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Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 286, 2 December 1936, Page 6

Schoolboy Howler. A geography examination was in progress at a school not five miles from Cambridge. The boys had been studying India, and one of the questions was the naming of a famous pass in the north-west frontier. "Karangahape Road," wrote one lad, who apparently had forgotten about Kliyber Pass. Football Names Perpetuated. A footballer of the 'eighties and the 'nineties thought he had lost his way yesterday, when he went to watch tlio bowling matches in the Auckland singles championship tournament, and the first one he struck was Whiteside v. Wynyard. However, this time it was another "Bob" and another "Tab," and only one of them was required this morning, although they are both champions and selectors in their respective clubs. Old Motoring Days. "My only excuse for election as patron is that I was the first motorist at New Plymouth," said Dr. H. B. Leatham at the annual meeting of the Automobile Association (Tarat:aki). It was 3ii years ago since he first drove a car, he said, and when he looked back on those days it was astounding to realisetlie progress. How they got along with those single-cylinder cars he did not know, but they managed somehow and had a lot of fun as we!!. A Self-Contained Industry. Some of the peculiarities of the poultry industry were pointed out to a meeting of poultry producers in Palmerston North by the Rev. F. W. Stent (Carterton), president of the Poultry Producers' Federation. One of them was that it is the only primary industry that gets its returns wholly from consumption 1 in New Zealand. The industry, nevertheless, was a big one, and was worth millions of money. New Zealand Seeds at Johannesburg. Soii<'> African farmers are particularly interested in the quality of the grass and clover seeds displayed in the New Zealand pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition at Johannesburg. Many of them have been given samples to plant 011 their farms in an endeavour to improve the quality of South African grass. "South African grass is worthless, and the wrong sheep are bred for meat purposes," said Mr. M. O'Brien, the New Zealand Commissioner. "Farmers in the Union have requested me to arrange for stud sheep to be imported to South Africa." Delayed Earthquake Effects. Delayed effects of the 1931 earthquake arc evident in bursting water pipes under Hastings shop premises, two cases having been reported which have been directly traced to the damage done by the earthquake. Strangely enough, in both instances breaks have occurred in places where there were chemist shops before the earthquake, and it is assumed that chemicals which penetrated the ground when various bottles were thrown down and broken are now taking effect by eating through the water pipes with which they came into contact. Remedying the trouble offers quite a problem for expert plumbers, for in both cases where leaks were reported it was necessary to do a Rreat deal of work underneath concrete, and the locating and repairing of the leaks has proved to be quite a difficult task. Papakura Parsons. Speaking on the 81st anniversary of the Papakura Presbyterian Church last evening, the Rev. W. J. Conirie spoke of Church union as it existed in the early days when the church was founded. The speaker painted a vivid wv i'd picture of a group of earnest parsons. There was Bishop Sehvyn in his gaiters, and who did not consecrate his churches in order that others could use them; then there was the Rev. Thomas Norrie, for 50 years in charge of the Presbyterian work in the Papakura district —be always wore a bell-topper and white loggings, riding on an old white horse; then along would come the genial Father Walter McDonald under a wide-brimmed hat, attended by a Maori boy on a pony and trailing a pack horse with the worthy Father's belongings; to add to the Church union, up would turn a Wesleyan in the person of the Rev. James Buttle, learned in Maori lore. These four were opposite in schools of thought, but one in their desire to help the settler. Nothing was too much trouble for them to do, nothing too small, for their motto was "service," and wlint a picture these four made as they mot on some old back track and talked of their work.

Teaching Children to Rest. Life in the New Zealand children's health camps is not an exciting- programme of daily events, but is carefully planned to provide happy days with ample rest, as the latter is the outstanding need for young and ailing children. The day in camp, therefore, includes definite rest periods as part of the routine, and it has been noted that while at first children are not keen about the regular process and that it is the least popular part of camp routine in tlfe earlier stages, they eventually appreciate it so much that there are many instances of its continued practice in their own homes. The time of rising lias also been the subject of careful thought l>v the camp organisations. Six a.m. was selected in one instance as the hour about which the children were found to awaken, but the rising bell was not sounded like an alarm, one or two tolls being given, and if it was found that the children were all asleep at six o'clock 011 any morning they were not awakened for another half-hour. Although reading in bed at night is not generally allowed, it has been found advisable at one of the large camps to permit children t<» have a library book in their lockers. This keeps the early wakers quiet before 0 a.m. ■