NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Dominion Day.

Monday next is. Dominion Day, ana is observed as a bank holiday, although it is no general holiday. It ia the day which commemorates the proclamation issued in 1907 that "His Majesty ttie King is graciously pleased to change the style and designation of the 'Colony of New Zealand' to the 'Dominion of Now Zealand.' " From the early days of settlement until 1841 New Zealand remained a dependency of New Soutt Wales, subsequently being created a separate colony by Royal Charter. Although this Charter was dated 16th November, 1840, the change did not take effect until 3rd May, 1841. The Botanical Gardens. The spring display at the Botanical Gardens is now at its beat. This year, owing to the abundant moisture and absence of wind, the spring flowers have made a romarkable Bhffw. Below the director's house, the naroissus bank is a mass of yellow and goldj certainly a more glorious show than ever staged within the four walls of a hall. Along the main walk, daffodils, wallflowers, polyanthus, ranunculus, and primrose! are all flowering in profusion. On the bank the magnolias are a mass of red and white, Here a bed of Anemone Fulgen is a blazo of scarlet. Amonjr the nat lV e S , the kowhai is at its best. The Maori tradition is that when the kowhai flowers in suoh profusion it is generally regarded as a forecast of a wot season. The camellias and rhodoclondrons also add considerably to the mass- of colour. On the rockery a among the boulders. Those are rarelf seen except Jby the enthusiast who has tho timo to investigate. The aubriotias, however show masses of purple and pink, and aro the feature of the iTck garden. Tho gardens at present aro Running to Wast*. T '';Bvory where I go in your country cheaper to export your coal. In Austria whore to . day we have £ all our railways are electric. I bo - lwvo that this will ultimately l>o the systomin this country." Swanus of Cockroaches. Thousands of cockroaches havo boon | discovered un the kitchenette of tho Princess Mary Children's Hospital, Auckland, and the matter was discussed & } /"Ckland Hospital Board on Wednesday (reports tho "Star"). From tho kitchenette tho insoots have commenced to find their way into the wards along the hot-water system. In an endeavour to clear the pest ft contract has been let for £20, by which it is anticipated that the wholo building will bo cleared. Successful experiments have already boen made. Jewish New Year. At sunset on Monday nbxt begins the Jewish Now Yoar. This will be the yoar 5688, the Jewish calendar being dated from tho Creation, which is considered to have taken place 3760 years and three months before the commencement of tho Christian era. In the construction of the Jewish calendar numerous dotails require attention. The Now Year may commence on any date betwodn sth September and sth October. Tho year is luni-solar, and, according to whether it is ordinary or embolismic, consists of twelve or thirteen months and of 354 pr of 384 days TimJs the name given to tho first month of the yean. Sea Fisheries. Tho necessity for research in respect of the Dominion's sea fisheries was emphasised at ChristchurcU on Wednesday by Mr. A. S. Hofford, Government Inspector of Fisheries. Supplies, ho said, were showing signs of marked diminution, especially tho sheltered inshore waters that had been intonsivoly fished. They did not know the extent of the resources not yot tapped. Tho comprehensive survey of the marine resources of the Dominion would be a big and expensive job. Regarding poaching on tho Dominion's oyster beds, Mr. Hefford said that undoubtedly poaching wont on, but not to an extent that made any appreciable difference to the output. Death Sentence Suspended. Some years 4 ago the North .Canterbury Acclimatisation Society imported English mallard duck, and released them on the Avon. A pugnacious breed, they tried 'to exterminate the grey duck, killing the young. So they were destroyed. However, they had bred with the grey duck, snd there are now about twelve to fourteen mongrel duck which it is considered desirable to kill out. The council of the society came to the decision to kill these crossbred ducks, but it will be necessary to obtain official sanction from tho Government, as it is not the open season, states the "Sun." Mallard duck, in type, rather incline towards tho tamo duck, and are not nearly such good birds for eating as the groy, which probably aro unsurpassed. Tho Auckland Acclimatisation Society has docided to import mallards and it will be interesting to awai* its experience.

