NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Novel Excuse. A n.iM'i ,iih! lather weak excuse wliieli "fell through" m:i- )'i'i.lfered by a defendant win. was charged in the Christchurch ( ourl with cy cling mi the footpath. "I hiii a stranger to this city, and just took a short cut to the gate of the house where I nni staying,'' ho said. "Tn what city nr town are you allowed to ride on the fool pat liasked t lie magistrate. Mr. K. !•'. Keid. S.M. "I am afraid you have nie there.'' said the defendant lamely, amid laughter. He was fined •V and costs. Holidays for Needy Folk. Kn.li voar -i.\ pnor Vuckhuid families, who have heen attended liv nurses of the St. .lohn 1 li-t rict Nursing Service, are sent awa\ for a fortnight's holiday with c\pen-e- paid. The families to l.enefit are elm-en liy tin- nurses, and I lie St. .lohn A mlnila nee Association arranges the holidays. which are li 11 all<-1 -< 1 liy I lie welfare circle of the Ladies' Lyceum ( lull. Yesterday one large family \s 11ii-li lias lived in Freeman'- Hay for year- was -cut to Castor Hay. A free taxi to convey the party to the lieacli wa- provided liy Mr. 1!. 11. 1111-tler. ol I )e\i mport . Refugees in Asia. "We ha\e heard mileh of late of the pitiful >1 rea in- ol' Chinese war refugee-."] -tales the "Outlook." "Heccllt missionary report- from ( hina reveal another a-|iee| of I lie world's trag-eily. Over 1.'i.l Mill Herman and Austrian refugees, refused entrance into any Kuropean country, are crowded together in relief camps in Shanghai, and the number is steadily increasing. It is a terrible indictment of our Kuropean civilisation. The National Christian Council of China, aided by a number of devoted Christian missionaries, is doing all it can help these unfortunate people. Hut their need is desperate and the means to meet it. very far from ade.jiin t e." Farms Left Vacant by Recruits. The problem of farms left vacant by men enlisting for service overseas was discussed by members at "the monthly meeting of the (ieraldine branch of the New Zealand Fanners' Union. The president. Mr. (I. Wooding, said that he knew of two farms that would become vacant shortly 'because farmers were enlisting. After discussion, the following remit was carried: "That, in cases where farms are left vacant by farmers enlisting, this branch suggests that the fiovernnient supply necessary labour free, the farm to he managed and supervised by a competent farmer, to be appointed bv the local primary production council." New Guinea Curios. A former Waihi miner. Mr.' W. .1. Lee, on a visit to New Zealand after several years in New Cuinca. has 'brought hack with him many interesting native curios, including carved drums, bow and arrows, carved wooden crocodiles, hair coml*s. which are used by men as well as by the women, and a very fine tortoise shell. He lias amusing impressions of the. native women, who, he says, by the use of a little peroxide and lime, turn themselves into exceedingly attractive blondes. On his return to the New (iuinea goldfields, Mr. Lee will be accompanied by his wife, who is no stranger to life there.

Tar Trap on Street. To Im'coiiic covered with tar to such mi extent tliat she had to be nil in il led to lios|iitn| for its it'iiioMil was the experience of a. small girl in Hastings when she fell into a. pool of tar in the main street. Two 44-gallou drums had capsized off a lorrv and broken over the roadway. The girl fell into a pool of the thick liquid. and. finding that she was unable to stand up, she elioso to crawl on her hands and knees to the dry asphalt. It was a. very bedraggled cjiild who finally was able to regain her feet. She was tar from head to foot, and was crying vigorously. Shortly afterward a girt cyclist found her bicycle difficult to control in the greasy morass, and suffered a fate somewhat similar to the other child. A Surprise in Berlin. A big surprise awaited Mr. 1?. K. Champtaloup, of Auckland, when he was in itcrliu with his wife last May. When standing in the filter den Linden one morning, Mrs. Champtaloup remarked that it would be wonderful to read an K.ngli-h newspaper. "That's out of the <|iic-tioii. I'm afraid." replied Mr. Champtaloup. in the belief that papers from ISritaiii were "verbolen." As he replied, his eve caught a. bold headline on » newspaper which was one of several displayed on a news stand in tiers. Closer examination revealed that it was the "Daily Telegraph." and above it. was "The Times." Mr. Champtaloup bought both, and read that momentous | happening* were expected that night in Uan/.ig. There were critical references to Hitler in both newspapers. Valuable Reclamation. Only h year or two ago, tlie meadowlands on each side of Kerry Road from tho, IFeatheotn Hridge to "the tanks" at Woolston, near Christchurch, were drearv wastes subject, to heavy flooding from tho estuary and the river. The soil soured by bad drainage and salted with overflow from the ostuarv, was useless for reliable cultivation and, with its rushes and stunted pasture, was left an eyesore to nil who saw it. It now flourishes, guarded by protective walls .and good drains, and developed by up-to-date farming methods. Rich clover pastures greet the eye. and crops of good hay have already been harvested and pressed by machinery. Cro|>s of potatoes and mangels last year wore a great contrast to unsightly stretches of erstwhile sodden ground, and the whole area, comprising a good 11)0 acres, is a glowing testimony to what can be done to poor land under hard-working, good management. Shellhole Promise Redeemed. A pact made in a sliellhole in no man's land, in I''ranee, during the "last war with Captain, now the Rt. Hon. J. (». Coates. is recalled by the departure to Trentham of Mr. .f. 15. Speakinan, of Napier, who seeks further service, overseas. Mr. Speakinan was only lt> years of age when he enlisted. He sheltered for some .'?<> hours in a shellhole with Mr. Coates, and there they made a pact that in the event, of one of them becoming the father of n son the other would be the godfather at the christening. About four years ago Mr. Speakinan whs in a position to invoke t lie pact, but he had had three dnlighters lirst. Mr. Coates was as good as his word. The ceremony was held at St. Augustine's Church in Napier, and the man who had held the highest political positions thi- country has to oiler duly became godfather to the son of hi- wartime sergeant. Mr. Spcakman is back in the Army again, and he hopes above nil things to get another chance to serve with Mr. Coates, whom lie regards as "the tinesl soldier New Zealand ever put into the field, bar none."

