NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 111, 13 May 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Grant for Ambulance Work On the recommendation of the finance and purchasing committee, the Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting last evening, granted a subsidy of £2500 to the St John Ambulance Association for the 12 months' period from June 1 next for ambulance services. The grant is subject to the consent of the Minister of Health. Training of Dietitians The question of training of dietitians at the Auckland Hospital was brought up at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board last evening, when it was decided to express the opinion that the time was not opportune to undertake the proposed j training. It was decided to keep the matter under consideration, with a view to putting it into operation when conditions were favourable. "Lavender Flats" The overpowering odours arising from "Lavender Flats" at Westfield were well discussed at the Otahuhu Borough Council meeting last evening. Just what was adding to the strength of these smells was not known by the speakers. One coun-! I c-illor claimed that the flats were really a "decontaminating" area, as those who passed through it and lived could stand up to any epidemic. The necessity for action was referred to the incoming council. Barge Stopped by Shot The crew of a sand barge received a rude awakening last night. The barge was entering the harbour from the far end of the Motukoreho Channel shortly before 7.30 when a shot'was fired across her bows from a shore battery. The channel, which is between Brown's Island and Rangitoto, is closed to traffic during the hours of darkness. After the shot was fired the barge was stopped and it remained hove-to until daylight. Anzac Day in Egypt "Anzac Day did not go "by unnoticed," writes a member of the N.Z.E.F. in Egypt, in a letter home, j "The brigade had a big review I parade before an English general, a march past and a review march. A short service was taken by the padres, and the music was played by massed bands of the N.Z.E.F. Each band played its own battalion past the saluting base without a hitch. Apart fromj this parade, we haven't done anything in the nature of route marches." Ancient Maori Game In remote native schools in the north the ancient Maori game of top whipping is still played in the same manner and with the same materials as were used generations ago. The tops, which are larger than their European prototypes, are painstakingly carved by hand from pohutukawa, manuka or totara, and their balance is usually perfect. The whip is made from flax or cabbage tree leaves, tied to a manuka handle, and the metho'd of spinning is to roll the top in the fibres, then set it in motion with a deft flick of the wrist. Thereafter it is a matter of whipping, and the children expend vast energy chasing the tops as they spin in playgrounds, down tracks, in paddocks, and even along beaches. Fog Over City The first fog of the year covered the city and harbour shortly after 9 p'clock last evening, and deepened as the night advanced. At 10 o'clock visibility from the Mount Victoria signal station was reported as nil. In the city the fog was particularly dense in the low-lying areas, and, with the blackout in force, motorists had some difficulty in finding their way about. Many drivers adopted the method of travelling slowly along the tram lines, picking their way by the shine from the rails. Throughout the evening the mournful sound of foghorns could be heard on the harbour as ferries threaded their way backwards and forwards. The fog thinned out and lifted earlyvthis morning. Wellington Building It wa b a matter of frequent comment, said Mr. R. L. Macalister, at Wedestown, that the cost of building in Wellington was excessive as compared with other parts of the Dominion. The configuration of ttye city was partly to blame, but building regulations should not impose more restrictions than were necessary to ensure satisfactory work. "It is a pity," he said, "that architects, builders, plumbers and other tradesmen do not each year get together through their associations and confer with the city engineer to revise our building regulations, preventing 'jerry building,' but cutting out regulations involving unnecessary costs. The by-laws should set the minimum, and not the maximum requirements for a satisfactory job." Te Aroha Sky Glow It came as a shock to the electricity supply authorities at Te Aroha to learn that fishermen had reported that sky glow from the Te Aroha lights could be seen at sea beyond Mayor Island. The chief engineer of the Thames Valley Power Board, Mr. N. G. McLeod, said it seemed incredible that the lights of Te Aroha could be seen at sea, especially in view of the situation of the town. He pointed out that, when clouds were at a certain height and angle above the mountain, it would result in glow being seen for many miles. The fact that the glow was visible at sea, added Mr. McLeod, indicated that certain precautionary measures must be taken. A report to this effect had been supplied to the chairman of the Emergency Precautions Scheme Organisation. "Churchill Age" This period of time, In which we are now living, will probably be called the "Churchill Age" by the historians of the future, is an editorial comment in the "Efficiency" magazine. It will be the third and greatest golden age of the British peoples. We had the "Elizabethan Age," made glorious by the defeat of Spain and the exploits of Drake and the plays of Shakespeare. We had the "Victorian Age," when we became the leaders of the world in industry and finance. And now we are living in the beginning of the "Churchill Ago," which will shine for ever in history as the period when we defeated Hitler and restored civilisation, liberty and private enterprise. We who are now alive are privileged more than all the British generations of the past, and perhaps more than all the British generations of the future. This is our supreme age of great men and great deeds. We are all St. Georges. We are putting an end to the dragon. We are making sure that all future generations of British peoples shall live happily, prosperous and free.