NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Old Post Office Site.

Further discussion concerning the sale of the old Devonport post office and site took place in committee at last night's meeting of the Devonport Borough Council. It was decided that the town clerk should negotiate with the Public Works Department for the purchase of the building and site with a view of remodelling the building for municipal administrative purposes. Point Chevalier Beach. An endeavour is being made by the Point Chevalier Progressive League to have improvements effected to the beach, particularly regarding the bathing facilities. Representations are being made to secure the services of a caretaker to look nfter the bathing sheds this summer, while efforts are being made to have better seatinjr accommodation provided at Harbour View Road. Newmarket's Pool. Main brickwork on the pool avea of the Xewmarket Olympic swimming pool has now been completed, stated the borough engineer, Mr. X. F. Alcock, at last night's meeting of the Xewmarket Borough Council. "Roving and steel for the walls of the deep end are in position," he said, "and yesterday concreting of this section was begyn. Tiling will be the next step, and the pool should be finished in October." Egg Prices Down Again. Increasing supplies of eggs aVe coming on to the Auckland market as the laying season approaches, and to-day wholesalers reduced their prices again by 3d a dozen. Retail rates are now on a basis of 1/11 a dozen for first grade hen and duck eggs. Compared with Wellington, prices in Auckland are low, for consumers in the capital city have to pay 2/3 a dozen. A message from Wellington states that prices there may be affected by the special demand for purposes connected with the Centennial celebrations. High Spring Tide. There wa-s a high spring tide on the Waiteinntft Harbour this morning, and at points along Tamaki Drive the sea was lapping over the seawall. The absence of any appreciable wind, however, robbed the breaking of waves against the wall .of spectacular effects. The level of the water was well up on the eastern tide deflector, and would have almost completely covered the old scorifl breakwater, while the "free board"' of the Parnell baths was'a mere six or seven inches. There will be a still higher tide to-morrow morning at !>.6 o'clock. Steers Bring Up to £18. A shortage of fat stock sent prices soaring to tho highest level of the year on the Westflehl fat stock market yesterday. Fat cattle were 30/ to 40/ dearer than last week, and a number of prime and heavy bullocks brought £17 to £18 a head, prices unheard of on the market for almost a year. Calves, sheep and lambs also rose in value. Usually the seasonal shortage of fat stock carises price* to rise about this time of the year, but this month the rise had come suddenly, forcing prices to the highest level experienced in August for over ten years. The peak is usually reached in September and October, and the opinion on the market yesterday was that prices would touch record levels next month. Tas man Weather Man. 1 Notice of his transfer on promotion to a similar position at the air base in >'"-h« toes' Bay has been received by the off! -e- in cliartr" of the meteorological office at Warrant aerodrome, Mr. L. X. Larsen. He will li- primarily engaged in the preparation of forecasts for the Tasman air services. Mr. Larsen. who was educated at Westport. later graduating in science at Canterbury University College, has been at Wigram for about two anil a half years. Before coming to Christclmrcli he was at the Dominion Meteorological Office fit, Wellington, where he was engaged for about four years in forecasting for the commercial air services in the Dominion. Before that he was attached to the staff of the Magnetic Observatory, Christcliurch. He has had a considerable amount of flying experience, and is a pilot in the Civil Reserve. For Time of War or Crisis.

The intention of the authorities to revise the proviaional emergency precautions scheme in the light of comments received from selected local bodies to which the original proposals were submitted is announced in the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs. The general object of the scheme, states the report, is to provide a uniform basis for organisation throughout the Dominion for the control in any locality of all essential 'services when these have been suspended as a result of a disaster. "The liability of the Dominion to enemy air attacks has been under consideration by a special committee," the report continues. "Among other suggestions the committee recommended that in the four main centres classes be formed of specially selected persons, who will receive elementary instruction in anti-gas measures. It is considered that the most satisfactory work will be done if membership of the classes is restricted to employees of local authorities, members of first aid organisations, police officers and the personnel of the Defence Forces. The instructional work is in the hands of the Defence Department. In the meantime the classes'are conducted in the evenings and on occasional half-days."