Engineers Win Trophy.

The 3rd Field Company, New Zealand Kn«ttie«rs. which is the Christchureh unit of this corps, has. won the EngiJieers' Challenge Shield, a. trophy which has not been competed for since 1931. when it was won by the Ist Field Company (Auckland). The trophy is awarded on the percentage of establishment cHicient annually, the percentage of individual training tests completed at the end of the training year, drill, dress and engineer efficiency of unit f|Uotas at Army Headquarters engineers' course, percentage of establishment attending annual camps, and percentage of establishment qualifying at the annual weapon-training course. Stone Strikes Official Car. _ The heavy rain that fell almost continuously yesterday brought down numerous slips on the new deviation road between Kaiwaka and Waipu, North Auckland, though none was sufficiently dangerous to hinder traffic. I here was a particularly heavy downpour when the cars conveying the .Minister of Education, the Hon. Peter Fraser. and his party to Waipu, passed over the road, and at, one point two waterfalls, made heavy with flood waters, thundered down a cutting and passed heneath the road. It was between these falls that a large boulder rolled down the hillside and struck the car in which Mrs. Fraser and Mrs. J. O. Ha relay, wife of the member for Marsden. were riding. Although the occupants ot the car were alarmed, no damage was done, and they continued the trip wit liout -topping. Consolidated Schools. Kelerring to the benefit of consolidated schools in an address at Waipu yesterday afternoon, the Minister of I'.ducation, the Hon. Peter Fraser, said that their first aim was to give country children equality of opportunity with those attending town schools. He pointed out that though there was usually opposition to the closing of small country schools to enable consolidation to be carried out, during the past four years many hundreds of such schools had heen established in the Dominion, and there was not a single instance of parents wishing to revert to the old method. The greater range of subjects and the number of specialist teachers it was possible to maintain in the large consolidated schools gave every child an opportunity to discover along which line- lie or -he could best develop, said the Mini-ter.

Catchment Areas. Civing evidence be tore the Board of Health inquiry into Auckland's water supply yesterday, the city engineer. Mr. •T. Jyler, said that as a result of milling operations iu the Waitakere Ranges, adjoining the catclmiciit areas, fire risk had been seriously increased in places, and it was recommended that a strip about one-half mile wide be acquired so as to give the necessary protection to the catchment areas. "Should a fire occur and damage the forest on the catchments, the supply might be seriously affected." he continued. "In the Hunua. Ranges the time lias come when it is desirable to acquire the remainder of the standing bn-h in order to limit further clearing and preserve future catchments in a virgin condition, and to obviate the paying of much higher prices in future for improved land. The fencing of the Huiu catchment is not yet complete, and it. will also he necessary to fence the land it is proposed to purchase at Hunua.'' Filter Plants. I lie position of the filter plants of the Auckland ( itv t ouucil used iu connection with the wafer supply, of the metropolitan area was referred to by the waterworks engineer, Mr. A. D. Mend, at tlie Hoard of Health inquiry yesterday. "Ihcse plants were erected between 1925 and 1(127." said the engineer. "They were installed to deal with tin; turbidity conditions shown liv a scries of analyses in the preceding two years. During this period there were no severe floods, and subsequent experience has shown that occasional storms create conditions bevond tlie power of the filters to handle. Up to the present they have been working much below capacity, and the position has been met by throwing out of use the source most affected for a few days till settlement takes place. With increasing demand, this action is not now possible. A simple remedy lit's in the pio\ iuion of pre-coaiMilat ion and sedimentation. which can be applied liv building suitable detention tanks at the inlet end of the filters, leaving the existing plant intact. The raw water also contains an appreciable amount of carbon dioxide and dissolved iron both of which can be largely eliminated by aeration prior to filtration, rendering the water less corrosive and less productive of encrustation."