NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 230, 29 September 1942, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Spring on the Range* The trees of the heketaia (Olearia Cunninghamii) are this year flowering profusely in the bush, their whole forms being masses of deep cream blossoms. Like the Kirk's (Senecio Kirkii) they have their off-years when few are to be seen, but for some reason both of these plants have this year flowered abundantly. The kowhais, which ?[row freely on some of the heights n the ranges, are now covered In gold, and with the loveliest of all our natives, the starry clematis, are making quite a show against the darker foliage of the hillsides. Wood Strong as Steel A new process by which wood may be made as strong as mild steel was described by Mr. J. F. Field, conservator of forests for Southland, in a talk to the Invercargill Rotary Club. If ordinary wood was soaked in a solution of urea (an inexpensive chemical) and was heated to a temperature of 210 degrees F., it could be bent, twisted, compressed and moulded. When it was again bonedry and thoroughly cooled, it was as strong as mild steel. This discovery, said Mr. Field, would permit a wider use of low-grade timber. For instance, urea-treated wood might conceivably be used instead of aluminium for aeroplane struts and ribs. Work for Land Service Girls The opinion that the increased rates of pay and improved conditions for the Women's Land Service announced Ipy the Minister of National Service, Mr. Broadfoot, would assist the State Placement Service in obtaining more recruits for work on farms in Canterbury was expressed by an officer of the National Service Department. He said that at present about 20 farmers were waiting for land girls, but the Department had not been able to obtain recruits. Probably this was due to the more attractive conditions offered in other employment. The officer added that four or five months ago there were 30 girls available for land work, but very few farmers wanted them. Since then, however, the excellent work done by more than 50 girls who had been placed on farms in Canterbury had caused farmers to change their views, and they were now eager to use members of the Women's Land Service in place of men called up for the army. Romantic Names A survival, no doubt, of the good old times when men were men and a little blood-letting was considered the logical ending to a perfect day, there la in Port Chalmers a right-of-way, the real name of which seems to nave faded into the past, but which has been variously known to a couple of generations as "Shinbone Alley," "The Devil's Half-acre." or "Blood Lane." It came under discussion at the meeting of the Borough Council on Monday night (says the Otago Dally Times), and one councillor, after reciting as many of its names as he could remember, confessed himself in the dark as to what It should be called. Another member of the council had no doubts about the matter, and in days to come his contribution will, doubtless, head all the rest. "Snake Gully," he murmured.

Wkite-faced Heron

A white-faced heron has come to the farm of Mr. Robert Sinclair, Dipton, Southland. It was observed perched on a post near a creek. The white-faced heron, which is seldom seen in New Zealand, will remain motionless for hours awaiting prey. The feathers on the body are of a bluish grey with a tinge of pink.

"False Bottoms"

One way of overcoming the difficulty caused by higher costs of ice cream was suggested by the president of the Wanganui Retailers' Association, Mr. G. E. Bennett, at a recent meeting. Mrs. M. McFarland complained that the wholesale price of ice cream was increased in Wanganui recently by 20 per cent. Tne retailers started passing on the increase, but under-cutting occurred and the price dropped back again. Mr. Bennett commented that a possible remedy was that attributed at one time to a section of the liquor trade, which was said to have loaded glasses and "handles" with heavy bottoms. This idea, he suggested with a smile, might also be applied to ice cream cones.

Pillaging of Cargo A letter has been sent by the Associated Chambers of Commerce to the Minister in Charge of Police, drawing attention to the serious proportions which pillaging of cargo is assuming at New Zealand ports, and asking that he take steps to prevent a continuance of the practice. The matter has also been taken up with the Waterfront Control Commission, which has advised that the commission is giving, and will continue to give, maximum assistance to prevent pillaging. The commission has stated that a waterside worker convicted of pillaging as a first offence is excluded from the waterfront for a period of six months, on a second offence the worker is excluded for two years, and for any subsequent offence he is excluded for all time. An International Language "The subject of propaganda raises the question of language and of linguistic communication in an internationalised world," said Dr. I. L. G. Sutherland in a lecture to the Workers' Educational Association, Christchurch, on the psychology of international relations. "Babel now exists. About 1500 languages are spoken by the 2,000,000,000 people in the world. Seven of these languages account for half of the total population of the world, and in the order of their extent of use they are: English, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Bengali. To about one person out of every three throughout the world English is the administrative if not, the natural language. For several centuries thoughtful men have seen the need for some form of international speech. Much more likely than the spread of Esperanto would seem to be the simplification of an existing language and, national prejudice apart, English seems to be the obvious language for this purpose. It has already become the main second language of foreigners of many nations. There is a movement to make a simplified form of English, known as basic English, the international auxiliary language. The vocabulary consists of 850 words, and by the use of these, according to simple rules, everything can be said for all the purposes of everyday life."