NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 38, 13 August 1930, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mr. Torbes's Interest in the Test. Speaking at the weekly meeting of the Management Committee of the- Wellington Kugby Union last night, the chairman, Mr. J. Prendeville, said that he could not yet mako any statement as to the "gate" at tho Test match on Saturday, because some of the returns wore- not yet in. "The amusement tax," lio said, "according to a rough estimate on. tho returns in to date, is about £718, so that it is not surprising that Mr. Forbes said that he had an interest in, tho match." A Million Pounds Spent. Within a few months, the wholo of Christehurch will be reticulated with scwors. Tho work has been in progress j for six years, and in that time 100 miles of sewers, costing, with the necessary pumping equipment, about £1,250,000, have been laid, says the "Times." During the period that the sewers have been under construction, .a great deal has been learned of the conditions beneath the surface of the ground in the city and suburbs. In a number of places subterranean streams were struck, while in others, portions of aj buried forest were located. One of tho greatest difliculties encountered was running sand, which required special pumps in order to deal with it. Closing Branch Lines. The Eyreton branch railway lino will bo definitely closed as from Saturday, 23rd August, says the "Christehurch Times." When it was previously announced that the line was to be closed, representations were made to tho Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. A. Veitch) in regard to keeping it open. Tho Minister suggested that guarantees should bo arranged among the people affected and withheld tho order closing the lino to enable tho residents to go into the matter. Apparently the necessary guarantees have not been given. The West Oxford-Sheffield line, which was also included in the order, was closed almost immediately after tho decision to discontinue the lines was announced. The maintenance gang hay-ie already been withdrawn from the section. Tho- Mount Somera-Springburn line was to have been closed a month ago, but it is still open for traffic. An Awkward Predicament. A New Zealand lady in South Africa wrote to an Auckland fricud saying liow interested she 'was in a series of church services held by eminent clergymen and attended by very large congregations (says an exchange). Sho was bustling along a road to the Cathedral when a car drew up alongside her. In it was a gentleman (and others), his overcoat collar turned up to his eyes, a more or less slouch hat, and a rich voice. Ho offered her a ride in tho car. She- refused, "I'm going to the cathedral," he said. The girl noted that he had a Prayer Book sticking out of his pockot, and chanced it. A native was driving. The car was travelling fast, as they were late. She looked back and found there wore three natives in the back seat. Sho was scared, and, right or wrong, she was going to escape from that car. She doesn't remember how she got out, but sho rose with a bump on-her head, a black eye, and abrasions. I The e;ir stopped, much to her consternation, and sho became hysterical. She doscu't know what sho said to him or he to her, but she says he was very unarming—it was the Bean.

Fish for Enssian Musenm. Sonic time ago a request was received by the Canterbury Museum from.the Zoological Museum ;it Leningrad, Soviet Russia, for a collection of New Zealand Hat fishes and flounders for the use of experts who are working upon this group of Ashes from tlio Pacific region. Through the kindness of Messrs. P, Feroa and Sou, fish merchants, and Mr. D. Hop&> curator for tho North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, a small collection representative of New Zealand has been got together and is now ready for dispatch to Leningrad. The Chauffeur's Salary. An amusing incident related by Mr. Vincent Ward during a Southland address evoked general hilarity (says an exchange). It happened in.New York where Mr. Ward, then just out of his 'teens and in receipt of a very modest salary, was deputed to interview a steel magnate at, his country seat. The business over the magnate placed a ear and chauffeur at the visitor's disposal to return to the city. In aceord-anc-o with the established custom of the country, Mr. Ward felt it incumbent to "tip" the chauffeur, and from a somewhat lean purse handed over two dollars. The destination reached, tho chauffeur, proffering the monetary gift, nonchalantly remarked: "Here, Vincent, you better tako this. 1 guess I earn a bigger salary than you." And he certainly did—at lcasi; double. Music Week Finances. The expenditure in connection with Music Week was estimated to be about & 600, and when accounts were balanced at last night's meeting of the Oreneral Committee it was stated that this sum had not been exceeded. The receipts, the cominitteo reports, do not as yot quite come up to the amount spent, and there is at present an apparent deficiency on the week's "operations of between £30 and £50. But the appeal for contributions from radio listeners and other is bearing good fruit, and the committee is hopeful that when accounts arc finalised there will be no deficit at all. To School by Taxi. It is doubtful whether there is a more happy lot of school children in 'the whole of Canterbury than a party of eight Maori youngsters attending the West Lyttelton Schools, says a Christchurch exchange. The children attended the school at Eapaki until the end of last year. After the summer holidays the Education Department decided to close tho school, owing to the small attendance and for reasons of economy. It was then arranged that the children should attend the West Lyttelton School.. As the distance from Bapaki to the school is threo and a half miles, the Department- arranged for tho pupils to be conveyed to and from the school by taxi. Wet or fine, eight little | Maori children reach tho school warm and smiling, and never late. They enjoy their rides ,to school in the fine | limousine taxi immensely.