NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 304, 26 December 1939, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

What is Baloptican?

An item of £00 for the purchase of a baloptican was approved at a meeting of the Waipawa Hospital Board. Several members looked inquiringly at the managing secretary when the item was mentioned. and appeared surprised when it was explained that a baloptican was not an obscure piece of mcdical equipment, but was a magic lantern used in the tuition of nurses.

"Hooey" Merchants.

'"There are a lot of 'hooey' merchants in this country—people who believe in preposterous things." said the SolicitorGeneral, Mr. H. 11. Cornish, addressing pupils of the Xapier*4Joys' High School at the prizegiving ceremony. "They are confident, but wrong." Mr. Cornish impressed on his listeners that they must have knowledge and confidence to combat these "hooey'' merchants, "for if they got into power, they would quickly turn the country upside down,'' he said. " Tell That to Dad."

"I am one of those who believe that the golden age is in front of us, not behind," declared Professor W. H. Gould when addressing the boys of Rongotai College, Wellington. "We are always being told that the boys of today are inferior to those of "the past, but I believe that the boys of the present day are better than their fathers were. And you can take that home and tell it to clad!" The enthusiastic applause and laughter which greeted this sally indicated that dad would certainly be told if he was not present to hear. Beach Improvements.

Holiday-makers and picnickers patronising the Titii'iingi Beach this summer will appreciate a number of improvements made during the last week or two. The western reserve has been graded, and additional water taps have been supplied. On the eastern reserve have been erected four "swings, which will be in p:oat demand by the children. The old rustic bridge across the creek between the two reserves remains, but there is now also a strong wooden bridge. Most of the work has been done through the co-operation of the Auckland City Council and the Titirangi Beautifying Society. ...

Old Printing Firm. After 240 years, one of the oldest printing firms in Britain, J. B. Nichols and Sons, Ltd., is closing down. At the end of the year it will cease to do business, including the printing of the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons. It lias printed the minutes of the House of Commons for every sitting for 210 years, with the exception of three days during the general strike of 1920. The difficulty of wartime conditions, including the threat that the House of Commons might be evacuated from London, has finally spelled the doom of this historic firm. It wag founded in 1699, in Whitefriars, by William Bowyer, who served his apprenticeship under Miles Fletcher, and was one of the 20 printers licensed by the Court of Star Chamber.

Motor Camps Well Patronised. With the sun shilling gloriously in promise of a pcrfcct holiday season, there was a steady stream of motor cars leaving Auckland on Saturday afternoon, mainly for the south. It is believed that, the exodus was quite as great this Christmas as last, when a record was created. The southward trend was probably due to the attraction of the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington, l'etrol sales showed that the heaviest rush was on Saturday, though there was still a rush period 011 Sunday, and on the road~ south there was at times 011 the two days a continuous stream of cars, many of them caravans, or equipped with trailers. The camps were again popular, and all of them in the vicinity of the city were well occupied. Increased accommodation, making the Western Springs camp capable of accommodating 700 cars, provided any amount of room, nnd though 700 persons arc encamped there the numbers are not as great as was expected—again due to the. movement south. It is expected that there will be a substantial increase in the numbers at the camps within the next few da vs.

Greetings to Sick and Aged. On Saturday Mr. Allan T. Moody, chairman of the Hospital Board, with Dr. Hilda Nortlieroft, Mrs. M. M. Dreaver and Mr. W. K. Howitt, also Mr. C. L. Grange (secretary), visited each ward at the infirmary and were impressed with the preparations which had been made for Christinas. The kitchen staff was congratulated on the choice selection of food which was being prepared and cooked for the Christmas dinner. All the wards had been beautifully decorated, and sonK? of the oldest residents in the home were proud to show off and point out the lovely flowers with which they were surrounded. The oldest person was Mrs. Priestly, who had quite a long talk with the visitors that showed she had a good grip of current affairs. She is the only centenarian in the home, but tliev are many fine old colonists there j well up in the nineties. When the Alexandra Convalescent Home was visited it was found tlr ' the convalescents were going to have what they described as a right royal time. Sister Gor, the matron in charge, had arranged for the home tc be very fully decorated. Late in i.he afumoon the party reached the Knox Heme, where there are nearly 50 parients, who have been transferred frori the in'irmary. Special preparations hie' been made for Christmas dinner, and despite the isolat ion of the placi t)v! patients wi rr looking forward to meeting their friends 011 Sunday and Monday. One of the board members met an old schoolmate at the Knox Home, and warm ChrietmaA preetings were exchanged between the two. whose lives had been lived under many different skies und clime*.

