NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1937, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Big Game Fish. Reports on the big game fishing during the past week include the capture of ten swordfish of weights running from 2201b to 3301b 011 the Mayor Island ground, off Tauranga. Up at Russell the catches included half a dozen niarlin (ranging from 2591b to 6201b in weight), a hammerhead shark of 3841b, and a iiniko shark.

Level Crossing Warnings. Improvements to the warning devices at two level crossings in the Mount Albert borough have been authorised by the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. O. Sullivan, according to advice received from the Minister by Mr. A. S. Richards, M.P. A loud-sounding bell is to be placed on the wig- wag signal at the Gladstone Road crossing, and the flashing light signal at the Woodward Road crossing is to be equipped with bells.

Cricket Coincidence. There was a cricket coincidence at Eden Park on Saturday. W. Carson, of the Eden team, and V. Scott, of the Y.M.C.A. team, playing on the Xo. 1 and No. 2 wickets respectively, reached their centuries with simultaneous strokes, and they were bracketed in the applause. At a later stage they were both out to simultaneous balls, and as they walked to the pavilion they were again bracketed in the applause. Both of the players are also prominent Auckland footballers.

Just as Consistent. A small pony with the rather significant name of Don Kradman was a prolific winner at the Franklin Show, and finished up with taking the championship of the harness ponv class under 12 hands. This ponv has also the distinction of being an Australian like the great "Don." It was imported from ''the other side" at a cost of 2<M) guineas, and has never been beaten ill the show ring in its own class. The pony is owned by Mrs. T. V. Nutsford, and was the centre of attraction among lovers of horseflesh.

Free Reading for Schools. The Hamilton Library Committee has decided to extend its scheme of lending books free of charge to the fifth and sixth standard children attending *the Fairfield and Hillcrest schools. The committee supplied the Hamilton East. Hamilton West and Whitiora schools last year, and received an appreciative letter from the Headmasters' Association in acknowledgment of its work. A request that the system be extended to country schools within a ten-mile radius of Hamilton was declined, and the request of the Frankton apd Forest Lake schools that they should be included was referred to the. Frankton Library Committee.

N.Z. Flock for Australia. After making an inspection of many of the finest sheep studs in the Dominion, Mr. O. M. Blyth, stud stock manager of Bennett and Fisher, Ltd., Adelaide, haa completed the largest single selection of sheep for South Australia yet recorded. In all he has, through his firm's agents, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., purchased nearly 1100 sheep. With the exception of 350 for New South Wales, these are all to go to South Australian studs. Two hundred of the animals were carried by the Wanganella, which sailed from Wellington on Friday, and the remainder will be shipped at intervals to the end of May.

Lord Bledisloe—Farmer. Addressing directors of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr. S. Holme, Waimahaka, who recently. returned from a visit to Great Britain and the continent, described Lord Bledisloe as a "fine, homely farmer who knows everything that is happening on his estate in Gloucestershire." New Zealand's former Governor-General has a wonderful estate, said Mr. Holms, which is run on strictly practical lines. He has a fine herd of Red Poll cattle, and breeds 1500 pigs. The raising of the pigs is done scientifically in every respect, and both the pigstyes and the cowbyres are models erf cleanliness and efficiency.

Flying Ambulance. The revolutionary character of modern air travel was illustrated a day or two ago, when a man in urgent need of medical attendance was taken from West port to Christchurch in 45 minutes. This is the third timt that Mr. John Leech, who was suffering from a serious attack of asthma, has been taken to Christchurch by air. The aeroplane, an Air Travel machine from Hokitika, piloted by SquadronLeader J. Hewitt, was commissioned by the St. John Ambulance, who have made frequent use of air travel in taking patients to the Christchurch Public Hospital from as far afield as Napier and Auckland. The aeroplane left Westport at 1.45 p.m., and arrived at Christchurch at 2.30 p.m. Dr. Arnott, of Westport, accompanied Mr. Leech.

Higher Ambulance Costs. "The committee views with concern the mounting cost of maintaining the services rendered by the association, the necessity for maintaining a larger staff and the extra cost of everything," said the secretary-manager of the St. John Ambulance Association, Mr. S. E. Langstone, to-day. He added that it would be necessary for the committee to investigate the question of securing a higher subsidy from the „ Auckland Hospital Board. The wages bill alone would be £500 higher than last year. The quarterly report on the transport section showed that 776 patients were carried, and that 7492 miles were travelled in January, which made 2048 patients carried and 21,130 miles travelled for the quarter. This represented a considerable increase over 'the previous quarter. After Christmas it had been necessary to increase the staff.

" Very Forgiving.** A libel action brought by Mr. C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, against Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Seton Hutchison and H. F. Lucas and Company, writer and printers respectively of a leaflet and pamphlet entitled "Truth," has just been settled in the King's Bench Division. Mr. Valentine Holmes, for Mr. Attlee, stated that in both publications there was an express statement that Mr. Attlee was a Jew, and the obvious suggestion was that he was a party to various objectionable things attributed in the publications to the Jews. Mr. Attlee was not a 'Jew. and had no Jewish blood. LieutenantColonel Hutchison and Messrs. Lucas had expressed their desire to apologise publicly to Mr. Attlee, and had completely indemnified him as regards his costs. Mr. Justice Goddard said: "The defendant had better change the name of his pamphlet, otherwise he may find himself at the Old Bailey. Mr. Attlee has been very forgiving."

