NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 170, 20 July 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Homing Motor Car. Animals when taken away from home by new owners often wander back to their olcl homes, but a motor car is supposed to bo an inanimate tiling with no such homing instinct. The other day at Papakunt, however, a car did develop such instinct. It was' left by tile wayside while its owner went into the bank. Suddenly the car moved away by itself, and, rapidly gaining speed, made straight for tlie factory in which it was built. It landed at .the door, but was unable to enter the factory by reason of an electric power pole, which it struck with considerable force. The car was later dragged into the factory considerably the worse for its escapade. • Gift from Queen Victoria. An effort is being made to raise funds for restoring the east window of St. John's Church, Te Awaniutu. The window is declared bv authorities to be an example of ' English medieval, stained glass work, the secret of making which has been lost. In the modern process- the colour is burnt in. The story of the window in St. John's is that it was a gift of the late Queen Victoria, and was placed in position about the year lSf>4, some time after the building was erected and consecrated. For some years after that the church was the universal place of worship in Te Awaniutu district, all denominations using it. Owing to this' fact the present vicar, the Rev. S. E. Wareing, felt that ho was entitled to ask for contributions from all denominations to restore the window and its framing. After Many Years. In the hope that he might be traced, inquiries were made at the annual reunion of Auckland "war birds" on Saturday night for a British airman named l'airey, who was brought down on the Belgium-Flanders front in 1917. Mi\ C. K. -l'airey, the well-known principal of the Faircy Aviation Company, Ltd., of Ilayes, Middlesex, writing to his brother, Lieutenant A. R. Faircy, K.F.C., who now lives in Auckland, stated that he had received a communication from a German officer at Essen, who was anxious to hand over to the relatives some personal relics of an airman named Fairey. Mr. C. K. Faircy said he had so far failed to find the relatives of ;m airmail of that inline,' awl had therefore forwarded the inquiry to liis brother. Should anyone be able to assist in tracing the rela : tives, Mr. Fairey would be grateful if they would communicate with him. Football in the Mud. Football in all codes was played under the worst possible conditions on Saturday, and after wallowing in the mud in strenuous games players were practically unrecognisable when they filed off the field. Even the referees did not escape being liberally plastered, as they experienced just as much difliculty in maintaining a footing as did the players themselves. As the games progressed even their best friends could not distinguish the players, who were all "tarred with the same brush"—a • sticky brown, which matted hair and frequently found its way into eyes. Stoppages were frequent to enable the players to restore vision, which had been temporarily impaired by heads slithering through the slush. At Carlaw Park one player was seen to grope his way towards the linesman and wipe his eyes with the flag. Finally a bucket of water was provided, and time and again players dashed off the field to wash their faces. Tn the main game at Carlaw Park the conditions became so difficult that the referee assembled the players and confessed that he could not determine who was who. He further appealed to the teams to phiy the game by keeping on side. The players cheerfully entered into the spirit of the occasion and minimised breaches as much as possible. Youth Hostel Movement. The Youth Hostel . Association of New Zealand is making this year a determined ■ effort to spread youth hostels in the Dominion. These have been confined so far to Banks Peninsula and the West Coast districts of the South Island, states a report by the Canterbury regional council of the association. In Great Britain and the .Continent, the Y.H.A. has become a national affair, 111 many cases subsidised by the Government, who realise the importance to national health of encouraging young people to tramp in the open spaces. Throughout Britain and the Continent the railways give to all members of the association engaged in tramping expeditions a onethird reduction 011 all train fares. A deputation applying for a similar reduction specially visited the manager of the Now Zealand Railways in Wellington three years ago, and a further application was made recently. The answer, is being anxiously awaited, as, should this be granted, it would give a big impetus to the movement. Many are prevented from using the South Island hostels 011 account of the train, fare, and, if concessions universal elsewhere were given, tlie increased numbers might even prove a benefit to the railway. Inquiries about how to commence youth hostels have been received by the Christchu'rch association from the North recently, and should the Railways Department assist the movement a considerable expansion seems probable. Skim Milk Market Suggested. In New Zealand at the present time £G,000,000 