NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 142, 20 June 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Shortest Day. The peronnial question as to which is the shortest day arises about now, and tho- answer depends entirely upon tho definition givon to "shortest day." In Wellington, astronomically speaking, tho shortest day is on Wednesday next, for at 11.30 p.m. the sun roaches the extremity of his apparent northern journey. On Wednesday tho sun rises in Wellington at 7.17 a.m., setting at 4.28 p.m. We therefore have on the shortest day 9 hours and 11 minutes of daylight. In London on the shortost day the sun rises at 8.4 a.m. and sets at 3.53. p.m., making 7 hours 49" minutes of daylight. Our latitude therefore gives us an advantage over our antipodean brethren of 1 hour and 21 minutes of possible sunlight on'the shortest day. When the shortest day is past, tho optimist begins to look forward to spring and lengthening days. Certainly the daya will begin to lengthon inperceptibly, but experience shows that more often thaii not the worst of our winter weather is to be expected after tho shortest day is but a memory. Moa Bones Found. In the course of a visit to the Kawarau Falls station in tho Lake Wakatipu district, last week, Messrs. D. Rowe and Miller came across an interr esting find in the shape of a quantity of moa bones. The discovery was made well up at the back of the Remarkables range, and it consisted of portions of the skeletons of six moas. The breast bones, almost packed together, were intact; and a few of "the leg bones, which were partly covered up with big stones, wore undamaged. Others were broken, while some were covered up in a landslide which had apparently overtaken the birds. It is intended to prosecute tho search for the missing portions of the skeletons. '...-• The Lavs of Colour. Scientists at the present time were inquiring into the laws of colour, said Mr. E. Douglas; Tayler in the course of bis lecture at the monthly meeting of the Society of Professional Musicians on Saturday evening; and the following were proven facts: Red was a colour which gave a sense of energy and heat, but it was inclined to be irritating as in the well-known case of the red rag and the bull. Orange also was stimulating and cheerful; it made people talkative and sociable. So did yellow, in a less degree. Green was soothing and peaceful; blue, cold and quiet; violet depressing, yet rather restless as it contained a certain amount of red; and so on. Some people thought that, because red and green were complementary colours, they harmonised. But the contrary was the case because "complementary" meant "opposites"or anthitheses. To put red and green would no_t produce harmony any more than to invite to-dinner two such opposite as a bishop and a burglar would be likely to produce harmony.

Used Without Knowledge. An explanation of a commonly-used expression wan given to a "Wanganui Chronicle" reporter who recently visitI ort tho Wanganui Woollen Mills. Many pcoplu use tho words "on tenterhooks," but how many know to what they refer? "Tenterhooks" arc the hooks on tho tentering "machine in a woollen mill, on which tho cloth is carried into the drying-room after it has been washed. American Debaters Coming. A debating toum of three members from the United States plans to tour tho British Empire for nine months, and to take part in debates against teams from univorsitios and other institutions. Tho proposal was discussed at a meeting of tho'cxccutivc of the Auckland University College Students' Association on Wednesday, when a letter was received from the associated studetotsof tho University of Oregon outlining tho project (states the "New Zealand Herald"). It was stated the team would consist of three of the most capable undergraduates of the -college*:* and would officially represont the. State University. It was proposed the team should set out about Ist .October, and visit Now Zealand, Australia* Jndia, Egypt, England, . Scotland, and Ireland. Tho letter asked .that debates should be aranged with the team and stated that similar requests were being sent to the other university colleges of New Zealand. The team expected to remain in New Zealand from about Ist November to 15th November. Scales of Colour. The twelve major colours, stated Mr. E. Douglas Taylor (president of the Society of Professional Musicians) on Saturday night, corresponded to" the twelve major notes of thej^usieal scale; and by striking harmonious chords and noting the corresponding colour tones they Apuld leaia How to trim a hat, dress a shop' window, choose wall papers and hangings, choose'dress materials, and decorate a house, a church, or anything else in tints that would produce a harmonious and pleasing colour scheme. "Point It at the Press." , ' An «ld-fashioned rifle was the innocent - cau&e of some merriment in the Magistrate's Court on Friday during the hearing of a charge against a young man. of failing to register tho weapon under the Arms Act. Counsel for the defendant (Mr. W. E. Leicester) inadvertently pointed the rifle