NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1939, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY.

End of Summer Time.

Summer time, which came into operation on September 25 of last year, will end on Sunday, April 30, in accordance with the legislation which provides for a summer time period from tlie last Sunday in September of each year till the last Sunday of the following April. The next period will begin on September 24 of this year.

Sheep From Royal Stud.

Sheep sold at the Killeymoon stud dispersal sale at Feilding yesterday included a ewe from the Sandringham stud of His -Majesty the King, which brought til guineas. Bidding was even keener for two ewes from the famous stud of Lady Luton Hon. Bedfordshire, I'.ngland, which were knocked down at 12.") guineas each. 'Mr. James Knight, wellknown Feilding breeder, bought this lot as well as tlie ewe from Sandringham.

Takapuna Buildings.

Satisfaction was last night expressed by the Takapuna Borough Council when the building inspector's report was placed before it. Tlie inspector, Mr. IT. Collins, stated that the total value of buildings erected during the year ended April 1 was £ft!l,K(N>. This total included the value of State houses erected in the borough. The permits issued for the period March 17 to April 5 of this year were for buildings valued at £4143 10/. In Poland, Perhaps.

Notification that the. A.I.T. conference, dealing with matters- of international interest to motorists, was to he held in Poland on May 28, was received by the local Automobile Association executive last night from the London Association. The executive decided to appoint Mr. 1?. E. Champtaloup, who is at present in Britain, its representative at the conference. A remark was made l>v a member that lie doubted if, under existing conditions. either Mr. Champtaloup or anv British delegates would care to go to Poland.

Winter Air Service.

When the winter time-table for the inland air service between Auckland and Wellington comes into operation next Saturday the afternoon departure from Wellington for Auckland via New Plymouth will be discontinued and a morning trip will bo made instead. Beginning on Saturday, a 'plane will leave Wellington at N. 40 a.m.. l'alinerstou Nortli at o.:it) a.m., and New Plymouth at. 10.35 a.m.. arriving at Auckland at 11.40. One effect of the change will be that letters posted in Wellington overnight will reach the Auckland Chief Post Office shortly after mid-day, or only hours after the arrival of the Limited express. \

Social Security Fees.

Nearly £2000 has been, collected at the Auckland Chief Post Ollice in the form of registration fees of 5/ each under the Social Security Act, since the Act came into force at the beginning of the month, and the amount is rising by more than £250 daily as new applicants carry out their obligations. At suburban post offices the daily receipts varybetween £15 and £25. As the registrations increase during the latter part of April the figures will probably rise rapidly, and it is expected they will be quadrupled in the last week of the month. It has been noticed that the majority of those who register at the suburban offices are women. Youths and girls employed in the city apparently find'it more convenient to make their payments at the Chief Post Office in the lunch hour.

Waiting for Autumn Rains.

Planting operations in Auckland parks and gardens are much later than usual this season in consequence of the long dry spell', and gardeners are likely to have a particularly busy time after the first autumn rains. "Our autumn work is all held up," said Mr. T. S. Aldridgc. superintendent of city parks, to-day. ".Nothing can be done until the rains begin." These operations, he explained, were usually started during the latter part of March, and the plants had a gond start beforo the cold weather set in. This year, however, seasonal conditions had upset all calculations, and the plants had to be left in their nursery beds until the dry spell was broken. Tie mentioned that there would be large numbers of anemones, ranunculi, tulips and other bulbs to lie planted as soon as the conditions were favourable.

Thirty Thousand Motorists,

Bringing the roll number up to 31,704 members, a list of Sll new members were elected at the monthly meeting last night of the Automobile Association executive. The secretary reported that during March 202 motorists, including a number of overseas visitors, had taken advantage of the "get you borne" service, which had given its benefactions to 1109 motorists in the past seven months. Reporting on the Easter traffic, the chief patrol expressed the view that the increase in the accident roll was the result of the average motorist trying to cover too much country in the time at bis disposal. The meeting decided to send a. patrol llii.s year to Fiji, where the membership is approaching 000. With a view to educating pedestrians and motorists on the proper use of pedestrian crossings, it was decided to endeavour to got the Transport Department to prepare, and arrange for the regular screening, of a series of picture films on the subject.

Magistrate's Warning.

