NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Fourth This Week. The fourth English mail to reach New Zealand this week arrives by the Monterey, due from Los Angeles to-morrow morning at Auckland. The ship brings 1229 bags of English and American mail, of which 403 bags are for Auckland. A Veteran Postman. There is a retired postman living in Palmerston North who is unable to ride a bicycle, a form of conveyance which he never used during his many years of service with the Post and Telegraph Department. Even more remarkable is the fact that although employed by the Department for over two score years this ex-postman had not yet used a telephone. Close of University Term. The closing week of the first term of Auckland University College, which falls this week, is marked with no little gaiety, for the students.' The Students' Association revue was produced during the first three evenings, but the culminating festivity will take place to-morrow night in the annual graduation ceremony to be held at the Town Hall, followed by the ball at the college. At this function the graduates of the year will be received as guests of the Students' Association. Classes resume on June 8 for the second term after a vacation of three weeks. New Hamilton Golf Links Proposed. A suggestion made some time ago that Hayes' Paddock, in Hamilton East, should be converted into an IS-hole golf course was revived at the meeting of the Hamilton Domain Board on Tuesday. The Hamilton Borough Council wrote asking the board's terms for the use of the land as a golf course. The Mayor, Sir. J. R. Fow, said it had been proposed to form the area into a garden suburb, but the council would appreciate generosity oil the part of the board ijt connection with the golf links suggestion. It was decided to depute the parks committee to confer with the council on the subject. Improving Station Gardens. The kowliai's yellow flowers will, in all probability, grace the borders of the garden plots confronting the Auckland railway station. Work commenced yesterday on the Ronayne Street frontage, where the introduced acmenas are being replaced by kowhais. In addition, about 15 labourers were employed in cleaning the weeds from the railway property between Anzac Avenue and Beach Road, south of the Station Hotel. Previously this section was overrun with weeds several feet high, but now that it is being cleaned up an attempt will be made to bring it into harmony with the station plots. • Various alternative schemes for designing the gardens are being considered. The Rebel. A retriever which evidently considered that it had journeyed into the icy waters of the Puketapu Lake as often as could reasonably be expected of it, gave its sliootistraaster an unpleasant period recently. Deciding that the ten ducks it had retrieved were sufficient for one day's work, it refused to respond to the eleventh call, and the sportsman, rather than lose the prize, stripped off and entered the water. He had hardly dressed again before he had brought down another duck further away than the first one. Once again he swam out to retrieve the bird, but on his return, according to the story of friends who were close to the scene at the time, he dressed and departed homewards, followed by the refractory dog. Railway Smoke Nuisance.

The co-operation of the Automobile Association (Auckland) in making representations to the Minister of Railways regarding alleged smoke nuisance from the railway yards was sought in a letter received last evening from the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association. The chairman, Mr. A. Grayson, said any inconvenience caused to yachtsmen was outside the province of the association, but lie realised their difficulty. lie considered the fog of smoke produced from the yards at certain times of the year, not in summer months, was a danger to motorists, which was another matter. No unanimity was expressed bv members on Sir. Grayson's opinion, and it was decided to advise the yachting association that the question of smoke nuisance to boating men was outside the council's jurisdiction.