worth of skimmed milk is being wasted, said Air. L. C-. Walker at the monthly meeting of the Town Planning Institute at Wellington. Europe was living in a time of terrible danger, and one of the best means by which Great Britain could become reasonably independent was to establish a food reserve consisting in the main of milk. The Navy was no longer capable of adequately defending the shores of England, and aeroplanes were coming more and more into the picture. For that reason it was essential that Britain should be able to feed her populace in time of war, because transports would be unable to reach English ports. Owing to this, some use should be made of the huge supply of skimmed milk th.it was going to waste in the Dominion, After grains, continued Air. Walker, there was 110 food to equal skimmed milk for the wealth of its vitamins. An added advantage was that it was an easily storable commodity. To dry the milk 300.000 tons of coal would be required, which would give work to many miners. When the Hon. W. Nash visited England, said Air. Walker, lie should be asked to make an endeavour to arrange with Britain for a supply of dried , skimmed milk to be sent to that country as , a food reserve. 111 exchange, New Zealand could offer to take 250,000 immigrants. British Drama League. For the first time in New Zealand there is to be held this week a junior drama festival, organised by the Auckland area of the 1 New Zealand branch of the British Drama 1 League, whose festivals, in the chief centres, whether competitive or otherwise, have already become among the most popular events of the year. The junior sections of the adult drama festivals have already given some indication of the wealth of talent which our < young people possess. For nine hours on t Saturday the Auckland organisers. Dr. W. S. 1 Dale, with Airs. Culford Bell and Aliss Beatrice Alnrkenssic, conducted rehearsals in the Lewis 1 Eady Hall of more than a dozen groups of 1 players, and assisted the producers to finalise their arrangements for stage properties and Mirhting. Dr. Dale informed a "Star" repre- 1 sentative that he considered that Auckland 1 youth, some of whom had never before acted i in a public production, would (judging* from 1 the indications at rehearsals) put over some 1 outstanding performances during the festival. I comparing most favourably with the much 1 more experienced young- players he had seen < in America, where the junior movement is i onitc an oh 1 established institution now. 1 1

Demand for Accommodation. Hotel accommodation in Napier is likely to bo at a premium at the time of the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society's Show in October. Mr. R. M. Chadwick, * secretary of the Napier Chamber of Commerce, informed members of the chamber t'liat he had ex]/eriL enced difficulty in obtaining accommodation i for the members of the party of overseas ; visitors which is to pass through Hawke's Bay , following the congress of Empire Chambers , of Commerce in Wellington in the month men- * tioned. L , "No Savvy!" 1 "This is the usual case of 'no savvy,'" said Senior Sergeant IT. C. D. Wade in the Napier Magistrate's Court, when a Chinese ' appeared on charges connected with opium ' smoking. Constable J. Gartley, who conducted 1 a raid on premises at Taradale, said that he had endeavoured to explain the charges to the accused, but he had apparently not wished to understand. When asked by the Court orderly i how he pleaded, accused shook his head and i made an inaudible remark. Asked whether he : had had two pipes in his possession at the ' time of the raid, accused replied, "Oh, I got : half a dozen more." " Pride of the 'Nineties." It is a well-known fact that the average auctioneer's mart harbours the strangest of relics, but the majority of oddities which pass under the hammer are articles which , have some use according to the .requirements of the modern generation. The presence of a four-wheeled buggy, aptly termed by the ! auctioneer "The pride of the 'nineties," at a Hastings auction mart was the object of many curious eyes, and although when in its prime the vehicle was priced at £!)5, it was knocked down to a purchaser in the mart for the modest sum of £2. A set of harness, with its embellishments dimmed by some 40 years : of service, and originally priced at 12 guineas, found an eager purchaser at 25/. i Sloppy Golf Courses. The heavy rain on Saturday and early yesterday brought about the sloppy condii tions which have to lx> endured on most Auck- • land golf courses at this time of the year. 1 There were sheets of water oil fairways and pools in the bunkers on several courses yesterday morning. At Akarana on the low-lying section in the first half of the course three fairways were a pattern of small lakes, and the holes were closed except to' the finalists in a major handicap' competition. There seemed little prospect of play on part of the Xortli Shore course early in the morning, but recently-formed drains later proved effective. With the ball covered in mud, and often embedded in it, the concession of lifting and cleaning was allowed on two courses at least, Middlemore and North Shore. The fairness of , this rule, and the advantages it offers, is a controversial subject, but»it minimises the damage to the fairways. Old Friendship Revived. Two men who had not met for 10 years, although both have lived in Auckland for some time, renewed their friendship at the annual reunion of Auckland "war birds" held in the Officers' Club ( on Saturday night. They were Mr. J. 