NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 148, 26 June 1939, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Air Mail Delay.

Only a portion of one mail from the United Kingdom arrived by the Monterey this morning. The Telegraph Department advises that part .>!" this ntni] and the whole of another. lioth of which were Kinpire air mail for New Zealand, were landed at Surabaya, in Java, nnd in consequence will be delivered at a later date.

Deafness in New Zealand. Surprising figures regarding deafness in this country were given by Dr. F. J. Ovvynne, president of the A ink hind division of" the Briti-h Medical .Association, speaking at the. inauguration of the new group hearing aids at the rooms of the local branch of the Xew Zealand League fur the Hard of Hearing. According to him. there were no fewer than 14.000 persons in the Dominion definitely hard of hen ring, while it had been estimated that one person in six is affected with deafness in some way. Ban On Solo Climbing. | Snlo climbing on Mount Kgmont has been furbidden to its members by the Taranaki Alpine (lub. 'the committor has decided that those who wish to climb alone shall first sever their connection with the club. "Solo climbing is at cl] film's, accompanied by a great ideal of unnecessary risk," says a statement | issued by the committee. "'•Accidents are not so likely to occur if two or more are climbing together, especially on snow or ice. when the u-e of a rope will often save a man from slipping more than a few feet.*' Fumes in the Streets. In these days of heavy motor traffic exhaust funics are becoming more and more prevalent. Some heavy vehicles when starting after a halt emit black clouds of crude oil fumes. In one instance three cyclists, not paying much attention to the road, rode gently up behind a huge vehicle which was ju-t moving off. They were enveloped in these fumes. After a considerable amount of coughing and eye-wiping they were able to proceed, but not without a slightly hostile feeling towards the driver and the vehicle itself.' Aviation Goes Ahead. Progress made in the past year by commercial air services in Xew Zealand is illustrated by returns given in the "Abstract of Statistics" issued in Wellington. The number of passengers carried during the vear ended March :il was 11:1.3 st. compared with "il.-Vili in lf»:i7-.Ts. Mail matter carried hv regular services alone amounted to .liti.:ssnih. and freight to lf>fi.22 4lb. the conesponding figures for the previous year being 21(i.23!51b and n1.70.11b. It is to be observed that the quantity of freight carried has more than doubled. Trick That Was Too Realistic. The art of "'magic," or sleight-of-hand, is all very well in its way. but it has its disadvantages, as one young man found out to his cost during the week-end. He was showing to an admiring circle of friend- a recentlylearned trick, in which a coin is made to "disappear" when it is rubbed against the elbow, and then is found in the magician's collar. He made the coin disappear all right, but when the crucial ino"'cnt came for him to produce it from hi<* collar, he found that '"something had gone wrong somewhere." and he could not I locate the coin. He searched for it. long and I carefully, but the coin is still missing. I

Import Reactions. Australian reactions tn the tightening up of hanking control to protect Now Zealand's exchange funds have heen experienced earlier than those of oilier countries. accuViliii'j to Auckland merchant -. \Oiii >tnt" iliat this is due to the nea mews of the t'omimmwealth. The time requind to transmit icgotiaWc trade document-: to New Zealand from Australia is oiilv four days, compared with over a month from Britain. It is tlierefore too early yet to estimate British reactions, hut importers are watching closely the position in regard to payment for iioods shipped from Britain to arrive in the Dominion at the end of the first licensing period—that is, during the next week or so. " Dipping " Headlights. The new regulation coucerninc the dipping of headlights will he welcomed by many motorists who have l>een temporarily Winded hy the glare of oncroning lisht*. some of which are far more hriiliunt. than necessary. The •ilo.-id Code" issued -c time ago as'a guide to motorists say-: •'The various c"itrto-ie~. while ineetintr another veliieh l of diiiplng. dimming or operating only the |ef| head lamp and side lights are permi.-- ilile. but are not obligatory." What was rniee a ''mere coiirte«v" i- now t" lie a rule. The end paragraph of the "Bond Code - -" -r— of Lights" section i« as follows: "The re-nonsihilif y for The uroiier lamps hoing fitte.l and efficient, is ■~, both the owner and th" driver of tit" vehicle, and !he respotisihilit v for ii-ing the lights in the proper manner is mi the driver."'

Auckland's Growing Waterfront.

A latere increase in property value- nlnnjr (lie Auckland waterfront will he recorded in the valuation survey now heiner carried out hv officers of (he Valuation Department. Since tlie survey was made in 1022, the Freeman's liny reclamation ha* h"en developed for the stornrre of petrol on a scale nnd reamed of nt flint time, and a number of other industries have hecn established in (he vicinity of the western waterfront. On the eastern reclamation (he most important chancres arc those takincr place as a result of the construction of airport buildings for Imperial Airways and Pan-American Airways and the erection of a filer cool store for the Auckland Farmers' Freczinir Company. Tn addition, the vehicular ferry facilities have licen established in their present position since 1022.

