NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 132, 7 June 1939, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Visit Cancelled. The noted author. Sir Hugh Walnole, will not visit .New Zealand during Centennial year as was liis intention, according to advice received by the Auckland branch of the Cumberland and Westmoreland Association. In writing to the association accepting the position of natron, Sir Hugh, who war born in Auckland, expressed regret that lie would not he able to make his proposed visit to the Dominion in November, 1!)39, or January, Mt-H). ' When Autumn Leaves Fall. \esterday home gardens and parks in Auckland presented a picture of russets, golds and greens of varying hues—the autumn tints of trees and shrubs. Tin's morning, however, gardens, after last night's big blow, had a bedraggled appearance, and trees that were not of the evergreen varieties were largely denuded of foliage, which they have retained much longer than usual. When the weather clear* again gardeners will have a birsy time gathering up the carpets of leaves to be found on all sides. Bullocks on Road Work. The fact that what is believed to be the last bullock team in the South Island is still in work at Taieri Reach was mentioned at a meeting of the Hruee County Council, when it was decided to send a letter to the owner of the team. Mr. K. Whclan, thanking him for his assistance in forming a road in the WaiImla rilling. The team numbers eight powerful bullocks, which Mr. Whclan uses chiefly for dragging logs on his property at Taieri Iteaclt. The animals are yoked in a style that lias been in vogue for over a century. Their owner i< very proud of the team, and has offered to assist the council further with his bullocks in improving the roads. Hat With " Gutter:' Hats worn by women coming to work through the pouring rain this morning were moulded into many weird shapes by the soaking they received. One which stood np to the elements, however, was worn by a young I woman who boarded a city-bound tram just I when the rain was beginning to ease off a little. The hat was a sturdy affair, with a I wide brim, turned up all round. When she isat down, those behind her noticed a pool of water, collected in her dash for the tram, form in the brim at the back. With every move of her head the water swilled round the brim, and an elderly gentleman sitting immediately behind tried to draw her attention to the fact. She did not seem to understand, however, and she made no move to dispose of the water until it eventually seeped through the material and started to drip down her neck.

Deferred Import Payments. Importers who are seeking the authority of the Customs Department to import goods prohibited under the licensing schedules by arranging for payment without recourse t<> New Zealand's exchange funds, are tumble to obtain an assurance from the (!o\ eminent regarding the future transfer of tin* funds. In one instance an Auckland importing Hi in. which had arranged with its overseas principals to allow the proceeds from the sale of the imports to accumulate in the Dominion, has received advice from the Comptroller of Customs that favourable consideration will be given to applications for permits to import on a deferred payment basis, on the understanding that no rem it ta nee is made within two years of the date of importation of the goods', but remittance after that time must be subject to the availability of exchange. Baa Shelters Needed. Without shelter of any kind at numerous bus stoptj along the eastern waterfront, many travellers to the city from St. Helier's, Kohima>ama, Mission Hay and Orakei were exposed to the full force of the nor'-easterly vale this morning. Under the conditions it was impossible to make use of umbrellas, and in a few minutes overcoats and hats were soaked. The worst point was that at the foot of the *teps at Xgapipi Road. Hobson Point, used by Orakei residents. Here the full force <pf the heavy squalls had to be faced by those waiting to signal approaching buses, and this meant a wetting under the most-try-ing conditions. Women's stockings and hats were soaked and in some cases damaged, and the discomforts of the experience were felt throughout the day. For several years the provision of shelters for bus travellers has been under consideration by the bus company, the Auckland Transport Board and the Auckland City Council. Users of the service hold that to-day's storm revealed the urgency of the need. Girl Workers Sought. Plans are now under way tip bring to New Zealand skilled girl factory workers from Britain and Australia. Female labour for factories has become so hard to liml that this step is being taken at once, says a Press Association message from Christ t'liureli. At, the. same time requests are now before the Minister of Labour, the Hon. l\ C. Webb, for the extension of the adult apprenticeship subsidy silieme to cover women workers. It" tlii- extension is granted it will le | .-,• •{> •'•'•. ;o employ unskilled wimu n who arc owr 21 years of age. The shortage of girl w iU ■•• applies not only to factories. FfospitaN all over the country are having difficulty in finding all the nurses they need, and 'there are still comparatively few girls and women willing to do domestic work. The Covei iiment has been approached by home service associations in various centres with a request that a system of assisted passages for domestic workers from F.npland should be reintroduced. and this is under consideration by the Government.

