NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Interest in Cabinetmaking. The Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association's ofiieer reports that never before have so many youths sought information as to prospects in the woodworking trades, says the ihmcdin correspondent of the "Star." The sudden interest in cabinetmaking and its allied crafts is difficult to understand, for it is a long time since these trades have been so flack in their demand for junior labour. Northcote Water Supply. The enlargement of the Xortlicote water siif "iy reservoir is contemplated. The borough coui.jil last night requested Mr. A. Greville Walker, consulting engineer, to prepare plans and estimated cost. The Mayor, Mr. R. Martin, stated that by carrying out alterations to the existing structure the capacity of 110.000 gallons could be increased to approximately 3.>0.000 gallons. The council accepted the' tender of A. and T. Burt. Ltd., at £87 10/ for automatic starting <rear for the electric pumping plant at Lake Pupuke. Knitting in Court. One woman concerned in a case being heard at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court recently wished apparently to waste as little time as possible. Sitting at the back of the Court, she busily plied her knitting needles while other cases were being heard, and appeared quite absorbed and contented in her work. Men are not allowed to wear their liatn in Court, and it is a question as to whether or not a particularly conscientious •orderly would consider knitting out of place. " Monument to Jealousy." '"Next to those connected with war, Canberra is the most startling monument in the world to the length to which jealousy will go," said Mr. W. G. V. Fernie in an address to the Canterbury branch of the Wellington College Old Boys' Association. While the vision of those who planned the Commonwealth city could not be denied, it stood as an everlasting monument to the jealousy existing between Sydney and Melbourne, said the speaker. Harbour Bridge Project. A donation of three guineas was made to the funds of the Waitemata Harbour Bridge Association by the Northcote Borough Council last night. The Mayor, Mr. R. Martin, and Mr. C. G. Robertson were appointed the Northcote Council's representatives on that body. A resolution was passed favouring the immediate erection of the proposed bridge, either by the Government as a national undertaking, or by private enterprise. The opinion was expressed that the bridge should be free if possible; but, if .not, then a toll bridge should be constructed. Wanton Damage to Theatres. Napier theatre managers are resolved to take any opportunity that presents itself to eheck damage to their houses. All theatres have shared the experience of wilful damage done to seats by rubbing chocolate or chewing gum into upholstery, but vandalism reached a new level this week, when the manager of one house found a number of seats gashed wide open, apparently with a knife. Several seats were treated in that way. The upholstery had been cut and the packing was strewn over the floor. Other seats had had the backs ' gashed, and heading torn from the edges. Since the damage was first seen after a matinee, the suspicion is that it was probably done by boys. Wairau Massacre Recalled. According to statements made by descendants of Te Ronga, a Maori woman whose death from a British bullet led to the Wairau massacre, it appears certain that remains found near Massacre Hill, Marlborough, last week by Main Highways Board workmen are those of Te Ronga. A number of Maoris living in the Wairau pa claim relationship with Te Ronga, and one, Here Herangi, stated that his eldest brother, Graham Herangi, who died 30 years ago at the age of 80 years, told him how Te Ronga wae buried at Massacre Hill, and I how it had been intended to remove the body, probably to the North Island, for burial. This plan, however, was prevented by trouble which arose immediately after the massacre. The burial place, he said, had never been disturbed until it was accidentally discovered last week, but its locality had been known and kept a close secret. It is understood that a claim to the remains of Te Ronga has been made by some of her descendants, and the remains will be buried later at a Maori burial place near the Wairau pa. Posthumous Ethnology Award. On the recommendation of the Hector Award Committee, the Royal Society of New Zealand', at its annual meeting at Victoria University College, unanimously made a posthumous award of the Hector Medal for ethnology to the late Bishop of Waiapu, the Rt. Rev. H. W. Williams. "Of the many activities of Bishop Williams, whose sudden death in December last we all so sincerely regretted, a whole volume might well be written," said the president. Professor W. P. Evans, in his address. "He was president of the society in 1935 and 1936, and, at the time of his death, our esteemed vice-president. A devout and, active churchman, a keen and wisely cautious ethnologist, a charming man of the world, ind—above all, perhaps—a loving, . trusted friend of the Maori people, hie locs was deeply felt by all sections of the community. He has his reward; for of him we may surely use the words of Belloc: 'He does not die who can bequeath some influence to the land he knows.' "

