NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 62, 15 March 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Over the Side

The expedient of ehuting some of her cargo of Canadian timber oft" her decks into the sea was adopted by the British motor ship Elmhank at Western wharf yesterday. She brought more than a million superficial feet of timber to the order of an Auckland firm from British Columbia, and much of the consignment was carried as deck cargo. These logs, some of which weighed between three and 'four tons, were raised" by the ship's winches and allowed to crash into"the sea to be rafted iiito Freeman's Bay. Sail Training Benefit. The contention that much benefit i* to be pained by the provision of a. small sail training ship for officers in Xew Zealand's mercantile marine was supported by Captain W. J. Kean. of the Marine Department, during an address to the Shiplovers' Society of Auckland at its annual meeting last, evening. Such, he said. would provide training in the basic principles of seamanship of a thoroughness not equalled by existing methods. Quite Another " National.** An aside by a member of the Matamata County Council at its meeting, when the name of the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, was mentioned, that the Minister was partowner of the horse that won the Grand National hurdle race last year, drew a humorous comment from another member. "He won't he so keen on the 'natioral' at the end of this year," was the remark of the second councillor. Domestic Servants* Demands. What demands may be expected from domestic workers when they manage to get full Arbitration Court rights is indicated in the claims of the Canterbury Domestic Workers' Union, which are shelved pending legislation to put them on a footing with other unions. Included in the claims are.:— (1) At least two hours of free time each day in addition to two houre for meals . . . not less than eight hours' uninterrupted time for rest and sleep and one day and one half-day off weekly, one of which, if possible, must be Sunday; (2) A bedroom adequately furnished Tor the worker's own use. or to be shared with one or more other workers by mutual agreement, but in any case separate bed and wardrobe, and the necessary facilities for bathing: (3) The worker should be entitled to 14 days' holiday after 12 months' service each year, with board wages; (4) Notice to terminate the agreement must be weekly or monthly, in accordance with the method of paying wages.

Judged to a Pound. Farmers, fat stock buyers and others possessing expert knowledge of the meat trade vied for substantial cash prizes at the competitions for estimating the cold dead-weight of fat stock penned at the MorrinsviHe A. and P. Show. The winners judged the weight of three sheep and a pig to the exact pound, while the margin of error with regard to a fat steer weighing eight hundredweight was only three pounds. Results were as follows:—Fat steer (dead weight 9101b): F. Wyatt, care of F. Thomas, MorrinsviHe, 9071b, 1; Robert Howie, Kiwitahi, 9151b, 2. Three fat sheep (dead weight 2251b): Mrs. Lilley, MorrinsviHe, 2251b, 1; P. T. Powell, Claudelands, 2261b, 2. Porker pig (dead weight 851b): H. J. Barford, MorrinsviHe, 851b, 1; C. F. Osborne, Tauhei. 84*lb, and P. T. Powell, Claudelands, 85|Hj, tied for second. Prisoners* Plot. The cave which he and five other German prisoners had dug on Motuihi Island when they were planning a second escape from captivity was located at the week-end by Count Felix von Luckner. With the Countess and Major N. J. honorary superintendent of the Sunshine Camp, he crossed the island towards Cable Bay and soon found the ruins of a small I kiosk where he had spent some of his time. Then the party crossed a email gully, and although the landscape had changed in 20 years it was not long before they came upon a deep hole, overgrown and almost filled with vegetation and soil. This, said the Count, was the remains of his cave. He said he intended before leaving New Zealand to search the hole for the supplies the prisoners had hidden in i well-sealed bottles. Bluff Oyster Industry. "Unless the Government takes a hand and declares the east bed closed the oyster industry at Bluff will be seriously affected and may go out of existence." This was the opinion expressed by a resident of Bluff, who has considerable knowledge of the oyster industry. "Attention is- focused on the east bed, where the finest oysters are obtained, and it is quite understandable that oystermen will not patronise the west bed while retailors are demanding the better-quality oyster?," the Bluff resident said. "The east bed is shallow and yields the species that finds a very ready isale, but in the other bed is found the deep-water oyster which is smaller and less solid and lacks the outstanding flavour possessed by the others. The position its difficult localise retailers 1 , demand the superior oysters, and it is in! the wholesaler's best intsrefttj* to procure that variety. The natural result is that all the boats make for the east bed with the inevitable result. Oysternun are dreda'mg the bed to a standstill and returning with 30 bag* n day on an average. If they' went to the west bed they would return with 00 bags or more, but the west bed oysters would not find a market while the other variety is still available." The only remedy, he suggested, was for the Government to close the cast bed for one or even two seasons and give the remaining ovstere time to breed.

