about 70ft, but shortly afterwards a strong wind began to blow, and the effect of the display was lost. It was estimated by the caretaker that the geyser averaged approximately 00ft during the day, although height was diminished to some extent by' the wind. The geyser apparently played itself out on Saturday, as yesterday activity had completely died down.

To Keep Down Paspalum Grass. A correspondent, Mr. E. M. Murley, of New Lynn, writes: —Having studied the subject for quite a long time, I have noticed that white clover is the only grass that has any effect in keeping down or coping with paspalum. I have repeatedly observed that where there are noticeable patches of white clover on the roadsides, there is far less paspalum than usual, and very often none at all. If a lawn is laid down with a good sowing of this kind of clover, there is far less paspalum and other weeds, and the few that do creep in are not nearly so strong and are far easier to deal with. If paspalum gets established before the clover is sown,, much of it will remain, but even in that case the clover will kill out or keep down quite a lot of this grass. Even when white clover is sown over an existing lawn, much paspalum will disappear or dwindle, and much less will be allowed to take a hold afterwards. A white clover lawn will go for quite a long time without the need of continual mowing, will need far and away less work and care than other grasses, and this kind of lawn is in every way desirable. It never grows to any noticeable height. I think it would prove to he profitable and beneficial if local bodies scattered a little white clover on the side of a road and watched the result.

Flounder-spearing Near Auckland. Net fishermen have complained recently that many of the best "dab patches" in the Firth of Thames are becoming worked out, and that flounder are likely to be scarce during the coming winter. That may be so, but there are still plenty of shallow waters near Auckland where flatfish are plentiful, and may occasionally be speared at night. An acetylene bicycle lamp is the usual accessory to the long spiked pole, but a Point Chevalier resident who seldom comes back empty handed uses a candle lamp made out of a kerosene tin. On a recent trip lie secured only three fish, but they were very big, and sufficed his family (six in number) for breakfast, with plenty to spare. Flounder are occasionally speared in Stanley Bay, but the water shelves very suddenly near the end of the ferry wharf, and it is not often that the tide is sufficiently low near the shore to make for safety when wading. Some of the best water within reasonable distance of Auckland lies oft the coast of Waihcke. There is a very productive corner at the Matiatia end of Oneroa Beach, while the shallow waters just over the backbone of the island, on the Surfdale side, are worth visiting at low tide. The native name for this wide expanse of water is Huruliui Bay, but it is seldom heard nowadays. However, it is quite an historic spot, and there is a Maori burial ground. pf considerable antiquarian interest near the centre of the fore sii ore.

Ancient Canoe Found. In the troubled days of the 'sixties the fear of a Maori invasion of Auckland led to I the rounding up and wholesale destruction of I literally dozens of Maori canoes, especially on the western shore's. Some were beached and then destroyed by axe and fire, others were sunk and have long since been swallowed up by the mud banks of the Manukau. In the district so drastically denuded of its nativemade boats, a district of many hundreds of square miles along the ancient route of Manukau-Waiuku portage, Waikato and Rivers, the craft of eanoo building naturally languished, and canoes of preEuropean or later workmanship became very rare. Great interest therefore attaches to the recent discovery of the retains of a once large war canoe at the Waikato Heads, one of the few survivors of Te Waikato's magnificent fleet. This canoe has been brought up to the Maori pa at Ngaruawahia under the direction of the Princess Te Puea, and is housed in a temporary shelter within the pa. Probably not more than half the hull remains, but from the proportions it is possible to see that originally it must have been about 70ft in length and about Oft 01- 7ft in width. It is of solid totara, varying in thickness from 2in to 4in, and in its prime must have seen many a stirring event in ancient days, both ceremonial and warlike. Examination of the great weight of the totara walls leads to appreciation of the strength of the old-time paddlers, who, when it was necessary, had to drag their war canoe over the old portages with ropes of vines and flax.

Better School Accommodation. A special grant for the immediate erection of an infant building at the Pax-nell School has been approved by the Government. There has been overcrowding at the school for some time, and one class has had to be housed in an open shelter shed.

Birds and Caterpillars. A suggestion that the recent flooding drove birds from the flats to the hill country, where there was plenty of feed, and that this might have had a bearing oil the recent plague of caterpillars in the north, was made by Mr. J. W. Parkin in the annual report of the Wliangarei Acclimatisation Society. Mr. Parkin suggested that the absence of the birds may have allowed the pest to go unchecked for a time, and he was told that starlings congregated in thousands around Titoki once they discovered the caterpillars. Candle Power. The failure of the electricity supply over a large slice of suburban Auckland on Saturday evening came at an inappropriate time. In some homes the entree had been served, and father was about to carve the duck or dissect the pheasant when the power supply failed. Briefly the light returned, and there were prospects of the evening meal continuing on its uneventful way. Then came blackness once more, and mother began to search for candles or the oil lamp, possibly to find in most instances that the latter had not been filled for a considerable time. In some homes candle light had to suffice.

