NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1927, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Native Mind. "One of the secrets of governing native races is. to get at the mind of the Native himself," said Sir Apirana Ngata at Christchurch on Friday. "I have a suspicion that we have not got at the inina of the Sainoan, or -we would not have the present trouble." No Odd Numbers. An instance of Maori superstition is shown iv the plans of the new Maori Anglican Church to be erected at Wangara (states the "Poverty Bay Herald"). In the specifications no parts, such as windows or rafters, are to be built in odd numbers. There must be cither two, four, or six windows on either side; seats must be provided in oven .numbers, in fact,:. throughout, everything has to be divisible by two. Regulations Tor Whitebait. , "The time is ripe for better regulations in regard to whitebait," stated Mr. A. S. Hefford, Government Inspector of Fisheries, who was in Christchurch on Wednesday.-' No fishery, he said, was so varied and complicated as the whitebait one, and that was causing them to. hesitate till more definite information was available. He would have to study the times, the methods; and intensity of fishing,', and' also investigate the country in , which the' whitebait fared besfat all'stage's i-n its.life. • They were not seeking to regulate the fishery simply for the sake of regulating it (reports the "Press"). The real'beneficiary would be the fisherman himself as he would be assured of a better supply. Trout were an enemy; of whitebait, but' so; also were other fish. , Subscription Before Resignation. "Dear sir, please accept my resignation from your association, yours faithfully" —— and then an unblemished expanse of white noto paper. This was the rather indefinite letter received by tho executive ,of the Taranaki -Automobile Association on. "Wednesday, says tho "Taranaki News." The place or origin of the communication, gave the clue to tho discerning secretary, however, and tho executive decided not to accede to . the request until -the motorist concerned, a wellknown px-,New Plymouth business man, has paid his £1 subscription: Other correspondence received by the executive at the '■ same time provided more food for reflection. "Please strike my name off your books. I don't intend to reply to any more of your communications " Was the emphatic protest of an erstwhile member whose previous attempts to resign had not met with success, v Inspection of Machinery. Several amendments to the Inspection ol Machinery Amendment Bill ar- proposed by the Labour Bills Committee. The Committee has deleted .the provision enabling the Governor-General in Council to make regulations providing for the registration of designs and specifications of boilers, lifts, and cranes, and substituted a clauso providing for the submission, of drawings to the Chief Inspector of Machinery, who is to determine whether they comply with the regulations (to bo made by Order-in-Council), prescribing standard conditions to be observed in the design and construction of tho boilers, etc., aud the ices payable for the examination of the drawings. The clause dealing with the ago of young peoplo left in charge of machinery has been amended to include steamer boilors and steam, gas, and oil | engines. Another new clause enables i a permit to be issued for the temporary use of machinery without a. machinery certificate. Clauses relating to exam- , inations, tho commission of a breach through; acting without certificates, the provision for gold dredges, and the holding of certificates under tho Act by drivers of steam stationary engines have boon deleted. New Plymouth's Fernery. Even at this early stage the fernery recently constructed in Pukekura Park New Plymouth, is dolightful for tho lay-out of the throo chambers and the approaches. Most of tho 3000 plants already installed have thrown up "now fronds (says tho "Taranaki News"). But it is the developments six months hence- that will mean a transformation into a place of unsurpassed beauty, with ovcry inch of- clay bank clothed m fine maidenhair ferns, of which thore aro twelvo distinct varieties. Then tho tree ferns, tho Prince, of Wales's feathers, and all their smaller cousins will enclose tho winding pathways in walls of fronds through which tho light will play from thc^oof of glass. From a botanis^'s s point of view, the collection will bo unique, for it is .the aim of the park superintendent (Mr. T. Horton), who has had charge of the work, to havo at least ono specimen of every fern in New Zealand. • The assistance of collectors throughout the Dominion haß been obtained,, and for weoks plants of all sizes and kinds have kept arriving. Even now parcels come to hand, though the bulk.of the'planting has been completed, " but room can always be found for the rarities that havo been taken from the bush. Thus the collection will bo tho most valuable and comprehensive in the country. Tho name of every plant is shown. As, Others See TJs. "I havo travelled fairly extensively, but I - havo never been to a country j that has impressed me as much as Now' , Zealand has," said Mr. William Stone, \of Toronto, who is now in Auckland 1 after having completed a six weeks' tour of tho North Island (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). "This is my first visit to this country, and I am astonished at what has been accom- , plished in so short a time," stated Mr. i Stone. "I havo been greatly impressed 1 with the spirit of pride the people take | in their country, their cities, and their I towns. One f cols that they are intenseIly patriotic and public-spirited. The I country seems to .be particularly prosperous, and a good feature of this is that the wealth is apparently well distributed. I havo also been surprised at tho large number of beautiful buildings in the cities. . . .Another matter that has interested and impressed mo is the enterprise of Now Zealand newspapers in giving so. much attention to world news. I get more Canadian news in the newspapers here than. I would get in New York papers. . Whilo tho Canadian nowspapors do not give as much attention to New Zealand, a much, greater interest has been manifested in the Dominion