New Zealand Newspapers. "If it were not for the newspaper advertisements you would not get the high-class news or articles yon do," said Mr. Will Appleton to the Canterbnry Advertising Club on Wednesday night. "Tho newspapers of New Zealand compare more than favourably with those of any other country in tho world, and you can get a message to the public in a few hours from Whangarei to the Bluff, whereas any other form of advertising might take weeks of preparation." Mr. Appleton added that one of the reasons why newspaper advertising was so successful was that people look np a paper in a receptive state of mind. Owners of Cars. The man who does not receive a high salary and yet runs a car has been made a target for the pot-shots of all sorts of critics, but he found a champion at Christchufch on Wednesday evening—Mr. Will Appleton, of Wellington (states a Christchurch exchange). Mr. Appleton was lecturing 'to the Canterbury Advertising Club and said: "There has been some discussion recently about the income that enables a man to run a car. Of course it depends on the man himself, but I think that the man who is not getting a big wage but has a cheap car and takes his wife and family for a run into the country is probably doing the best thing for the country and himself.*' There had been much talk about there being too. many cars, but he thought that, taking it all round, the people of this countrywere much better off than they would be without cars. Mackinaw Trout. Last season a trout that was caught at the mouth of the Waimakariri Biver was sent to Mr. D. Hope, Curator of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, for identification. He had no difficulty in recognising it as' a mackinaw tfbutj a lake trout imported from America and released in Lake Pearson many years ago. Obviously the fish had got free from the. lake by following in flood-time Winding Creek, an overflow from the lake, to Broken Eiver, and thence into the Waimakariri. It then sought the comparatively still waters of the estuary, for it is not a river-loving type (states the '' Christchurch Sun"). Mackinaw trout are still caught in Lake Pearson, but they have not proved a good sporting fish, the rainbow trout in the lake attracting the anglers. The biggest mackinaw caught at Pearson range from 12 to 141b, but seemingly they grow to a greater weight in America. A Certain Time For Lunch. "A properly controlled lunch is essential to the child who is taking tho meal away from home," wrote the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. E. J. E. Meeredy) in a report on visits to various schools which was considered by ■the New Plymouth Education Board, says a Taranaki exchange. At Hawera the school lunch was controlled by a teachor, and the children were prohibited from using the playground until 20 minutes had elapsed for the meal. At Eltham, while the lunch was not controlled, the pupils were not allowed on the playground until 20 minutes had passed. The doctor was pleased that such attention was paid to the point. The senior inspector (Mr N. B. M'Kenzie) said Dr. Meeredy would probably find that lunches were controlled in other sehoola a* well. Economics of Advertising. "Advertising is not a panacea. Nothing will succeed with advertising that won't succeed without it. If you have the right article you can afford to advertise, but if the article is not right advertising may sell it once but no more," said Mr. Will Appleton, of Wellington, in the course of a lecture delivered on Wednesday evening in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, to a large gathering of members of the Advertising Club and other business men (reports the Ohristehureh "Sun"). "Is Advertising an Economic Waste?" was the title of tho address. It wag frequontly contended, said Mr. Apploton, that nationally advertised goods must carry hcavior prices to pay for their advortiaing. Ho admitted that there was no oconomic justification for all advertising, and there were waste and extravagance in advertising just as thero wero in other departments of comruorco, but the real tost of tho economic value of advertising was whether or not it benefited the consumer, for it was conceivable that publicity which might make selling quicker and oasior for a manufacturer might be at the expense of the purchaser of the goodß. Architectural Designs. Third prize in an architectural competition, promoted by the University of Western Australia, was gained by the Auckland firm of Gammer and Fora. Designs were submitted by architects of many countries, the first prize being won by Bodney, Alsop, and Sayce, of Melbourne, and second prize by the English firm, M'Morran, Harrow (states the "New Zealand Herald"). New buildings for the university are to bo erected near- Perth. The site is at Crawley, about three miles to the southwest of Perth, find comprises ah area of about 160 acres of well-wooded land. The possibilities of the scheme' and tho freedom permitted in the design of the buildings which it is intended shall set the standard for all future buildings for tho university, were of a nature to interest architects throughout the world. The competition was open to architects in Great Britain and the Dominions and the United States. The buildings, which were the subject of the present competition, were a great hall, to be. known as "Winthrop Hall " capablo of Boating 1000 persons; a union building, to be known as "Hackett Hall," to contain a large refectory, dining-rooms, common rooms, do-batmg-rooms, etc.; a senate room, the administrative offices, classrooms, including examination hall, art buildings etc. The plans submitted by Gumrner and Ford were very highly spoken of by the jury of award and have been retained by request of the vice-chancel-lor as an example of design for use in tho school of architecture. Old School Days. Incidents connected with his schooldays at Wellington College were humorously recalled by Dr. J. S. Elliott at a gathering held last evening to commomorate the success of the Old Boys' senior Eugby team. He referred to tho groat growth of the School, of the Splendid work of the late principal, Mr. J P."Firth, C.M.G., and the many changes time had wrought. Some boys went to school on bicycles, while there were others who had horses, which made quite a little cavalcade. "Then, too," he added, "our garb in my dayß would appear extraordinary to the present dayboy. We had straw hats, and they used to blow off, but it blow* more in Auckland than in -Wellington nowadays." (Laughter and applause.) Fusing Causes Explosion. A loud explosion and flames shooting upward from the footpath startlod the residents of Princess Flats, Princes street, Auckland, at 7 o'clock last 11' explosion, which was caused by the fusing of electrical equipment at a switchboard in the hall, shook the who c bulling and brought china and crockery down, in a, shower in several apartments. The flames from under the footpath caught tho woodwork of the entrance, but were extinguished on the arrival of the city fire brigade. Following tho fusing about a dozen houses in the vicinity wero plunged into darkuess but rapid repairs by the Power Board resulted in the restoration of light within half an hour. The general damage, including broken ornaments and crockery, is estimated'at £100. The building, which is ownod by. Mr, E. A. Hitchings, was insured. " ' " ~