NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 236, 5 October 1936, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Once a Racecourse. At the opening of the new bowling green at Papakura on Saturday Jast, Mr. E. D. McLennan said that he was probably the oldest settler present, and he remembered the site of the green when it was a racecourse. It did not have the appointments of an up-to-date course, the site was covered in scrub, and the track was cut through it, so that for some portion of the race the horses could not be seen, only the riders over the top of the scrub. At the same time the pioneers with their pet horses had good fun, and §ome really remarkable racing was to be seen. Cattle from East Coast. During the next week large numbers of cattle will be railed to the Waikato from the East Coast. These drafts will be sold at Morrinsville, where 2200 head will be offered. The majority of the cattle have been bred <at Gisborne or Tokomaru Bay, and represent the annual drafts from well-known East Coast breeders. Such a large offering of quality cattle is not often transported to the Waikato. It is anticipated that a good number of young heifers will be purchased for breeding purposes. As in previous years Waikato buyers have been very active at the East Coast sales, and at the last Gisborne cattle fair 2500 head were purchased. Lucky Cards. Hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades—the cards have been lucky this dancing season for a young Auckland lady, for no fewer than IS times has she carried off the Monte Carlo prize in Saturday niglit dances, mostly in New Lynn and Avondale. It must be something of a record run of luck, for seldom does this card-cutting elimination dance single out one person as many times as 18 in a season. There have been breaks of two and three weeks, but the luck has always come back, and it has reached the stage when she wonders what has happened wlien the interruption in lier prizewinning lasts too long. Pensioner's Ride to Wellington. At the age of 71 years, Mr. J. Holmes, of Cambridge, has undertaken to cycle from Cambridge to Wellington to see -the. Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, regarding his pension. He spent Friday night at. Te Kuiti after making good time on the 45-mile trip from Cambridge on the first day. Mr. Holmes served throughout the Boer War, and was with' the Border Mounted Police during the Zulu rebellion, and until 1007. During the last' war he was a lieutenant at Trent'ham, and was associated with the National Reserve. He anticipates no trouble in reaching Wellington on his bicycle. Presbyterian Centenary. The centenary of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand will fall in 1940, for the church dates its foundation here from the arrival of the Bengal Merchant at Port Nicholson with Scottish settlers in February, 1840. The missions committee of the church is drawing the attention of the General Assembly to the fact that the centenary of the Dominion will coincide with the centenary of the church, asking that a committee, be set up to make preparations for fitting celebrations and possibly for the raising of a memorial ftrficl. The Rev. J. C. S. Macfarlane, who came with the immigrants on the Bengal Merchant, was the first clergyman of any church to come to New Zealand expressly to minister to the settlers. On the first Sundav after the ship arrived he conducted an open-air service on Petone Beach.

Fewer Motor Accidents. One effect of the new 30 miles an hour speed restriction in cities, boroughs and town districts has been a reduction of serious motor accidents, according to the owner of a large repair garage. A few months ago, he said, it was quite common to receive three exten : sivelv wrecker! cars a week, but since the introduction of the 30-mile limit there were hardly any. In his opinion there were two classes of serioua motor accidents, those in which high speed was coupled with incompetence, and those due to lack of driving ability. There would always be a certain amount of business from the latter class of driver, who let his car skid off the road at loose metal corners, hit other vehicles when reversing, and so on. Speeding was not related to these types of accidents. The other class of accident, such as where heavy collisions occurred at intersections, generally through excessive speed on the part of one or both drivers, was rapidly becoming less frequent in the Auckland district. Vandals in the Bush. The cut-off track leading from Piha Road to "The Gap" on the West Coast was the scene yesterday of a gross abuse of privilege. This track is' a road through private property, made available as a thoroughfare to "The Gap" for motorists and trampers orf payment of a small fee, always with the reservation that users of the road should refrain from damage to the amenities of the private property through which they travel. At one stage the road passes a clump of bush clematis, which has been preserved and cherished by the residents for the unusually spectacular blaze of colour its prolific flowers have supplied this particular section of the bush scenery. Despite a special caution against touching the clematis, a party of motorists yesterday raided this clump, ruthlessly raped it of its long trailing vines of blooms, and drove away with the delicate flowers that wilted and lost their beauty within a few minutes of picking. West Coast residents are hoping to be able to have such flagrant breaches of privilege followed by disqualification from A.A. privileges generally, ancl to institute a follow-up campaign against marauding motorists whose numbers are taken.