" Wild Goose Chase." The Whakatane police had a fruitless journey to Thornton on Sunday morning after being informed that a body had been seen in the Rangitaiki River. Two constables obtained a boat and rowed to the supposed body, to find nothing more tragic than a pair of guniboots on a sandspit. One boot was embedded in the sand, and the other floated, giving the appearance of a man's hand as it moved with the current. This is the second "wild goose chase* 5 the police have gone on to Thornton. The Inst "body"* turned out to be the carcase of a sheep. About Bugs and Bug-hunters. The entomology division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has undertaken a survey of the lucerne flea establishment in New Zealand. So far this pest has been located over a widespread but fairly definitely defined area in both islands. On'y in one instance, in the Auckland Pro vim \ does it appear to be causing appreciable damage. In connection with the diamond-back moth research work, Mr. J. Muggeridge. Government Entomologist, will shortly proceed abroad for the purpose of undertaking investigations in Europe in an endeavour to secure parasites which will control this pest under New Zealand conditions. Milk and Music in Australia. These two quite unrelated subjects were mentioned in an interesting talk given to members of the Auckland Society of Musicians last evening by their president, Mr. E. Varley Hudson. In the course of his talk, which dealt with impressions of life in Australia, musical and general, gleaned in a recent holiday in the Commonwealth, Mr. Hudson remarked that, to his way of thinking, Auckland had the advantage of both Melbourne and Sydney in two respects. The watery opaque liquid sold in Sydney under the name of "milk" was very much inferior to the commodity dispensed under the same name here; then, that section of the Auckland Public Library known as the Lewis Eady Music .Library was very much superior to anything of the kind in the public libraries of either Sydney or Melbourne. The Lewis Eady Library, Mr. Hudson added. l was a valuable" asset to the musical life of this city, and he urged his listeners, as musicians, to make the fullest use of it. Religion Must be Readjusted. "The amazing development of scientific knowledge has brought a physical and mechanical revolution which has given man a wide mastery over his natural environment, and has profoundly affected not only the social, i industrial and political structure, but has! engendered revolt against ethical sanctions and ; religious beliefs," said the Rev. A. C. Nelson j in his presidential address to the assembly of the Congregational Union of New Zealand'lnst! evening. "No single aspect of life has been insulated from this tremendous reaction, and the end is not yet. We have to face the fact that we have already entered upon a new age and that in religion, as in all else, readjustment and reconstruction are necessary. The lack of a spiritual equivalent to material progress is a challenge of eupreme mdfnent which we dare not neglect."

Mr. Semple's Schedule. The postponed visit to the West Coast of the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, is to be made this month. On March 23 he is to leave Nelson for Inangahua, en route to Westport, to inspect the* Westport-Inangahua railway. On Thursday, March 24, Mr. Semple will proceed from Westport to Hokftika, and will open the Kanieri bridge that afternoon. On Friday morning, March 25, he will start a survey by aeroplane, car and launch of the Public Works construction jobs in South Wcetland, including roads and the new harbour works at Jackson's Bay. The Minister will spend one night at Weheka and then go on the Saturday to inspect the Cook and Fox bridges, leaving later by aeroplane on his return to Hokitika. He will leave ITokitika soon after his arrival there for Christchurch. Line Interrupted. The • cause of several shut-downs in the supply of electric power to the consumers of | the Waimea electric power was located at the! Bluff packing shed, Tasman (states the Nelson I "Mail'"). Several disturbances had occurred to the system recently which had been causing concern to the board's staff on account of the | fact that when power was restored no trouble, occurred again for several days, and no fault i could be found. Early one morning last week' the fault again occurred, and was found to be i between Mapua and Tasman. A detailed search of the line located a fruit packing case wire, which had been thrown across the line at the back of the Bluff packing shed and was causing intermittent earthing of the line in certain winds. Domestics Form a Union. Until domestic workers in private homos secure the removal of the liar —the nnn-l pecuniary pain clause in the Industrial Arbi-j tration and Conciliation Art —to their gaining! an a ward, the union which KiO of th;>m formed, in Canterbury will not be able to function with; the efficiency and purpose of a trade union. I When the Canterbury Domestic Worker*' Union was formed. Mrs. .1. Sonter. the secretary, explained, no difficulty in seriirim: an award wos expected; but after the union was registered, it wax found that it was precluded from pressing for an award, as the! workers in private homes came within the' scope of those debarred under the "mm-' pecuniary gain'' clause of the Act. I'ntil tinclause was amended, as the union hoped it would be. nothing could be done for the girls, j The worst conditions were provided domestic! workers in college hostels and boarding schools.! said Mrs. Router. Their work was almost] identical with that of workers in hotels, yet | they were working over 00' hours weekly. ft was essential that an award should be secured for the workers in those institutions.