On Even Terms. "What is not pood enough for our own children is not good enough for the children of our kinsfolk in Great Britain," said the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P.. in an address on immigration in Napier. Mr. Barnard's comment arose from the statement that it was sometimes urged that the balk of immigrants should he young people of from 14 to 21 years old, and that the inference drawn was that they should he set to do work for which our own youth seem to have no taste, §uch as work for the hoys on farms and for girls in domestic service. "I strongly disagree with this view," he continued, "which is open 'to a charge of exploitation. While no one would desire to give the expected youth immigrants a preference over our own boys and girls, there will be strong objection to any scheme to relegate the newcomers to positions of a permanently inferior kind."

Shrinking Miles. "Distance no longer means miles; forget the miles and think of time," said the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, when performing a ceremony at the new Nelson aerodrome. "New Zealand is a small country, already made smaller for air travellers. The islands are joined by two services, where distance is counted by hours, not miles. Auckland and Wellington, in a months from now, will not be 400 miles apart, out three hours near, and that is just the beginning for New Zealand of this new conception of time instead of distance."

'The World To-day." Appearances are deceptive, as a guest of one of the officers of the Maraina. which recently called at Bluff, discovered. On a table in the cabin was what apjieared to be three beautifully bound volumes. The guest reached out to lift one, but found he had gripped something too solid for a book. It was a compact six-valve- radio set, one "cover" opening to reveal the dial and controls, and the other "cover" hid the valves and the 2Jin speaker. The set, despite its small proportions, had a wonderfully wide range and clear tone. The pseudo volumes were appropriately named "The ".Voi'ld To-day."

Japan's Interest in Olympic Games. Further evidence of the intensity with which the Japanese are preparing for the Olympic Games at Tokyo in 1!>40 is contained in a Christmas card received by the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association from the Japanese controlling body. A finely printed message conveys the usual Christmas greeting, and goes on to express the hope that the Xew Zealand Association will be well represented at Tokyo in 1940. On another page is printed the information that pole-vaulting was practised in Japan over a century ago. This is illustrated bv a reprint of a picture of 1700. in which children are shown using a makeshift apparatus on the seashore. An Appeal for Spain. An appeal to humanity for compassionate help in the present Spanish warfare was read by Mrs. R. Wyn, secretary of the Women's League for Peace, at the meeting held last night in the Strand Theatre to support the sending of a medical unit from Xew Zealand to help sufferers in Spain. The appeal, which had been sent by air mail from Romain Rolland, famous worker for peace, called on humanity to consider the implications of the Spanish rebellion, through which, he said, an army of African Moors and legionaries was trampling civilisation underfoot. "Thousands of men, women and children have been massacred," says M. Rolland, "and mutilated and burnt alive; the crowded quarters of the cities are the chief targets. Hospitals have not been spared; centuries of art crumble under the bombs, Velasquez dies with his people."

Fast and Easy Journey. To have breakfast at Rotorua, morning tea at Wellington and lunch at Christchurch was tile experience of a woman well over 70 years of age, her son, and Mr. S. .T. Blackmore, who piloted them in his De Souter cabin monoplane yesterday. The pilot also established a good achievement by returning to his headquarters at Rotorua before nightfall. The aeroplane was chartered to take the woman, who had been visiting Rotorua and is in frail health, back to Christchurch in preference to the long journey by rail and steamer. The machine left Rotorua at 8.10 a.m., and with almost perfect flying conditions made the trip to Wellington in two hours 20 minutes. -After a 20 minutes' stop the flight Was resumed, and Christchurch was reached in time for lunch in a further hour and 48 minutes, the flying time for the whole journey of approximately 450 miles thus being four hours eight minutes. Both the woman passenger and her son thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Surf Life-saving in Australia. "In Australia surf life-saving is recognised not only as a sport but also aa the very valuable beach service that it in," stated Mr. J. Cameron, manager of the Australian visiting team, to an interviewer on Saturday. During the past 30 years 33,000 lives had been saved on Australian beaches by the work of these dabs, and last year alone there were 3005 rescues—a record for Australia, he added. New Zealand, he said, did not have to worry about sharks, but in Australia that was their constant fear, and members of the surf clubs were always there to go to the rescue, and if necessary drag the victim away from the shark. So far, fortunately, none of the surf club rmembera had suffered injury in the course of this work. The Government of New South Wales, recognising the value of the clubs, contributed £500 a year to the association, and with the £300 that was usually raised bv the championship carnival this supplied funds with which the work could be organised on a State basis. Some of the other States also contributed to life saving. The clubs hold carnivals practically every week-end, and usually raised £100 or £200. This and a great deal more was needed to carry on the work. Mr. Cameron urged the importance of the sport to New Zealand as well as to Australia. Both countries had hundreds of beaches, and with the thousands that were swimming every weak-end it was necessary that surf life-saving clubs should be not only active but well equipped.