Country Newspaper Ceases. The "East Coast Guardian," published in Opotiki, appeared for the last time this week, having been purchased by the Bay of Plenty Press Company, Wliakatane, with which it is now incorporated. Special Whakatane and Opotiki editions of the "Bay of Plenty Press" are now appearing. The "East Coast Guardian" commenced publication in 1900 as a biweekly paper, and later as a tri-weekly, in which form it appeared for many years. During the latter part of the Great War years and until . a few years ago the paper was published daily, but as a result of the slump period tri-weekly publication was reverted to again. Playing When Unfit. . > An incident in a Soccer knock-out contest on Saturday was a reminder of the dangers which contestants run by continuing to play on when suffering from shock or concussion as the result of head injuries. The trouble is that players often do so while unaware of what they are doing, and play on automatically. This is a dangerous practice, which may induce cerebral hemorrhage or other serious developments. Apparently the referee lias 110 power to order a player off for attention in such cases, although in boxing or wrestling he may. stop a contest for this reason. The referees consider it the captain's duty to send any player off for examination who shows any sign of shock after being knocked out. The Achilles Club Colours. The Soccer team of the new cruiser Achilles made its first appearance at Blandford Park on Saturday, and the impressive physique of the players was enhanced by the neat colours they wore of apple green shirts with white collars, white shorts, and green stockings with white tops. These colours are familiar in sporting circles in London as those of the Achilles Club there, which is an athletic club drawn from graduates and other students of the London University, and permission to adopt them was readily granted to the new cruiser when she was first commissioned. It will be interesting to note whether the teams of the sister ship Leander will field the colours of that well-known club when she arrives. Wistaria in Bloom. Wistaria has bloomed earlier than usual this year. In many Auckland gardens the lovely trailing flower has already begun to drape a gown of pastel blue over the vine-like branches, and this week and next the display will be at its best. An exceptionally fine wistaria is to be seen in the front of the head gardener's house in Albert Park, but there are others in less ornamental parts of the city, for many of the old houses in what are now business thoroughfares have wistaria trees growing near their doors. There is a fine specimen in Pitt Street, just below the fire station entrance, another in a front garden near St. Helens Hospital, and many more hidden away in Ponsonby and Freeman's Bay. Auckland's earliast householders set an example in tree planting and garden making which may well be followed by the present generation.

Many Cargoes. To borrow a motoring phrase, the port of Auckland was "firing well on all cylinders" to-day. Every wharf was busy, and eleven overseas ships were either loading or discharging cargoes. Motor cars, electrical apparatus and crates of merchandise were coming ashore from the Cumberland at Queen's wharf, and across the narrow strip of water, at Central, the Taniaroa was taking dairy produce on board for Great Britain. These big ships dominated the central scene, but just round the corner there were the Wingatui, the Golden Cloud, the Canadian Highlander and the Kairanga (Prince's), the Port Hobart and the Canadian. Challenger (Queen's), and the Clansman, the Marnraret W. and the Poolta at King's, while at King's outer wharf another 'big steamer, the Comliebank, was emptying her cargo of phosphate into railway trucks preparatory to sailing this evening for Suva, where she will load sugar for Britain. Kipling's line, "Swift shuttles of an Empire's loom, that bind us main to main," came to mind as one watched the busy scene. Ngaruawahia Pa Progress. The beautifully-situated Maori pa at Ngaruawahia was looking most attractive when visited 011 Saturday by Queen Salote Tubou, Queen of Tonga, who was the guest there of King Koroki and the Princess Te Puea Herangi. / Magnolias bloomed by the entrance gate, while rhododendron bushes made a bright splash of colour in the grounds. Outside the entrance which leads to "Mahinarangi" and to King " Koroki's new house, a punga-fenced garden has been made, and a large nikau gives welcome shade. The entrance through which Qneen Salote camo was specially roofed with bundles of green flax. Many of the .young native trees which Te Puea has collected for the marae are now making fair growth, in spite of the sandy soil of the top terrace. The punga barriers at the roadway entrance to the pa 011 the river bank frontage have sprouted with the coining of the spring weather, "wild feathery fronds are struggling to grow from the seemingly dead fence—an example of the wonderful tenacity of life of the punga. The area of about five acres, which Te Puea has recently acquired to extend the pa boundary, is now ploughed up preparatory to be ins planted in potatoes. On the terrace just below the marae is the incomplete hull of the old canoe which it is hoped soon to recondition and complete. It is about 40ft in length, and the prow and stern portions, recently hewn from the Waingaro bush, each about 15ft long, lie beside awaiting carving. The meeting house was decorated within by sprays of native leaves, including the graceful whauwhaupaku, large ferns, and bowls of pansies.