NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Berries are Late.

I lir native ltnrrios are lato tTiU year, hut the mountain co[vro*snia is now showing its ta mi liar little red cluster*?. -Manx*" of the native plants are in hurl. Clematis is one of them, and kohurancri— of the skies—is a No showing* signs of another season approaching.

Stock Damage Bush. In a patch of native bush at the head of the Henderson Valley is an illustration of the damage caused to native flora bv stock. Cattle have browsed on kiekie and ferns, and native begonia has been trampled underfoot. In adjacent fenced-off areas the undergrowth is luxurious, and on former cleanups there is e\idence of the remarkable regeneration which follows when stock does not have access. Java's High Taxation. The consolation of learning that New Zealanders have not yet reached the taxation of Java was gained by Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Driller, of Wellington, who returned yesterday from a round voyage to the East by the Maetsuvcker. Mr. Driller said that for all its beauty and wonders. Java forced its citizens who earned a respectable living salary to live ■in hotels, so that they might avoid taxation on furniture and servants. Farm Labour Troubles.

Scions «lifflonllif s met liv dairv farmers in the past season were enumerated liv Mr. A. T. Carnill. i-liairman nf diroi-tius of the Wairna ( 'n-opera ti\e Dairy Company, at the annual meeting. The unfavourable seasonal coii.litions resulted in a, fall of 2."i per rent ill the company's produetion. A disquiet in™ feature, said Mr. Carroll, was the number of cases where herds had been reduced because farmers were unable to compete 011 the labour market. Potatoes From America. Pukekolie potato trrowers are concerned at the i;rantinir of licenses to merchants for the importation of potatoes from the Pacific Coast, U.S.A. Provided credits for payment can be obtained, it is expected that several hundreds of tons will be imported to relieve the ™rowinjr shortapre in. the Dominion, firowers are afraid that importation from overseas may affect prices for the. early Pukekohe crop, which will come on the market in September. A lar™er area than usual has been planted owing to the high prices ruling. Signs of Spring.

While memory is still fresh of the tempestuous winter, there are already signs about Auckland of the coming of an early spring. Though rain has fallen on recent days, the mornings have been soft and spring-like, and plants in suburban gardens are beginning to make perceptible growth. Even more noticeable a sign, however, is the reddish tint of a pohutukawa in the centre of Albert Park. It is already beginning to bud, and will probably be ahead of itself as the Xew Zealand Christmas tree. Malaya Interested in Dominion.

Many people ho had met 011 his travels in Malaya intended either to visit New Zealand or to retire here, said Mr. W. J. Ewart, who returned by the Maotsuyeker yesterday. He said he had met a number of New Zealanders living in different parts he had visited, and they were responsible for much of the interest displayed in the Dominion. In Penang, for example, he had met a Dr. Brodie, who had toured New Zealand a short time ago with a motion picture camera. Dr. Brodie made a point of showing his film to many people. Mr. Ewart said he had been impressed with the wealth of Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, and by the way money was spent there. Wool Trade Revival. News of remarkable activity at the Yorkshire woollen mills has further raised the hopes of Xew Zealand sheep farmers for better prices for their wool in the coming season. The latest report cabled from London states that English consumption of imported wool has increased 41 per cent compared with the first six months of 1938. while unemployment in the woollen textile industry has fallen from 22 per cent to 6 per cent in the past year. When the Xew Zealand selling season opens in November the benefits of this revival in the industry should have their full effect, as demand is keenest at present for crossbred wool, which makes up the bulk of the Dominion's clip. More Liberal Lending. I "It is a little early yet to form any definite opinion ait to whether the terms and conditions of rural lending could, with advantage, be varied.'' says the annual report of Messrs. A. D. Park and T. X. Sniallwood, joint managing directors of the Rural Intermediate Credit Board, "but the working of the system is being closely observed, and this aspect will receive further consideration." Certain restrictions which previously applied to loans made to farmer borrowers were recently removed by amending legislation, the two most important being the removal of the limit of £2000 for any one loan made by the hoard direct to a borrower and the withdrawal [of the condition requiring loans to be partially guaranteed. Trend in Building Industry. Evidence that the expansion in the building industry in Xew Zealand reached its zenith la*t summer, and has since declined, is contained in the latest .issue of the "Abstract of Statistics." The total amount represented in permits for new buildings issued in June, in the larger centres, was £685.517. as compared | with £811.236 in January, and £548.650 in ■Tune of last year. On five occasions during the twelve months ended June of this year the monthly figures exceeded £700.000. and in I three of these months they were above tSOO.ftOO. the liiarhest total being £860.789 in October last. Permits for new dwellings, which account for the major portion of the monthly totals, have shown a somewhat narrower range of fluctuations than those for other buildings. Tn June jnf this year permits issued for dwellings in the main centres amounted to £553.073. Of this sum £227.737 was the Auckland citv and suburban share, compared with £133.612 for 'Wellington, the only other district with a six-figure total. Dominion Money Troubles. "All the excuses of the politicians and their statements that our money is good anywhere is so much eye-wash,'' declared Mr. F. S. Driller, of Wellington, when he returned to Xew Zealand by the Maetsuycker yesterday after compi ting the round voyage to the Ka-;t bv the vessel. Mr. Driller explained that only once was he successful in having Xew Zealand pound notes accepted during his trip, although he had set out deliberately to test the truth of the statements that Xew Zealand currency was worthless in other countries. Before leaving Wellington Mr. and Mr-;. Driller 1 obtained sterling travel coupons, so their trip ; was in 110 wav marred by their inability to I pass Xew Zealand coinage. Mr. Driller fur- J ther explained that he tried banks. po-;t : offices, business (inr-; aYid shops in various ' Eastern ports visited, and no one would accept Xew Zealand money. TTe did it in<t fur fun, but thought Hie joke was 011 He had. however, spent £2 in Xew Zealand notes 011 a taxi drive at Port Moresby. The person who accepted the money was a Catholic priest in charge, of a large orphanage, who ran a taxi service to obtai'n funds for his mission. TTe was aware of the value of Xew Zealand money, and accepted the fare with his eyes open.