Only One Puncture. Three Dunedin residents arrived in Timaru after completing a 2000-mile tour through the South and North Islands. No trouble of any sort was experienced on the entire trip until Hearing Waslidyke on the final day, when one of the front tyres punctured. The party went up through the Wairarapa, on to Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Hamilton, Auckland and New Plymouth, and back to Wellington. They stated that the rfSads for the most part, with the exception of the main highway between Hamilton and New Plymouth, wore in good order, and the country generally was well stocked with winter feed for stock. They were privileged to be at Rotorua when Poliutu played to a height of SOft, and were much impressed with the spectacle. Careless Driving. The fact that the Auckland office of a motor insurance company had received GO claims arising out of road accidents over the Easter week-end was reported by Patrol J. B. Hibbert last evening to the Automobile Association (Auckland). Mr. Hibbert said when on Easter duty between Auckland and Mercer on the Great South Road ho had observed many cases of bad driving, speeding, cutting in and passing on corners. In one accident that he witnessed three cars and a cyclist had tried to pass simultaneously on a road, the width of which, including clay sides, was only 27ft, with about a 15ft drop at one side. Strong dissatisfaction with the increasing prevalence of careless driving and also of glaring headlights was expressed by members. It was decided to formulate some campaign for educating motorists as to road safety, and to discuss further the position at the next meeting. Motor Exhausts at Night. "City Dweller" writes:—Attention has been drawn in the correspondence columns _of tlie "Star," and also at meetings of the City Council, to the nuisance caused by noisy motorists at night. The trouble continues unabated, however, and recently it has been particularly baxl. Complaints have frecfuently been made by residents in Shortland Street, Wakefield Street, Upper Queen Street and Symonds Street; in fact, wherever there is-a steep incline in the inner residential area. Motor cyclists are the worst offenders, and the noise of the exhaust is as loud as a machinegun in the stillness of the early morning hours. Occasionally a car will change gears with a loud grinding noise, but on the whole car drivers appear to be much more careful and considerate. It is, of course, difficult to catch the offenders, and it is hardly fair to expect members of the traffic department s staff to be on duty between the hours of midnight and four o'clock, but it is then that the "macliine-gun obligator" is most frequently heard. The noise is so bad that it wakes even a, sound sleeper. The same annoyance is complained of in many cities, and stern measures have been taken in London. Under the HoreBelisha regime there are heavy penalties for open exhausts, even in the daytime, and in the early morning hours even the use of horns and alarm signals is forbidden. This has actually reduced the number of accidents, for it compels motorists to be careful. It is to be hoped that the Auckland authorities will take action, but, after all, the true civic •spirit and a little consideration for others would do all that ia necessary.

Ladies' Golf Privilege. The privilege for ladies to play at Middlemore on Sunday afternoons after 2.30 o'clock if partnered by a male member of tlic club will take effect from next Sunday. A special meeting of the Auckland Golf Club (men) was held last Saturday, when a resolution was passed granting the concession to the ladies, and at a meeting of the committee of the club last night tlie resolution was confirmed. Long Service. Heading his address without the aid of glasses, Mr. K. W. Alison, who is 84 years of age, yesterday presided at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Taupiri Coal Mines Company for the 36th successive year. The company was formed as tho result of the amalgamation of four companies in 1889, and the year following the amalgamation Mr. Alison was made chairman, a position he has filled continuously since that time. New Zealand Press. "I was surprised and delighted at the high standard of the Press in New Zealand," said Mr. IST. A. R. Watson, of Calcutta, who is at present visiting Wellington. "It is much higher than we have at home in Scotland. Every meeting and every speech worth while seems to be given its proper value, while the selection of cable news seems to be admirable. Keports of meetings are well treated, and everything is so well set out —really most creditable." "Agony" at Takapuna. After he had clanged the small bell at 7.15 last evening and called the meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council to order, the Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, appealed to members to shorten the proceedings as much as possible. "The weather is cold now, and I don't want you to prolong the agony," he said. "It's all right in the summer time, but on these cold nights a man wants to get home at a reasonable hour, so I will ask you all to adhere to standing orders." It was 11.40 p.m. before the meeting ended.

Training Traffic Officers. The successful use of a cinematograph film for training traffic officers is mentioned in the annual report of the city traffic department to be presented to the next meeting of the City Council by the superintendent of traffic, Mr. C. Bland. The report states that a short film of officers in action was taken, and the men were thus able to study the kind of signals they were habitually making. The experiment had led to an all-round improvement. A modern and comprehensive training manual had been issued to each of the staff, and problems had been discussed and lecturcs given at periodical meetings. Courtesy of Tram Drivers. A tribute to the courtesy of tramcar drivers in observing the right-hand rule, in spite of the fact that tramears were not classed as motor vehicles under the Act and were therefore specifically exempted from the rule, was paid by Mr. F. G. Farrell at last night's meeting of the Automobile Association (Auckland). Mr. J. Seabrook said his experience was that tram drivers invariably "barged in" on traffic. Commenting on the suggestion made by a magistrate in the South that a left-hand rule would lie better than a righthand one, Mr. Farrell said he hoped such a regulation would never be introduced in the Dominion. If it were, he remarked, "the roads would be strewn with dead."

