NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 122, 25 May 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Examination-Dates. / ■ . The dates upon which a number of examinations will bo held this your .have beeri announced. They are as follows: —Senior National Scholarship, 20th November and following days; intermediate, examinations for senior free places in secondary schools and district high schools, 20th November and following days; Junior National Scholarship (candidates for junior free places who will be. over ID. on. Ist iDeeembcr next must now take this examination), 28th and 29th November; Public Service Entrance, 20th November and following days. "Shrewd Men." "You have been a racehorse owuer?" asked counsel in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth last ,week when a witness, formerly a farmer, suggested U\at farmers generally were not business men.and took a 'good ■'deaL'for. granted. "I have always understood racehorse owners were shrewd men, "continued the barrister. "If they were shrewd they would not keep horses," promptly replied the witness amidst laughter. Better Than Their Grandmother's. "If the clothes of ■ the modern girl cost more than those of our Victorian: grandmothers, ", they are very much more pretty and very much more hygienic," said Miss Maude Boyden in an' address at Auckland yesterday. She emphasised that Victorian grandmothers could buy a great deal more clothes for £20 than the girls of to-day could buy. : ■' . Chemists Closed on Sundays. The formal Gazette notice giving', effect to the requisition for tho c.osing of chemists' shops all day on: Sunday within tho combined district of Wellington was published last nightl The change in system is to operate on and after 3rd June. The "all night" dispensary in the centre of tho city is exempted. A'chemist ( in tho combined district whose shop is more than two miles and a half from the exempted shop may supply, on Sundays medicines and surgical appliances that arc urgently required, provided that the shop is opened for such, purposo'only, and is closed immediately tho sale is. effected,1 and ,that the door of the shop is kept locked except for. the admission and ,exit of the customer. ' The Oyster Season. 'It is anticipated that it will be at least another month before the oyster beds in the Hauraki Gulf are ready for picking (states the "New Zealand Herald")- Reports oh tho various b^eds are now being forwarded to the Secretary of the Marine Department, who decides the date on which the season is to open. Indications are that tho shell-fish will be in good condition this season,- and a higher^ quality is expected compared with last year. The season opened on 10th June last season, but the actilal date re,sts with the Secretary of the Marine Department, who will not' sanction the picking for a new season until he is satisfied that the oysters are in a fit condition. Sea Hover's Exploits Eecalled. More than ordinary interest attaches to the death of Mrs. Catherine Mary Stewart at Whangaroa by reason of the fact that she was a sister of "Bully" Hayes, . whose extraordinary career as navigator and rover in the South Seas is now historical. Mrs. Stewart was 90 years of age, and lived in the.. North of Auckland all her life. She had six sons and two,, daughters, and. left; 75 grandchilden and 26 great grandchildren. Mrs. Stewart was twice married. '|I can just remember tlfe notorious 'Bully' Hayes," said one of her sons, Mr. T. Smith, of Te JVFhetu, near Putaruru, and he recalled a few interesting incidents in "Bully's" career when he was skipper of a small craft plying between Whangaroa and Auckland. Even in his young days f'Bully" had a penchant' for1 smuggling,' but he had . a witch of a little schooner and the revenue cutters of those ■ times had difficulty in pursuing him. Mr. Smith recalled that there is a small island off Whangaroa where the notorious "Bully" used to dump an occasional cargo when the hunt became too hpt. On one occasion "Bully's" father had to pay £200 in the way of fines, -and "Bully" then decided to try the South Seas. Hawthorn Hedges. "That this meeting emphatically protests against the enforcement of the legislation in connection with the removal of hawthorn hedges," .was a resolution passed at a recent small public meeting at Richmond summoned to discuss the position of owners of hawi thorn hedges. Mr. H. T. Cook, a' member of- the Appleby committee for fighting to preserve the hedges, said he thought £hat most peoplo who . had hedges did- not realise their position. Panicky legislation .had been introduced, so that if a district were declared a fireblight area it was only a matter, of days before all the hedges would have to be cut down to a low level. He mentioned • that orchardists in Auckland, where there was fireblight, wor.e carrying on with hedges all round their orchards; Ho could not see how the Government could make • them cut out their hedges. He suggested that efforts should be '- made-to get the Government to form a board of inquiry into the subject, or else that the hedge owners should send a representative to Auckland to collect evidence and make a caso of it. Another speaker said it would cost £250,000 to replace the hedges. Mr. Cook said there was no compensation. A campaign to preserve the hedges would cost money.' Tho meeting decided unanimously,; to 'support the principle of a levy to form a fighting fund. Auckland's Claim. Auckland's position as one of tho principal ports of tho, world is irevealed in the returns of trade for the year ended 30th September last, which were before thei annual meeting of the. Harbour Board on Tuesday (says the "New Zealand Herald"). The total quantity of goods, inward, outward, and transhipments, handled at Auckland and Manukau amounted to close on b,000,----000 tons. Compared with tho previous year, imports at Auckland show a decrease of 25,633 tons, transhipments a decrease of Jlßl tons, and exports an increase of 4588 tons. At Manakau there was an increase of 1421 tons in imports, but a decrease or 1432 tons in exports. The return of vaiue of imports and exports shows that the total valuo of goods imported at Auckland was £15,690,921, and of cargo exported ' £12,007,158,, of which by faith o greater part came from and went to-the United Kingdom and other British possessions. Compared with the previous year, tho totals show a decreaso in tho imports of £1)389,396, and an increase in tho exports of £388,----440. Auckland cargo shipped tp the' overseas markets comprised 90,515 tons to Great Britain, 16,676 tons to Canada, and tho United States, and 24,257 to Australia. • The transhipments were 3019 to Great ■Britain, 2195 to Canada and the United States, and 1009 to Australia.

Petone Redemption Loan.. Consent for the raising of a loan of £2200 by the Petono Borough Council for the purpose of redeeming-the outstanding liability in respect of a loan of a similar amount which has just matured is •given by Order in Council published last night. The term is twenty years,- and a sinking ian'S. of not less than £3 per centum per annum is to bo provided for. A South African Memorial. Tho present condition of the South African Memorial on the northern corner of the Oval was the subject of several emphatic protests at the annual meeting of the South African War Veterans' Association, hel'd on Wednesday evening (states the "Otago Daily Times"). "It has been made a dumping ground for the top-dressing soil that is used on the Oval," said Mr. A. Eccles. "For- many months it has been, an eyesore, and the authorities should be made to put it in order." Mr. G. Smith said that tho condition of the memorial was a disgrace to the City Council, and had been so for some time. ■ Tho lettering had nearly disappeared, and the memorial as a whole required to be put in order.' The chairman, the Rev. D. Duttou, said that the memorial had been handed over free to the city^ It had been received very graciously by the City Council, and the Mayor had pledged-the council to cherish it and take proper'care of it. He thought that the matter could be rectified by drawing the Council's attention .to it. It was resolved that the City Council be written to,, and advised that the memorial required immediate attention. : ■:■-'- -■-■••'■" ;: '"'' ■'■ ■■ ::;-