NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 185, 4 May 1936, Page 2

NEWS IN BRIEF

Young Air Traveller A very young air traveller arrived in Wellington on Saturday—rhe four-month-old son of Dr. and Mrs. L. C.. McNickle. of Invercargill. He was down by his father from Invercargill to Blenheim In a Moth, being carried in the front cockpit in a small dress basket, minded by his mother. Dr. McNickle went on by train to Auckland. No Change. “It' would not be advisable generally to revoke the provision for the payment of the deposit of £lO in respect of the temporary permits issued to visitors on arrival in New Zealand.” said the Minister of Customs: Hon. WNash, in a letter to the New Zealand Tourist League. The letter is an outcome of a resolution passed by a recent provincial tourist conference held in Auckland, requesting the abolition of the deposit. “Tiie Great Kauriland.” “Whangarei has a complaint, that has a touch of romance—an embarrassment of riches—63 beaches within easy reach, and they don’t know which to develop!” said Mr. G. G. Stewart, of Wellington, publicity manager of the New Zealand Railways Department, in an address to the Auckland Travel Club. “The great kauriland, as North Auckland or Northland really should be called, is a wonderland . ili itself," he said. “Nothing can compare with the grandeur of the kauri forests of Walpoua and Trounson Park. I think it would be doing a great service to call the province Kauriland instead of Northland or North Auckland.” Air Mail Returns. The air mail service between Palmerston North and Dunedin carries letters posted to and from Auckland. Taranaki, Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay. these being collected at or distributed from Palmerston North by the trains. Very little use is made of this service, however, outside of Auckland. Official figures show that only about 75 letters, a week are sent from New Plymouth to connect, with the air mail at Palmerston North and approximately the same number is sent from Napier. The new air service timetable, however; means that letters from the South Island will in some cases connect with earlier trains at Palmerston North, resulting, in the case of New Plymouth, in a speeding up of 12 hours. /'' Many Earthquakes, Twenty-seven earthquakes were re corded in New Zealand in April, a high total for one month. All, however, were outside thp country and not severe enough to be felt except by instrument. In the first three days of the month three large earthquakes were recorded on the instrument, but the shakes were concentrated thousands of miles away. Again, on April 12, there was a big earthquake centred to the north of Australia or New Guinea. On April 19 there was a shake of such intensity that the movements could not be separated on the chart, but the centre was over 2500 miles away. The last earthquake of any size was recorded on April 26 “Graceful Language.” Of all the native peoples he has' encountered on his extensive travels throughout Europe and the Western Hemisphere, Mr. J. Edwin Orr, author and preacher, of Belfast, Ireland, counts the Maori race as the most cultured, and their language as the most interesting and graceful. He is surprised that New Zealanders do not make a study of this native tongue, but since his arrival In the Dominion has only met three white people who speak Maori fluently. He told a reporter that the language makes an absorbing study, and already he has mastered (he rudiments, being able to converse in the tongue, though necessarily to a restricted degree. Navy League Trouble. At a meeting which lasted rill after midnight, the Canterbury branch of the Navy League discussed the question of whether it should retain a paid secretary. The movement to have an honorary officer was made by Mrs. Mowbray Tripp and supported by Lieut.-Commander R. C. E. Harding, and opposed by BrlgadierlGeneral A W. Andrew, Mrs, J. G. D. Hewitt, making comparisons in support of the proposal, said the Wellington branch had nearly 1000 financial members, and Canterbury had only 500. Wellington also had a school division with 1000 members, as well as sub-branches in other parts of the province. There was really not a Canterbury braiieh, only a Christchurch branch. The motion to appoint an honorary secretary was Jost on a ballot by 216 votes io 113, including proxies. Auckland’s Poppy Day.

Evidently as a protest against the allocation of Poppy Day proceeds, the Ellerslie Ex-Servicemen’s Club decided to stand aloof on Friday and did not take part in the sale of poppies. This fact was disclosed at a meeting of the Ellerslie Town Board, when discussion followed a letter received urging the board to purchase Anzac Day commemorative stamps. The chairman, Mr. H. J. White, said that he had been surprised to learn that there was no organised sale of poppies in tiie district on Poppy Day. Mr. H. lan Simson understood that the local club’s attitude had been adopted as a protest against the allocation of the proceeds, the club holding that too small a share was to be handed to local - organisations for the relief of distress. Mr. S. Somerfield said he found there was no gen eral agreement among returned men. The board decided to purchase Anzac stamps to the value of £2/2/-. Honour for Artist.

Further distinction has been conferred upon Mr. H. L. Richardson, arts master at the Palmerston North Technical School, who has received cabled advice of the acceptance of his “Picture of a Maori Chieftainess” for exhibition in the Royal Academy. The picture is a life-size study in oils of an old Maori woman garbed in a featherornamented cloak, vivid colouring being given to the red plumage of the kaka, the black-green of the tui and the white and green of the native pigeon. The background is a Native scene, showing part of a whare-ranunga. This is not the first time Mr. Richardson has had a picture hung in the academy, having been represented before by oil portraits of children and a hook illustration in black and white depicting “Yorick, the Parson, or. His Old Horse.” In addition, he has had his pictures hung by the Royal Society of Artists, of which lie is a member, bis contributions including etchings, oils and watercolours of both landscapes and figure studies. This year be has entered for exhibition a life-size portrait of a child.