Divided India. The bitter religious animosity between the different sects was mentioned by Mr. G. T. Gray, a Presbyterian missionary, as being a major reason why India was not yet ready for home rule. Mr. Grav, Mrs. Gray and their yonng daughter returned from India yesterday by the Narbada, on an 18 months' furlough. Mr. and Mrs. Gray have been connected with a school at Saharanpur, in the United Provinces, for the past live and a half years. They were accompanied on the Narbada by Miss B. ,T. Hardie, who has been teaching at Jagadliri, in the Punjab. India, they said, was more or less quiet at the present moment, but there was always an undercurrent of unrest, and flashes were liable to occur between the Hindus and Mohammedans at times of religious festivals. The agitation was principally amongst the younger Hindu group, known as the Communist party. Impressions of the East. The experience of being in Tokyo during the Japanese revolt at the end of February befel an Aueklander, Mr. L. 11. Rogers, who returned by the Narbada yesterday. Barricades, barbed wire and machine-guns appeared in a number of the streets, though the centre of the riot was about the palace. Visitors saw little of it, as they were compelled to remain in their hotels, and it was not for four days that they were permitted to go about the city, and then in a restricted area. Mr. Rogers formed the opinion, after later making an extended tour in China and Japan, that a conflict was brewing between Japan and Russia, while the encroachment of Japan in North China was also precipitating a dangerous position. The presence of large numbers of White Russians in China opposed to the policy of both Japan and Russia further complicated matters.

Replacing of Pipiroa Ferry. The Automobile Association (Auckland) recently wrote to the Main Highways Board and the Hauraki County Council regarding the high charges for vehicles on tlie Pipiroa ferry, connecting the Pipiroa-Coromandel main highway. "The Main Highways Board already has a proposal 111 hand for tlie construction of a bridge to replace the ferry," stated a letter received at last evening's meeting, "and as soon as an estimate of the cost of a suitable modern structure is available the matter will be taken up with the Hauraki County Council with a view to completing financial arrangements. The board feels in the meantime that any endeavours to effect reductions in the present toll charges are not likely to be successful, especially as the present scale of charges obtained for so long. It is intended to complete the plans and specifications as soon as circumstances permit, and there will be 110 unnecessary delay in arranging the contract for the actual bridge construction." Mr. A. Crayson, president, said the reply was most satisfactory. Mail Subsidies. The only increase granted by the Canadian Parliament to overseas shipping services was 100,000 dollars to the Canadian-Aus-tralasian Line, bringing its total up to 300,000 dollars. In the House of Commons when this vote was under discussion, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr. Euler, stated in connection with the increase of the subsidy: "This is a one-year contract, and it constitutes practically the only increase in subsidies. It is a service carried 011 by the Canadian-Australian Line, of which the Canadian Pacific Railway is half owner. I think the Union Steam Ship Company owns the other half. This company has very strong competition from heavily subsidised United States lines, and representations were made to the Department that in all probability the service would have to be discontinued unless the subsidy was increased. I think it is the intention of the company next year to provide new steamers 011 this service, when possibly they will apply for a further increase. In view of the importance of the trade that we have with New Zealand it was thought necessary to make sure that the service would be continued. I admit to the committee at ones that it is not very much to my own liking to | make any increase. In some cases decreases j have been made, which have been emphatically protested against. In this case, however, we | thought the increase was justified because of the tremendous competition to which this company is being subjected, and more particularly because of the importance of tlie trade carried oil between Canada and New Zealand."