Congo Missionary's Romance. The fight of a Xew Zealand-trainer! medical missionary with threatened death from tetanus in the heart of the Belgian Congo and his subsequent marriage with the nurse who assisted to save his life form the basis of a modern romance of particular interest to Xew Zealanders. The missionary was Dr. Harold Trevor Knights, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Knights, of Hamilton. Four years ago Dr. Knights left Xew Zealand to join the English Baptist Missionary Society. Apart from his work as a missionary, Dr. Knights was engaged hy the Belgian Government to medically examine all the natives in a specified district twice a year. When employed in this work he contracted tetanus 20 miles away from the nearest dispensary. Mounting his bicycle, he pushed his way through forest paths hack to the medieal post at Yakusu. where, however, there was insufficient serum to treat the i patient, who by this time had become very ill. Except for his right arm. his whole body 1 was paralysed. Mi*s Alice Doris Movies, a missionary nurse engaged in the Belgian Congo Baptist Mission, was advised of Dr. Knights' illness, and she travelled manv miles by canoe through the night to reach the patient. An aeroplane was chartered, and serum supplies were secured. Tn the meantime Miss Movies nursed the patient, who was then in a dying ■ ; eondition. The serum eventually arrived and injections were made just in time to save the j I patient's life. The sequel occurred at the British Consul's office in Leopoldville on Feb-' |ruary .1. when the marriage took place of Dr.! • Knights and Miss Moyea. \

German Refugees Help Australia. Herman refugee- arc jilaving a vital part m the industrial development of Australia, according' to Si,- < harles Marr. a former Commonwealth Mini-ter ~f Defence, who arrived at Auckland recently. He paid the knowledge, skill and organising ability of clonic of the refugees were of "great value, and in the field of industrial chemistry Australia had gained tremendously. The is-:-tance of leading refugees had been enlisted in starting several important new winks. Tree and Hedge Planting. Nurserymen in the Auckland district have been particularly busy during the past fewweeks as a result of* ,i ru.-li of orders for shelter and ornamental trees and shrub*, hedge plants and fruit trees fn,:u town ami country. The busiest months of the planting s-ea-on are usually from late in May until the end of August, "and this yean partly as a result of the favourable conditions for preparing the soil in May. activity in the finst few weeks of the season has been exceptional. The majority of nurserymen report that the demand is considerably in excess of that in June last year. Materials for Local Industries. Indications that manufacturers' needs are continuing to receive preference over other imports in the allocation of New Zealand's overseas exchange funds are not wanting in Auckland. •'Taking into account the shortage of funds ami the oilier ditlicultie- existing. the Covernment has kept it- bargain with the manufacturers reasonably well."' said a member of the Auckland Manufacturers" Association to-day. ••Firms which have had to expand their operations to meet a rush of orders have found their position in regard to the supply of imported raw materials much improved since the tangle of last .January and February was st ra ightencd out." i Rugby Team Called Off. I Apparently because he considered the ga was becoming too rough. Mr. V. ]■'.. Kerr. ' coach of the New Plymouth Hoys' High | School lii-sf fifteen, called his team 'off eight i minute before the end of a Iloli-compet it inn ! game with the Tukapa junior grade team at j New Plymouth on Saturday. High School! was leading by It points to three. During ' the game, which was watched by a la gc crowd, the referee. Mr. ('. X. Julian, warned several Tukapa players and the captain of the team. High School'- match against St. Patrick's College at Havvera next Saturday is considered to have had something In do with; Mr. Kerr's decision. Interviewed after the; match, he said he preferred to make no cominent.

To Help Thetis Dependents. At an auction of a section of l.ind donated | by Mr. V. \V. Hurley. ~f Hamilton, for the dependents of the men who perished in the British submarine Thetis, 11„. highest bi'i «- £K(I. The purchaser was a Hamilton xilici tor, Mr. 11. C. M. .Vorris. The bidding opened : at £o(l, Mr. Bui ley himself ..lie: in.' C 7". The' section, which is situated in Ka.-t Street. : Clauiieiands. is about a i|Uarter of an acre in area. The proceeds of the sale will be sent to the Lord Mayor of London's fund for the dependents of the men who were lost in the! disaster. Mr. Burlev had previnu-dv donated! f Mill toward the fund. Tin- services of the, auctioneer and others engaged were given free anil the section was cleared by boys from the Hamilton Technical High School. i New Traffic Regulations. Investigation by the Xew Zealand Road! Safety Council of the dangers of night driv- ! ing influenced the amended motoring regulation*!. The Safety Council indicated j last year Unit night hazards were five times | greater than • o-e in the daytime. Under the | former system, the centre beam of the headlight was rei|uired to .-trike the road not more

than '.iuiit't ahead, and when tlie lights were dipped the licit in whs expected tt. -trike nut i than Hunt ahead. The eoiin-il recommended that \eliieles licit equipped with di|•ping apparatus should have their lights permanelitly adjusted to comply with tile regulations. Early this year a report submitted by the Safety Council indicated that dazzling lights caused S2 aeeiilent- la-t year; inadequate lights were responsible for 7-1 mishaps.

Earthworms Invade Houses.

A plague of earthworms, which are continually seeking the insides of the hoii-es, jcausing eon>t ernat ion to the occupants of three dwellings in the Holland settlement, a State housing block in ' oey inotit li. The three housewives concerned are at their wit's end to combat the worms, which ha\... defied ali elTurts to reduce their numbers. It i-. ehieily at night w lien it ,- wet that the worm- begin their invasion of the hoii-es. Large litiiulieis were to be mi'ii the other nbht making their way aero-- a front porch, while other- were -ecu in \aiions parts of the ho|i-c. Xc\! door worms were literally in 1 undreds on the side of tin. hoii-e. At lie back porch a fibre doormat wa- alive with worms, end <urroiiuiJing i! on the concrete steps ami on the wall-, were many more. The itnasion eoinnirncid about two month- ago. It is con-ideied by the tenants that the cause i> the low-lying nature of the three sections, which have rich, loamy 'oil. The only remedy appears to lie the filling up of the sections with a layer of clinker- or a>he s to prevent the passage of the worms.