NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 85, 20 October 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Model Engineering. Interest aroused at the Winter Show m tho -fine collection of model engines culminated in the formation yesterday of the Wellington Model Engineering Society, with an initial membership of fifty. Tho objects of the society were explained by Mr. L. S. K. Murray, and a committee was elected. Membership includes several inen-from the New Zealand railway workshops, and the ample field of railway engineering is expected to be well represented at the next Winter Show. Headquarters are being sought, and lectures are being arranged. Three-Light Traffic Control During the past week the City Traffic Department, working in conjunction with the Tramways Department, has installed equipment at Coutrenay place for the control of traffic over that busy area by means of coloured lights. The system is wel ltried and proved overseas, but is new to New Zealand, and the installation has been made as an experiment and will not be maintained unless it is fully satisfactory. The test that will be given it at Courtenay place will be a fairly stiff one, for seven traffic lines converge there, and there is heavy traffic from most of t / m during the greater part of the day. Each traffic avenue will have its lights, which are being placed at the foot of Majoribanks street at a point near the new public conveniences, on Cording's corner, on the centre post of the Courtonay place area, on the De Luxo Theatre verandah and at the corner of Kent terrace and Courtenay place, and Cambridge terrace and Courtenay place. For the time,being the signals will be operated manually, but the equipment provides for automatic operation on a timing system. The lights will be red, signifying stop: green, go; and amber a caution that the signal is about to change to stop or pass on., A trial may be made next week. Commercial Train. The Eailway Department's latest bid for popularity and national service combined is a commercial train to tour j'the North Island, conveying leading business men to the number of 60. It' will tour the Auckland province first, and side motor and launch trips, will cover every point of interest, including all mining, dairying, forestry, industrial, and productive enterprises and taking in the scenic attractions en route. \ of all Government Departments able to assist in explanatory supplement of the wide field of Now Zealand industries will accompany the train, which will have its daily paper on fine art paper, devoted to the district of • tho day, with illustrations. Everything from collar studs to cotton wool and from razor blades to photographic films, likely to bi- needed by passengers, will be obtainable from a shop on the. train, which has a writing office and telephonic communicatior at most of the centres visited, while beds are provided As the party will bo the guests of Chambers of Commerce and local bodies everywhere, and as morning and afternoon tea are thrown in for the £10 cost of the nine days' trip, it is not anticipated that other expense? will total more than fi3 per head. Tho train itself has many special features. The Maori names of the itinerary, cud to end, would cross a street. It is thought that this tour by leading City commercial men will do much to improve business relationships and increase trade-.

Daylight Saving. Appreciation of tho Daylight Saving Bill recently passed by Parliament was expressed at the annual meeting of the Wellington Amateur Swimming Club held recently, and the following motion was passed: "That tho Government's action in passing the Summer Time Bill is greatly appreciated by swimmers and that after a further term its real worth will be more fully realised, and the original measure for a full hour will become permanent legislation." King's Wharf Improvement. The reblocking of the King's Wharf is approaching completion. Previously the railway tracks on each *ide of the wharf were set at a higher level, but the rebtoekinj; will make the wharf a level surface throughout, thus giving the full width of the structure for working nn and making it much easier to lifind1? goods. In two or three weeks at most the work should be completed. Por.c!i!ng Oporsums. Practically every one of the ten opossum areas on the Mount Ej^mont reserve had been extensively poached, said the ranger, Mr. A. R. Larson, at a meeting of the Egmont National Park Board last week. It appeared to be the custom for a poacher to havo a friend in another district to whom tho skins were sent to be stored until the selling season. This made it unlikely that the stored skins would bo found. The poachers started about January, and went on till the opening of the season, and, said Mr. Larsen, he understood the January skins were practically as good as those obtained at other times of the year. The Manain to Pembroke road district, in which there had been no poaching last year, produced 643 skins, while in the muchpoached area alongside six trappers could obtain only 340 skins. Volunteers '' Strike.'' Dissatisfaction with the action of the Fire Board in appointing a member of the brigade who failed to get as many votes from the firemen as did another aspirant for the post of deputy-super-intendent has resulted in 11 of the 16 members of the Waihi Volunteer Fire Brigade deciding to go on "strike." This decision was reached at a meeting on Tuesday evening (states a correspondent). When-the matter of an ap pointment was before the board recent ly the decision not to select the mem ber favoured by tho firemen was reached on the ground that his irregular hours of work would not permit of his giving the same attention to the-duties involved as would the candidate chosen. The dissatisfied brigadesmen, however, state that while they have no grudge against the member selected for the post either as a man or a firemen, they feel that there are others more fitted to occupy the position. They also point out that he has attended very few late fires since joining the brigade, and has been absent from 33 out of 80 musters during the last 12 months. These grievances .were placed before the members of the board in the form of a petition, and the dissatisfied men claim that they have had no satisfaction. They declare the 'strike" will continue until the deputy-superintendent resigns.