NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

New Zealanders and Maoris. "The relation between the NeuiZealan people iiiul the Maoris is something f roll which we could learn a lesson," said Dr. Ralp] Harlow, director of sociology, Smith Univer sity. Northampton. U.S.A., during an addres to the Wellington Optimists* Club. Dr. Har low's remark was minle when lie was speakim ! of the negro problem in America. Matamata Water Reserve. , A l.lnr-k of 4.->o(i acres of bush on tli. [Kaimai Hills has been acquired as a water prcsei \ation area for the Matamata Boiougi Council, writes a correspondent. The are! cost £l an acre, the Government findinj £2"inn and the borough council the balance The block is situated just south of the VV.'.i rere Falls, and runs for seven miles in a southerly direction. Jt has been named Gordon hirk. in honour of the Mavor of Matamata Mr. W. A. Gordon. "Artists on the Dole." "Artists are always on the dole and always have been.'' said Mr. Julian AdiUm the well-known Australian artist, when open ing the Teachers' College Art Club's first animal exhibition in Sydney. "It i-* generally a few hundred years after an artist's death before anyone hears r.f him at 'ill. Learnill" art is like learning rmisK" he said "There must be the same Ion? periods of enrlv tuition like five-finger exercises, until the 'hand U trained to do what is wanted." Mr. Ashton said that at one stage- j n his early career he had drawn a cigarette box every day tor six months. The Wind and the Rain. Thoiign there was a biting wind vester day afternoon, and at intervals of every few minutes sunshine was succeeded by showers of cold driving rain, there were still A tick - landers who found pleasure in their usual walk along the waterfront. In Point Krin l'<irk. on the Ponsonby waterfront, occasional little groups could be seen striding briskly along the paths of the park, their coat collars turned up against the weather. Looking across harbour to Point Chevalier, onlv the "white horses" could be seen, with the" land lost in misty dimness beyond. The usually peaceful scene was peaceful no longer, but it had lost nothing in beauty. A Tribute from Tibbett. Before bringing the concluding concert of his Australian and Xew Zealand tour to a close on Saturday night by singing "Do Glorv Road," Mr. Lawrence Tibbett made a short speech, in which he thanked (the huge and enthusiastic audience for "its henrty and generous response." "It is," he went on to sav, "a thrilling e'ose to a long tour to see this glorious audience and to see and hear your appreciation—it is mst stirring and thrilling. T shall porlwtr>s return to you some dav," Mr. Tibbett continue!; "that is my sincere hope." The popular baritone concluded his remarks by saying that in the past fewmonths he had given 00 concerts in the Commonwealth and the Dominion, "and belipve m.'.'' he added feelingly, -I am glad to be aide soon to have a rest."' Equinox on Saturday. Spring will officially begin on Saturdav with the occurrence of the vernal equinox. The selection of the equinox as the first day of spring is, however, a purely arbitrary arrangement, because the commencement of the true meteorological season cannot be predicted in advance. For the past six months the sun has been lying north of the equator, and the southern hemisphere has received the least benefit from its rays. On Saturday, however, it will pass to the south, and will thereafter move steadily southward until the longest day is reached on December 22. The word "equinox," meaning "equal night," signifies that day and night next Friday will be of equal length. Owing to various factors the 24 hours will not appear to be equallydivided', although in actual fact true solaV time reveols that all over the globe the sun will be above and below the horizon for eqtial periods of 12 hours on the day of the equinox. Hawke's Bay Lambs and Wool.

The "highest percentages of twins for 20 years or more is a feature of lambing in Hawse's liny this spring, writes a Hastings correspondent. Although this splendid result is offset in some degree by the unusually lii«rli percentage of ewes which proved barren." lamhinjr over the whole province is exported to he fully 1~» to 20 per cent better tlmn last year. NTot only is the percentage of twins phenomenally high, but triplets also are fairly common and ninny sets of quadruplets are reported. Wool production also is expected to improve sufficiently to help to recoup some of the lossis of sheep farmers last year, when, owing to the severe drought in the autumn and the unusually cold. wet. conditions of the enrly spring, wool production was fully l'.lh to 21b a sheep below the average. The .quality of the wool is expected to be better this year. Unfortunately, indications for a more profitable year do not extend over the whole province. Sheen farmers in districts affected by the April flood and in areas visited by the outbreak of eczema will start the new season with ninny looses to be made good before any profit may be cxneeted. Although conditions generally are much better this spring than last, the ground is still very wet ind cold, and grass U verv slow in coming nwav. With the rainfall already over double the yearly average, this is only to lie expected, but if reasonably fine warm weather is experienced from now on the season for the majority of sheep farmers will be well ahead of the previous year.