Praise for Newspapers. High pra:V> for the daily newspapers of the Dominion came from Dr. F. H. Spencer, former chief inspector of schools in London, who is visiting Christchurcli. "The standard of your papers is exceptionally high," he said. "The evening papers are not like the sensational evening papers we have in England. They are more moderate in their views and in their presentation of news." Wiremen's Examination. The results of the electric wiremen's examination held last March are to hand, and the two gold medals presented by the Cable Makers' Association are gained" by A. T. Roberts, of Christchurcli, and R. B. Wood, of Auckland. The first is awarded for the written part of the examination and the second for the practical part. Mr. Roberts secured S!) marks and Mr. Wood 88 out of a possible 100 in the examinations. Probationary Teachers. By an Order-in-Council issued last Thurs- j day the annual salary of a probationary public school assistant is fixed at £135 for a female and £140 for a male. With the approval of the Minister of Education a male probationary assistant who is married may be paid a special allowance to bring hie salary up to £209 15/. Provision is contained in another Order-in-Council for the payment of a special allowance in the case of a married male training college student so as to bring his salary up to the same'figure. Contract Lost. j Mr. J. Jones won a seat on the Christ-' church City Council at the municipal elections, but he lost a contract. Worse than losing it at the beginning, he lost it when he was well on the way to completing it. Mr. Jones was the contractor for the ornamental brickwork kerbing which is being constructed in Oxford Terrace as part of the new lay-out of that area of the city. He could not be a city councillor and work for the council at the same time, and was therefore compelled to give up his contract. A new contractor has now to be found to complete the work. Albertland Pioneers. The 76th anniversary of the sailing from London of the sailing ships Matilda Wattenbach and Hanover with the first party of emigrants for- the Albertland settlement was celebrated at the Port Albert Hall on Monday. Among those present were three men who came as boys with the first ships. They were Mr. David Beeroft, of Port Albert, who was a passenger on the Matilda Wattenbach, and Messrs. J. A. Shepherd, of Port Albert, and G. Smith, of Paparoa, who travelled on the Hanover. Mr. T. Wilson, of Paparoa, who was one of the first children born in tire settlement, gave a short address. English Military Band Wanted. A famous English regimental band will probably be brought out from England to promusic at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition next year. The management of the exhibition expects a cablegram from London shortly to say that arrangements have been completed securing the services of one of the best military bands in the world. Which band it is has not yet been divulged. The cost of obtaining the services of such a band and defraying its expenses will probably run into thousands of pounds. The band is, however, likely to be one of the principal attractions of the exhibition, and afterwards it will probably be sent on tour through the Dominion. Naming of Wellington. The means employed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield to secure the passage through Parliament of bill for the formation of the South Australian settlement were mentioned by John Guthrie in an address at the conversazione of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Empire Society. Wakefield knew the bill would pass in the House of Commons, said Dr. GutKrie, and to secure its passage through the House of Lords he went to the Duke of Wellington and enlisted his support with a promise that the capital city of the proposed colony would be called Wellington. However, in spite of Wakefield's efforts, it turned out that the capital of the colony was named Adelaide, after the consort of William IV. Wakefield, who did not want to break his word, again went to the Duke of Wellington and told him that the capital of the next colony settled would be called Wellington. "That was how our capital got its name," Dr. Guthrie commented. To Sleep in the Deep. When the steamer James Cook left Greymouth yesterday for Melbourne, she carried an urn containing the ashes of the vessel's late master, Captain C'. G. Turner, whose death occurred at Eden, South Australia, on May 8. During the voyage across the Tasman. with which Captain Turner was so familiar, the vessel will be stopped, the crew assembled, and the urn cast into the sea. Captain Turner was in command of the James Cook at the time of his death, but had traded across the Tasman and to Greymouth even before, hi? association with that vessel. He was born in England, and saw service during the war in the famous Dover Patrol with the rank of lieutenant. After the Armistice he was given the command of a squadron of minesweepers with orders to clear the Australian waters of mines. Captain Turner returned to Australia in 1922 as mate of the Gabriella. He was "later in command of the Inga and Kalingo, and was in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company when the company took over those vessels. In 1933 he left the Union Company to take command of the H. C. Sleigh steamer Abel Tasman. which subsequently met with disaster on the north breakwater at Greymouth. Captain Turner was not on board at the time of the wreck.