NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"Please Order Early." Since they are now not allowed to start work before 7 a.m., and have therefore less time to cut and deliver meat for mid-day meals, many butchers are asking their customers to order their meat the day before it is wanted, instead of early in tlie morning of the day, as has been the general practice. Witness' Outburst. "You are trying to turn me jnto a circus," a medical witness protested in the Supreme Court at Napier during the hearing of a damages claim, when questioned by counsel for the defendant. "I have been answering your questions with the courtesy that is due to you, and I think you should show me the same, courtesy," he added. "Don't try and make a fool of me." Any further remarks he was tempted to make were terminated 'by counsel's apologies and an assurance that it had not been his intention to annoy the witness. Suburban Exercises. These cold winter mornings are keenly felt on the railway, especially on the workers' trains, which are not heated. This morning the cold was felt more than ever. The cars were white with frost, the windows coated with an ice skin, and from the passengers came a constant rat-a-tap-tap with the feet in an effort to keep warm; this sound could be heard right through the train above the hum of conversation. On arrival at Auckland the entire passenger crew from one train started trotting down the platform; old and young, sedate and merry—all went with swinging arms out of the station building. Centenary Exhibition. The president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, stated at a meeting of the council of the chamber recently that it was time to be up and doing if the international exhibition was to be held in Wellington in 1940, on the occasion of the centenary of New Zealand. Mi'. M. C. McCaul said he concurred with Mr. Norwood that there should bo no delay in making plans. Mr. Norwood thought the committees appointed to do the preparatory work should complete that work without delay, so that the necessary preliminary arrangements could be made with other countries in connection with tile exhibition.

A Walk for a Wager. Having set out from Auckland last Friday at 3 p.m. with the object of reaching Hawcra, his home town, in six days l>v means other than train ox - service car, Mr. E. Wood, a young man, arrived at his destination at 4.33 p.m. yesterday. The journey was undertaken for a wager as the result of a conversation at the Auckland races with three other men concerning the woman and four children who had travelled from Wellington to Auckland in six days. The other members of the quartet considered this impossible, and for a wager Mr. Wood undertook to see whether it could be done, the specified time for his arrival in Hawera being 7.30 p.m. on Thursday. He made the journey by way of Thames, Tauranga, Opotiki, Gisborne, Napier and Palinerston North, being given lifts by motorists most of the way. On the Road Again. All Auckland was interested last week when pictures were published of the Wellington family of a mother and four children who had tramped all the way to Auckland in eight days, and interest was again centred on them to-day, when they started on the trek home. On the way up they were particularly fortunate in gaining lifts in all kinds of vehicles, and they hope to travel many miles on their way south by the same method. The venture was begun when the father managed to secure work after five years' unemployment, but the family are now quite content to return home, the mother stating that she was afraid that they had been spoiled for the city by too much country life. They expressed particular gratitude to the City Missioner, who had been of great assistance to them during their stay in Auckland.