A Scottish Welcome. Though Te Awaniutu is not noted for being a .Scottish community, it hae some residents who come "frae the land o' heather," writes a correspondent. This tact was rather strikingly demonstrated on Saturday evening in connection with the visit of the Hon. H. G. 1 R. Mason, Attorney-General. As the Minister 1 and party ascended the stage of the Town 1 Hall to deliver an address, a piper in full - regalia skirled out a Scottish musical wel--3 come, a novelty so far as Te Awamirtu public- - meetings was concerned. Hamilton's Garden Suburb Plan. The approval by Parliament of an agree-! ment between the Hamilton Borough Council - and the State Housing Department, providing for the transfer of 22 acres of land in Hamil--1 ton Kast, known as Hayes' Paddock, will 1 facilitate the commencement of a scheme to ' establish a garden suburb on the area. The • land was vested in the council as an endowment to aid borough funds. Steps will shortly be taken to subdivide the urea, provide streets and footpaths, water reticulation and sewer- > age, and erect a footbridge across the Waikato River to give direct access to the town. The cost, which will be defrayed by the Department, is estimated nt £13.000." The Department intends to erect ItiO houses on the area. Railcar's First Trip. The first trial run of the new standard railcar Aotea was made at the week-end. The car travelled from Wellington to Napier, a distance of 200 miles, on Saturday, and returned yesterday. The machine's performance was completely satisfactory, according to railway authorities. Passengers in the car were the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. O. Sullivan, and the general manager of railways, I Mr. G. H. Mackloy. The outward trip was made in six hours, the actual running time being 4 hours r>4 minutes, and the return trip in five hours, the actual running time being 4 hours 3fl minutes The car seats f>2 pasengnii;. weighs .*!2 tons and is driven l>v motors vilh a total horse Power of 2'iO. It will be one of three on the New Plymouth run, which is expected to begin in Oetobei. Three Men Go Swimming. Crushing defeat by Hawke's Bay was not sufficient to lessen in any way the enthusiasm of living of three husky members of the • Auckland Rugby representative pack. With the backs run off their feet on Saturday by > the spectacular chain passing tactics of the > Bay team, the Auckland forwards were given i plenty of work throughout the match; the : ground was brick hard and dustv, injuries novo frequent, and most of the forwards left '. the field nursing bruised shins and battered : elbows. And on top of that manv of them \ a dance in the evening." Yet, at ; dawn, with the Antarctic wind sweeping in from the ocean, three of the Aucklandcrs decided to show Napier that forwards from the North are tough. Thev left the warmed ' comfort of their hotel, padded across the « shingle, and dived together info the creaming < breakers. Only a passing milkman Paw the ' three naked figures bound out of the bathing <' sheds and into the tide. The hotel staff was 1 distinctly imnres-cd bv the wet heads at < breakfast. They would, they said, pass on 1 the news to the member* of'the team which ' had overwhelmed Auckland the day before. i Liked Whipped Cream. < Imagine, if you can, a sea of thinlvwhipped cream, smooth in texture and flawless in colour, jobblcd -violently every now and again into shapes and swirl* as fantastic as Rotorua's bubbling mud. There seems to be no other description than this of the scene at the famous Piha blowhole yesterday afternoon. With stormy seas breaking on the coast and a fierce wind howling through the tunnel that leads to the blowhole, flurries of t foam had been flying high in the air earlier * in the day. This—the blowhole in full work- * ing order—had been a spectacular enough T sight. But then the wind changed direction * a little, and only an occasional gust whistled - through the tunnel. The Tasman breakers r however, continued in full force, and, torn to 8 shreds on the rocky coast, thev poured creamy * foam into the blowhole. The'time came when >' it was lying feet deep in the big • opening * behind the cliffs. Somewhere below its soft 5 white surface restless sea water was running t in and out, and it was this motion that kept l the foam rising and falling, swirling and eddy- ° ing. But there was never a sign of water, ° and no sound except a soft swishing. Whipped v cream was the only comparable thin"-. i:

Ordered Off the Job. An allocation that a trade union official hod prevented four Rchoolbovs from shifting sand at the Derhampore School was made on Saturday l.y Mr. (I. ft. Stephenson, secretary of the Berl:a in pore School Committee. Two relief workers had previously refused to carry out the work. The school committee had accepted a tender for resurfacinjr two tennis courts, and hod nsrreed to uiinplv all the materials and place them on the site, said Mr. Stephenson. The materials arrived at the school on Thursday, the sand boinjr deposited on the footpath adjoining the entrance to the school grounds. As it was necessary to have the sand shifted before nightfall, Mr. Stephenson arranged for two men to earrv out the work, and called upon four bovs" from the Presbyterian Senior Hoys' Home who attended the Borhamporo School to assist. The work had not loner been begun when an organiser of the labourers' Union nut in an appearance,! nooompanied by one of the relief workers who had refused to do the job. on the ground that the work did not come under Xo. 13 scheme, on which he was engaged. He ordered the four boys home. When Mr. Stephenson called on his way home to help with the work the union official said that Mr. Stephenson bad absolutely no right to allow his boy* to assist with the job. and thnt more would be hoard f>f the incident.