NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 167, 18 July 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A "Wet'* Saturday

One by one the names (if the week-end "drunks" \vi«ru nailed. "What is the occasion, sub-inspector? There nro twelve of them todii.v." leiiiurke.l .Mr. C. R. Orr Walker. S.M.. in the Police Conn, this mornhig. "Oh, it's the Saturday holiday, sir," replied SllbInsppetor KlanijTMii. "Probably it wivs the football,"' retorti<l his Worship drily. Shooting Tame Pigeons for Sport. While most of file gun clubs have long discarded the practice of shooting- tame pigeons and u~e light discs re U used from a trap, there are still a few •'sportsmen" , who use live bird*. This was proved recently when a young man who. since starting to work, had no time to attend to his birds, answered an iidv. rtisemeiit for .">(i uigeoias. He offered his do/en birds at 1/ each, and was told they would be accepted. Before closing the deal, he asked if they were to be shot, and the buyer admitted they were. The seller at onee said they were not for sale for this purpose. Pilfering at Orakei. , The shortage of parades in the State housing settlement at Orakei is causing conci'rii to residents in the district in more ways than one. Kxposure to the weather doetj the cars little goud, and in the week-end one resident found that thieves had been at work on his car. The had partlv untied the protective cover over the ear. ;:wf the tap of the benzine tank was missing, while two gallons of the petrol had been taken. Hut for the kinduce* of a friend, the- owner would have liad to catch the bus into the pity. The man who suffers the loss said that he thought that tlite was the first case of its kind in the new settlement.

The Sparrow Tamer. Stories of nu'n who have tamed pigeons so that they have fluttered round their heads and perched on their bodies are common enough. There is even a man along the waterfront who, through much patience, has succeeded in having seagull* eat out of his hand. But tlii.s i« the tale of the man who has done the same thing with sparrows. The incident took place ,in Albert Park just a day or so ago, at the foot of the path which leads into Welleslpy Street near the back of the Public Library. An elderly man came 'in from the street with a bag in his hands. First ho sprinkled what looked like bread crumbs at the foot of a tree there, and in no time sparrows by the dozen flocked about. Then he held the food in his hand. The birde clustered thickly along a branch whose end was near his outstretched arm. and for a little time no bird was bold enough to venture. Then, inspired, doubtless by the knowledge that none but the brave deserved the fair (crusts), one small bird fluttered on to his hand. That was the signal. and in a. moment the sparrows were all round him. New Zealander Abroad. The Mayor of Dunedin hae received a letter from Mr. George J. Errington, who has now reached London, in which the well-known

Dunedin resident gives some interesting impressions of his tour abroad. Mr. Errington says that the United States, from an economic point of view, is decidedly weak, and in politics, religion and other phases of social life is very perplexfed. "They are trying," continues the letter, "to spend their way out of their troubles, but there are doubte. England, on the other hand, is steadily progressing, and buildings, both homes and factories, are going up in all directions. The people seem to be quite reconciled to the feeling that war must eventually come, and they arc steadily preparing for it. There has been some trouble with Communist Labour this week (June 1), but the Communists are a email minority. .The heart of England, or, tc be more correct, Britain, is as sound as a rock—so much so that the< Air Ministry has been getting it from all quarters for not having got on with its job quickly enough." A Devonport "Phil May.** Precocious practitioners of the arts of drawing, prose or poem writing- and of music crop up at intervals among the young. It is not unusual, of course,-*to find boys and girls writing rhymes and short Stories, drawing line pictures or dashing off a popular melody on some musical instrument to }he surprise and enjoyment of proud parents and friends. But at long-intervals a prodigy appears who has not only the urge to do these things with a ekill above that of other youngsters, but shows also a born technique. At the moment a deal of interest is being taken by a wide circle of friends in a Devonport schoolboy, Preddy Barnard, who has discovered a gift for hitting off "likenesses" in line sketches in people and things that have caught his fancy. He appears to have a "kink" for line drawinjr with a natural technique which promises

quick advancement in the art, and his friends are hoping that in him a Phil May may come out of Devonport. Vetferan Sea Captain. A man who, from the time he Joined the service of the Union Steam Ship Company in 1877, two years afteT its inception, saw the company grow from owners of five tiny steamers to one of the world's leading shipping lines, celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday. He is Captain Richard Edward Smith, formerly one of the best-known masters in the 6ervice of the Union Company, who has been living in retirement at Auckland eince 1917. Captain Smith was born in Cornwall on .July J. 6, 1848, and he made his first voyage to New Zealand in 1870 in the Queen Bee. He worked for a time in small coasters connecting South Island ports, and spent a sliort period at the goldfields before he to the sea- and joined the Union Company.. He remained with the company continuously for the next 34 years, and, with two short breaks, additional periods of service extended his connection with the Union Line to nearly 40 yeans. He was promoted to the rank of chief officer in June, 1878, and during his later years with the company he was best known as master of the Mokoia, in the East Coaet passenger service.

