NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 194, 17 August 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

" A Forty-Hour Day." "It's more like a 40-hour clay than a 40liour week," said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, when describing the work of the present Cabinet Ministers since they had come into office. He said that they worked night and day 011 the new legislation except when confined to bed through illness. Paua Shells in Museum. The paua shell used in the Maori carvings at the Dominion Museum, Wellington, is providing an almost irresistible attraction for the human eye, and particularly that of small hoys. Recently an attendant passing through the museum happened upon two boys just in time to prevent them securing a memento of their visit in tile form of a paua shell from the eye of a carving. The museum officials have learned that visitors like to take mementoes of the occasion away with them, and it is, of course, a practice not peculiar to the Dominion Museum. " From An Unknown Friend." Many tokens of sympathy by unknown friends are received by patients in the Auckland Hospital, to help to brighten their lives and let them know that someone is thinking about them. An instance of this happened at the end of last week. A very sick patient who was not allowed to see visitors received a very beautiful bunch of flowers, which was handed in to one of the nurse's to be placed on the table by the patient's bedside. The gift was anonymous. Later in the day, when the flowers were being rearranged, a card was noticed right in the middle of the hunch with the words written on it: "With best wishes from an unknown." Vicar of Holy Sepulchre. The Rev. H. V. Salmon, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Devonport, has been appointed to succeed the Rev. J. E. Draper, who" has loft for England, as vicar of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He will take up his new charge after a successor has been chosen at Devonport. Mr. Salmon arrived six years ago from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and for four months was locum tenons at St. Aidan's Church, Remuera. He then became vicar of the parish of Bombay, and also acted as master and chaplain of St. Stephen's Maori Church. , He had held the charge of Holy Trinity for the past two and a half years. An 111-Used Bowling Green. Evidence that the Paeroa bowling green had been used for golf practice was quoted by Mr. E. Ed wards at last week's meeting of the Paeroa Domain Board, reports the "Star's" local correspondent. The green superintendent had found three balls in the ditch and tracks 011 the green were quite obviously the marks of a golfer. The bowling club, in a letter to the board, complained that sheep from the football field had got 011 to the green, children had ridden bicycles on it, and football patrons had used it as a short cut. Members of the board commented that it was hard to believe that people would be so thoughtless. Stuffy Transport. "Citizen", writes:—The action of a young man in opening a window in a stuffy tramear this morning provoked some remarks of reproval from fellow passengers. This Window was the only one open in the whole 26 that the tramcar possessed. One man loudly complained that "he had had a week of it in bed, and did not want another," and "the draught was blowing right through him." But as the young "offender" quietly explained, there could be no draught, as only one window was open, and a draught was created by a current of air passing between two apertures. Many people do not realise that the pure air is for folk to breathe and not to shun. Strange Coincidence, The electric current failed twice late on Saturday evening while the picture, "The Magnificent Obsession," was being shown at a suburban theatre. The subject of the picture, it will be remembered, deals with the efforts at restitution made by Robert Merrick (played by Robert Taylor), who through thoughtlessness causes Helen Hudson (played ■by Irene Dunne) to be blinded in a motor collision. On each occasion the failure of the light plunged the theatre into complete darkness just when the recently-blinded woman is shown being guided through the city by Merrick, after consultation with an eminent eye specialist at his clinic. No more dramatic illustration of the darkness of the world of the blind could have been imagined, as it was fully half a minute before the pitch blackness was dispelled by electric torches. First Sight of Blandford Stadium. The North Island final for the Chatham Soccer Cup' between Wellington Watersiders and Auckland Thistle at Blandford Park on Saturday was brightened up by a solid influx 1 of enthusiasts from the capital on the weekend excursion train, and they included a number of the fair sex, who were vigorous barrackers for the visiting "wharfies." The weather was warm and sunny, and the surface of the Stadium green and dry, conditions never before experienced by a club or representative side from Wellington. One official of the Wellington Football Association, who never misses a trip to Auckland, remarked on entering the ground that after more than a dozen visits to our Soccer headquarters it was the first time lie had ever seen the Stadium, as 011 previous occasions it had always been obscured by mud and surface water. He was warmly thanked by the Auckland officials for leaving the Wellington climate at home. Parting Gifts. Prior to the English League football team leaving for England on Saturday, the members made some presentations to League friends in Auckland. One was to Mr. Harold Walmsley, the donor of many League trophies. Mr. Walmsley had accompanied the team through the Dominion. Mr. J. Brougli, the English captain, said the team felt it could not leave without expressing some appreciation of what had been done for them while travelling. Mr. Walmsley had ministered to their needs, and his help would remain a fragrant memory. As regards the driver of their motor coach, Mr. A. Moros, especially after the trip to Wliangarei, where they had been 011 the world's most crooked road, they were satisfied they had been steered by the world's best driver. They would never forget the run down the Waiwera Hill 011 that wet Wednesday afternoon, and would ever remember Andy's skill. Waitangi Reserve Road. The Automobile Association (Auckland) has received many complaints about the road giving access to the Waitangi National Reserve 0 and Paihia from the main highway at Waimate North near Ohaeawai, according to a report by the touring manager, Mr. R. E. Champtaloup. The report stated that maintenance on the road was insufficient to keep a good running surface. Storm water had been running across the road, and erosion on the foreshore near Paihia and Waitangi was a source of danger. jMotorists had to ford a stream at the "Lilypond," the bridge having been destroyed in the February gales. Assistance in repairing flood damage had been approved on a subsidy basis by the Public Works Department, and the work would soon be begun by the Bay of Islands County Council.

