NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 201, 25 August 1937, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Permits Increase. Building permits issued in the Mount Eden borough last month showed an increase in value of £2908 compared with the permits issued in July of last year, the respective values being £14,005 and £11,037. Last month's permits included eight for new dwellings, including two blocks of flats.

New Health Stamp. A new health stump will be placed on sale on October 1. In colour and shape the new stamp, which will be withdrawn from sale not later than February 2S. 1935. bears a resemblance to the Anzac stamp, which commemorated the 21st anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. It will be twice the size of the present postage stamps and will be printed in a deep rose colour. ' The figure of a bareheaded boy, one arm slung across a rock, is the central part of the design, which is claimed to be bold and simple. There is a cloud background, and an inscription, Id Postage—l (1 Health. Messrs. G. Bull and J. Berry, Wellington, were the designers.

Nurses Win Medals. Medals for passing the annual State examination for nurses were presented by the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, the Rev. W. C. Wood, last evening to Nurses N. Hughes, R. Golds worthy, H. McFarlane, E. Rogers, M. Edwards, O. Benton, D. Craig, G. Clavis, L. Pointon, E. Brodie, I. Pegler, R. Saxton, J. Martin, A. Ferguson, J. Nicol, I. Dodd, A. Kernohan and E. Bartlett. The chairman said the board was gratified at the high standard reached. Nurse N. Hughes was awarded a gold medal and Dr. J. W. Craven's prize for gaining the highest marks in the Dominion. Nurse R. Goldsworthv received a silver medal. Nurse McFarlane, who secured honours in the examination, will be presented with a special prize.

A Rat! A Rat! A diversion was created at an entertainment given in an Auckland concert hall last evening by the unadvertieed appearance of two rats, which evidently have taken up their winter quarters in some openings iu the cornices running along the sides of the hall, and level with the gallery. One in particular, a fine large specimen, was most venturesome, and occasionally ran along the cornices to within a few feet of where a number of ladies sat apprehensively in the dark. Each time Mr. Kat scampered in this direction the occu pants of the first three rows in the vicinity would automatically recoil, causing much amusement among the male occupants of the gallery, but considerable consternation in the ranks of the women. One pretty girl, each time the rodent appeared, was seen to huddle closely for protection against the man next to her, a perfect stranger, too.

Barrister's First Brief. To be briefed as junior counsel in a Privy Council hearing as his first appearance as a barrister has been the good fortune of Mr. Lester F. Moller. B.C.L. (Oxon.), LL.B. (N.Z.), Dunedin Rhodes Scholar, who is still studying at Oxford University. It is the ambition of all barristers to appear before the Council's Judicial Committee, but probably Mr. Moller's distinction of appearing before that Court with actually the first brief of his legal career is not shared by any other lawyer (reports the "Star's" Dunedin correspondent). The case in which he appeared was an appeal by the Mount Albert Borough Council (Auckland) from the decision of tho Xew Zealand Court of Appeal in favour of the Australasian Temperance and General Life Association. The case was originated to determine the effect of certain Victorian legislation passed during the depression upon advances made by Victorian companies to local bodies in New Zealand. It affects at least 23 local bodies, and considerably more than £1,000,000 of debt. Certain preliminary questions were removed from the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal, which decided that the proper law of contract applicable was the law of New Zealand. It was from this decision that the borough council appealed to the Privy Council, whose decision has yet to be announced.

Investing, Old and New. A steady trend away from the old parochial attitude towards investments in New Zealand has been watched approvingly by financiers and stockbrokers over many years, and it is stated that before lonj; the last traces of parochialism should have disappeared. The old difference in interest rates between one centre and another, which as recently as 25 years ago sometimes amounted to as much as 1 per cent on first mortfrages, was already vanishing about the end of the Seddon regime, and to-day only fractional margins arise. Faster methods of transport, due to the railways, motor vehicles and now aeroplanes, the network of the telephone and' telegraph systems, and the rapid extension a r t air mails are factors which are gradually making the Dominion one unit. The old tendency was for interest rates to be lower in the South Island than in the North. About the time of the Boer War, when mortgage rates in Auckland were around 5A per cent, the figure in the South was a-s low as 4J per cent. At that time and earlier money was more plentiful in the southern cities, and there was not such a keen demand for investment capital in Auckland. To-day capital gravitates more or less freely to where it commands the best return, and, according to experienced investors, there is a flow of funds which makes a surprising and remarkable contrast with a generation or so ago.

