NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Shot Fired From Fort. In response to instructions from the examination service vessel, a warning shot was- fired from North Head at 8.30 last evening as an outward-bound launch had not answered signals. The shot was placed well clear of the launch. When the launch signalled it was in a prohibited area. The launch immediately stopped, and patrol craft went to investigate. Pedestrian Crossings. The work is in hand of marking and lighting pedestrian crossings in the city so that they will comply with the traffic regulation that they be made visible, day or night, at lOOfb. This work is being done in all towns of New Zealand, and in some cases special lighting signs arc required where the usual street lighting sclicmc is insufficient. Chief indication of the work in Auckland is the erection of black and white striped posts beside the cross-: ings as markers. Harbour Board Workshops. Tenders have been called by the Auckland Harbour Board for new workshops, which arc to be erccted on the site of the present workshops, at the corner of Lower Hobson Street and Quay Street. The plans, wnich have been prepared by the board's architect, Mr. r . Wade, are for a reinforced-concretc building, of two storeys, with both street and water frontages. The new building will enable the board to concentrate its various workshops. Good-Mannered Children. An Jnvereargill visitor to Auckland is struck by the good manners displayed by children in tramcars in the city. Stating that it was a. rarity for Invergill children to give up their seats, even to women, in crowded trams, lie expressed surprise when he himself was offered a seat by a six-year-old girl. "IS very time 1 travel by tram in Auckland I sec children making way for adults and it is most refreshing after my experiences in Invercargill," lie said. Seven Brothers Enlist. To have seven sons enlisted for service with the Maori battalion is the line Tecord of the Waenga family of Opotiki. Two of the brothers enlisted for service at Gisbornc and were passed as lit. Four more were examined in Opotiki on Thursday, all passing the medical test. The seventh brother, who is married, arrived in Opotiki too late to be examined, but he is also expected to pass as fit. Should he be accepted for service the family will have the distinction of having seven sons in the main body of the Maori battalion. Destruction of Rats. One activity on the part of the Auckland City Council, which is systematically yet. unostentatiously carried out, is destruction of rats. Free of charge, poisoned baits arc distributed by one of the departments at the Town Hall, while a man skilled at rat-catching does a daily round, and averages a haul of about 000 rats a month. These arc all subjected, to bacteriological examination. There is a steady demand by the public for rat poison, and it is considered that the organised week held in June last throughout the metropolitan area to destroy rats had stu*h a good result that it should be- made an annual event. Sending of Y/hite Feathers. "That headquarters be asked to make a general appeal to the members of the public that, if they must descend to the despicable practice of sending white feathers, they show some discrimination and not forward them to men who have already suffered in their country's service, and, further, that the Government be requested to make such practicc a criminal offence." This resolution was passed at the last meeting of the executive committee of the Rivcrton sub-branch of tlie Southland Returned Soldiers' Association. It arose from a discussion on returned men who were known to their comrades as having been deserving of the V.C., D.C.M., M.M., or other awards. Boat Harbour Scheme. A brief visit to Orakei was paid by the Minister of Marine, the Hon. P. Fraser, yesterday. There ho met officials and the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. W. B. Darlow, and inspected the new dinghy lockers, which have been erected for yachtsmen in connection with the Okahu Bay boat harbour scheme. The Minister expressed satisfaction concerning this section of the scheme, and later he had explained to him other details of the plans for the further development of the boat I harbour. Among other things the Minister was told that when control of the foreshore of the bay was vested in I the board bathing shed accommodation | would be provided. New Launch for Waikato. The welded steel hull of a new towing launch to operate in the Waikato River has now been completed by the Roose Shipping Company, Ltd., at their works at Mercer. The craft, which is 50ft long and has a beam of 12ft, is intended to replace the 40-ycar-old paddle steamer Monowai, which is now out of commission and is to be scrapped. The new vessel will be propelled by a single screw powered with a 130 h.p. Diesel engine. This compares with the 100 h.p. of the Monowai. a much larger craft. Running light, the new launch will draw 2ft Oiu of water, although the draught will bo greater when ballast tanks at the stern are filled for towing purposes. Should a particularly shallow spot be eucountcrcd in the river, the ballast tanks can be quickly pumped out and refilled. It is expected to have the new launch in commission in about two months' time. Locked in Store. At 11 o'clock one morning this week a young woman employed at one of the city's large department stores was surprised to sec two Maori boys, aged five and nine, crawl from under a double bed ill one of the model bedroom sets in the furniture department. Thoroughly frightened, the boys were taken to the manager's office and questioned. It appears that on the previous evening they had been looked in the big store, which they had to themselves for the whole night. There was too much to sec—and to eat and drink—for them to think of sleeping. They wandered from department to department, lingering longest at tin? sweet and soft drinks counters. After sampling many kinds of lollies and drinks they went up to the furniture department, and went to .-leep. not in the double bed which was fully made up, but under it. They must have been thoroughly tired not to wake up until 11 o'clock, especially as there was much hustle and bustle near where they were sleeping.

