NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 67, 20 March 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

After Forty-seven years. J After 47 years of striving, his dearest wish had been gratified, Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., confessed at a farewell function accorded him by the General Labourers' Union. He said that he was thrilled at the prospect of going Home for the Coronation, but more particularly there was something else in prospect. For 47 years he had been trying to' save up for the trip Home to see the surviving members of his family. Forest Conservation. Bush conservation and tree planting are to be the subjects of a conference thar has been called by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. Parry. All the leading forestry j experts have been invited to attend the con-, ference, which will open at Wellington in the Dominion Farmers' Union rooms on Friday,! April 2. The Governor-General, Lord Galway,' will preside over the sittings, according to advice that has been received by the New Zealand Tourist League to-day. Empire Shopping Week. Following a recommendation from the British Empire Liague received by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, a British Empire shopping week will in all likelihood be held in Auckland in May. The league considers, in view of the Coronation celebrations, that Empire Day, May 24, would be an appropriatei day to launch shopping week throughout the | Empire, and to emphasise the desirability for greateT trade within the borders of the Empire. The last occasion an. Empire shopping week was held was in 1035, during the silver jubilee celebrations of the late King George V. " It Pays to Advertise."

Writing from Portland, Oregon, a resident of the United States of America expresses appreciation of the services obtained from Auckland residents as the result of an advertisement placed by him in the "Auckland Star" requesting news of a sister, Mrs. Hanna!" Metcalf, from whom he had not heard for 27 years. The writer got into communication with Mr. C. Forsyth, of Auckland, who advertised as stated, and responses from Campbell's Bay, Blockhouse Bay. Kcw ton and Eden Terrace resulted in the long-parted brother and sister getting into communication. After expressing his gratitude to Mr. Forsyth and the other correspondents for kindly neighbourliness, the Portland citizen concludes with the moral: "It pays to advertise."

Milk Bar Licenses. A decision to license all milk bars and shops where milk is sold over the counter for consumption on the premises was made yesterday by the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council. Licensing will be compulsory from April 1, the license fee being 5/ a year. The secretary, Mr.-N. R. Chapman, reported that the council's solicitor, Mr. J. B. Johnston, had advised that the council was failing in its duty in not compelling milk bars and similar premises to take out licenses. The Health Department was supervising such shops and milk bars, but conditions revealed by inquiries made by the council's inspector showed that such supervision was not wholly satisfactory, and that testing was infrequent. He recommended that the license to l»e enforced by the council be made compulsory in the case of all milk bars, confectioners and places where milk was sold for consumption on the premises. The recommendations were adopted.

A Grand Deception. , Chinese, when they attempt to use the English language, have quaint methods of expression. A niißtised word often produces a laughable incongruity. A monthly magazine published in Shanghai, "The Young Companion," a copy of which has found its way to Auckland, publishes much pictorial news of world events, including photographs in sepia of the King's abdication, Mrs. Simpson, the Duke of Windsor, and the present- King arri Queen with their family. Under the photograph of the Duke of Windsor is the title, "For love of a woman, he quit a throne." In a section devoted to Chinese interests appears a photograph of a group of Chinese. Across the top of the picture is the title, "Plans for Development of South Sea Island," and under it are the words, "Mr. T. V. Soong, exMinister of Finance, and Oeneral Yuhaw Mou at a Grand Deception in South Sea Island." Perhaps the title-writer was correct. It may have been a deception as well as a reception.

Maori Oven Found. The site of an old Maori oven discovered on the terraces heading the western scarp of Martyn's Hill. Kamaraiiia. last week, is an interesting confirmation of the tradition of former Maori occupation. The hill, like several others in the locality—Puke-Koiwi-Kiki pa, near Papakura, for example—is a ridge mainly composed of volcanic tuff, and the summit and much of the slopes is covered with luxuriant native bush. Sheltered by the Bombay ridge from the southern winds, the trees have flourished during long centuries, and include giant totaras and ratas 130 ft high, with roots like {Treat serpents extending 50ft and more from the buttress-like pillars of the bole. Near the Maori house sites and terraces stands a kauri, more than 20ft in circumference, that towers above mixed bush, in which can be found hinahina, totara, rimu, rata, tawa, rewarewa, taraire and puriri trees, besides jriant ponga and nikau 30ft high and more/ Many seedling trees indicate that this beautiful bush, a familiar landmark to all using the Tuhimata, Runciman-Paerata and Great South Roads, could be preserved :n perpetuity.

