NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 190, 10 May 1934, Page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF

Work on City Buildings The work on the Prudential Building and the Colonial Mutual Building has, in both cases, passed an important point. The foundations have been excavated to such an extent that the bearing capacity of the formation can be decided, and it has been found satisfactory. Mr. Frederick W. Newson, a director of the Lewis Construction Company, Ltd., the contractors, which has contracts in hand throughout Australia and in South Africa, praises highly the ability of the Wellington workmen and their courtesy. Confirmed at 108. The Bishop of Aotearoa recently held a confirmation service at Tolaga Bay, East Coast. One of the candidates was a Maori woman, said to be 108 years of age—the oldest person ever confirmed in the Anglican Church in New Zealand. Acclimatisation Society Ballot. In a ballot at last evening’s meeting for three members of the present council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society to sit on the incoming council, Messrs. W. J. H. Haase, D. J. Gibbs and L. A. Caldwell were successful. Run of Rainbow Trout A big run of rainbow trout is now moving up the Oroua River, presumably for early spawning, stated a letter from the president of the Feilding District Acclimatisation Society, Mr. F. H. Stockwell, received at last evening’s meeting of the Wellington society. It was mentioned that some very fine specimens of .rainbow had been taken lately adjacent to Feilding. Old Prints and Photos. Mr. Louis E. Ward's collection of old 'prints and photographs, which- he has presented to the Wellington Early Settlers and Historical Association, is to be exhibited in the Dominion Museum for a week or two. The exhibition will be extended so that any of the school teachers who wish to do so may take their classes to inspect the collection on the reassembling of the schools after the holidays. Labourer Remanded. A labourer, Hugh Robert Flack, aliai R. McPherson, alias “Flash” McPherson, charged with stealing a wallet and postal notes at Upper Hutt, valued at £4/2/6, the property of Ambrose Roy Blight, was remanded until to-morrow by Mr. E. Page, S.M., in tbe Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Detective-Sergeant Revell intimated that further investigations were to he made. “I Don’t Understand.”

A little unconscious humour was contained in the following episode between Detective-Sergeant Revell and a Chinese witness in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday. five: “Do you understand English?., Witness: “No I don’t understand!” The next question, however, “would you like an interpreter?” was met with a blank expression. An interpreter was called. Seagulls Attack Imitation Kiwi. An amusing incident occurred on the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rotorua when she was loading at Tokomaru Bay last week. On the vessel’s main mast head and fastened to the truck is a large kiwi, made of metal, and it was attacked by two seagulls. One bird was perched on the long beak of the kiwi pecking at the eyes, and the other seagull was pecking at the back of the kiwi. The two birds continued their combined attack for a considerable time. Woman to Preach. Mrs. E. Sprott. of the Melanesian. Mission, who is on furlough from the British Solomon Islands, will preach at St. Luke’s Church, Wadestown, next Sunday evening. While there is no canon against women preaching in Anglican churches, it rarely occurs. Last year another woman missionary, Miss Dinneen. formerly of China, preached in the same church, the occasion being a "missionary Sunday,” as is next Sunday.

Sheep-worrying at Hamurana. A severe loss was suffered by Mr. J. Catley, of Hamurana, Rotorua, last week when dogs worried a flock of 130 sheep in one of the paddocks of his farm. Next morning Mr. Catley discovered eight ewes, either dead or badly torn about, lying in a ditch, and from appearances it would seem that the sheep had been attacked by more than one dog. Those still alive had to be destroyed, while in addition many others of the flock also were discovered to have been attacked, with possible sgrious effects. New Fay-in Office.

One of the proposals made in connection with the allocation of space in the Wellington tramway and electricity departments’ new building is a central pay-in office on the ground floor for all payments to the City Corporation. The idea is that there be a large semi-circular counter, with the space behind subdivided into offices for the receipt of electric light accounts, rates, license fees of all kinds, building fees, and the hundred and one miscellaneous payments to the council. Such an office it is considered would be most convenient for the public.

An Old Building“The reason why (he old house in Upper Willis Street, now being demolished, was built so much above the road,” writes an old resident, was that at one time the grade of that street was not so even as Itjs now There was once - considerable hump in Upper Willis Street just below the Dixon Street intersection, and when It was cut away it left the ground floor of the houses above the new road level. This old house was once the of the Petherick family, if aright.” Tlie work of re-grading Upper Willis Street was canned out in 18<&-

The Title of “Doctor.” The undue significance attached in New Zealand to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was commented on by a •■•raduate of Canterbury College who recently returned, to Christchurch after studying overseas. In New Zealand, he said.’ anyone who had gained a Ph.D. degree, or any other doctorate, was always referred to as “doctor, ’ even when he was in addition a professor, which was really a higher title. In England there was no such custom, and, in fact, an honours degree (8.A., hons.) from Oxford or Cambridge was usually considered a higher academic qualification than Ph.D. In this, as in some other academic matters, New Zealand seemed to be following American ami Gorman practice rather than English practice-