NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1929, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

End of Summer Time. ; I Summer time throughout the Domiu- ' ion will cease at 2 a.m. on. Sunday next. Clocks should be put back half an hour to standard time on Saturday night. Limited Late Again. Heavy fogs and smoke from swamp fires delayed the.arrival of the Limited express from Wellington yesterday morning, and it did not reach Auckland until io o'clock. During this time of year delajrs will be inevitable becauso of the autumn fogs which blot out the landscape. "Don't You Believe It." ' The meaning of tho words "if work-, ing continuously," in a clause relating to payment for overtime in the Plumbers and Gasfitters Award was 1 questioned by parties in a dispute heard before the Aribtration Court at Auckland (states the "New Zealand Herald"). On behalf of the Plumbers'. Union it was stated the employers had said the words "did not mean anything." "Do not be too ready to believe that," said Mr. Justice Frazer, who presided. "Don't you believo anyv one who says that words in law do not mean anything." ' ■ ' ■ . Alpine Sports Club. : Arrangements for'the formation of' an Alpine Sports Club .in Auckland have been completed. It is proposed | to form similar clubs in various. cities ; throughout New Zealand. AH the clubs will have similar objects, and it is hoped it will be possible to induce the New Zealand Alpine Club to allow the local sports club to -. affiliate with it (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The objects of, tho local club are to encourage tramping, climbing, winter sports, and similar activities, to promote the social and literary sides of mountaineering and tramping, and to arrange tours to points of interest in the neighbourhood of Auckland and in othor parts' of the Dominion. Keen interest has alrfeady been'manifested, and there are indications that a large membership will result. During the Easter vacationparties from the club will visit the National Park and Mercury Bay. A winter excursion to the National Park has been planned for June, and arrangements aro being made for a visit to the Hermitage, Mount Cook, in August. The following officers have been elected: —President, Professor R. M. Algio; vice-presidents, Messrs. W. "H." Cocker and F. E. de Guerrier; honorary secretary^ and treasurer, Mr. W. L. Thomson; committee, Mrs. Algie, Messrs. R. L, Aubin, H. M. Rogerson, and J. B. Strong.' An Attractive Padlock. Attached to the tape which stretched across tho now Hutt bridge prior to the opening ceremony yesterday afternoon was a, gold padlock, suitably inscribed for later presentation to the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward, who was in one of his happiest moods, was not slow, to seize the opportunity for a little funmaking at the expense of the padlock. "As Minister of Finance," said Sir Joseph, "I would like to express my very deep-sense of appreciation of the action of the Lower Hutt Borough Council in having a gold padlock attached to this tape. Now, as a matter of fact, .whenever I see a bit of gold I grab it. (Laughter.) I am going to take it home with me, and I hope that very soon I will be able to use it to lock up a.littlo surplus of my own.'-', (Laughter and applause.) Sir Joseph, was just about to remove tho padlock when he hesitated. "On second thoughts," he said, "I think I had better leave it there until my two colleagues, the Minister of Public Works and the Minister of Railways, have spoken. I am afraid they would not be able to make much headway unless they had a bit of gold dangling in front of them." (Renewed laughter.) The Cinnabar Moth. Although only about a fortnight sinco the first consignment of the Cinnabar moth were liberated in the ; Te Puke district, the results give every promise of success attonding the experiment, says the "New Zealand Horald's" Te Puke correspondent. Ragwort plants in the locality where-the larvae were liberated aro literally, covered with caterpillars varying in size up to an inch. The effect on the ragwort. \ was. most noticeable, the foliage on many plants being dead. - ■ ■ ' Across Main Highways. - Following on a discussion at its meeting recently, the Otago Motor Club decided to forwards remit to the South Island Motor .Union protesting against permission being granted for. the construction of railways across main highways, states.the Dunediir "Star." A case in point was the "railway from tW new, brick : works at ■ Fairfield. In an acknowledgment of the receipt of the remit, the secretary of the union has replied:," In, the meantime, I have made inquiries, and find that county councilshave no rights to grant railway or tramway crossings. These matters are provided for in the Railways Act and the Tramways Act." : The Taieri County Council wrote-that all precaur tions had been taken.to safeguard the road traffic. Messrs. C; and W. Shiel had entered into a written agreement with the council undertaking to comply with certain conditions, one being to give warning to road