Transferred at Sea. A woman who stowed away on the Mariposa at Honolulu, bound for New Zealand, was transferred in the Pacific to the sister ship Monterey when the vessels passed two days out from Honolulu. The woman, who had a suitcase with her, was discovered on the deck the morning after the Mariposa sailed, and arrangements were made by wireless for sending her back on the Monterey. The sea was comparatively calm when the two vessels passed two nights later, and the woman was transferred in one of the ship's boats. It is stated that the stowaway was really under the impression that the Mariposa was bound for America. Passengers sub| scribed 120 dollars for her, and got some consolation for their generosity in that they were able to send a mail unexpectedly via the Monterey. Departmental Delay Deplored. "Personally, I long for the old days when the board's estimates were promptly dealt with by the Health Department," said Mr. J. J. Ryburn, chairman of the Waikato Hospital Board, after stating at the board's meeting yesterday that the estimates, which had been forwarded on April 24, had not yet been approved, and that the board had been unable to advise contributing local bodies what were .the amounts of their levies. Mr. Ryburn said the first quarter of the new financial year had nearly passed, and the board had had to pay interest on a large overdraft in order to carry on. Ever since the slump the estimates had been later and later in receiving approval. The 24 contributing local bodies were being written to this week asking them to make a progress payment of their levies, based on the amount contributed for the first quarter of last year. He hoped members would do what they could to facilitate payments. Cutting-up of Tutira Station. The marcTi of closer settlement in land development will shortly affect one of the best-known —as it is one of the most romantic—tracts in Hawke's Bay (writes the "Star's", Napier correspondent). By the expiry of the lease and by provisions originating from the Government, a block of land which embraces Mr. H, " Guthrie-Smith's famous Tutira station is to be disposed of in smaller 1 holdings. To New Zealand in general, however, Tutira is known not so much as a fine sheep station but as the bird sanctuary which bears that name. Lake Tutira, which Mi. Guthrie-Smith established as a private sanctuary and which subsequently was afforded statutory protection, is a beautiful willowfringed stretch of water right on the NapieiGisborne road, and the bird life which makes the lake its habitat is familiar to all travellers. The establishment of native birds on the lake and. in the surrounding countryside has been carefully fostered by Mr. GuthrieSmith for half a Century. It was of the lake and the station Mr. Gutlirie-Smith wrote several books, one of .which, "Tutira," was described by one critic during Authors' Week in April as "the best book ever written by a New Zealander." Tutira station originally comprised 22,000 acres. It was at one time native land leased to Mr. Guthrie-Smith, and although the Crown purchased the freehold some years ago the property-is still subject to the terms of the- native rlease, which expires in August next year. All but-7000 "acres of the original 22,000 is already., held Sunder sub-leases, and another 5000 of Tutira itself, together with 5000 of an adjoining property, will revert to the Crown next year, When the final subdivision will be undertaken. It is expected the land will be ready for settlement in 1938. Mr. Guthrie-Smith himself will retain about | 2000 acres, in addition to the lake.

School Children's Railway Ticket^. The "Education Gazette" publishes the following paragraph regarding the raising of the age limit lor scnool pupils' free railway tickets: "The Minister of Railways has advised that free school season tickets can now be issued to pupils (otherwise eligible) not exceeding 20 years of ago. The age limit has hitherto been a year less. The amendment of the regulation will take effect from the beginning of the second term." Easily a World's Record. The number of entries in the New Zealand dog trial championships concluded at Hawera on Tuesday 1 were easily a record. Men with many years' experience and knowledge of overseas meetings were agreed that the total of 278 had never been exceeded in any other country. There were 107 in the long head event, 104 in the short head and yarding, and 07 in the huntaway class. Diomede's Appreciation. An instance of the good work undertaken by the ladies' committee of the Auckland branch of the Navy League was mentioned by the president, Commander C. 11. T. Palmer, at the annual meeting last night. "A few months ago," he said, "the ladies got together and sent a case of magazines, books and New Zealand papers, and another case packed full of home-made cakes, to the men of the Diomede. 'The gifts reached the ship at Aden when both were badly needed, especially the cakes, as the men were at that time on "hard tack." When the Diomede returned to England and paid off, the men donated, out of the canteen fund of the ship, the sum of £10 to the Auckland branch, £5 of which was earmarked for the Devonport committee, in appreciation of the women's efforts."

