NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 158, 5 July 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Long-Distance Shooting.

Good long-distance shooting was registered by Mr. Maurice Prendergast, of Tauranga, a few days ago. A pheasant broke cover at a distance normally considered well outside range. However, being the last day of the season, the bird was given a parting shot, and to the amazement of the onlookers it dropped dead. When measured from point to point with two lines, the distance proved to be Hβ yards. On examination the bird was found to have been struck only by the chip of one pellet that penetrated near t" j top of the head. Getting Tough. Strolling pai-t Stanley Park at intervals during the past lew days, adults clothed in mufflers and overcoats, in concession to the odd snap, have reniurkt'd on the number of boys of 10 to 12 years of aj;e who have been stripped to the waist in the course of their afterschool frames of football. Glowing with exercise, these young Spartans seem immune to the cold and conscious only of the fact that their undress enable* them the more easily to elude opponents on the field and to avoid the inevitable

"'tanning'' should they return to the maternal fold in stained and rent shirts and coats.

Fames from Diesel Buses. '"Something should be done about the fumes from the municipal buses," said Mr. M. B. Richards at a meeting of the Automobile Association (South Canterbury). When in the present weather four or five buses started off from one place, the atmosphere in the vicinity was overpowering for some time after. In other centres where Diesel busee were used, he said, they were required to have the exhausts at the top of the buses. "You get pretty well smothered when driving behind one of the buses," observed another member. It was agreed to bring the matter to the attention of the borough council. Controlling Bush Sickness. Experiments carried out at Mamaku have indicated that bush sickness among stock can be controlled by annual topdressing with small amounts of cobalt, according to the acting-director of the animal research division of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. J. F. Filmer, in the annual report of the Department. Dr. Filmer stated it was hoped this year to -produce the third generation of sheep on cobalt-deficient paddocks which had been treated in this way. The Ruakura animal research station stated that the Mamaku plateau offered definite possibilities for sheep farming, jf the clearing, stumping, ploughing and resowing of grass on abandoned farms were undertaken.

Family Ties With Britain. "It is remarkable the number of N"ew Zealanders with relatives in England," remarked the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, to a deputation. "The opportunity given residents of the Dominion to nominate children from five to 16 years of their relatives in England for evacuation to New Zealand has brought to light information that apparently every other family in the Dominion ha* connections in the Old Country. Within three days of the definite announcement that our people could nominate children of relatives," the Minister added, "I received 1000 nominations, and more have been pouring in by every mail. The sentiment of the family tie ie deeprooted, and it is good to realise and appreciate it."

Departmental Waste of Petrol. An example of how a Government Department could practise economy was cited yesterday by a Wellington business man, Mr. William Bacon, when referring to what he thought wae needless waste of petrol in having a large Post and Telegraph truck collecting mails from tramears in Lambton Quay, where he has his place of business. Mr. Bacon said he had repeatedly seen a five-ton lorry, usually with a crew of three men, wait for trams from Seatoun and possibly Miramar and Island Bay. "One night recently I saw the lorry make four trips to the post office and back," said Mr. Bacon. "On the first trip it had one small bag, on the second a bag and a half, on the third two bags, and on the fourth two bags and a half. I did not wait to see if the lorry made further trips." Mr. Bacon suggested that a boy with a hand barrow fitted with pneumatic tyres could easily do the work now being performed by a petrol-driven lorry. The distance from the tram stop in Lambton Quay to the post office was less than 200 yards.

Drive for Waste Material. Scrap iron and steel, scrap sheet iron, bits of copper, the zinc lining of cases, brass ends and filings, bottles, whole or broken, ancient kitchen warej rags, old pots and pane, old newspapers, even paper refuse from offices and factories, in fact, anything that can be reconditioned in any way for future service is to be gathered, and the money realised from its sale passed on to the' National Patriotic Fund. Mr. Charles Todd, chairman of the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material, said the council had been reviewing the position for the last fortnight, and had worked out a scheme to cover the whole of the Dominion. New Zealand had been subdivided into 11 zones, and each zone would have ite own provincial board, which would sit in the chief towns. The waste materials required would be set out in a circular to be supplied to all boards, with full particulars as to method of collection. It would be necessary for boards to co-opt school teachers and school children, boy scouts, girl guides, young farmers and others to engage in the work of collecting and delivery.

Without a Country. A 19-year-old Latvian seaman at present visiting Auckland finds himself in the position of a man without a country, for Latvia has lost its independence and as a result of the acceptance of the Russian demands it has in effect become a part of the Soviet. During- the past six years that he has been at sea Mr. Leonards Voitkevics has had many thrilling experiences, and he is one of nine survivors, of a crew of 2B saved when a sailing vessel foundered off Trinidad. He has sailed under the Latvian, British. German, Dutch, Greek and Norwegian flags, and has mastered nine languages. About two weeks ago he was signed off the crew of a Norwegian tanker owing to the fact that he had to be admitted to the Auckland Hospital to undergo an operation for appendicitis. At present he is at the Flying Angel Missions to Seamen, and the port chaplain, the Rev. H. K. Vic-kery. is seeking permission of the Customs Department for him to stay in Xew Zealand. The yeung man hopes to obtain employment on a dairy farm, for he has had experience on his father'* farm in Latvia before going to sea.