NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 137, 13 June 1939, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Retiring Hospital Employees. Derision has been made by the Auckland Hospital Board that employees with at least 13 years' service, voluntarily retiring at 00 years of ape. shall be entitled* to three months' leave of absence on full pay. By the Ton. In a. report received by the Auckland Hospital Board from the house manager of the infirmary, Mr. D. H. Heron, it was stated that the vegetables harvested from the grounds there amounted to nine tons. A Nice Job for a Cold Morning. Most people are finding difficulty in leaving their cosy beds in time to catch buses into the city these mornings, while many are missing their cold plunge. There is one man who really enlists general sympathy. He is the iceman. As people bustled aiong city streets this morning rubbing cold fingers, out of a shop came an iceman with a large block of ice firmly grasped in his band, and thinking, no doubt, of a holiday at the South Pole. Dissatisfied with Award. '•Auckland members of the Builders, Contractors and (ieneral Labourers' Union arc dissatisfied with the terms of the new award which has just been issued to cover them." stated Mr. T. Stanley, secretary of the union. this morning. Mr. Stanley added that a conference of representatives of tlv> union throughout New Zealand bad been called for Wellington on Thursday, when the whole position in connection with the award would be gone into. Mr. Stanley will leave for the south to-morrow evening.

New Arrivals. Two motor drivers, a tractor driver, a bakers' improver, n fitter nml several labourer- were included in a party of 17 Australian workers which arrived from Sydney by the Xiagara last night seeking work here. Six Jewish immigrants also 1 ravelled by the boat. These new arrivals were mot on hoard and interviewed by Mr. J. H. KUhury. State Placement Officer. Also on the boat wore 12 i tradesmen, mostly boilermakers. who have come to New Zealand under contract, for positions in the Government railway workshops. Power Authorities Puzzled. Damage to the power wrvicc* in the Waitemata county during the weekend electrical storm was noticed to be greater in two areas, one around Kumeu and Taupaki and the other in the Kanohi district, about 12 miles north of Helensville. Xo explanation of this could be offered by the power supply authorities, who said they had noticed that lightning displays always caused more trouble ill these areas than anywhere else in the north. It was therefore necessary to keep a i closer watch for burnt-out tran-foriuer fuseijud other interference* here than 01-owhero. Weather Delays Shipping. Heavy sea- followed the Canadian-Au--tralasian liner Niagara throughout her \ovage ai-ro-s the Ta.-man. When the \ essel arrived late la*t night, the captain reported a typical winter crossing, with cold winds and rough seas. Several passengers were thrown about, but nobody was injured. Similar weather was met by the cargo steamer Kurow. which arrived yesterday morning from Sydney, (able messages from Sydney state that the Matson liner Monterey, which reached there from Auckland yesterday, wa- delayed by rough seas. Stormy weather i- continuing to delay incoming shipping. Drug Dangers. In an address to Auckland Hot aria n- yesterday. Mr. Matthew Cowley, of Salt Lake City. U.S.A.. speaking on crime in America, mentioned the problem pre-ented to the authorities in dealing with "dope bends.'' He said that- certain people would embody in cigarettes a dope that would -ap the mental faculties of the smoker. l'nd"r its influence lads would become highly excitable and filled with exaggerated ideas as to their powers. It was a practice with some criminals to waylay boys coming home from school, and. having got them seini-stupetied with the doped cigarettes, persuaded them to undertake some crime. These practices could not be prevented under Customs regulations, as the stuff was manufactured in the country. Two Storms — One Broke. For one man in the city at least, the thunderstorm yesterday afternoon was providential. He was a lawyer, and in the middle of a heavy afternoon's work he was runldenly interrupted by a telephone call. It was a woman client, well known to him because of her unfortunate habit of telephoning when be was extremely busy, and of making all sort - of unimportant inquiries. He could not fell what his face expressed, and what he had wanted to tell her when the incident had happened many times before. Rut two storm-i happened to he gathering at the same time — one on his face and the other over the city. The one over the city broke/ and as soon ahe could make himself heard over the thunder, he said with a line air of regret: "I'm sorry. 'Mrs. X. but you had better hang up now. The lightning make- the telephone dangerous." Then the storm disappeared from his face.