traffic when a shunt was about to take place. It had been represented to the council that there would be only one shunt per day, and that early in the mornings when the motor traffic on the road was light. Alaskan Dogs fo- Mt. Cook. New; Zealanders will learn with interest that, the fifteen Alaskan dogs which were taken with tho Byrd Expedition to the Antarctic are going to spend the winter in the Mount Cook region. In tho ice and 'snow of the mountains they will be kept fit until the seasons make possible another'voyage of exploration. They are at present on Quail Island, in Lyttelton harbour,,but as soon as their sixty days of. isolation, are over, Mr. C. A K. Innes-Taylor will take the dogs to "The Hermitage," Mount Cook. 1 When the conditions of the glacier,make it possible, they will be used on the ten-mile stretch of the Ta's'man Glacier to.drag the material up on sledges from the. Ball Hut for the new Malte: Brun Hut. As may be imagined, the packing of timber and corrugated iron by human agency alone for a distance of ten miles rising fourteen hundred feet is a Herculean task oven when the packers are assisted, as thoy must be, by the use of skis. If'the "dogs are able to^do this work the task of building this hut .will bo greatly simplified. The' dogs are useful for carrying 'purposes apart from sledging, each one being capable of carrying thirty pounds comfortably on its back. This winter it is expected that the sngw sports of Mount Cook will bo tremendously developed. Already arrangements have been made for large parties from Australian and New Zoaland Ski Clubs. With dogs for tho sledges, the winter sports at "The Hermitage" this year are expectod to rival in variation and dimensions those of Switzerland, their Northern home,

Shock from 11,000 Volts. While tho assistant-electrician, Mr. John Hurd, was engaged on Tuesday evening in overhauling the electric power plant at the Waihi Gold Mining Company's transformer station, which had been thrown out of gear by the entry of a mouse some days ago, he had a remarkable escape from death, states a Waihi correspondent. It seems that his hand came very close to one of the high-tension leads and that the current connected with his hand and traversed his arm and body. On his removal to tho hospital it was found that Mr. Hurd had escaped with superficial burns to the hand, arm, and the sole of one foot. At tho time of the mishai> tho transformers registered 11,000 volts. Fanners' Union Scholarship. A letter was received by the Victoria University College Council last night from Professor Peren (principal of Massey Collego), asking that if there was no award this year under the Farmers' _TJ.nion scholarship regulations . the money might bo made available .■ for research work at the Massey College. On the motion . of Mr. R. M'Callum, seconded by Mr. Fair, the chairman (Mr. P. Levi) and Professor Hunter were empowered to agree to the suggestion, provided that it met with the approval of the Professorial Board.! The opinion was generally expressed that the whole of the regulations in regard to the scholarship needed to bo revised and brought lip to date. The Awamotu Stream. It was reported to the Hutt River Board by the chairman (Mr. W. T. Strand)' last night that arrangements had been made with the Lands Department for the cleaning out of the Awamotu Stream. The work of widening,: deepening, grading, and culverting the stream would be done by the Lower Hutt Borough Council at the expense of the Lands Department, and the River Board would have to keep the stream in order after ..that work was finished.) The water pipes next to the small pipe bridge, which were obstructing the flaw of tho stream, would be shifted —prob-; ably lowered —by the Wellington City Council. Members' expressed their appreciation of the satisfactory arrangements made by the chairman to secure the abatement of the flood nuisance.* Zane Grey Pleased. . "Mercury Bay affords the finest sea; fishing of any place I have yet tried," said Mr. Zane Grey in an interview at. Whitianga prior to his departure for Tokaanu after a successful season in. Mercury Bay. "I doubt if anywhere else in tho world, .and certainly on no water' now known to; anglers, could threo rods account for 110 big game fish in eleven weeks, "' continued , Mr. Grey. "Our score seems very high for only three fishermen, and it is, but very few swordfish were wasted, as we gave them to the market fishermen. Mako sharks are also plentiful. It is indeed well to kill them. . Swordfish on this coast are amazingly plentiful, and I see ao reason why they should not always bo so, as tlioy spawn before they, come to these. waters. My own regard for New Zealand and its beauty and its sport cannot better bo expressed than by my intention of returning for a longer and bigger expedition, and next time to bring my family with me," concluded Mr. Grey.. Poaching on Stewart Island.. Tho New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society has on more than one occasion drawn the attention of Government Departments to the