Shame as Incentive. A city parent has joined the national defence reserve as a means of persuading his son to join the Territorials —hut he puts it more bluntly than that. "The reason why I signed up \ va s to shame my boy into playing his part."' the father declares. '"I mean that. 1 believe young men of to-day would go to light if a war was 071. ami in fact they would have enrolled had the cri-is in Europe remained grave, hut very few of them realise that training y nio.-t important. They won't train, some of them, mile-- they are shamed into it. in spite of the fact that none o * them would l.e backward if war came." Coincidence Or . . . At a city hotel during a recent race meeting the barman picked a horse named (lay Pot. So that his customers would lie able to hear the commentary on the race, he thoughtfully placed the wireless set on the counter. As the eager listeners were crowding around the set the barman accidentally chtight his foot, in the wire leading to the switch. One of the customers deftljr caught the Hying set, but the wire caught on a stone pot, which went crashing to the ground. At the precise moment of the pot hitting the ground the commentator over the wireless announced that the driver of Clay Pot had fallen from hi. sulky. Gunpowder and Mushrooms. This is not a recipe for a new cocktail but it relates to a combination of annoy-ances-—guns and mushrooms —which is reported to be routing the ire of a number of Helensville farmers, and the notice, "Trespassers will lie prosecuted," is becoming more common. Farmers complain that sportsmen walk over private properties as if they owned them, and in some cases go as far as pitching camp alongside private lakes and putting out their decoy birds as a matter of course. The second complaint is against people who wander over farms and walk oil' with as many mu-lirooms as they can gather. One farmer explosively remarked: ••What would these people say 'if 1 walked into their town gardens ami look (heir choice How eis or a chicken or two.' The offenders are usually motorists, and if they can afford a car they can afford to buv their lnush-

Air Schedules Upset. Crey fug and thick, misty rain enveloped Wellington all day yesterday, obscuring hills around the city and causing a number of delays to c crcial air services. At the worst pcirod visibility at Kougotai airport was reduced to oil yards. Delays ranging from I,"} to ."() minutes were caused during the morning in Cook Strait Airways' schedules, while Cnion Airways' Dunedin-Auckland Lockheed air liner was diverted from Wellington and (lew from Blenheim direct to I'almerston North. Passengers and mails for the capital city were transferred at- I'almerston Xorth to a later south-bound 'plane, and reached Rongotai nearly two hours late. Another aitliner, due at Wellington from Auckland at 11 a.m.. waited at I'almerston Xorth for an "all clear" report, and finally reached Rollgotai at 1.14 p.m. Drivers Face Charges. Two or three motorists will be charged with driving without due consideration for other road users as a result of" a visit by Transport Department, and Wellington City Council traffic officers to a length of the Hut't Hoad that is being reconstructed l.v the Main Highways Hoard. The motorists who will be charged are said to have pulled out from the line of traffic and cut in on other vehicles. There have been many complaints by users of the road that huge quantities of mud have been thrown on to windscreens, necessitating the cars being stopped immediately so that the windscreens could be (leaned. In a number of instances overtaking vehicles travelling at a high speed have caused mud to fly on to slower-moving vehicles. One motorist said he had had to wash his windscreen seven times in half an hour.

Billy-Goat Wears Pants. Tt was a great indignity for a billy-goat, who know no master, to be put forcibly into a pair of sawn-olf dungarees, hut lie deserved it. Felices were no obstacle to him and hiheld of "nannies, - ' whose liking for vegetables was fatal to the horticultural ambitions of an outback fanner endeavouring to raise his own supply of greens. At last the harassed man. meeting the herd in the open when on horseback, rode down and roped their leader. Billy looked too tmitth for meat, and in any case was useful in grazing down tin- young; gorsp. The farmer spared his life, but subjected him to the indignity of trousers —old dungaree* cut short to reach about half-way down the goat's hind legs, and roped securely round his middle. Tie careered round the paddock, and eventually cleared out to the hills. Neither he nor any of his consorts has since been seen round the homestead. " Unwillingly to School." To-day was the first really wet day Auckland has had for a long time —and small boys going to school made the most of it. They do not seem to catch cold-; as easily as adults. for many of them go barefoot on such a day as this. \"o self-respecting small buy would deign to walk on the footpath when it is raining. The gutter i< the place for them, and the fuller the gutter the longer the journey to school. Tn truth, for them the shortest way to lessons i- the longot way round. One of a. party of four trailing thi; morning in single lile along a niece of tlat laud, where the '..Hitlers were hllint! up nicely, was a.-'uillv carrying his shoe- and stot'k'c-'S ~M . r hi- shoulder, i'h' Muartet came t.i a place where >ome fallen !c-iv<s.' I locking the htoimwatcr grating, had •••nsvd the waters to overflow their '•banks.'' i'.,, .;,,,r a muddy pool. The fpiartet stopped. The place had l>e(>u made for them. Off came their schoolings from their shoulders. The one carrying his -hoes and stockings flung them on to the pavement. Then they got down to business. The point was to find the grating and remove the leaves. A pa-ser-bv stopped his motor ear to watch them. It was then seven minutes before 0 o'clock. They were -till there when he left at two minutes to the hour—and school was more than two minutes awav.