NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Lectures on Sales Tax. Details are advertised of public-meetings to be held in Auckland, suburbs under the auspices of the New Zealand Freedom Association, at which Mr. K. M. Algie, LL.M., will Iri-turc on -I he Sales Tax. - ' till" first of the meeting* will be held on Tuesday, May IK, and the last on Wednesday. May' 24. In all live will be held, one being arranged*for the N'orth Shore. Traffic Held Up. Tram and motor traffic at the intersection of Queen and Customs Streets was temporarily blocked at the bu>y period 4 shortly after five o'clock la»t evening, when the trolley-pole of a truincar broke just as the car wii» turning out of Customs Street WesJ; in the main thoroughfare. As it was • just, on the bend of the rails, il blocked traffic from all direction*, and there was .some confusion before the pole at (lie other end was hoisted and the car proceeded on its way. Mushroom Season Continues.

Favoured by mild autumn conditions, the mushroom season lias continued much later than usual, and jrood supplies were lnai-koted in Auckland to-day. They wore from widely ecattenul areas'in the Xoitli Island, and flic qua lily wns up tn tin , expectations of the market. Many people who inihM-d the iniiidiroiim in Mti'rclt and April lia\e made tlio most of 11n- >ii|>|>lv in tile jia-t for." nijrht. hut there limp lii-eti indications if: some decline in the demand tlii- week. I Mishap to Horse. When a team of ihroc Imrses took fri-lit at the Winter Show the ppci-t liters were provhled with iinevpecled eiitertiiinnieiif. The three animals fell in the excitement, hut two managed to <ret up. and in <li>iti<r so trampled iin the third. To the spectators on the stand it appealed that the aniniul was liein>/ Irani pled to death. With apparent dilliciiity ] the third animal at last to regain i its foolirif*. and on examination was foimil ti> ■ have siitfered very minor injuries to one leg. Popular Attraction. For tlio many city children at a "loose end" durinjr the current Hchoo] holiday*, the labourers resurfacing the road in I'jiper Symonds Street are providing a welcome diversion. TTorde* of children watch the men working in clouds of steam and smoke throughout the day, and the massive steamroller and huge ooko brazier are the object*; of special attention. Periodically when there is a cool wind lilowinu' the youusi-iters cluster round tlio jrlowinjr brazier, which is probably one of the largest of its kind in Auckland. Practical Demonstration. During the course of a class of instruction being given by the Red Cross .-i-ter in a local school the teacher in charge of the class mentioned that she had a small girl who had lately joined the class, and who. she was ad- j vised, was subject to fits. She said she was very nervous and uncertain of what action to take in ease of the child having nn attack. While this conversation was taking place the child hud a fit, and the T?ed Cross sinter was alile to render first aid. and at the same time the school teacher received practical instruction ae to the treatment in this case. Imports and Employment. An analysis of the replies received to date to (| nest ion na ires circulated by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on the subject of employment and .unemployment arising from the import restriction* shows that where manufacturers have enlarged staffs it lias been chiefly with hoy and girl labour. The major additions were in the clothing and footwear trades, hut this increase was actually balanced by the reported dismissals of staffs among importer* that were attributed to import restrictions in the first siv months. Only 14 per cent of those who replied to the employment questionnaire showed staff additions, and it was considered that 110 extra hands, mostly women and girln, could be given employment if they were available. On the subject of estimated dismissals one firm which proposed to put off 31 workers thia month said that Iβ were married men. Three firms announced their intention of giving up bueinesa. A Tale of Bottom. Buttons which have graced the tunica of municipal bandsmen are to be transferred to the uniforms of officers of the Auckland City Council's traffic department, according to a resolution carried at a meeting last evening of the council. The town clerk, Mr. J. Mellinp, stated that it wotdd be necessary to obtain further supplies of uniform buttons for the traffic department, and there was a considernble number on uniforms used by the municipal band. Tf these button* could lie niado available for the traffic department there would be no need to import further supplies for another year or so. On the recommendation of the band sub-enmmittee the necessary authority for the transfer of buttons from one set of uniforms to the other was given. An inquiry from the PonsorMBoys' Brass Band with respect to the terms under which municipal hand uniforms would be disposed of produced a decision to offer them for sale by tender. DtMtpptering Trick, The interior of a crowded suburban tramcar en route to the city shortly before 0 o'clock thie week was the scene of a "real life drama." A man was paying his fare, and ho gave the conductor a two-shilling piece. While giving the man his change, the conductor dropped a shilling, which apparently fell to the floor. The passenger bent to pick it up, but, to his amazement, could not find it. After searching the floor under the seat for a few moments, without success, he looked round and glowered suspiciously at the innocent looking young man sitting behind him. Me enlisted the aid of the man sitting with him, but his effo-ts also proved fruitless, and matters were rapidly approaching what is known in international affairs as a "first-rate crisis" when light came to the conductor. On his suggestion, the passenger opened his umbrella—a process which momentarily unsettled the packed forms of humanity nearby—and found the coin reposing enugly in the bottom. Safeguarding the Children. The steps taken in Sydney to ensure the safety of echool children who have to cross the roadway near their schools was the subject of comment by Mr. W. R. Fee, chairman of the public safety committee of the Auckland City Council, at a meeting of the council last evening. Reporting on investigations made by him in Australia with respect to traffic problems, Mr. Fee said the same objections to the creation of pedestrian crossings opposite schools applied in Sydney as they did in Auckland—that the crossing was required for a comparatively ehort time in the mornings and afternoons, but nevertheless remained an obstacle to motorists for the whole 24 hours. To overcome this difficulty the Commissioner of Transport in Sydney had sought the co-operation of the schools, with the result that in many cases a system common in America was being used. About an hour before echool assembled and before it dispersed a standard was placed on the roadway opposite the school bearing the inscription of: "Caution, children's crossing." Tn the ease of small children a senior scholar carried a red flag and led the children aeroes the road. Theee precautions had been so effective that for a long time there had been only two instances of injuries to school children in Sydney, and in these cases the children had left school early before the erection of the stsndaxd.

