NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 10, 12 January 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Dutch Liner's Name. According to officers on the Dutcli liner Roggeveen, which arrived at Auckland to-day from Saigon, the correct pronunciation of the name is ''Rockavain." The Roggeveen is relieving the T.ismall on the present round trip. this is the second occasion on which she has visited Auckland, the first occasion lieinsr about 12 months ago. ' Fishing at Kawhia. Visitors to Kawhin over the holiday period have found fishing expeditions \cry profitable, and one party, anchored jiist inside the heads, landed t*">. A feature of the catches of snapper has been the uniformly good size of the lish. some as heavy as lHlb being landed. Isiiallv conditions for fishing at Kawhia do not reach their best until February, but this year good bags have been taken throughout the Christina® and New Year holidays. Egmont Tourists. The influx of tourists at North Mount Kginont continues, and it is expected that this January will yield as high returns ivs January last year, which was an excellent month. Recently compiled figures show that during December and in the New \ear returns were 25 l>er cent up on last year. However, despite the number of guests, there is little activity, snow still making conditions too dangerous to allow inexperienced climber# to make | the summit trip. Drama in Fruit-Picking. | Fruit lierry picking to the world would seem a most peaceful occupation, i but even in such surroundings drama I lurks when "pirates'* are active. About New Year this fruit-picking provides "pin money" for many Cliristchureh adults, college students and school cliilj dren, the growers paying bo much a j box. But there is always the pirate who manages to remove the pickings of the unwary. Recently at Riccarton one such pirate was caught red-handed confiscating the pickings of a child. Action was immediate and severe. The pickers held a stopwork meeting, the accused l was tried, convicted and sentenced to | expulsion from the plantation. Freezing Works Busy. On account of the dry weather experienced throughout the southern districts of South Taranaki, sheep and lambs are being sent forward to the I'atea freezing works in large numbers, two chains of 35 men each being kept for each full eight-hour day. Monday s output was 4t(70 carcases, a record for one day's operations. However, in past seasons only one chain was in operation, and under those condition* about 3800 sheep and lambs were put through during an eight-hour day. That the output for the two'chains is not greater is due to the fact that one chain 1s composed more -or less of learners, and when these men become eftloieht as their fellow workers 011 the other chain, there should be a substantial Increase in the daily output. New Ztalanders in New York. As a result of New Zealand's representation at the New York World's Fair, there has been formed in NewYork a society of New Zcalauders resident in that part of the United .Status. At tlie close of 1D39 there was a membership of )20, and the inaugural dinner at the Hotel McAlpin, New York, W«s attended by lUB. The society aims at giving New Zealand efficient publicity and at welcoming New Zealand visitors. The office-bearers Patrohs, Sir Louis Beale, K.C.M.0., C.8.E.. Mr. Robert M. Firth, Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, Mr. Lan Matheson, Wellington, Dr. Peter H. Buck, Mr. Michael Lerner, Mine. Frances Alda; president, Mr. Ray Johnson j vice-presidents, Miss Nolft Luxiford, Mr. Raymond Levy, Mr. A. H. Swain, Mr. H. J. Marshall, Mrs. F. Meneies; secretary-treasurer, Miss Nola Luxford: chaplain, the Gordon Chamberlain. Risk of Drowning. A distressing feature of the Dominion's drowning fatalities over recent years has been • the number of young oliildren who have lost their lives through falling into open sumps and drains. Recently yet another two young children have been lost in this manner. At a time when, the Government has given .£IOOO for this year's educational work to the New Zealand Amateur .Swimming Association, it is desired that parents take note of this risk, and where such open drains are located in their neighbourhood, warn their children of the danger with the same insistence that they would Use in Warning them to keep out of the way of traffic. This year the learn-to-swim work will be handled mainly through the schools. In areas where instructors of the physical welfare and recreation branch are operating, it is intended that they shall co-operate with the swimming and educational authorities in this work. Sequel to Burglary. Two men, David Lewis, labourer, aged 10, and Daniel Mulhern, seaman, aged 18, pleaded guilty in the Police Court yesterday afternoon before Mr. W, R. McKean, S.M., to a charge of unlawful conversion of a car and also to breaking and entering the shop of Henry Dye at Kaukapakapa, and stealing goods to the value of £33 6/8. They were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Leslie Snow, labourer, aged 26, represented by Mr. Noble, was jointly charged with them, but he pleaded not guilty and wits committed for trial. Mulhern and LeW-is gave evidence that, with Snow, they went to Kaukapakapa iu a car which they had taken from Auckland. At Knukapakapa they broke into Dye's store and stole clothing and various articles. Snow and Lewis, they said, entered the shop while Mulhern stood guard outside. Subsequently Lewis and Mulhern were arrested at MiitamAta, when endeavouring to sell a watch alleged to have been stolen from the store. Submarine Disturbance. Excursionists to Whale Island were surprised, when a few miles offshore, to encounter a wide area of inud-eoloured water, reports the "Star's" Whakatane correspondent. So thick was the discoloration that it was possible to obtain a tine silt from a bucketful of water. The surface of the sea assumed a dirty brown appearance over an area of about 300 yards, while at one spot it was possible to discern a heavy column of a much darker coloration, which was assumed to be the centre of the activity. As there has been no other indication of any submarine activity in the vicinity, and as it has been impossible to soe White Island owing to the overcast weather of late, the cause of the discoloration of such a large area of sea has given rise to considerable conjecture.