by Canadians during the past year." Tourists in Nelson. It. has often been a matter of comment that tourists in the Dominion have littlo opportunity of seeing much of Nelson, as the itinerary drawn up by the Tourist Department does not provide more than perhaps a night to bo spent in tho city., says tho "Nelson Mail." It is satisfactory to note, however, that the Tourist Department is now willing !to make arrangements whereby visitors can spend at least two days in the . district; Notification to this effect was made at tho meeting of the executive committee of the Nelson Progress League last week, when the president (Mr. A. Gould) stated that Mr. J. Wallace (Mayor of Motueka) had interviewed the chief officer of the Department, and ■ had received a promise that if Nelson could frame a suitable time-tablo the Department would be agreeable to include a stay of two days in Nelson in the itinerary. In the course of a short discussion, at which gratification was. expressed at tho pronouncement, members stated that there were numerous attractions in Nelson, and that no difficulty would be met in. making arangement as suggested. '"

Pakeha Ignorance. It is not. generally known that the Wanganui River was not known among the Maoris as the "Wanganui." Its real name (says an exchange) is Tc Wainui-a-Kua, meaning "The Great River of Rua." When the pakeha settled in this district he first called it the Knowlesly Eiver as a compliment to the Earl of Derby, and old maps show it under that name. "Whanganui" referred only to'the harbour at the river mouth, and the Maori aid not trouble to enlighten the white man when ho referred to the river as the "Wanganui." Dominion's, Territorials. Captain E. J. Davis, N.Z.S.C, machine-gun instructor at the camp being held at Trentham, who returned from England recently after a couple of years with the British Army, is convinced that the Dominion's Territorial force compares more than favourably with the citizen army in England. "If New Zealand had tha^ time, money, and facilities," he said, "I feel sure she could do as well, if not better, than the regular army at Home. Tho boys wo have here are as keen as mustard, and anxious, to learn, and the' instruction they aro receiving is exactly the same as is being given at Home. There is no talk of aggressiveness to kill, but undoubtedly the training'would be of value, in an emergency, while-the instruction is also of benefit to the man receiving as a citizen." • Play Areas. _ "No young fellow-will start out in life with the object of becoming a criminal if he has somewhere to play," saia Mr. F. W. H. Brinsden at the annual meeting of the Bemuera East Ratepayers' Association (reports the "New Zealand-Herald"). "It is just as much, the daty.of the City Council to provide playing areas 'as to lextend the libraries,"said Mr. Brinsden. "To-day is the time to.buy these areas for the future welfare of the race." Art in Auckland. ' ' '■ "The year has not been one that we can altogether congratulate ourselves upon, one of the reasons being a considerable loss on. our exhibition," said Mr. A.-S. Boyd, president of the Auckland Society of Arts, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet at the annual meeting of tho society on Thursday evening., Mr. Boyd said the loss could be accounted for in.large measure by bad weather and poor trade, tho latter resulting in people having littlo money to spare for art. Another reason was the lowering of the prices of admission and catalogue. In spite of this, the attendance showed no appreciable increase, and the, differences in prices meant a loss to the society of about £50. -It' was possible that the council might increase the price to Is again .for the ne;xt exhibition (reports tho "New Zealand Herald"). It waß hoped to increase tho number of honorary members, and there would, no doubt, be a corresponding increase in revenue. "Tho council is not prepared to say when tho next exhibition will be held," added Mr. Boyd. "If the present gallery is available it will be held there." When the society acquired new premises they hoped to offer sufficient inducements to increase the . membership. Referring to the sales of pictures at the last exhibition, Mr. Boyd said they were not excessive. For a number of years there had been' a steady falling off in sales wh^ch could not be accounted for: In' 1921 the salos amounted to £667; 1922, £939; 1923, £1024; 1924, £632; 1925, £933; 1926, £537; 1927, £300. , Lengthened Panoramas. Few countries in the world can show as beautiful panoramic views from their railways as Now Zealand. Hitherto somo of the most interesting portions on the Main .Trunk routes in both Islands have gradually vanished in tho dusk to the chagrin of tourists, but with tho. incidence of daylight saving travellers by tho oxprosses in both Islands will havo the advantage of including in visible landscapes some ideally characteristic country. In the fifteen hours of tho North Island Main Truuk; trip, though tho most interesting part of the daylight; tour, from Taihapo to To Kuiti, is covered whilo the sun is strong, the 1 terminal lengths suffer the oblivion of twilight.; Bunning south at present, the daylight limitod loavos Marton at/ 7.32 p.m., and roaches Palmerston Nprth at 8.21 p,m. Daylight will render visible much of the country south of Palmerston when summer time is in force. Running north, again, there is a groat deal of typical dairy country between To Kuiti and-Frankton that will be seen for tho first time by many travellers with' the coming in of the Act. It is perhaps on tho South Island, trip southwards that tho most beautiful stretch of coastline will bo opened up to the tourist. From Palmorston South; to Dunodin, including the pretty inlets and boldbluffs in tho neighbourhood of Waitati, is characterised by somo as 'the finest stretch of scenic coastline in the -world, and instead of reaching Dunodin at 8.54 p.m., when tho present mail train from Christchurch to Dunedin arrives, when the sandy beaches and bush-cov-ered hills aro only dimly seen in. the growing' murk, visitors will arrive' in the southern city in daylight,' having , had the advantage of seeing much of tho prettiest part of the run. in the ovening sunlight."