Shortage of Fire Hose. The Wellington Fire Brigade requires I about 6000 feet of new hose every year. Replacements are continually necessary, as one big fire may easily damage as much as 2000 feet of hose. But at the picsent time difficulty is being experienced in importing new hoses from England nut because of tlip restrictions at this end, but because of the war conditions in England affecting manufacture. The brigade has at present 3000 feet of hose on order, but a letter received at the last meeting of the Fire Board indicated that the fulfilment of this order was impossible at present.. The Wellington Brigade fortunately has plentv of hose in hand, but some other brigades in Xew Zealand, so it was stated, sue in a worse position.

"Swan" Shooting at Sea.

Ihe recent sinking of the Shaw Savill -steamer Tairoa recalls the fact that one of the strangest cargoes ever to leave New Zealand shores was earned by her (states the "Post"). It was a shipment of 2000 black swans, consigned to New \ork. Her commander at the time was Captain D. Christie, whose hobby was, and still is, jnakinobox kites which he sometimes flew from the ship. One morning on the vova«e to New York with the swans, these kites were pointed out to a passenger, a short-sighted Anglo-Indian colonel, with the remark that some of the swans had escaped. The military gentleman piomptly dived below deck and reappeared with a shotgun, with which he proceeded to lay low Captain Christie's kites.

Humour of the War.

The gri unless of war is alwavs lightened by the humour of the forces. Dr. H. D. Robertson, of Wanga° nui, who is at present in London, has retold two ol the excuses given by men of the Royal Air Force who were brought before their commanding officer foi explanations as to flights over Germany dropping leaflets. The first man was late in returning to his base. Asked why, he said that things "were so quiet in Germany we popped down and put the leaflets under the door!" The second pilot was back at his base too soon. His reason was that, in his excitement, he had dumped the whole cargo of leaflets over in one lot. "Good Heavens, man, you might have killed somebody! ' declared the commanding officer. *

Duchess and the Dogs. Ihe Duchess of Hamilton has 200 evacuee dogs billeted at her house, Fern House, near Salisbury. Twenty girls are acting as kennel maids. Her solicitor, Mr. H. R. Oldham, said at Tisbury, Wiltshire: "It is extremely difficult to control these strange young ladies in matters relating to the blactout." It was said that on October 30, twenty windows in the house were insufficiently screened, and that four others and three skylights were not screened at all. The duchess, president of the Animal Defence and Anti-Vivisection Society, w-as fined £10 for infringing the regulations. She expressed regret, and "said the blackout was now being observed | strictly. Colonel W. Kennedy Shaw, 1 the chairman, commented: "It is a serious case. The fact that the duchess has taken 011 a large number of dogs is not much of an excuse."'

Believes in Father Christmas. One of the soldiers of the 13th Battery at North Head still believes in Father Christmas. He was on eentrv duty after midnight on Sunday when he spotted a figure with a bulging sack snooping round. He didn't then believe in Father Christmas, and as this ancient gave this name when faced with a challenge and bared bayonet the sentry let him have it in the sack At this stage another figure with a' sack loomed up and identified himself as a lieutenant. He showed the sentrv a store of goods in the sack, part of a consignment from the. Auckland Metropolitan Patriotc Committee from whifh each of the 250 men in the camp was to get a handkerchief, a toothbrush, 25 cigarettes and a tin of toffee. Father Christmas, who had been pinked in his toffee store, was a certain sergeant. He gave the sentry the sack—and then something. At least so the yarn goes in the camp canteen, and tins" of toffee are shown to support it. Change in Fish Regulations. The general public's ignorance of the fishing regulations and one or two minor alterations which have been made to them lately are at present causing a great deal of inconvenience to the Marine Department's inspectors. "The onus is on all fishermen, whether commercial or amateur, to acquaint themselves with the regulations before they start their fishing.'' said Mr. M. Hope, inspector of fisheries for the northern part of the South Island. "It is the Department s idea to educate the public rather than rush straight in and prosecute, but it is the duty of fishermen to study the regulations and comply with them, if they are to avoid serious consequences." <~> ne of the most important alterations which have been made to the regulations as far as Christchurcli people are concerned, deals with the size of flounders which can be taken. The "yellow belly" flounders, the type most commonly found around the local beaches, must now be lOin in length, and not flin as previously. "Dabs"" or "square" flounders can still be taken if 9in in length.