N.Z. Trade with Samoa.

Total trade (between Xew Zealand and the mandated territory of Western Samoa, last year showed a small decrease to £142.mucoid pared with £140.450 in ]!':',7, aceordinjr to a report of the Chamber of Commerce at Apia. Kxports from Samoa to the Dominion in 1!)3S uinountcd t<> £54.021. and imports! from the Dominion j JLo8,81f). The United Kingdom was in second-place in total trade with the mandated • inlands, the United States third and Australia-fourth. It was noticeable that last year New Zealand and Canada- gained larger cthai'PS of Samoa's t'axle. at the expense of Japan, Japanese.exports, to the islands falling from £30;000 in 1',)37 to £14,650 in 1938. For an Emergency. Demonstrating their willinjrnpse to H-»>is< in any enierpency which muy arise, humiilcts of the Kt. .lolin Ambulance Brif>adu, former members, and many men who have undertaken first aid training, have reejionded to the appeal to register for emergency service. The action taken by the Auckland centre recently-lias also been taken in other centres and registers are being- compiled. According to a statement issued this morninp, the response in Auckland has been very good. Those who have responded have nearly all expressed their ■willinjrness to undertake a refresher course. Answers have been received from all parts-of ■'the district covered , by the centre. Poultry-Producers' Costs. Like other producers, poultry-keepers in the Auckland district are experiencing an allround rise in costs, and the price of effgs is hijrh in coii«c(|iienci>. "The rise in the, cost uf Bruin and other feed is making thiiijrs more diiliclilt than usual at this time of the year," siiid Mr. if. K. (I'oodwin, secretary of the Aiickbind Kxport and K.l',lt Alurkctln-j Committee, to-day. "Tliis is an expensive time for tlic |>i oiliK-'Ts. as the older birds are ill the moult, and are out of production for several months. The supply of ejrfrs is therefore at its lowest, nearly all the euprs marketed lieinu r from pullets, \ormally the older liinls return to full |>roduction by July, and from then on the supply of C{*{TS should steadily increase until the peak is reached later in the year." Shock for Housewife. The rise in the cost i»f livin/r. parlicularly in recent months, lias been tin , subject of much comment in family ciiilcs. as well as others, but there is si ill an occasional brifrht spot to be found on grocery accounte if one looks hard cnoiivili. One Auckland housewife, who has con-l ;i nt ]y hceii "mi the warpath" because the (ioveriinu'iit lms not checked the rise in the price <>f •jriin-ries. ye«terday was f|iiite jubilant when .-lie actually discovered that the price of a mediciiinl product—an imported one ;it that —had dn>pn«d a whole penny. Her joy «ii> complete when a Xew Zealand manufactured cereal, which she had to lie content, with because i>imil'ir siip|ilics from Australia were not available. w;is found to be 4'.d less in price than the product from the Commonwealth. She confi'fsi's. however, that ihcsc two items do not nearly offset the additional co.-t of nthci , foodstuffs, especially of the imported tinned varieties, which seem to advance in price slightly almost every week. Waitakere Scenic Drive. The. fact that arrangements would soon be made for tlir> official opening of the Waitakere Scenic Drive was mentioned by the Mayor, Sir Krnent l)n\is. at a meeting last evening of the Auckland City Council. At Sir I-'nit'st's Kiiprgestion it was unanimously airrced to expre.-s t!io city's apprecint ion of the assistance iriven by tlie Minister of Pu'ilir Wnrkii, the Hon. R. Sonijile, in havinjsr the drive constructed. The citizens were very proud of the road, which was {roincr to lie one of Auckland's greatest attractions, said Sir Ernest. Without the efforts of Mr. Somple Auckland would not possess the drive. Sir Krneet also made reference to the interest and enthusiasm displayed by the district Public Works engineer, Mr. F. S. Dyson, and hie staff in carrying out the magnificent work. He said the city was greatly indebted to Mr. Dyson for the part he had played in the development and carrying out of the idea of the scenic drive. A resolution expressing views along theee lines was alao carried unimously. Not Appreciated. The activities of coniineroial lending libraries operating under the title of book clubs were referred to at the annual meeting of the Leys Institute last evening by Sir Cecil Leys, who presided. These elub.j did not supply anything like the variety of books and literature available in the municipal libraries and other wueh institutions, aaid Sir Cecil. They catered largely for people who read the lighter books of fiction, and they dealt largely in reprints and not in fii'ht editions. Tho clubs had in their favour, however, their convenient situations for people returning home from business who patronised the clubs in many instances instead of the institutions which irave valuable eervice to the community at a cust—if the position were I jiroperly examined—far lc-s than that paid to the book dubs. Subscribers to the recognised lending libraries in the city and suburbs were not only able to obtain the books they were interested in, but were privileged to obtain books from the reference sections of the libraries, and this privilege was not appreciated to the extent it should he. It should lie impressed upon the public that the Central Library and its branches, and the Leys Institute in particular, possessed works of reference most valuable to the public. A service was thus provided that was available nowhere else, and the coot wae infinitesimal.