NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 187, 9 August 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Coal Mines 7 Output But for stoppages of work and absenteeism- states a report of the "Waikato Collieries' Association for July, there would have been an estimated output for the month of 52.640 tons "of coal at its five mines. instead of the 59.718 tons actuaii.produced- Apart from absence due to accidents or illness, the percentage of absenteeism at the mines ranges. from 5.14 to 15.42. At four of the mines 13 stop-work meetings were held, and at one mine production -was held up for two full days oaring to disputes. There -were no stopwork meetings at the fifth mine. Young Ttuztara Found An unusual exhibit produced at a meeting of the Mount Auoert Borough Council last erening was a young tuatara lizard. The resident engineer, Mr. W. E. Begbie, stated that the lizard was found shortly after four o'clock yesterday afternoon among some rocks in a cave! in Falrlie Avenue through which a branch sewer is being constructed. The tuatara, which was displayed to the councillors in a box. is shout nine inches long, with pink legs and a light brown body. The council decided to offer the lizard to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Mayor's, Honorarium Increased "Does that have to be approved bv the Stabilisation Commission?"; asked Mr. G. Manning when an increase in the Mavor's honorarium from £500 to £750 provided for in the estimates was considered by the! Christchurch City Council. The I chairman of the finance committee, Mr. M. E. Lyons, said that a statu- \ tory payment was provided, for in; comparatively recent legislation. Mr. i Manning said that that was for the centennial celebrations. *Tf that is! so we must still be celebrating,-''! reolied Mr. Lyons. "We have never; availed ourselves of it." City Tronic Congestion Though a reduction __ has beenj noticed in the amount of city tramc as a result of the recent check-over of petrol licenses, motorists still find j congestion in Auckland parking areas. The explanation lies in a fact which has often misled visitors to the conclusion that petrol rationing in the city is not an effective measure, namely, the large number -of cars per head of population. In the metrooolitan costal district there are a*Dout"3s,ooo cars. In the lower! and busiest part of Queen Street only a few over 200 cars can be parked to fill everv available area, and 2000 cars in the" business part of the city at one time is enough to make for congested conditions. The position has-been aggravated in the past two vears by the fact that several large parking stations have been used as stores. In addition to the normal number of drivers' licenses issued, it is estimated that between 3000 and 4000 Americans took out drivers' licenses in the city last year. Up to the end of last month 15,592 licenses had been taken out at the Town HaH, in increase of 1478 on last year.

Attended 23 Schools "Children in New Zealand move about a good deaL" commented the Director of Education, Dr. C. E. Beeby, when addressing the Canter- • bury" School Committees' Association ' ■ child, the son of a share-milker, who ; had attended 23 different schools before he reached Standard Tr x. Brandy-loving Canary The story of a brandy-loving ! j canarv he once owned was told by the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. Att'.=- : i ton, when he onened the Port Nichol- : t son Cage Bird" Society's show. ±xe ;' said this bird began to take fits. To {relieve its distress he gave it diluted ' brandy through a fountain pen filler. After "a time the bird did not need feeding in this way; it took the brandy direct from a spoon- and lived ; i to the" good old age, for a bird, of 13. 1 Veteran Police Officer \ Senior Sergeant H. C. Wade, who ■ recently retired from the position _of { officer-in-eharge of the Petone police • j force, had, next to the Commissioner : | of Police, the longest service of any ■ i New Zealand police officer, having entered the training depot _on the I same day. Reference to this was i made at "a recent farewell gathering -{at Petone, when Mr. Wade was pre- \ sented with a weil-fiued wallet. Thee In a Rom In a letter written from Italy, an Auckland member o? the Second ■ N.Z-E-F. said that when he visited Naples he went to hear the opera • To'=ca." which was plaved in three acts In Italian. The orchestra opened Iby nlaving three anthems—the I Marseillaise, the American National I Anthem and the British National 1 Anthem. "It was the first time I I have stood up for three antnems in I a row," added the Aucklander. [ Workers' Social Activities BeEeved to be the first step of its I kind in the Dominion's labour move j ment, the Auckland Drivers* X. Trior \is at present contemplating a plan ifor the development of social activiIties among its members. It is suggested that card evenings, dancing ; and concerts could be the means of [ bringing drivers and their families } together on certain evenings of the [week. Discussion groups may be • {formed, but this will depend on the '•workers themselves. "A committee ' i has been formed and will report on I the proposal to the executive." said | the secretary of the union,- Mr. L. \ Matthews, to-day. Instructional Tennis Films A report on steps being taken" to ■ s have instructional -PVmc made for ! use at schools was presented by Mr. P. H. Jones on behalf of the film striD committee at a meeting of dele gates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis ' Association. Photographs of leading ■ Players demonstrating strokes had ; been ~?frpn and were to be sent tc • the Government film studios in Wei- . lington. the Shns were eom- • Dieted the Education Department ' i would send them to the various edu- > j -cation boards. They might then be ! borrowed free of charge by schools. ; It was hoped that the films would t be ready for use in the coming season, said Mr. Jc~es.