The Governor s Shooting Success. The shooting season opened in the Manawatu -with varying success. This was mainly due to the heavy wind that swept the larger areas of water. Tfie best bags were secured on the smaller lakes and lagoons. At Lake Papatonga, near Levin, the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, accompanied by Mr. E. Riddiford and two others, secured a limit bag of ten duck. Each of the others was equally successful. A Wellington party of six guns, which went out for pheasants only at Himiiangi, secured seven birds. On two lagoons at Rangiotu six guns secured limit bags of duck. Grass, But Not Fattening. The peculiar fact that cattle were driven from the rich pastures of Gippsland to the almost desert country north of Bendigo to be fattened was remarked 011 by Mr. A. L. Bolton, a Bendigo business man, who passed through Auckland on the Mariposa oil Saturday to attend the Rotary International Convention at Atlantic. City. "Gippsland pastures are probably the most luxurious in the world," he said, "but, although the cattlc lill themselves to repletion, they do not get fat on the grass. For fattening they are driven north, where drought is almost the normal condition, an 1 in paddocks that at first sight look almost as bare as the palm of your hand, the stock fatten up amazingly."

Completion in One Year. It is estimated by Mr. F. Langbein, Dis-t--.ii:,. Works Engineer, that the Lewis Pass Road will be completed in about a year s time, and Canterbury motorists will have shorter and more convenient access to Greymonth, Reefton, Westport and Nelson. Heavy rock opposite the Doubtful River was providing an obstacle to the work at present, but six weeks it should be passable, and access given to the Boyle flats and across the Bovle River, where a' temporary bridge had been constructed. About 200 men were employed on the job, <>0 being engaged beyond the Boyle River. The Department took over the work in March of last vear. Previously it 1,™,, done by unemri 1 "'— 1 labour.

Devonport Street Improvements. Considerable satisfaction is expressed in Devonport that through the £15,000 loan for making 10 streets being carried on Friday last, a road will now be made connecting up Patuone Place with Waterview Road. At present there is only a 10ft right-of-way linking up the two places, with no provision for wheeled traffic. The new road will mean a great saving in distance between the Stanley Bay and Melrose areas, as well as Cheltenham Beach and the northern part of the borough. Several attempts previously to do something to link up the two parts of the borough failed to reach the present stage, although 20 years have elapsed since the present narrow right-of-way was put through, when the late Mr. John Henderson was Mayor. Another item of interest in the loan proposals which were carried is that Bond Street, one of the oldest streets in the borough at the Stanley Bay end of it, will now be reformed to proper levels. When Calliope Dock was being made many years ago, Bond Street was one of the most thickly populated streets in the borough.

Greater Auckland's Growth. The steady growth of the Auckland metropolitan area is reflected in the census returns which have so far come to hand. With the exception of Newmarket and Northcote, there have been increases in population, and the total increase for the Greater Auckland area is shown to date as 10,780. In 1020 the population was 191,320, and the figure now has advanced to 208,100. As was only to be expected, the growth in the city proper has been most marked, the population increasing by 5383 in a decade to 102,010. Mount Roskill, Mount Albert, Takapuna and Otaliuhu are suburbs which have grown in popularity, and the first two mentioned boroughs have put 011 over 2000 residents each. The population of Newmarket, which in 1020 stood at .3211, has dropped by 100, and this may be attributed to the fact that the borough has grown as an industrial centre and has not recovered from the loss of residents occasioned when the railway workshops were removed from Newmarket to Otaliuhu. There are five less residents at Nortlicote than in 1020, and the total now stands, at 23(50. The lack of growth in this suburb may be explained, perhaps, by the distance between available building sites and the ferry wharf. The same condition, evident in Devonport, which has only increased its population by seven to make the total 0875, is due to the lack of vacant land for the erection of houses. Takapuna, however, which offers room for expansion, 011 the other hand, has built up its population from 0075 in 1020 to 7258.

Author of Macadamised Roads.

At the end of this year the centenary of the death of McAdam, the pioneer of modern road making, whose name has been given to the system of highway construction which he originated, will be celebrated. The Institute of Municipal and County Engineers in Britain propose to erect a memorial in Ayr, where he is known to have lived, and where Burns' cottage stands. In the pioneering days, all over New Zealand, McAdam was ever on the lips of the settlers, because they had no formed roads and they longed for the days when they would have good-macadamised roads. In the days of the Provincial Governments it is said that there were more petitions for roads than for any other need. In some of the districts the man who discovered a good gravel pit was looked upon with as much respect as the man who discovered a gold mine. Many of the early settlers waited years, till they grew from young men to old men, for a good metalled road to come past their place. Owing to new methods of transit people talk more to-day about concrete roads and tar-sealed roads than they do of macadamised roads, but McAdam will go down through the centuries as a great benefactor j to mankind because he brought into vogue road making schemes which revolutionised travelling by road. It is said that he \yas an unassuming man, so intensely interested in his work that he hardly thought of anything else. To make good roads was his sole ambition in life. 1