Nursing Services

Kxteiiwion of nursing services was urged by Mr. G. T. Parvin at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board last evening. He pointed out that in view of the Social Security legislation they should not wait until they got congestion at the hospital, as nianv people could be treated in their own homes. Lights in the Fog.

The harbour was a gloomy spectacle last night. A heavy rain was falling, the air was thick with foggy haze, which caused the distant lights to have an almost eerie appearance with dull misty halo around them. About 10 o'clock these conditions eased a trifle, and just off the Xorth Head a brilliant display of lights was observed as the Niagara steamed slowly to the wharves. As she was proceeding up the harbour the rain had stopped and stars were beginning to show, and the view .of the vessel presented a great contrast to the former conditions.

Crash Through Window. A shattered pane of glass and a dented front mudguard were all the outward results of a remarkable accident in Courthouse Lane late yesterday afternoon, when a runaway car crashed into a window of the premises of the A.P.A. Union Assurance Society, Ltd. People inside were fortunate to escape cuts from flying glass. Commercial travellers with cars parked in the lot on the C" ancery Street corner were also fortunate, for, if the vehicle had not swerved to the right, mounted the pavement and struck the building, it would have gained speed on the decline and crashed into the line of parked cars. Accident Narrowly Averted. Presence of mind by a truck driver, and good brakes on his vehicle, saved a possibly serious accident in Mount F.den Road yesterday morning. A youngster had come running up a side street to catch the tramear. and. when it started to move off without her. dashed for the step without looking to see if any traffic was coming. The truck was almo-t alongside the tram at the time, and had started to move when the youngster ran out in front of it. The driver jammed on his brakes and swerved to the kerb, to pull up barely a foot away from the child. Rat Week Campaign. There were many inquiries at the Town Hall yesterday arising from the rat week campaign, also a big demand for poisoned bait«. which are being supplied free to householders, and distributed from various depots in the city. Officials of Auckland suburban local bodies also had •many inquiries and requests for poison. The wet and cold weather has had the effect of making rats take cover and seek buildings and other shelter. The fullest co-operation of householders in the metropolitan area is sought, and a request is made that as manv traps as possible should be set. Ship's Troubles in Bar Harbour. A delay approaching a record for recent years has been experienced by the I'uion (oinpain's vessel Karepo, which arrived at Grcynionth on Friday, dune 2. to load approximately :HM»(> tons nf coal for Auckland, t'nder normal eircuristnnccs she would have been dispatched from Creyumtith on the Saturday night or Monday, but owini: to various circumstances and the King's Birthday holiday on the Monday, she did not complete loading until the Tuesday night. Since then the vessel has been bar-bound by the combination of the lack of water on the bar, bad weather and rough seas. She has nowbeen tied up at the (ireymouth wharf for ten days. All hope of there being a profit on the trip vanished last week. and. of course, the delay will be reflected in the absence of a return loading. Barefoot Among the Hail. During yesterday's Arctic- weather, the climax of which was experienced in the heavy thunderstorm which burst over Stanley Point . about 2 p.m., hail fell in astonishing quantity. ! Around the doors of some residences the white ] heaps of ice lay nearly a foot deep, and children coming home from school made sizable snowballs. The highlight of the storm, however, was provided by the spectacle of a middle-aged lady with her skirts tucked up under her overcoat, wading barefoot through the swirling ice-cold water and floating cakes of concealed hail, industriously sweeping away the menacing flood from her cherished garden treasures. The comment of one passer-by was: "Now. there's a sample of the girls that used to be!"' The heroine waved him on with a flick of her broom, as her white feet spurned another large he-ip of hailstones. Road Accidents.

In referring to road accidents .Generally, tin- Minister of Transport, the Hon. H. Semple, said yesterday that on tlip roads that had boon improved and where competent inspectors were employed road accident* had decreased by 20 per cent. The Hirure in the cities had remained stationary, while on roads lh.it had not Keen improved tho accident rate had increased. Air. Semple drew attention to I hi' work that was heine; carried out on the roads throughout the Dominion. Widening operation-; had been accomplished in numerous localities, had hends had been eliminated with a view to the motorist, having better virion, and many other improvements' effected that had made the roads safer for users of the highways. The Transport Depart ment was doing everything possible to impress upon drivers the necessity fo exercise caution when on the roads, added the Minister.