NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 290, 7 December 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Beer Essential According to the Prisoner of War Pamphlet published in New Zealand, in which letters from prisoners of war all over Germany appear, beer is, as a rule, on the regular dietarylist as supplied by the German authorities. This is deduced from the fact that in one report in this paper. it was stated that beer had not been provided in one camp, and as the result of representations it ■was about to be restored.

Palace to Playhouse Valuable porcelain plaques as wall decorations, instead of the more conventional pictures in gilt frames usually seen with a panelled interior, have been successfully used in one of the scenes in a Dunedin Repertory Society production. They have been made available from the private collection of a. Dunedin connoisseur of china. One very handsome plate has an interesting authenticated history, having been used by the late Queen Alexandra when she was at Marlborough House, the ancestral home of the Churchill family. Gathering Cocksfoot

Although the wintry conditions of the past few weeks are reported to have retarded growth somewhat, many vacant sections in Auckland suburban areas are carrying almost waist-high grass, which is attracting gatherers of cocksfoot. The seed is stated to be rather green for harvesting, and if taken too early and artificially ripened it does not always produce a satisfactory crop. The price for cocksfoot seed has not yet been fixed, but it is expected to range from 1/ to 1/3 per pound according to the sample.

Importance of Welding The importance of welding in New Zealand industry was discussed at a meeting of the Christchurch Technical College Board of Governors, v/hen members were debating whether or not welding instruction should be continued as a rehabilitation class. It was pointed out that welding was not a trade in itself but was part of the engineering profession, and it was fe:t by some members of the board that it was not a suitable single trade for a rehabilitated man. The suggestion that Lincoln College students could use the Technical College plant was put forward, and it was decided to make the facilities available for them. Much Hit Wall The brick wall dividing the car park from the bus parking area at the Municipal Bus Terminal has been knocked down so often by backing buses that the authorities must by now be wondering whether some baneful 'influence is at work. This week the wall toppled for the third time within a period of a few months. The first effort to protect the wall was to move it back a few yards, and the second attempt was to insert heavy wood beams in the bitumen to act as buffers in front of the wall. Since then the wall has been broken twice—on the last occasion only half a dozen bricks " r ere dislodged, a 15ft llength of WE..I . ' r ng intact.

Building Discoloured Although Auckland's atmosphere is much clearer than that of many other large ckies, evidence of the impurities floating in the air is revealed by the appearance of the State Building in Jean Batten Place. This building has been up only a few years, but its white facade is already marred by a blackening of the tops of its buttresses.

Manpowered Girls Complimented "The girls manpowered into the Silverstream Hospital are doing a good job," said the chairman, Mr. H. F. Toogood, at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board. He said he wished to pay a special tribute to them for the way they had undertaken a wartime job and settled down to it just as soldiers would do. They had come from all Classes of the community, including office workers. There were not enough of them yet, but the board was satisfied that the staffing requirements at Silverstream would be filled.

Many Happy Returns

In the Supreme Court action in which Mr. Justice Blair is asked to decide whether or not there is a public road on a Whitford property, the majority of witnesses to date have been farmers of *iidle or veteran age. One witness—he gave his age as eighty years—said he remembered Whitford when some of the "thoroughfares" were bullock tracks. When he had concluded his evidence, which he appeared to enjoy giving, he was told he could go back to Whitford. "Thank you, your Honor," said the witness with a beaming smile. "I thank you, too," said Mr. Justice Blair, "and many happy returns on your next birthday." "That will be next Friday," replied the veteran, and he departed from the Court as happy as a schoolboy.

Russian Observatory In N.Z.? Expressing the hope that after the war some of the ground lost during it would be recovered and that astronomy in New Zealand, which, with the opening of the Carter Observatory shortly after the outbreak of war, promised a new period of expansion, would continue to advance, Southern Stars, the journal of the New Zealand Astronomical Society, says: "Advice has recently been received from overseas that the Russian Government is already planning a huge programme of rebuilding destroyed observatories in the Union, and of establishing very large institutions in other parts of the world. Tentative plans drawn up mention many powerful instruments, including a 120 in reflector, one of which telescopes will be located in the southern hemisphere. The society has already taken action to approach the New Zealand Government with a suggestion that suitable sites in New Zealand be offered to the Russian Government for the establishment of one of these large observatories. I.t is to be hoped that we will see in the not too far distant Tuture these proposals become an actuality."