Explosions in St. Mary's Bay. Residents in the St. Mary's Bay area were rudely awakened from sleep about 7 o clock this morning by the sound of a number of loud explosions. Since there had been some yesterday afternoon as well, there was a good deal of speculation as to the cause. Inquiries showed that workmen are engaged in reducing the camber on St. Marys Bay Road, and had to use explosives to split the rocky banks at the side of the road.

Held Up. Mr. Leslie Lefeaux, governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, had a luncheon date in New \ork on July 22 with a member of the Federal Reserve Board, but he was unable to keep it. American immigration officials refused to admit him to enter the United States the previous night because he had no visa. On the following day, however, he obtained tile necessary documents, and was allowed entry.

Lighting Charges Reduced. In common with other local bodies, whose street lighting charges have been reduced by the Auckland Electric Power Board, the Mount Eden Borough Council last evening received advice that a reduction of £217 14/6 to the borough had been decided upon. Emphasising the importance of the reduction in its relation to an "all" night system of street lighting, the board letter stated that the council could change the entire system to an "all" night basis, and the annual street lighting account would still be approximately £97 less than last vear.

* Beat the Springboks." Among the thousand ex-pupils of the Grafton School who have enrolled in the register now being prepared for the diamond jubilee celebrations at the end of October were a number from overseas, including one registration from far-away Durban, that of Mr. J. Macgregor, formerly a well-known Auckland representative forward, but who has lived in Africa for many years. Writing to a member of the executive he enclosed a cheque for £5 with the hope that the celebrations would be very successful, and the wish that the money be used to pay fees for any old scholar who might like to participate in the functions, but would be debarred through financial consider.!tions. There was a bright touch in the last paragraph, which showed that the exile retained his pride in the country of his birth. "Beat the Springboks," he said, "and I might easily be induced to make my contribution a much heavier one." And New Zealand is one up.

Early Blooms Meet Disaster. "Naturalist" writes:—What is probably a record for the early blooming of a flowering tree has been established by the Japanese magnolias in Albert Park. Two fine specimens grow on the lawn near the fountain, and as early as the first week of the present month flowers opened on the smaller one. Before the rain and strong winds of the present week began, both trees were in full bloom, and the long, purple and ivory coloured flowers made a tine show. The temporary return of the weather to wintry conditions has torn many petals off, and the grass was littered with them on Monday and Tuesday, but there are still plenty of vigorous half-opened buds left, and the trees will be a pretty sight for some time to come. It is rather curious that another exotic flowering tree, namely, the Japanese cherry (the national flower of the "Flowery Land"), is never tempted into precocious blooming by an unusual spell of late winter sunshine such as we enjoyed until recently. The buds on the Japanese cherry tree which grows on a lawn almost opposite the bandstand in the Domain have been formed since early August, but they show no signs of opening just yet. Like those of the yellow kowhai, they await the coming of the true spring before they display their delicate petals to the breeze. However, both bid fair to be early this year.

Unionists on Local Body Works. Local authorities in the metropolitan area and in the outer suburbs have been advised by the Auckland placement office of the legal necessity for men employed under No. 13 scheme to join either the Municipal General Labourers' Union or the General Labourers' Union, according as to whether they are within or outside a ten-mile radius from the Auckland Chief Post Office. The dividing line is about the southern side of Otahuhu, in the southern area, and about Olen Eden 011 the western pide. Mr. J. li. Elsburv, placement officer, stated to-day that the placement service was not insisting upon men joining either of the unions, but when men were sent forward to work for «nv local body under Xo. 13 scheme that authority was advised of the necessity for each man to join the union in his area. This reminder wits for the benefit of the local bodies, as they were under an obligation to see that their employees were unionists, and to safeguard the authorities against liability for employing non-unionists. It wps the aim of the placement service, added Mr. Elsburv. to provide onlv thoroughly efficient men for the work carried 011 under the schemc. and local authorities were asked to be careful to di-tingu'sh between the man who could not work and the man who would not work. The letter should 1>« dismissed, and his future sustenance would be jeopardised. A suTrrr-stVm wan made that men should be given 'hi" opportunity to "harden up" before any decision as to their efficiency was made.