NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Bicycle Equipment Scarce. | Any cyclist who has the misfortune to 10-e his trouser clips will have difficulty trying to replace them. Import restrictions and the war have prevented supplies coming from Britain, and there is neither the market nor the raw material for their manufacture in this Dominion. .Many of the big cycle shops have already cleared their old stocks of cycle accessories, and pumps and outfits arc among other necessities which are becoming practically unobtainable. Blackout Precautions. '"I am arranging with the city engineer to put every available man on to painting kerbs, poles and other obstructions on the streets and the footpaths so as to make them more visible by night," said the Mayor of Auckland. Sir Ernest Davis, in emphasising that the city staff intended doing all possible in the interests of safety during the enforcement of the blackout. ~ Sir Ernest added that he intended getting the wardens together after the holidays to receive suggestions that may lie in the interests of safety of pedestrians and others at night. Hospital Ship Library. A ship's library of about 1000 books has, been arranged for the Xo. 1 New Zealand hospital ship, on which the chaplain, the Rev. H. K. Viekery, will control the issue of the books. In making the announcement the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, said the library would include literature of interest to the nurses as well as to the patients and the male staff, and would be changed and renewed whenever the ship returned to a New Zealand port. Since the commencement of the war .">O,OOO books had been cent out of the Dominion for the services, said Mr. Mason, and good work in sorting and dispatching them had been done by the Country Library Service and voluntary workers.

"Hamlet" Who Fled. The reccnt performance of "Hamlet"' in Wellington is not the first occasion on which Shakespeare's tragedy has been presented by amateurs in that city. More than oO years ago a group of young people let off their protean steam by attempting the tragedy in the old Theatre Royal (on the site of the present headquarters of the New Zealand Police Department). For some reason or other the audience considered the performance tedious. After audible comments, some of the habitues of the pit could stand it no longer, and, to end the siiow, advanced upon the stage, whereupon the actors fled. It is said that the Hamlet of that occasion sought shelter in the timber yard of Waddell, MeLeod and Weir. ne.Nt to the theatre. Now an octogenarian, that Hamlet is a resident of Auckland.

Sign of the Times. A suggestion by Professor Alexander, of West Australia, that a chair of American history or American civilisation should be established in Australia has been supported by the Vice-Chan-cellor of Melbourne University, Mr. Medley. "Australia is definitely backward in the study of her Pacific neighbours," said Mr. Medley. '"In Sydney there are facilities for Oriental study, but Melbourne has made no provision." He added that there. wa« much to be said in support of a plan to have a visiting American professor tour Australian universities instead of having a fixed porit. Encouragement of American post-graduate students to study in Australia was an excellent scheme. If it was carried out it would have the effect of improving relations with Australia's American neighbours.

Who Next? He was a young man and was driving home a young lady of his acquaintance through the mid-Victorian murk of the blackout. She started to tell him a story. It appeared that her family was plagued by white cats. A white cat had jumped on her sister's bed, and a few days later she was taken to hospital in an ambulance. The next time a white cat appeared she herself underwent a serious operation. VThite cats had mysteriously appeared before the deaths of her grandfather and grandmother. The car slowed down to a halt at the destination, and the young man prepared to make light of the coincidence. Suddenly there was a scratching, a faint mew. and a small body leapt on to the bonnet of the car. Through the windscreen the two found themselves gazing at a white cat, which pawed at the glass and seemed to ask for entrance. The young man drove home thoughtfully.

Year's Motor Accidents. The Government Statistician • has estimated that in the twelve months to February "28 last the number of fatal injuries attributed to motor vehicle accidents in New Zealand numbered 18S, in addition to which 279 persons Buffered minor injuries and 1808 persons were seriously injured. In the fatal cases the number of females was 41 and of males 147. Analysing the class of persons killed. 36 were drivers, 4o passengers. 55 pedestrians, 24 push cyclists, 21 motor cyclists, three pillion riders and four unspecified. Of 3176 accidents recorded, 2758 were attributed to collisions, and of these 34 were with railway trains, 891 were as between vehicle and vehicle, 712 between vehicles and pedestrians, and 860 between motor vehicles and bicycles. In addition to these "collision" returns, there were accidents caused by driving off the road (89). running down steep places into sea or river (120). and overturning in roadway (134). Other accidents numbered 70.