Improved Rail Service,

Cambridge and ftotoma are now to have a better rail goods service from Auckland. I'utii recently consignments received on Saturday were held over the week-end and did not arrive until 10.18 a.m. on Monday. The Railways Department has now arranged that loads for Cambridge and Rotorua leave Auckland by the 2.25 p.m. Auckland-Frankton Junction poods train. ThiH! enables a connection to be made with early morning goods trains for Rotorua and Cambridge ■ branch

lines, and the goods can be ready for delivery at their destinations at 8 a.m. on Historic Lyttelton House. The house occupied by .Tolin Robert Oodlcy in Lyttelton on liis arrival as resident ajrent for the Canterbury Association nine months before the coming of the First Four Ships still stands, 1/ut it may soon be demolished. It stands on a site" that has been, offered by the Lyttelton Borough Council to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, which is seeking land on which to built a casualty ward at the port. The house is still occupied, but it has long ceased to be a payable proposition to the council, which hae maintained it chiefly tor sentiment. A building to be used ae a women's rest room and for the local branch of the Plmiket Society may also be erected on Ihr site. Whether it will be necessary to demolish (iodley's house or not will depend on the land required for tlu purposes. A siijorgestion that a portion of the nionev to be spent at the Centennial celebra-

tions could be spared to save the house h«e been made. "The Absent-minded Golfer." Rudyard Kipling once wrote a poem. "The Absent-minded Beggar. Forty years later — iast Saturday afternoon, to be exact—there occurred at the Titirangi links an incident which, had the poet been alive aud present, might have provided the inspiration to indite another poem, tntitled this time, "The Absentminded Golfer." It happened this way. After the usual competitive rounds had been completed, a party of five set out for another seven holes or so. playing for "skinners." On the fifth tee there was a lively discussion about long driving, regarding which one player, in particular, had quite a lot to say— and this may account for what ' followed. After leftving'the tee, about 180 yards away. this player said to hie caddy, "Where did my ball finish, sonny?" "I didn't see it. sir," was the reply. "Well, you're a nice caddy; what do you think I employ you for?" etc., etc., followed this truthful " admission. Then nueried one of the party, "Are you quite sure that you hit a hall off the tee? Now that T come to think of it. I don't remember seeing you drive." This question apparently touched some hidden chord of memory, for the plnyer. looking somewhat flabbergasted, and applying that intense concentration so necessary to the successful prosecution of the game, put his hand in his pocket—and there found the miasms ball! tie merely had forgotten to drive. There, was an amusing sequel. Although no Cyril Tolley as regards length of drive, he modestly suggested that he should be allowed to drop a ball at 200 yards, this to be taken as his drive. .But. as the late Mr. Kipling might have said, "That's another etory." A Lack of Individuality."Last year I visited Italy, a land rich in art and historical architecture, but a poor land with no natural resource*, and this year, by way of contrast, I have come to New Zealand, full of natural wealth and with fertilej land, but as can be expected of a comparatively new country, sadly lacking in art," said 1 Dr. C. C. Fulmer* of St. Luke's Episcopalian Hospital, San Francisco, in an interview in C'liristchurch. "You should import a good architect out here." he said. "There is a monotony in the similarity of your homes and buildings, and yet even with" that similarity. the houses do not hermonise with one an-'

other. It takes a good architect to instil, personality and individuality into a house and to make it harmonise with its neighbours. Los Angeles, although perhaps a little ' too artificial, is a beautiful town, and that beauty is attained by the harmony of the beautiful homes. Your homes are quite comfortable homes, and probably inexpensive, but they lack the individual beauty of the American homes, which are also inexpensive." Proposed Maori Hostel at Hamilton. "Something should be done to provide Maoris with suitable accommodation in Hamilton, for there is no place here where they can stay," said Dr. H. B. Turbott, Medical Officer of Health in Hamilton, when discussing the question of a Maori hostel in Hamilton. Dr. Turbott considered it was in the interests of Europeans to have such an amenity, and he thought that if they gave a lead the Maoris would do something to "raise sufficient funds for the establishment of a hostel. Princess «Te Puea, said Dr. Turbott, hod given her support to the proposal. The hostel would be of great advantage to backcountry • Maoris from the West Coast and King Country, as those people were unable, through lack" of money or inadequate transport, to go to Hamilton and return to their home* the name day. The Government had stated that it could do nothing in the matter of a hostel until the Maoris and Europeans had given their support to the scheme. It Doesn't Pay.

Crime doesn't pay. The annual report of the New Zealand Police Force proves that. It is recorded that out of a total of 38,629 offences reported, arrests and summonses resulted in a total of 36,078 cases. To prove that that is not an unusual position it is; recorded that the percentage of arrests or, summonses resulting from offences reported during the year 1!>37 was 93.39, the figures for the previous year being 93.24. The number of serious crimes reported last year were as follow, the number of arrests in each case being given in parentheses: —Arson, 12 (8); robbery and aggravated robbery, 8 (8); burglary, breaking into shops, dwellings, etc., 111« (819); forgery and uttering, 173 (159); murder, 4 (4); attempted murder, 5 (4); rape, 5 (5); receiving stolen property, 122 (123); and wounding with intent, 3 (3).