New Zealand Leads. As the world's leading exporter of mutton and lamb, Xew Zealand easily maintained her position in the past season. Although the season was well past its peak in July. 115.540 carcases of mutton and Oon.Pi:}.-) carcases of lamb were shipped to the United Kingdom. The latest report of the Xew Zealand -Meat Producers' Board gives exports of other countries in comparison with these figures. Australia shipped 43.784 carcases of mutton and 54,.51."> of lamb in the same period, and South America 5267 carcases of mutton and 190.2'Jt; of lamb.

Involuntary Botanist? Considerable amusement was caused on a citv-bound tram this morning when an Epsom resident boarded the vehicle. There was quiet lausrhter from many of those seated behind him and it was some time before he discovered that the back of his raincoat was covered with twips and green hedge clippings. The explanation lay in the fact that during a particularly heavy but short hailstorm he had taken shelter behind a hedge and had crouched close to it to avoid the driving hail and rain. It was a frood move, because he arrived at his work warm and dry. Extending the Field. It would appear that those who are organising the annual appeal for funds for Auckland orphanages are not going to allow any area to ™o untouched. At the monthly meeting of the Ostend Road Board a letter was received from Lady Davis asking if arrangements could be made for collections to be taken up on Waiheke Island, an action which has nut occurred before. A suggestion at the board meeting that the various residents' associations at Waiheke be co-opted was approved. and steps are being taVen to have collection* made in the main settlements. Potato Crops. While pointoes. both old and new, are maintaining good prices at the markets and in shops, many an Aticklander is digging his own crop of new potatoes from his back carden. There have been few frosts in Auckland this winter, although conditions have frequently been bleak, and what there have been have not been sufficient to blacken the tops of potatoes in sheltered positions. "Residents who are enjoying their potatoes fresh from their own gardens are mostly those who have their properties not far removed from the sea, but even farther inland good crops of potatoes are developing excellently. Teeming Millions in Java. The population of Java is 42.000.000. with an annual increase of 500,000. To cope with the problem arising from this growth, the Dutch Government has a transmigration syster whereby whole villages are transported bodily to another island, such as Sumatra or Borneo, in the Netherlands East Indies. Mr. K. T. Marijn, a Government inspector, who is travelling back to the Netherlands East Indies in the Maetsuvcker after visiting Xew Caledonia to inspect the employment of native Dutch subjects working under contract for th" French Government, stated that the natives were migrated permanently and by this means the Government considered it would be able to meet the population problem for many years to come. Mr. Marijn said that about 1000 natives went every year to Xew Caledonia. but they did not number enough to provide much relief for the population problem in Java. Some of these men were travel- ! ling liack to Java in the Maetsuvcker after completing their contract with the French Government. " Bluffing " the Plants. . The changeable weather conditions in ! recent weeks have even the plants and the flowers bluffed, and they are usually regarded as knowing what is what when it comes to the matter of climatic conditions. When the weather takes on the first touch of spring, there are usually flowers poking out their delicate heads or trees bursting into blossom. Last week the sun on one or two days had delightful warmth, and immediately in some orchards plum trees began to blossom, and other trees increased the size of their buds, ready to splash their colour about in the near future. Pussy willow, too. in many eases sprouted in all its glory. After the tempestuous week-end, however, many of the trees and flowers which have assumed their spring cloaks, no doubt will be regretting that they heralded the spring so early. They set the example for some humans, who discarded a good deal of winter clothing 011 the warmer days last week. Residents of Auckland have been aide to cover up their mistakes, however, and yesterday and to-day were wearing as many of their "woollies" as they were during the depth of the winter. Whose Teeth? ' Standing invitingly in the grounds of a Mount Eden residence is an orange tree laden with fruit. So inviting indeed is the fruit that on a recent evening some person nipped over the fence and sampled it. The resident was unaware of the intruder's visit until next morning, when, gazing affectionately at the citrus tree, he noticed that here and there a juic- orange had been plucked from its stem. Further investigation revealed an upper set of f ilse teeth 011 the ground. This was indeed incriminating evidence. The teeth apparently parted the company of their owner with the pips of the oranges, which were consumed on the spot. Xow the householder is keeping .1 wary eye for a man with his upper set of teeth li'issin™. or with teeth of an unusual shape, for the artificial molars which were reposing underneath the. orange tree were protruding in front. Tn the goodness of his heart the resident is anxious to return them to their rightful owner.