NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 28, 3 February 1930, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Evening Post" Gift' Plane. Everyone on the aerodrome on Saturday afternoon was struck by thd magnificent landing made by Captain Stedman on. his arrival from Sockbura in tho "Evening Post" Gift, 'Plane. It showed that with a southerly wind there is ample room on tho city airport, and that there is no need to skim buildings when.. approaching the ground. '' We! did about seventy miles all the way," said Captain Stedman to a "Post" roporter, "and had a fine trip." The pilot was enthusiastic regarding the engine, a Hermes, which is 115 h.p., as 'against the 90 of the Gipsy Moth, and this machine should greatly help in the training of young pilots, which is the object of the donors. Good Wages for Boys. The wages offered by dairy farmers for boys nowadays are fairly good as compared with those obtainable in general labouring. A speaker at the Wairarapa Farmers' Union meeting the other day quoted a case in point Having lost the services of his employee through illness he advertised for a boy. The first applicant was a likely looking lad who had had a little farming experience arid he was engaged. As he left to get his belongings ho asked what the wages would be and mentioned that he received 30s per week in a mill. "Well," said the farmer, "I'll give you that and board you too." "That'll do me," said the boy, "I had to pay 255. a week for board in town."' A Problem In Goldfish. Goldfish escape many of the trials of their finny brethren, but it must not be imagined that life always flows serenely along for the pretty denizens of park and garden ponds (says the Auckland "Star"). A Mount Edon resident who has a number of goldfish in a rock pond at the back of his house noticed a few days ago that they appeared to bo less abundant, than of yore, and that there did not seem to bo quite so many young ones as thero were a few weeks previously. His surmise proved correct, and he did not have long to wait before knowing tho reason why. Early one morning he was astounded to see a kingfisher swoop down to the pool, seize a fish, and fly to a high tree, where it proceeded to devour its meal in the approved fashion, beating the fish's head on a branch, and then swallowing tho pretty creature whole. The exasperated householder tried birdlime as a meana of catching the kingfisher, but there was "nothing doing," and still more annoyance was in store for him, for a few days later he saw a cat got away with a fine fish, which it had scooped out of the pool with a flick of the paw. Birdlime and bad language being of no avail, and the use of a shotgun undesirable, the worried goldfish fancier is faced with no alternative but to cover his pond with wire netting, and this is hardly to be recommended on aesthetic grounds.

A Butterfly Fish. A 1 butterfly fish' was caught in one of tho docks at Port Chalmers a few days ago, and as nobody had seen a similar flsli previously it was forwarded to the University Museum, states the ''Otago Daily Times." On each of its sides a fin, resembling wings, extends 'at right angles, and these can be stowed away in a slot underneath tho body. The fish has been identified as the young of tho sealed tunny, an unusual visitor to these latitudes. Setting the Fashion? It is no longer a raro sight to sec a woman smoking, and people on the Ashburton railway station frequently see women step off tho train, light cigarettes, and stroll up and down the platform while their fellow-passengers are obtaining refreshments, says "The Ashburton Guardian." But it is undoubtedly a rare sight to see a cigar being smoked by a woman. Such waa the case,on the arrival of an evening express at Ashburton last week. *- , Potatoes True to Type. There seems to bo an. impression abroad that the varieties of potatoes have changed of late years and that possibly bees were in some way responsible for the allaged change, says the "Wairarapa News." This idea, is scouted by the Department of /Agriculture, which in a letter to the local branch of tho Farmers' Union say that the Early Rose potato is exactly the same as.it was 70 years ago and no change is possible if tubers are used in planting. : Where He Learnt the Language. A New Zealander who is spending a wool chequo in Germany writes to say that one gets whirled about pretty cheaply by taxi in. Berlin (states an exchange)., He was told that ail the taxi drivers with' a^ red band round tho left sleevo could speak French or English. One day ho wanted a taxi and went; to a stand, selecting a red-band driver. "Do you speak English?" he asked. "Too right!" said■ ■• Fritz. "Where did you learn it?" "Taranaki!" said Fritz. ,'fYou must have been a long time there," said the New Zealauder. "My word, yes," said Fr;tz. "Born there?" "Fought in the War?" "My oath!" "With the Gorman army?" "Not on your life— with tho Dinks!" All the Berlin cubbies wear-uniform again, and most, of them war ribbons, but Fritz from Taranaki isn't wearing any ribbons. Mentioned, too, that his aged German parents are still in Taranaki. The Memorial Triangle. Though to the cyo no great progress has been made towards driving the now diagonal road from Lambton quay to Bowen street and the removal of buildings to form the open triangular space as an adequate setting for the citizens'memorial to those who fell in the war, the way,is at last fairly well cleared as regards legal preliminaries as to tho acquisition of properties. No land and buildings which will be affected are being taken over by joint action by the Government and the City Council, and in all but two or three cases agreement has been reached as to the prices to be paid. If the negotiations still in hand regarding those latter cases are unsuccessful, presumably the disputes will be referred to the Court for settlement. Tho lease of the corner: property has still a few months to run and this property in any case, will not be affected until the lease has expired. ,;■'." . " Urban Growth. , Tho relative growth of the urban areas of the Dominion is commented on by the Government Statistician (Mr. M. Fraser) inhis annual report on the population of tho Dominion. Progress of population in the four main centres of New Zealand was niaintainod by an increase considered ( to : exceed „ 9000. Growth was possibly tOie'most marked in. Wollingtbn Urban Area, particularly in the city* and in.jthe suburban borough of Lower Hutt,;the latter having.increased .its population over 70 per: cent, in tho last four years. The Hutt Valley had at the Ist April, 1929, an estimated population of 29,300. Auckland Urbaii Area, the greatest population aggregate in the Dominion, is credited with considerable growth, which is divided 'between tho city and its numerous suburban local authorities. The two suburban boroughs of Mount Albert and Mount Eden have practically, reached the ' minimum population prescribed for the status of, a city. /In Christchureh and Dunedin growth has been credited to the city population in rathw greater degree than to the suburban area. _ Excitement at Upper Hutt. Upper Hutt was agog with excitement about half-past 6 last night; An alarm of fire fang out, and the fire brigadii, the officers of the Town Board, tire Mayor of 'Upper Hutt, and.' many others arrived on the scene, near Quihn's Post Hotel, with' most creditable promptitude. For some quarters an hour a constant stream of motorcars, speeding cyclists, and others who hail to make t^he boat time they could on "shanks's pony" concentrated upon, the spot. Some hundreds in all must have been gathered there; but, after all the,rush and excitement, it was found that there was no nee* at all for tho services of the brigaded and tho many spectators were cheated of the flamboyant spectaoable they had expected to witness. The; cause of all the, fuss was a simple one. Dense clouds of steam wore issuing from tho roof of a house, but upon investigation it was found that.; thero was no fire. The electric water-heater had been left on and the water was boiling furiously. That was a 11... .