Professor's Busy Day. • Yesterday was a busy tlay for Professor R. M. Algie. After concluding his university duties at (5.30 p.m. he went to IYA and delivered a talk, then he fulfilled another engagement at 8 o'clock, when he gave an address at the annual meeting of the Navy League. "When one tours England,'' he said by way of introducing his address, "one is frequently shown the room and bed in which Queen Elizabeth was alleged to have slept. Some wag suggests! that the lady was never at home. So I hope that the reporters in front of me will be kind enough to mention that I was here speaking to-night, otherwise there may be some risk of the public wondering whether I am so frequently out of my own house as the beloved Queen appeared to have been." » ■*' The Clinging Vine. The Maori sense of artistry is proverbial, and in the old-time Maori world a wood surface was rarely left unadorned by carving. Even articles of the most prosaic or utilitarian nature were embellished with designs exactly fitted to size and medium. A resident of Bombay has an old Maori staff or short "walking stick," which is decorated in the most original fashion. It is of tawa wood with a fairly thick segment of vine (aka), sucli as was used for binding eel weirs and palisades. The vine makes five spiral turns round the tawa staff, and is beautifully carved for the whole of its length in a pattern of three longitudinal ridges, broken by four motifs of the familiar almond design. The head, which widens into a knob, is composed of two grimacing faces, one formed from the back of the head of the other in a most ingenious way. It is a piece of Maniapoto carving, an heirloom from the Orakau district, and very much prized by its present owner, to whom it was presented many years ago. A Scientist Abroad. "I'm a scientist, but it's rather difficult to explain what sort of scientist," said Mr. : 11. Lambert, who arrived at Wellington from ! Curacao yesterday by the Rualiine. "My papers simply describe me as 'scientist.' Actually I ain a cosmogonist—my particular study links up atomic science with that of the stars. By considering, the smaller and larger aspects of Nature we try to formulate theories as to the generation of the univ.erse." Mr. Lambert and his wife left the United States last September and spent some nine months at Barbadoes. "This island," said Mr. Lambert, "is one of the most densely populated places in the world. It has a population of 188,000. people in an area of ItiO square miles." As only 7 per cent of the people were wLite, a visitor could not but come into contact with the negroes. Obeah, the West ' Indian Voodoo cult, was still practised there. as in most of those islands. It was so unob--1 trusive and little known among white people, however, that not many of the European inhabitants were even aware of its existence there. Mr. Lambert said that he and his wife might stay nine months or more in the Dominion. They would live at Auckland. Later it was likely that they would continue their travels to Australia and India.

Cheering Them Up. The late Mr. Joseph Wylie, of Rotorua, who was ail eye-witness of the Tarawera eruption, used to tell some funny incidents of the happenings at that time. One was concerning two boarders in his house, both carpenters working on the sanatorium buildings which were being erected at the time. One of these men was a Salvation Army man named Joe. At the height of the eruption many very scared people came for refuge in Mr. Wylie's house, and were certainly in a nervous state. So the non-Salvationist said to his companion, "Here, Joe, just sing something to try and calm them." It is very doubtful if he would have made the request had he known what was coming. This was the song: "The mockers and scorners shall perish at last, when the rod drops of vengeance fall thick and fast." The carpenter pulled his mate up sharply with, "Steady, Joe, that's too harrowing; try something more cheerful," so Joe replied with, "Hallelujah, I'm happy! Hallelujah, I'm happy!" That went better, but still the occasion for exhortation was too tempting for a Salvationist, and so between the verses Joe would stop and exclaim, "It will bo the same on the Judgment Day. It will come suddenly upon you and you won't be ready, but hallelujah, I am happy." The Old Colonial Inns. "Wayfarer" writes: —The expressed determination of the Auckland Licensing Committee to ensure that all hotels shall be kept in good condition and be made suitable for the accommodation of the public will meet with general approval. There is, however, one aspect of the question of rebuilding ancient structures that may well be borne in mind. Nobody will regret the disappearance of ugly, and badly constructed houses, however old they may be, but one or two of the inns on which the eye of authority has looked so sternly are of historic interest, as well as being excellent examples of the old type of colonial building, soundly built of some of the finest timber New Zealand has ever produced. Surely it would be possible to modernise the interiors without tearing the houses down, and to bring them up to date without destroying their best and most characteristic features. Mr. Wyvern Wilson remarked that the site of one inn, the Wynyard Arms, justified something far better than the ancient building there now. Aa a matter of fact this j is one of the most historic buildings in the city, being the rormer residence of Colonel] Wynyard, the officer commanding troops in Auckland in the earliest days. That it has vice-regal associations, too, is proved by the fact that the original fireplaces still bear the Royal arms (lion and unicorn) embossed on the metal work. Properly preserved, the building should be of historic interest for centuries to come. The preservation of ancient inns has become ail accomplished fact in England, thanks to the efforts of Trust Houses, Ltd., and it has been proved in scores of instances that an old building (if well constructed in the first place) can be adapted to modern needs and still retain its priceless and irreplaceable "character."