NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 302, 22 December 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Gale In Wellington A fierce northerly storm, which blew down fences and broke windows in various places, swept over Wellington on Sunday. Up to 5 p.m. at least 45 gusts of more than 60 miles an hour and five of more than 70 fniles an hour had been recorded. The maximum gust was of 81 miles an hour. Heavy Ran In Greymouth Torrential rain fell in Greymouth early on Sunday morning, and the Grey River rose over 13ft at Dobson. A blackout trial was held in Greymouth, but the port harbour and wharf lights were left burning, as the flooded river made complete darkness a danger to shipping in port. Two inches of rain were recorded at Greymouth on Sunday.* Snow fell on the mountains. In the Kamaka district the river overflowed and spread through farmlands. Farmers had been warned, and their stock was removed to higher country. Water backed up in Greymouth streets. Pacific Paradise "A perfect pla'ce" is how Mr. H. R. Jenkins, who this week arrived in Auckland after travelling from Honolulu in his yacht the Golden Hind, described the atoll of Hull, in the Phoenix Group. It was, he said, the best example of a British-adminis-tered island in the Pacific. A British agent was stationed there, and under a colonisation scheme natives had been brought from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, which were over-run. The natives were the healthiest in the Pacific, being free from sores, leprosy, tuberculosis and distended stomachs. They were the cleanest people in any group, and their villages were kept spotless. It also had a perfect lagoon. Canton, he considered, had been and would be again swept by tidal waves. The American Idea "If we understood a little better the vast import of the problems and perplexities with which Americans are now faced, we should be both more sympathetic and more interested," writes the Hon. Harold Nicolson in the Spectator. "We do not always remember that the fathers and mothers of most Americans left Europe because they did not like it, and that there remain hereditary memories and associations which tug their nerves apart. We do not always remember that although in this war their ideals are identical with ours, yet 'The American Idea' is an even more abstract conception, that it is 'a shining thing in the mind. Immense and frail, this idea dominates their consciousness and they fear that if again they become entangled in the complexities of Europe the rainbow may fade."

Government Emissary Returns Including visits to the Western Desert and Palestine, Major A. G. Harper has returned to New Zealand after a tour of 11 weeks on special missions for the Government. During this time he travelled 30,000 miles by air, and on the return trip to New Zealand spent some time at Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies. Major Harper, who is attached to the Department of Internal Affairs, spent the last fortnight visiting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. He left for Wellington last night. Sharks In the Harboar With his line baited for kingfish, a city resident who was fishing off Orakei wharf on Wednesday last hooked a shark, and eventually, with the assistance of companions and some heavier gear that was brought up while the shark was kept in play on the light line, the fish was landed. It proved to measure 9ft 6in. Those who took part in landing the shqrk report that they saw a considerable number of sharks about the spot while they were landing this one, some of considerable size. They thought the sharks had cruised into the harbour ! after kingfish. Welfare of N.Z. Forces The introduction of the canteen coupon system for the benefit-of the New Zealand Forces overseas, an increase from £30 to £50 in the maximum annual remittance that may be sent from New Zealand, and an increase in the mufti allowance from £7 10/ to £15 for all returned men from overseas and also members of the home defence forces who have served at least 12 months, were among the subjects covered by remits submitted by various patriotic councils to the national conference of patriotic bodies in Wellington. After these matters had been discussed, they were referred to the standing committee of the National Patriotic Council, with power to act. New Observatory Opened The Carter Observatory in the Wellington Botanical Gardens was opened yesterday afternoon by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, who unveiled a brass plaque bearing the words: "Dedicated to the memory of Charles Rooking Carter, 1822-1896, through whose generosity the erection of this building was made possible." There was a large attendance of the public. The observatory is equipped with a 9in telescope given by the Wellington City Council, a 20in reflector given by Victoria University College, and a spectrohelioscope on permanent loan from Mount Wilson Observatory, California. Mr. Fraser said that the Royal Society of New Zealand had wanted a first-class observatory in Central Otago, but after much discussion it had been decided to do the best possible with the means available, and to establish an observatory that would serve the dual purpose of enabling some research to be done i and of stimulating putlic interest in I astronomy. Larger development could come later.—(P.A.)