prevalence of poaching on Stewart Island. The South land Acclimatisation Society and Ranger Traill i now succeeded in obtaining tho conviction of a quartercaste for killing opossums, wood pigeons, kakas, wokas, and a native crow. The Magistrate, Mr. G. Cruick-" shank, regarded- the case as one-of the most disgraceful ones on; record, and imposed a line with costs amounting to £76185; "As it is understood this sort of thing has been going on for many years and included the killing of the rare crow, the fine was. certainly well merited, and the Southland,Acelimatisatipii Society and Mr. Traill are to be congratulated on their efforts," states a bulletin. of* the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society. "Tho work of catching and obtaining convictions against such able bushmen is often accompanied with much arduous fatigue and expense, , only to be followed by fines of a nominal character. It is to be hoped other Magistrates will follow the I example of Mr. Cruickshank and help to save our native birds from such vandals, who must annually destroy very large numbers." . Protecting the Blind. A suggestion that some uniform signal might bo recommended for the use of blind people requiring to cross busy streets was considered by the council of the Auckland Automobile Association on Wednesday, reports the "New Zealand Herald." A, member stated that if some distinctive signal became universal a blind person would feel greater Security and drivers would immediately appreciate the necessity for exercising,particular caution. The president, Mr. A. Grayson, said there was rarely difficulty in detecting the infirmity in, a pedestrian preparing, to cross the road. The. demeanour of blind persons was so apparent that drivers.usually found no difficulty in giving them a clear road. .Mr. H. O, Jones: "Some people with .their full sight are a worse danger than the blind." Another speaker suggested' an armlet for the blind. Mr. Grayson: "Blind people are generally very sensitive about their; disability, and I think they would object to carrying anything distinctive." The secretary was instructed to discuss tho matter with officials of the Blind Institute. ■ ■ ■;: ■ Damage to Red Clover. ,■■" Serious damage !to large crops of red clover has been done by a- parasite, according to a statement made by Mr. H. B. Perynian, at Wednesday's meeting of the General Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, reports the "Lyttelton .Times'." 'Mr. Peryman said that the parasite had rendered the seed of the red clover absolutely valueless. It seemed to him that tho parasite was killing the rod clover. The president (Mr. H. E. Fineham) . suggested thjat Mr. Peryman should refer the matter to the expert officers of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. iR. E. Alexander, Director of" the Lincoln Agricultural College}, agreed that that was tho pro-' per thing to do. Ho suggested that Mr. Perynran should •. collect some of the heads of the red cloyer and, Hand them over to the officers of tho Department of Agriculture, i Mr. Peryman agreed to do this. ;. ■■> . , The Rights: of Defence. '■ Delayed' action by'the police in respect to a prosecution for dangerous driving was the subject of a complaint referred to the council of the Auck; land Automobile Association on Wednesday (states'tho/'New . Zealand: Herald"- A member wrote stating that his car had been involved in an accident wi^h a motor-cycle on 4th September last. He did not receive a summons until 11th.January, although the Iwotor-cyclistknew early in November that the police were going to take action. ..The .Magistrate; dismissed the case, but the defendant's expenses were nearly £20. A member of the council said the experience was not unique. "My wife had ,a slight accident in ;]rebruaryy 1928, but it was the 1 middle of June before the police hunted her up for a report," he remarked. It was resolved to point out to tho Minister of Justice that such delays deprive drivers' of the opportunity: to recall the circumstances or exercise the rights of dpfenco. !

j Capping Day in Public. The Victoria University College Council approved at its. meeting last night the recommendation of the Professorial Board that a public graduation ceremony bo held this year in tho Town Hall before the capping ball. It was reported that the Students' Association had given an undertaking to support the Professorial Board in case of tho boarcVhaving to take action against any students for their conduct, at tho graduation ceremony. Confusing Flags. "The practice at railway crossings is for the keeper to; hold up a green flag in one hand and mess about with a red flag in the other," stated a motorist whose letter was received by the council' of the Auckland, Automobile Association. Members agreed that the method of signalling was confusing, the green flag used for the guidance of the engine driver often being mistaken by motorists as an invitation to proceed over the crossing. It was resolved to bring the position before the North Island Motor JJnion. .. .