Blood For Blood Donor. The number of persons upon whom tlie St. John Ambulance Association can call for blood transfusions has been further depleted. One of til© most valuable members of the small band of blood donors met with an accident the other day, which means that he will be off the list for some time. Incidentally lie lost so much blood that he himself had to receive the blood of another donor. Strange Pet. To receive a pet by post from the Uilited States of America, is the strange experience of a young Napier girl. The l>et is a small turtle, ono inch and a quarter long, and canio to New Zealand in a small cardboard box. The turtle was kept alive on it§ long journey by means of moist packing in the box. On its back, the turtle carries a miniature painting of Mowers in bright colourings, and altogether proves a most interesting pet. Olympic Swimming Pool. The provision of a special bath for children at the Olympic Swimming Pool, Newmarket, tho installation of a sound system and tho construction of a roof over tho stand arc tho purposes for which the Newmarket Borough Council will raise a special loan of £14,500. This will complete the plans for the pool. A resolution authorising the loan was confirmed at a special meeting of tho council yesterday. It is proposed that the loan should be for 20 years at interest not exceeding <1$ per cent. Waikokopu Being Deserted. Waikokopu, which for a long time now lias been the scene of great activity because of the construction of the East Coast railway, is gradually being deserted by the Public Works Department. The big cookhouse has already been dismantled and most of the men have been transferred to other jobs. It appears that it will not be long before Waikokopu will be only one of the side stations on tho East Coast railway, unless, of course, those engaged in the oil-boring operations in that area strike a "gusher." Railway Still Busy. Although the main holiday rush is now over, officials at the Auckland railway station are still kept busy catering for travellers. Four trains left yesterday for Wellington, where the Centennial Exhibition continues to draw large crowds. In addition to the special express carrying 0158 North Auckland school children to the exhibition, the ordinary trains, which left at o p.m. and 7.15 p.m., and the 0.10 p.m. special week-end excursion train, were well patronised. An extra train left for Wellington to-day, and there will again be an "extra" running each way to-morrow. One special train ran to Ngaruawaliia this morning, and another will leave to-morrow, while the usual trains for visitors to Papakura camp arc also running. Three other trains will leave for Ngaruawaliia to-morrow, carrying members of the railway staffs on their annual picnic. Lord Willingdon's Entry. Lord Willingdon, Britain's representative at the Centennial celebrations, who landed at Wellington yesterday afternoon from the Hying boat Aotearoa, is keen, grey-haired and tall. It is likely that he will quickly make himself popular with Dominion people, for he has a keen sense of humour, also a dislike for long speeches. His trip from Sydney he contrasted with his last visit to New Zealand many years ago on the ship Indian, battened down tho whole way across the Ta small, for tho five most miserable days lie ever spent on the sea. "Now," he added, speaking on his arrival yesterday, "I como in a vast airship, sitting in a comfortablo armchair." Excusing himself from a long speech in answering speeches of welj come, Lord Willingdon remarked: "I [ had to rise at two o'clock this morning j and have been eight or nine hours very exalted in a sort of Arctic weather,* j and feel my brain is still in a rather semi-paralysed condition. My speech must not be long, for I am aware I have to make a good many, and shall try to make them all a little different." The "Vegetable Sheep." Some remarkably line specimens of a botanical curiosity, the vegetable sheep, j will probably appear shortly at the Auckland War Memorial Museum and other northern museums as a result of a recent holiday visit to Stewart Island made by Miss Lucy M. Cranwell, botanist of the Auckland Museum. The vegetable sheep, which is among the most interesting of the specimens secured by Miss Cranwell, consists of hard green cushions, ranging in size from that of a closed fist to two or three feet in diameter, formed by a member of the daisy family. From a distance these plants on the mountainside look like sheep grazing, or reclining; hence the name. The curious development in shape is duo to exposure to severe winds on the mountainsides. The vegetable sheep museum curiosity and is in demand at museums in many parts of the world. By securing specimens in New Zealand local museums arc able to arrange for an exchange with other rarities not readily obtainable in New Zealand.