School Holidays. Schools in the Auckland district, both secondary and primary, will break up to-mor-row for their second term holidays. Primary schools will be closed down for a fortnight, and will resume on Tuesday, September •">. 1 he secondary school holidays will extend for a week longer, and the third term will begin 011 September 12. One Tree Hill Progress. Building progress at One Tree Hill was stressed at last night's meeting of the borough council, when the building aiul traffic inspector, Mr. P. J. Hollingsworth, reported that since the beginning of tlie year 104 building permits, valued at £25,538, had been issued, as compared with OS permits, valued at £21i,254, issued for the same period last year, nil increase of £2.>84. Since July 27 of this year five permits had been issued for buildings of a total value of £2880. Included in these were a box factory, a furniture factory, two dwellings and a garage. Renaming of Streets. Recently the Auckland City Council decided to rename a number of streets in the city and suburbs. The opportunity was taken to eliminate duplications, and in the retitling process to commemorate the names of New Zealand pioneer ships, city benefactors, early settlers and those whose names are associated with the history of the Dominion. The effect of the scheme ! now to be seen in various districts, where new signs denoting street names have been erected. To enable residents and visitors to become accustomed to the changes, the old signs have been left up, but t" have been scored out with a black line. Naval Pay Inquiry Finished. The special committee which lias been inquiring into pay and allowances in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy completed the hearing of evidence yesterday, when the chairman, Mr. R. E. Price, conciliation commissioner in Auckland, stated that it was hoped to present the findings arrived at to the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, at the middle of next week. Mr. Price said that the committee had taken evidence from about 110 serving members of the Xavy. They ranged in rank from lower deck ratings to warrant officers, and both New Zealand and Imperial men had appeared before the committee. They included single and married rat in<rs. The Formal Garden. Within the past SO years there had sprung up a school of garden makers who treated the earlier traditions with intelligence and discretion, said Mr. H. L. Mnssev in an address 011 "The Architect, and Landscape (lardeuing." delivered to the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects last night. He said that their work was something more than a mere reconstruction of old custAms, and was free from the fantastic excesses that had brought the formal garden into disrepute. The largest and most permanent gardens of the middle ages were those of the monasteries, said Mr. Massev. With the development of the Tudor style, an elaborate formal layout was evolved. As the 17th century advanced a French influence was felt, and larger layouts became common. Tll the reign of William and Mary a Dutch influence, bringing a wider use of water and fountains, enjoyed brief popularity. Devonport*s Geography. An inquiry as to whether the Devonport Borough Council would consider displaying a map of the borough at the ferry wharf setting out the various bus routes, mounted in a case with a plate-glass front and erected inside tjie shelter 011 the westward side of the Harbour Board structure, was made by the Iwirouvh engineer. Mr. A. T. Crifliths, at last i ,: ':ht's meeting. The engineer said that if this were done all streets of the borough could he displayed and the coloured bus routes would indicate what buses served the various parts of the district. He also suggested that fingerposts set 1111 under the shelter would be desirable to indicate Queen's Parade. King Edward Parade and Victoria Road. Following a discussion, it was decided to explore other means of indicating the geography of tlie borough. Mr. E. A. Aldridge suggested it would be better to display an enlarged aerial portrait with the streets and bus routes marked. Plans or maps were always difficult to follow, he said. Farming Problems. In discussing soil erosion on his return from a visit to Australia yesterday, Mr. H. Woodyear-Smitli. supervisor of the fields division of the Challenge Phosphate Company, Ltd., said he understood that the entire Commonwealth would shortly be organised to tackle the problem in its own defence. Already the New South Wales soil conservation service had fairly wklfe powers, such as the limitation of stocking 011 Crown leases, the opening up of virgin forest areas, and the exploitation of river drainage areas. Officers of the service were also instructing farmers how to prevent further losses by such means as contour ploughing and banking, as well as introducing liardv species of grasses and clovers, which would bind and hold the soil in place. Mr. Woodvear-Smith also referred to the great 1 amount of research work being accomplished • by various Departments throughout Australia in connection with soil erosion, as well as veterinary, plant breeding and irrigation problems. He paid special tribute to the work of the New South Wales Agricultural Bureau, whose membership was open to both sexes of all ages, and which promoted an annual conference, at which delegates from every district gathered to offer helpful advice on farming problems.