NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 51, 4 March 1929, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Drawing" Debentures. . The thirty-sixth half-yearly drawing of the debentures to be paid off the Harbour Board consolidated loan of £850,000 took place on Friday last, 85 debentures of £100 each being thus selected to be redeemed on 28th Aug; ust next by the Sinking Fund Commissioners of. the board. Car Falls Into Section. Good intentions do not always result as planned. An example of this was given on Saturday afternoon, when a motorist from tho Hutt Valley visited Brooklyn, to tako a friend, recovering from, an illness, for an outing in a m»-tor-car.. ' After taking the passenger aboard the car had to negotiate an awkward bend, and while doing so something went wrong, with tho result that the car shot through the open garage .and down into a section, finally coming to rest near tho back door of a residence. The drop was considerable, but the occupants of the car were fortunate to es'eapo with shock and minor abrasions. What Ohristchurch is Like. "Christchurch strikes mo as being like Paris in the number of its bridges, only Christchurch has more than. that city. Perhaps I should say it is more like Venico in this respect," said Mr. H. F. Butcher, town planning officer for tho City of Wellington, who was in Christchurch on Wednesday, in tho course of' an interview with a representative of. "The Press." Mr. Butcher added that Venice had about 150 bridges; .but although Christchureh did not possess an equal number the bridges it had must be regarded as a great asset to the city. In company with Mr. A. B. Galbraith, City Engineer, Mr. Butcher was taken for a motor ride round the Avon and Heathcote rivers, and was shown the boulevard on the banks of ' the former stream. •He considers the boulevard scheme an excellent one, and is of the opinion that it will be a thousand pities if it. is not carried to a successful conclusion. He has no doubt that if the whole proposal is completed it will be a great attraction to tourists. Spoiling Eangitoto. . . Tho introduction of exotic flora to Eangitoto Island was deplored at a meeting of tho council of the Auckland Institute and Museum on Friday, and it was decided to ask the Bangitoto Domain Board to take "immediate and drastic, action-to eradicate tKe pests," states the "New Zealand Herald."Pine trees, ■ poppies, and blackberries were the types of introduced vegetation to which, exception was taken; The president, Mr. H. E. Vaile, recalled that Rangitoto was visited at the time of the recent Science Congress by many botanists and geologists, who considered the island was unique. '' Unfortunately, exotics are spreading on the-is-land," he said. "There are odd pine trees in various parts, and near tho top are cannas, poppies, and, worst of all, blackberry bushes in full fruit, ready to be distributed among the rocks, whoro it will be almost certainly impossible' to eradicate them. The visitors considered that immediate and drasti6 action should be taken to eradicate these pests and keep them eradicated before Eangitoto loses its character and charm," he said,"and that visitor^ and residents should be prevented from importing any plant or animal." Mr. A. T. Pycroft said that many wayside plants had been introduced by the shack-owners on the island. Mr. Vaile: "The next thing they will get is 1 the wandering "jew, and that will be thel end of everything." It was decided to write to the Bangitoto Domain Board in terms of the president's remarks, and urge the eradication of blackberry and the prohibition of the introduction of all other exotic flora.

Shop Hours. In view of certain statements which have been published with regard to shop hours|, the Labour Department has made Ihe following statement to '' The Post"; —"Under the 1927 amendment a shopkeeper who is ordinarily required to close at a certain hour may apply to a Magistrate for exemption from closing at;the hour fixed for his trade, and certain exemptions may be granted. We have found a number of instances where after the granting of such exemption, a shopkeeper will commence to stock the goods of another trade," and as the exemption is not granted for that other trade, he is, of course, required to close at the'hours fixed by the Act, and the exemption does not apply. It might also be mentioned that no exemption can be obtained from a Magistrate to enable i a shopkeeper who is ordinarily required to close on the weekly halfholiday to keep open on that afternoon. Any aggrieved shopkeeper is at libel ty to give particulars to the Department so that the matter can be looked into." ' Nearlyi io,OOO Members. The membership of the Auckland Automobile Association was brought within'ls of 10,000 by enrolments on Friday; states the "New Zealand Herald." Before the attainment of 10,000 membeis is officially announced the roll will be purged of the names of those ■rtho are in. arrears or who have left the province.

Lato Again. For the fourth occasion in seven days the Limited express arrived late at Auckland this morning. It was nearly two hours behind time, states "The Post's" correspondent, owing to a hot box on one of the hew de luxe cars. Thirteen Lucky Number. Her Excellency Lady Alice Fergusson is taking a keen interest in the Artists' Art Union, which has been organised by New Zealand artists to help swell the Dominion Art Gallery and Museum funds, and has herself contributed a charming water-colour— a characteristic glimpse of Wellington's coastline. Tho winner of this picture may well regard thirteen as a lucky number, as Her Excellency's con-, tribution is the thirteenth of the one hundred prizes. Electric Locomotives. "An important contract for twenty 2160 h.p. electric locomotives for ex-~ press passenger service on the Great Indian Peninsula Eailway has been plac-, ed with the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co., Ltd., as the result of an interesting competition," states the "Electrical Beview." "After consideration of manj designs, both British and foreign, the G.I.P. ordered three sample locomotives from different manufacturers, designed to the specification of Messsr. Merz and Partners, consulting engineers for the electrification scheme. All three locomotives were delivered and put into service during the past year, and it is as a result of extensive trials and tests under service conditions that the bulk contract has been placed." Ascent of Malte Brun. "Subtract ±'rom ( the Matterhorn its highest tower, and this Malte Brun Peak may well claim its brotherhood." Of the peak thus described, Mr. Brian Brown-Douglas (England)' with Guide 'Larson attained the summit on Tuesday last (states the " Christchureh Press"). Mount Malte Brun (10,421 ft), which Miss Freda dv Faur said was the finest rock peak in the Mt. Cook region, is the highest peak in the Malte Brun Bange, an offshoot of the Southern Alps. Being good brown rock, unlike the | porous rotten rocks of so many peaks in this region, this mountain provides unequalled opportunities for that fascinating branch of Alpine work, rock climbing. On the same day Miss Kate Gardiner, of Liverpool, with Guide Williams, climbed to the summit of Mount Turnbull, also,in the Malte Bran Kange. From this peak, which ia 7400 feet in height, a magnificent view is obtained of the Main Divide, Mount Cook, Mount Darwin, and the- Tasnlan Glacier. Miss Gardiner, it will be remembered, has made this season noteworthy foi* her ascent of Mount Cook in 15$ hours, and for conquest with Mr. |.H. E. L. Porter and Guide Williams of the virgin peak, Teicleman.