Car in Front Garden. Left parked outside the residence of Mr. T. Cheesman, of 7, Rainnati Street, Remuera, on Saturday night, a roadster car was found damaged in the front garden of a house in Homai Street, having carried away part of a wire fence. The car had evidenly run down' the incline into Homai Street, which intersects with Raumati Street. As vital parts of the engine Had been removed, the car could not be driven, a breakdown wagon being required to take it away. School Steeplechase Season. The season for the school steeplechases has arrived. To-morrow afternoon the -*uck.land Boys' Grammar School's annual series of events will be neld, when 700 boys will be seen swarming at pace along Mountain and Owen's Roads, and up, round and over Mount Eden. A short cut for the younger boys will reduce their course to about two miles, while the senior lads are required to cover a distance of approximately three miles. Good Roads. Comment on the generally good roads of the northern half of the North Island was offered this morning by Mr. E. J. Phelan, No. 1 Licensing Authority, who has just returned to Auckland after making a business tour of the area. In all he covered 1500 miles, and lie states that nowhere did he meet with what could be described as a bad road. There were winding, hilly roads, of course, to be encountered, but all they required was careful crriving. Whistle for Rail Cars. The opinion that the new rail cars should be equipped with a whistle similar to those in use on railway locomotives, the whistle to be operated by compressed air, was expressed] by Mr. L. Chisholm at a meeting of the executive of the Automobile Association (Wanganui). The meeting decided to send the suggestion to the annual conference of the North Island Motor Union at Carterton for discussion. A New Zealand Characteristic. "Why does the average New Zealander always have his hands in his pockets?" asked the visitor. The New Zealander did not know even that that was a characteristic of homegrown men. so they decided to put it to the test yesterday afternoon. Between 4 o'clock and 4.30 p.m. they walked from the Post Office along Queen Street to Wellesley Street, and in that period they passed elqse on 300 men. Of that number only 17 were walking with their hands free. ,A policeman and one who was pushing a pram, were voted not eligible. There was a slight majority in favour of those who had both hands in their pockets. Karangahake's Sporting Spirit. Karangaliake old boys who foregathered on Saturday evening for their second annual reunion had many tales to tell of the good sporting spirit that prevailed in that now depleted gold mining township of 3i> years ago. A former headmaster, Mr. R. T. Reid, when responding to the toast of "The Old School," mentioned a number of incidents which recalled memories to some of his former pupils who were present. It was generally agreed that they had good schools. "Yes, even good two-up schools," interjected one of the company. The sporting side was recalled by Mr. Charlie Rockley, who said there was always a hard fight on the field, but winners and losers were the best of friends when they foregathered at "Monty's." Two mates who parted on the field 30 years ago met again at the gathering on Saturday night. Another Change of Form. Protests by the unemployed against the intricate weekly "means test" form introduced under the new Employment Promotion Act have proved effective, and this week another variant of form 179 has been introduced, which approaches more nearly the simple declaration of income demanded by the old Unemployment Board regulations. The numerous questions requiring details weekly of income due or accrued from amounts received from members of the family, boarders, etc., and from the sale of milk, eggs, fruit, fish, honey, etc., have been eliminated, as also have those requiring details of receipts from pensions, allowances, annuities, dividends, rents, interest, etc. The new form calls for a blanket declaration of total assessable income per week, and a statement that receipts from all the above sources are included.