A Depleted Exchequer. "When we went into office, if a mouse had fallen into the exchequer it would have broken its neck—the money box was so depleted," said the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, at Onewbero yesterday. Congratulations. A number of letters of congratulation on the success of the" recent Metropolitan Show, not only from exhibitors* but also from casual visitors, were received yesterday 'at a meeting of the Auckland A. and P. Association. The majority of the messages commended the enterprise of the association in reorganising the lay-out of the grounds at Epsom. Several contained valuable suggestions for show's in the future. Inside ox Outside. "You have the power every three years, not four—we are going to repeal that legislation—and if we can't give sufficient account of our stewardship in that time, you can say, 'You have been inside looking out, so get outside and look in.*" -Thus the Public Works Minister, the Hon. R. Semple, yesterday afternoon, when speaking to a gathering of farmers in the northern part of Raglan County. Not What He Seemed. Found on the roof- of Imperial Buildings, Queen Street, at 10.30 last night, a youth was detained by two men jintil the arrival of detectives. After givin-r a satisfactory explanation for his presence there, he was allowed to leave. He explained that, while standing near the window of a billiards saloon on the second floor of Cooke's Buildings, he droj>|>ed some money on to the roof of Imperial Buildings. He was assisted to get out on to the lower roof to search for his money by the caretaker of Cooke's Buildings. A few minutes after the caretaker had left him, the searcher was confronted by two men, who hart heard suspicions sounds above their heads. He was held until the arrival of the police. J Incidentally the vouth did not find his money, j

Modern Weapons for N.Z. Units. The Government lias ordered a first batch of 100 Bren machine-guns from Australian munitions factories. The Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, mentioned the purchase, which is to be followed by more at an early date, when discussing Defence Department plans for the mechanisation of Dominion Territorial units. The Bren pun, gas-operated and capable of firinp COO rounds a minute, is a Czechoslovak invention, but certain patent rights have been ceded to Great Britain, and these rights have evidently been extended to Australia. Australian factories will supply New Zealand. Australian and South African requirements for the weapon. The gun is beizig adopted because, of its lightness and general utility. It has a short barrel, and can be fired either from the shoulder or from a tripod or bipod. It is expected, in time, to supersede the Lewis gun in infantry attack.

Lighthouse-keeper Wanted. Rome days ago a lighthouse-keeper on holiday, dismayed at the lack of houses or flats available for rent when landlords discovered he had two children, had travelled 250 miles bv motor car in search of accommodation and had visited moot of the city's leading house ajrents. Since his story wan published in the "Star" numbers of sympathetic people have been making inquiries, many of them with accommodation available. Unfortunately, however, he did not leave his address. Inquiries from agents show that houses in Auckland are practically unobtainable. One firm is receiving dozens of requests every day; the only house on its books has 13 rooms', and £"> 5/ a week is asked as rent. The same firm received a request this morning for a house as from August 1. The inquirer was willing to pay rent for two full months before he took possession.

A Forgotten Grave. The annual sports meeting and reunion of settlers held at Bombay on Saturday brought a good many visitors to the district during the week-end, r.iany of whom took the opportunity to inspect the sites of historic i interest. In this locality, writes a correspondent, a party who visited the old cemetery of] the Presbyterinn Church, on the northern slopes of Boinhnv WHI, where lie so many of tin* pioneers, found that unless somcthiuc; is done to arrest its destnr.'tion by the elements the nation will lose irrc-irubly lh» memorial, stone of a brave pioneer. Mis. Mary Lytic Martvn. The flat tombstone on wh'ch is recorded the date of her death. IStlli. is of thick grey slate, which is now so tlaked that the inscription can hardlv be deciphered. Mrs, Martyn was uiuong the first women to live in this district, then an isolated clearing amid heavy bush between the old military settle-

meitt of Drury and the borders of the Kinsrite tribes at Maungataw hiri and Pokeno. She reared a family at the old homestead, then called "Helland," and now "Raventhorpe" Farm, at the foot of the hill. From family records it is known under what strain this Vrave woman lived, and her jrrauddauuhter has recently described how, if the men of the family were absent, the women took refuse in the brick-walled old dairy—which, by the bv. is still standing—whose stout walls would repel attack from hostile natives. Mrs. Martvn s memorial stone. tj>« oldest in the cemeterv. should '•" speedily restored by the cementing of the slate fragments to a firm foundation, otherwise this historic 70-year-old monument will disintegrate beyond saving.