NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Museum Hands Over Rifles In accordance with the Government's requisitioning of all .303 rifles for defence purposes, five rifles of This calibre formerly on display at the Auckland \\ T av Memorial Museum have been handed over to the authorities. This was reported at. a meeting yesterday of the Auckland Institute and Museum Council. < t Grammar Board's Funds The fact that the Auckland Grammar School Board had funds which it was finding difficult to invest, was mentioned by the chairman, Mr. J. ' Stunton, at yesterday afternoon's meeting of the board. '"We have just lent the Government £1400," said Mr. Stan ton. "We have no over- } draft, and we have considerable i liquid assets." ; Setting Monarch* Free : Commenting on his liberation of Monarch butterflies at the Domain ' flower Harden on Sunday week, Mr. ■ T. S. Skrates, of Titirangi, expressed ; regret that the sun had been obscurcrl by misty rain at the time '■ i-husen by him for setting the Mon- . arch.s free. "Sunshine is everything Jto bulterfiios," he said. "If. only • there had been blight sunshine they ' t would not have needed assistance in gelling cm the wing, and it "would have been a beautifu,. display of soaring Monarchy." Duty for Schoolboys : A suggestion that the headmaster i of the Auckland Grammar School . should organise a team of boy ] cyclists of 15 years and over for ser- i vice as messengers in emergency ' was made by Mr. A. S. Brown at : yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Grammar School Board. Speaking as the Epsom warden under the ■ Emergency Precautions Organisation, Mr. Brown said that he had 13 ' team wardens, and he felt sure that . the boys, many of whom lived in ' (hi.- V.psom district, would be glad to be given the opportunity to serve in an emergency. Permission was granted to Mr. Brown to communicate with the headmaster on the subject. Index to Mollusca of World Begun as a spare time occupation ten years ago, a systematic index to mollusca of the world by Mr. A. W. B. Powell, assistant-director at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, has now come to the stage of giving a return in easy and quick reference in his research. This information is contained in the report of the director, Mr. Gilbert Archey, at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Institute and Museum Council. So far Mr. Powell's index is 100 per cent complete for the New Zealand recent and fossil mollusca, and about 98 per cent for molluscan genera of the world. Customary inquiries have been answered, and this month included an investigation for a clothing factory, in which the stock had become infested with moths. Auckland's First Mayor May 22, 1871, was a great day in the history of Auckland, for it was the occasion of election to office of the city's first Mayor. On that day members of the Auckland City Board met at their offices in Canada .Buildings, where Mr. P. A. Philips was chosen, with a salary of £250 per annum, although one member suggested that the position should be honorary. The council paid a well-merited tribute to the businesslike abilities, energy and integrity of the Mayor, who was then invested with the insignia of office. At the conclusion of the proceedings the Mayor invited the council to take champagne with him in honour of the occasion, and to inaugurate the new corporation in a fitting manner. Everybody Tagged The system that has been adopted in Britain to identify air raid victims and to restrict fifth column activity is likely to be adopted in New Zealand, according to Mr. J. S. Hoar, who has just returned to New Zealand from a visit to England. Everybody in Britain, said Mr. Hoar, had to be on the national register and carry an identification band on the wrist. This procedure was compulsory, and anyone who could not produce an identification number when requested to do so was in serious trouble. Even babies had to be tagged in the event of the parents being killed. Mr. Hoar said that he had explained the system to the authorities when he arrived in Wellington, and it was stated that a similar scheme would be adopted in New Zealand. Maori Enlistments Continuance of the voluntary system of enlistment, for Maoris was ' .favoured at a meeting of the Herctaunga tribe in Hastings, at which ■ the lit. Rev. F. A. Bennett, Bishop ; of Aotoaroa, presided. The meeting expressed the view that if the Gov- ■ eminent in future should find en--1 Hutments were not up to expecta- . tions it should take the Maori people into its confidence and work out some more suitable scheme. An-1 ■ other resolution passed suggested that the Maori members of Parlia- ' ment should visit those areas where . it was known enlistments were not ', up to expectations. The meeting ; also agreed to request the Government to do everything possible to i inform the Maori people where their ; sons were at. the present • time, as ', nothing had been heard from them ! or of them since the evacuation of I Greece. ' Quality of N.Z. Linen Flax i Satisfaction with the New Zealand J linen flax experiment was expressed by Mr. J. Glasgow, representative of the Imperial Government's Ministry of Supply, who came from England 3 to buy flax on behalf of the Imperial ; Government. ''What I have seen ,! proves conclusively that New Zealand can produce linen flax of sound i and most desirable type," he said. • I Last week Mr. Glasgow bought 10 I 1 tons of linen flax fibre, the first to J be produced for sale at the Methven J and Makikihi factories. The pur- => j chases are the first of a quantity 1 ; estimated to be in excess of 2000 . tons, grown at the urgent request ,; of the Imperial Government. Mr. ! Glasgow paid the highest tribute to • those responsible for having orga- - 11 nised within a year a highly impori I taut industry, and one which- would -, ! be of the "greatest assistance to Britain during the war. The fibre ' that had so far come forward, while 1 . not of the highest super grade, was ',' of the better medium grade that was 5 sought after by the widest number "_, of buyers. It had surprising strength ' , which was one of the most valuable '•' characteristics oi" linen, flax fibre.