NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

?ound by Wireless,

_ On Tuesday, states a Press Association telegram from Dunedin, a wireless message from Sydney was picked up in Masterton, stating that a man named A. A. Barnes, who was somewhere in New Zealand, was urgently required' at his home in Coogee. Inquiries were instituted, with the result that Mr. Barnes was located at a Dunedin hotel and was able to catch the North-bound train next day.

Manure Before Motors,

The prospects for the coming year are better than they were a few seasons ago," remarked the Hon. X S Williams (Minister of Public Works) when declaring the Marton Agricultural and Pastoral Show open on Wednesday. And when you get a little extra for your produce," he added, "you cannot do better than .put it back on the land instead of buying a gramophone or a motor. We are inclined to go in a little too much for luxufie* and not enough for practical things. By so spending your money you will also help your own people and keep your earnings in the country."

Mangahao's Load,

Mangahao's maximum load for the week ending 16th January, averaged over half- an hour, was 16,670 k.v.a. This occurred between 7.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, 13th January. The previous week's figure was 16,096 k.v.a. The week ending 16th January was the week when lack of water necessitated the co-operation of other power plants, so the output of units that week was 1,069,920, compared with 1,370,550 during the previous week. Had it not been for the shortage of water, the output would probably have been over one 1 and a half million units. The recent rams at Mangahao have replenished the dams, but a good rain about once a week during the summer will be needed to enable the plant to carry on without outside assistance. "When the third dam is completed, which will be sometime next winter probably, reliance on stand-by plants.will be a thing of the past, but in the meantime the Mangahao plant is doing .all and more than what it was designed for.

Auckland Track Criticised,

At a meeting of the Canterbury Centre of the Amateur Athletic Association, the secretary brought up the question of the grass cycling track at the Auckland Domain,, to be used for the championship. This track, he said was five laps to the mile, and extremely dangerous, reports "The-Post's" c6rrespondent. ' There was room for a much larger track. On his motion it was decided to write asking the Auckland Centre if it would be possible to make a larger track of three, or at most four, laps to the mile, as the Canterbury riders were not used to racing on grass. It was reported that the result of the campaign to send a team to the championship meeting was that approximately £100 had been obtained. The secretary said this would suffice for eight men.

Marlborough War Memorial.

The great bells of the Marlborough War Memorial Clock Tower have arrived at Wellington from the bellfounders, the famous firm of Taylor and Co., of Loughborough, England, and the clock, which is being manufactured by Messrs. Littlejohn and Co., is nearing completion. Messrs. Littlejohn and Co. wish to exhibit the bells and clock in Wellington, prior to their shipment to Blenheim, ,and the committee has agreed to this being done (reports the "Marlborough Express"). In the meantime the construction of the stone tower to house the clock and bells is proceeding very slowly, the work having been delayed through a variety of causes, but it is hoped to speed'things up so that the memorial may be unveiled on Anzac Day.

Hiring out Cookers,

Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, ex-ch'airinan of the Hutt Valley Power Board, who has just returned from a visit to England and Scotland, spoke briefly to the board yesterday on his investigations into electrical matters during his trip. An interesting portion of his remarks related to the method in vogue in many of the towns- of the electrical authority hiring out cookers and other appliances. Cookers were hired to consumers at from 2s 6d to 3s 6d per quarter, the authority bearing all the charge of installation and maintenance. When cookers were worn out, they were replaced without cost to the consumer.

Next Year's Band Contest.

Citizens and members of the last Christchurch band contest committee met yesterday, when it was decided to 'apply to have the. New v Zealand band contest of 1928 held in Christchurch, reports "The Post's" correspondent. The contests are held in the North and South Island in alternate years, and this year tho contest will take place at Wellington.

Power Consumption in Hutt Valley.

Reporting to the Hutt Valley Power Board yesterday, the engineer stated that there had been a slight lowering of the voltage between 10th and 13th January, owing to the current being supplied by the Wellington Corporation. There wore now 5316 customers connected, of which over 4000 were in the eastern area. The total increase since last year was 59 per cent. The total connected load to date was 14,199 lew., an increase of SI per cent, during the year. There were now 362 electric ranges installed and 121 water-heaters. For the week ended 16th January, 160,----610 units had been purchased, an increase of 24 per cent, over the similar period of last year. The peak load during December occurred generally from S p.m. to 10.30 p.m. On 14th January, however, the peak load occurred at 12 noon, the maximum demand being for 1598 k.v.a. The maximum demand had now reached the 1928>-29 Public Works Department allocation. The chairman (Mr.' A. J. M'Curdy) remarked that the number of ranges installed was on« to every fourteen consumers.

Beautifying Mount Eden.

A scheme of beautification for Mount Eden includes the planting of native flora on a generous scale to replace the occasional clumps of pinus insignis planted in the early days, states the "Auckland Star.-" A tea kiosk,on a commanding knoll, and a wide and safe motor road to the.summit will also be provided. "It is a generous offer," said the Mayor (Mr. E. H. Potter) at a meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council oh Tuesday evening, when a letter was received from a Mount Eden resident offering to supply from a private bush at "Waiheke Island all the native trees that may be required. The Mayor said that it was intended to plant a thousand trees on the mountain next year.