in the: direction of the Bench, and Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., remarked: "I wish you would refrain from pointing that gun at me. If you want to brandish it, point it at the Press." (Laughter.) "I fear that a section of the Press has scented the danger and escaped,", replied counsel, amid renewed laughter, indicating the empty seat, "but the gun is so obsolete that I'doubt whether it has been fired during the last fifty years, antTmy main desire is to prevent it from dropping, to pieces." . V "Being Squeezed Out." ] The Hon. F. J. Rolleston (Minister! of Justice) speaking at the annual social reunion of members of. the Railway Officers' Institute on Saturday night alluded to the uncertainty of .political I life. "In the South island," he said^ "in addition to the. risk a member of! Parliament runs.pf b^ingjjushed out, he is also faced with another risk, and-that is of being squeezed but. (Laughter.) I have never been to understand why the. population- of- New Zealand seems to be vdrif ting,' to : ! the North; with the result tliajt every five years one of the •members of; the South Island has to undergo the process of extinction.- It is really a very anxious time for all of us until the decision of the Boundary Commissioners is made known. In fact,-the decision, of the Boundary Commissioners is to members of Parliament as important ras is the decision ;o£ the Grading.Committee (;o railways officers.'' ; (Laughter.) ' Not on the Map. An interesting anecdote illustrative of the ignorance at Home regarding the actual whereabouts of New Zealand on the world's map was related by Mr. A. J. Entrican at a meeting, of the Plunket Society at Auckland ■ (states tho "Star"). He said that some years ago, when he visited Ireland, a friendly railway porter inquired'whence"he had come. Upon being told New 'Zealand, the porter said, "Not a bad place, either.- I have a nephew over 'the*e mysolf in California." Archbishop Averill, in the course of his remaiks, stated that he found after the visit of the All Blacks to England.. that people i knew a lot more regarding the whereabouts of New Zealand;-but he was not quite sure but that during the- recent Great War many people in England' ascribed the fine physique of the -100,t 000 men seiit by the Dominions to tho fact that they were Plunkdt babies. As the meeting was only the nineteenth anniversary of the society, tho Archbishop's dry humour was appreciated.. righting Red. "Why used we to clothe our soldiers in red?" asked Mr. E. Douglas Tayler (president of the Society of Professional Musicians) in the course of his lecture at the Pioneer Club on Saturday night at the monthly social gathering of the soeioty. t'Becauso (ho answered) red is a fighting colour. That is why tho revolutionists have a red flag, red armies, and so on, and why Socialists wear red ties—that is to say, those Socialists who are out to perform the wonderful feat of fighting their brethren to produce brotherhood." Comfort of Travel. There is a constant and natural desire on the part of passengers for a steady improvement in the comfort of travel, said Mr. J. Mason, of the Railways Board to-day. On suburban runs, ho explained, there is a programme of conversion under way which is replacing longitudinal seating with chair seats. On the longer runs our express car seating and tho provision of jtoheral conveniences for comfort in travel are within measureable- distance or Hie best standards in this respect, when due allowance is made for gauge and clearance restrictions. It was anticipated that the limited trains would ultimately becomo sleeping-car services, and in the meantime, in order to meet public requirements, a number of new sleeping-cars of the latest type were being built. ■proposed Assembly Hall Subsidy. There is a possibility of the cor** nf the proposed assembly* hall: at the, Seddon Memorial Technical' College, a«u *, land, being subsidised by the Government (states the "N«w ' Zealand Herald"). Recently the Board of Governors of the college asked the Education Department for permission to erect! the hall with the money in hand, about ■£9000. At a meeting of the Board of Governors on Thursday a reply was read from the Minister of Education stating that new proposals would "be submitted in the course of a few days, and the Minister trusted they would be acceptable to tho board. Advertising New Zealand. ..-.*; A tribute to New Zealand'? publicity campaign in America was. paid yesterday by the Hon. T. G. Murray, M.L.C., of New South Wales, who is returning to Sydney on the- Aoraugi after a trip to Canada and the United States (telegraphs "The Post's" Auckland correspondent). "New Zealand is to be congratulated on ita publicity work iv America,," he said, "in both Canada and the United States." .He found New Zealand better known and better advertised than Australia. It was not the result of an ostentatious display of posters or booklets, but. of the superior methods employed. He saw. evidences of this everywhere in the States and Canada, and had no doubt that it was bearing fruit. j