NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 205, 29 August 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Labour on Farms. In the course of the drive for in croaked production, the committee operating at Bunnythorpe (Manawatu) inquired into the needs of the farmer: in regard to labour. Of 76 farms, onlv three required labour. One farmer required a youth, another an adult labourer, and" the third farmer will need four men for casual harvesting worli when the season approaches. "Swaggie" in Queen Street. The accepted order of things was broken in Queen Street the other evening by the spectacle of a "swaggie' walking along indifferently among the other pedestrians. He had "Matilda' up, and a pannikin attached to his belt, and wore the traditional '"boyangs" and heavy watertight boots. As he passed in front of a floodlit building, he recalled a period now almost entirely forgotten—the days of the "Golden Legion/' immortalised by Thomas Bracken. Vicious Magpie. The "dive bomber" tactics of a nesting magpie at the Havelock North golf links one day recently caused alarm for a number of golfers. A flutter of wings and the shrill cries of the bird as it swooped to the attack frightened a girl player early in the morning. The lusty swinging of a club warded off the attacks of the bird when it swooped four or five times, and the player escaped injury. The birds are nesting in trees on the links, and greatly resent approach by humans. Home-made Drain-digger. An ingenious mechanical ditcher has been devised by a West Coast farmei from odds and ends lying about his property. The machine, drawn by a tractor, is simply constructed, having four revolving blades, mounted on a carriage, and driven at about .500 revolutions a minute from the tractor powei take-off. Cutting a channel 18in wide and 9in deep, the machine throws al' spoil well clear, and is most valuable for draining flat paddocks which hole water. It ia possible to cut up to eh miles of drain a>day. Dominion Pipe Bands' Contest. The first Dominion Pipe Bands' championship, which was set down to be helc in Timaru next year, has been post poned as a result of the numerous enlistments of pipe band members, bul Timaru is to be granted the first permil for a Dominion contest when competi tions are resumed. This discussion was made at the annual meeting of th< Dominion Pipe Bands' Association al Christchurch. The second permit wil be allocated to Wanganui. The Timari representatives at the meeting were Mr W. Duncan and Pipe-Major It. P. Munro Old Volcanic Eruption. An interesting fact which, has emerged from soil survey tests con ducted at Muriwai, near Gisborne, bj officers of the Scientific and Industria Research Department is that there \ver< in the past two showers over this coastal area from volcanic eruption In the Taupo district the evidence js oi more recent showers in a layer oi pumice. All the Muriwai district hat been covered, and, in addition, th< Manutuke Te Arai Valley, Waingake Wharerata and Bartlett's areas hav( been visited. Investment in Real Estate. The annual report of the Wellington branch of the Real Estate Institute oi New Zealand, to be presented at the annual meeting on September 3, shows that the financial membership is 83 consisting of 49 town and 34 countrj members. "The war position up to the present date has not affected greatlj 'he business of estate agents," says the report. "Indeed, in most districts the tendency *is for investment in rea! e3tate. In view of world conditions the investment in real estate is wise, and this will become increasingly evident during the coming year." Community Use of Cars. One of the difficulties arising from a community use of cars for the conservation of petrol was instanced by Mr. A Orbell (Waikouaiti), at a meeting oi the Otago branch of the Farmers' Union, He said farmers were asked to cooperate in the use of cars, several travelling together to save petrol. The idea was good, but the question of the liability of the driver for an accideni where negligence could be shown had .tc be considered. He suggested that the liability should be suspended during the currency of petrol restrictions. Members considered that such a request might have very undesirable effects. ,

Takapnna Borough Gift. Paying a tribute to the work of the Royal Air Force at last .evening's meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council, the Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, expressed the opinion that the people of the Dominion would have to practise more self-denial to assist in providing machines for the defence of Great Britain. The council should give a sub-' stantial lead to the citizens, and he suggested that £100 should be donated to the aircraft fund. The council agreed to this course, and a resolution was- also carried unanimously that a public meeting should be held next week to further the scheme in Takapuna. "Smudgy" Dancing. Some operatic dancing is good, some is bad, and some is indifferent, as visitors to the Wellington competitions festival have discovered, but -the judge of dancing at the festival, Miss Bettina Edwards, of Auckland, said that in her opinion some of the dancing she saw in one of the classes was "Many of the girls in the class had no 'attack,'" she said. "I know that it is rather hard to explain what is meant by 'attack,' but their work did not have enough smartness about it. If you were drawing or writing on..a piece of paper and you smudged it, it would have the same effect on me as this dancing did to-day." Little Children with Big Ideas. There are at least three small Takapuna girls who will not lack initiative when they step out into the world. The eldest of them is now ten years of age, but she and the others have already established a reputation for resourcefulness. They had heard talk of the effort being made to raise funds for the Red Cross, and they determined to do something. To start with, they visited their neighbours and collected- vegetables —as much as they could get. Then they got out their trolley and called on other residents in their vicinity, selling the vegetables. The final scene in this war effort was written when the three little girls called on Mrs. B. Kissin, in charge of the Red Cross shop at Hall's Corner, Takapuna, and handed over the result of their "collect and sell"—3/8.