Safety at Sea. The new diaphone fog signal which has been erected close to Pencarrow lighthouse for the guidance of shipping negotiating the entrance to the harbour, will be ready for ordinary use in a few days. The apparatus is worked by a petrol engine, and will be set in action by the lighthouse-keeper whenever circumstances call for its use. The radio direction finding apparatus at Cape Maria Van Dieman, put into commission, at the beginning of last month, has already proved useful to masters of steamers in the vicinity of North Cape who wish to pick up their bearings, and tests made by one vessel have been reported upon as highly satisfactory. In order that the fullest advantage may be taken of the direction finder, it is necessary for vessels at sea to be equipped with complementary instruments. So far few steamers are so equipped, and the Marine Department is hopeful that the new convenience provided at Cape Maria will induce shipping companies to fit their vessels accordingly, if only to ensure their safety in bad weather off a coast which has provided a grave for many ships.

Shark in Breakers.

A party of girls who were about to take a dip in the sea at Napier }ast Saturday had a startling experience. They were enjoying a sun. bath, preparatory to their swim, when a .scream from one of their number drew attention to a large shark which was, quietly wallowing m the breakers, close in to the shore. The cries of the girls attracted the attention of two men, and one of them sent for a rifle. .Before this arrived, however, the shark had departed seawards. About an hour afterwards, however, the fish reappeared in exact.iy the same spot, only a few yards from the shore, affording- an excellent target for a rifle. One of the men ran into the surf, and when some 12 feet from the shark, fired with hia rifle. The shark turned and sheered off seawards at once; it,is believed that as he went he carried the Napier man's bullet with him. No signs of the fish have been seen since.

J3oy Lost in the TTiHa,

An unenviable experience befell treorge Muir, a 14-year-old Hastings boy, last Sunday night. Together with his parents and two other boys he set out for Cape Kidnappers on Sunday morning, but at Clifton the boys changed into their swimming costumes leaving their clothes with the parents, and m this dress they continued their journey. They arrived at the Gannets, and when the other boys started to return young Muir remained behind to watch some photographers, saving he would return over the hills later'on. The lad started o^his return later, but completely lost his way and wandered through the hills, clad only in his bathing costume, states an exchange. He spent the night-in a gully by a stream and protected himself as much as he could from the cold by means of grass and scrub. At dawn he found his way to the beach and. by 6 o 'clock he had reached Clifton, where he was met by his father, who had spent the night there. The boy seemed in a dazed condition and could give no account of how he received a bruise on the back of his head, which, it is thought, must be the result of a fall. He has, however, practically recovered from his experience

The Wingless "Bluebottle."

.There is more amusement in reading that the "bluebottles" at Bondi Beach on to the bathers there, stung them into subjects for hospital treatment, than in being stung yourself —especially when you remember, from painful experience, that the "bluebottle" of the Sydney beaches is not a fly at all, but an inhabitant of the ocean, writes a correspondent to the Auckland Star." There is ' a bluebodied fly about the size of a blowfly in Australia, commonly known as the '^bluebottle," but though it has I HmTt' t. Jt m°Stly coafines «s attention to horses and cattle, and it never comes in swarms. Rather is it an individualistic sort of fly, and not consideraMy common. Not so the "bluebottle' of the beaches. This marhfe terror v of the jellyfish family., and it invades the beaches'in myriads heavy easterly weather. It can be seen floating on thewater, easily distinguish able by its vivid blue colour. As an incentive to rapid swimming, and an o°fTath° St t rf e 1 te"°r »to the heartsof bathers, the shark is only a circumstance compared with .the "bluebottle"' and the cry of "Shark!" never caused so sudden an exodus to the safety of tv ofUdth aV he T^ in S Oi thQ Pro-xim ity or the tiny drifter %. uu Sf rmaS 2S 3e«T £ erse"°of \? th- 9 Poi^n-emittin g /'fee - an ft}?' -? rSe the "W»eboftle" with drivers' 11'^/ *pProachaM° Sth^ rhavingrecei^^^

Agricultural College Council.

The date of tho first meeting of the Agricultural College Council has been fixed by Order in Council for Tuesday, Ist February, at 10.30 a.m. The council will meet at the Parliament Buildings.

Sale of Fruit.

For the further protection of the public, new regulations relating to the packing and sale of fruit and vegetables have been framed, and come into force immediately. They impose additional obligations upon vendors. All fruit sold or offered or exposed for sale, whether wholesale or retail, in a container, must be packed in such a manner that any fruit exposed to view, or that would be exposed to view if 'the container were opened in the normal manner, fairly represent in size, maturity, and condition the whole contents of the container: All strawberries, loganberries, raspberries, or cherries sold or offered for sale, in containers of a capacity not exceeding 31b net weight of fruit, are to be so packed that the' container is full of fruit. "Facing," or.the methodical arrangement of the individual fruits that are exposed to view iii a container is not prohibited, provided the foregoing requirements are complied with. "Fruit" is denned as "the unmanufactured edible product of any orchard, or garden plant, and include potatoes, onionsj tomatoes, and all other vegetables." The maximum penalty prescribed for failure to observe these requirements is £20.