"Jt appears to me it is still very necessary to deter people from taking' liquor when driving motor cars, and the question of the license is a most important one." said Mr. C'. 1!. Orr Walker, X.M.. when considering punishment in a case in which lie convicted a man i".thc_ l'olice Court yesterday 011 a charge of being in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor car. "I am inclined to be in favour of increasing the term of suspension of the license in such cases," he added.

Big Offering of Cattle

r I ho efTwts of continued drv weather wore seen at the Westfield fat stock wile yesterday, wholly the heaviest yarding of cattle for a long time wits offered. Farmers have heen holding fat stock as long as possible in the hopes of a rise, in prices, but evidently lack of feed lias forced many of them to unload. As exporters' buying operations are restricted owing to the congestion at the freezing works resulting from lack of shipping space, stock which would otherwise be killed for export is being sold on the local market. Prices were slightly easier yesterday owing to the heavy supply.

The Bee Was To Blame.

Charged with reckless driving while in a «tate of intoxication, a lorry driver appearing in a North Auckland Magistrate's Court micccssfully maintained that the charge should have been "reckless driving when stung bv a bee." lie claimed that lie had felt an agonising sting in the back of his neck, and had put his head down anil unconsciously pressed on the accelerator. When he looked up he saw a ear approaching head on. and swung to the wrong side of the road, pulling up just after he had glanced off the car's mudguard. As the other motorist involved was in Court to give evidence that he had taken the sting out of the lorry driver's neck, the charge was dismissed by the magistrate.

Takapuna Finance.

Considerable discussion on the advisability of raising money for urgent works needed in the borough occupied the Takapuna. Borough Council last night. Mr. 1?. X. White contended (lint in one part of tlie borough money was being "thrown away" in the continual use of a lorry and grader when reconstruction of the road would lie more economical. lie added that, in his opinion, raising of a loan for permanent reconstruction would lie far cheaper than continual repair work on the road. The Mayor, Mr. J. (luiniven, opposed the suggestion. "There is no hope of "retting permission to raise a loan in Takapmm," lie said. (General proposals liv the works committee met the opposition of the Mayor, who declared that the committee would "drive the ratepayers bankrupt."

New Method of Mixing Concrete.

A novel method of making concrete has been adopted in connection with the work on the foundations of the new Auckland Chief l'ost Office block. l?v the use of a huge tank many tons of material are mechanically mixed after being accurately measured according to a Public Works proscription, and the water content is also carefully controlled. From the tank the liquid concrete is delivered into tanks fitted on motor trucks and is thus transported to the job. To keep it in Unrequired condition for laying, the mixture is agitated by, means of an internal combustion engine as the truck moves through the streets. The result is that when the truck arrives the liquid mix is ready to be turned immediately into the troughs which convey it to the foundations of the building.

Horse Holds Up Train

A wayward horse straying 011 the line at a country railway station caused a temporary dislocation of the service last week, and nearly led to more serious consequences. The station master saw the horse and put the signal against an incoming train while he went to chase it off the line. The driver stopped the train and lent a hand, but the horse cantered away down the line and jumped 011 to the road from an overhead bridge. Meanwhile the driver and stationmaster nearly came to blows concerning their interpretation of the regulations to meet the case. Then the owner of the horse came on the scene and threatened both for risking the life of liis valuable animal liv chasing it over the bridge. Both railwaymcn turned 011 him as the cause of the trouble, but. as the train had to go 011, the party broke up without any serious results.

Praise From Canada.

"I have recently received from your office a copv of 'Brett's Christinas Annual, lO.'iS.' which I am very pleased to have." writes the president of the Canadian National Railways, Sir. S. G. ITuimoifoid, in a letter to Mr. R. M. I'irtli. New Zealand Trade and Tourist Commissioner at Toronto. "Main- pn-toriaN depicting New Zealand reach nic from various sources from time to time, and they are without. exception works of art.'' ornithines the letter. '"Your countrymen are to lie complimented upon tile quality of their tourist material, and particularlv so are the editors of tliis edition of 'Brett's.' Such scenes of surpassing beauty must whet the appetite of (lie traveller, and tile dissemination of such literature will, T am sure, bring many to the shores of New Zealand." Tn forwarding a copy of the letter to the editor of the "Auckland Star." Mr. L. -T. Schmitt. general manager of the New Zealand Department of Industries and Commerce. Tourist and Publicity, adds his congratulations on the publication.