'A. Parkinson, a motor garage proprietor, and Mr. W. S. R. Bloomfield, an architect. The former was a lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps before it was absorbed by the Royal Air Force, and the latter a captain in the Royal Flying Corps, who, after coining down behind the German lines, remained a prisoner of war in Germany for 14 months. "Is your name Bloomfield" asked Lieutenant Parkinson. "Yes, it is," replied Captain Bloomfield. "I seem to know your face, but the name has me puzzled," he added. "You were my instructor at Gosport," said Lieu'tenant Parkinson. "You once sent me to Farnborough on my first cross-country flight, and I came down at Brooklands." The two old "war birds," after a good laugh, then exchanged 'reminiscences. They last met at Sydney 10 years ago, when Captain Bloomfield was returning to Auckland from America; Enthusiasm. Periodical outbursts concerning the madness of "muddied oafs" suggest that football does not meet with the popular favour that soma would like to imagine, and critics certainly seemed to have some grounds for remarks about misguided enthusiasm on Saturday, when footballers in all three codes turned out and battled through • the mud to the accompaniment of the encouraging cries of spectators on the grandstand. The prize for enthusiasm on Saturday, however, must go to the two fans who sat on the terraces through both games at Eden Park in the pouring rain. During tlie brief periods when the downpour stopped, a few other spectators emerged from their retreat under the hoardings overlooking the ground,.but the two men mentioned earlier were the only ones who sat right through both games. From the grandstand it was possible to si* the three grounds, the whole scene being one of pelting rain and struggling figures. A few spectators camped along the railings of No. 2 ground under umbrellas, and away across on Xo. ,3 the lone figure of an enthusiastic coach huddled on the sideline. As usual when Otaliuhu plays at headquarters, "Rosio," the famous barracker, was in evidence, and punctuated his raucous yells with blasts on an old motor horn until he lost the mouthpiece in the grass in front of the grandstand. North Auckland Roads. Travelling conditions on the west coast of the Xortli Auckland Peninsula were favourably commented upon by tlie touring manager of the Automobile Association (Auckland), Nil-. R. E. Champtaloup, on his return from an inspection of the districts. It was very disappointing, however, he said, to motor on the east coast between Whangarei, Kawakawa and Kaikohe. The Mangak'ahia route running up the centre of the island was in decidedly had order. An improvement in the roads from Maijngaturoto to Oaklcigh, was noted, and the route onward to Whangarei was less pot-holed than previously. North of Whangarei, many. complaints were received about the Ka'wakawa route, and an inspection of the Maungatapere highway confirmed the criticism of tlie Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Seniple, that the roads were being neglected. The scenic route through the Wai- ' poua Kauri Forest was being widened, and 1 the improvements would increase considerably tlie safety of tlie road. Although portions of the other west coast roads in the ITokianga, ' Hobson and Otamatea Counties were somewhat pot-holed, conditions generally indicated an appreciation of the requirements of modern traffic. South of Wellsford, the West Coast road via Kaukapakapa was in excellent order, and could be used to reduce traffic over the construction works at Waiwera and Pulioi. Twin Orchids at the Domain. A feature of the fine display of orchids which is to be seen at present in the greenhouse in the Domain is the unusually largo number of twin blooms. Every year at least ; one of the plants bears two flowers on the : one stalk, but this season more than half a dozen are to be seen, and-in several instances ' the rarer varieties' have produced double < blooms. What is «till more remarkable is ] that these orchids are equally as large and I well proportioned as tlie single flowers. The i stalk divides about four inches from its base, < and spreads, somewhat in the style of a stag's < antlers, to produce,'on slightly thinner stalks. | two of the strangely exotic and beautiful ; blooms which are so definitely the aristocrats t of tlie flower kingdom. Week after week of 1 sunny weather has resulted in a record dis- ' play of orchids this year, and over a hundred i flowers arc on view. Prominent among the i orchids is a variety known as Cypripedium i insigne, a Brazilian native, which is probably t the biggest and most spectacular of all. A f member of the gardening staff mentioned | I that tile orchids live for as long as ten weeks i oil the plants. They are not unusually diffi ' i cult to grow, but continuous and abundant > sunshine is essential, and this year the con-1 f ditions have been perfect. | -