NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 81, 7 April 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Law is an Ass. "It seems ridiculous to some people that fish which would dio if they were left in tho drying pools of the rivers should avot bo taken," stated Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., in tho Magistrate's Court at Christchureh, when a farmer of Cust appeared on a charge of taking fish other than by rod and lino. The defendant stated that he did not know that if ho had notified tho Acclimatisation Society they would have taken the fish from the pools, and prevented them from becoming a nuisance through decay. Four Days on a Bicycle. The winner of the, officials' race at tho cycling meeting at tho Winter Show Association's Stadium yesterday afternoon, I" 1. Casey, of Auckland, had only a few hours before completed a holiday trip on his bicycle from Hamilton. Casey, who is well known as a track and road cyclist in Auckland, left Hamilton on Good Friday morning and made the long journey in four stages—Hamilton to Awakino, Awakino to Stratford, Stratford to Shannon, and Shannon to Wellington. He said lie hadenjoyed his trip, which had taken in the Waitomo Caves. He proposes to spend the remainder of the week in Wellington, and to set out on Saturday on the return journey, which will be made "via Hastings and Napier. Treat for Children. A rather unexpected treat was provided a party of about seventy children from the Salvation Army Homo, Silverstream, at- Day's Bay yesterday through the kindness of members of the New Zealanders' Association, which was holding a picnic at the bay. The children, who had come from Silverstreain for an outing, were met in the bush, and the New Zealanders 3 Association decided to hold special sports and competitions for them. Prizes were provided; in fact, each child was given something, and the officer in charge expressed very grateful thanks to the New Zealanders' Association for the . kindly interest taken in the children. Akatarawa Road Blocked. Washouts- and slips on the Akatarawa road between Upper Hutt and Waikanae have rendered it impassable for motor traffic. Mr. H. Dyer, overseer • for the Hutt County Council, states that men will bo put on to repair the damage immediately, but the road will not be available for traffic for some time. An official announcement will be made when the road is reopened. Binoculars for Hospital Patients. . The Anglican chaplain to the Auckland Hospital, Canon J. Haselden, has found that patients on verandahs and in wards with a good view greatly appreciate the loan of binoculars, which help them to pass more cheerfully tho long hours in Led. Canon Haselden, who keeps several pairs for tho purpose, finds tho demand outrunning tho supply, and accordingly has appealed through the "Church Gazette" for gifts of binoculars or opera glasses. This is really a development of the canon's work.in distributing reading spectacles and dark glasses, of which he finds many patients in need. He keeps a careful tally, which shows that up to the present he has distributed 2095 pairs. Earthquakes in England. The news of the terrible earthquake in New Zealand has shocked the country greatly and caused 'much anxiety among those who have relations in that beautiful Dominion, states a London journal. For somo reasons earthquakes are regarded as catastrophes that occur in distant foreign lands, yet one hundred years ago there was a, succession of earthquako shocks in Scotland, and an old physical geography records that England has experienced as many as 255 earthquakes, most of them very minor shocks. There was a serious earthquake in England in the winter of 1750, after a very hot summer, followed by a second a month later. Tlic prophecy of a third terrified tho populace, and ;i clever manufacturer invented .-md sold many "earthquake gowns," designed for tliosc who meant to Hit up all night out of doors waiting for a shock, showing that enterprise and advertisement are not entirely modern. The last "fi-intis i'"rllir|n:iko ivns in April. U'-4|, w'u-n ('..|.-lii-;-i< v suCIVi-rd

Relic of the Past. A bronze token issued in Christciiurch was discovered by a resident of Glcumore street yesterday when ho was digging in His garden. On one side of the token there appears the following: "1-1. J. Hall, Family Grocer. Wine and Spirit Merchant." On the reverse side: "Half penny. Henry J. Hall. Christchurch Coffee Mills." The token must bo well over fifty years old. The Tool and His Folly. "Are you attempting to make foolproof Jaws for fool-proof referees?" iiskcd Mr. S. Hollander (Canterbury) at the annual conforuiico of Dominion Kugby Referees in Hamilton. "No, I am trying to make laws that even a I'ool of! a referee could understand," replied Mr. D. M'Konzio (chairman), of Wellington. Holiday TrafficTraffic during the Easter holidays lias not this year been as large as in some previous years, doubtless owing to the depression and to the uncertain weather prevailing towards the end of last week. Although detailed figures are not yet available for purposes of comparison, it will probably transpire that the trains carried, fewer passengers during the holiday season than last year. More people than usual seem to have travelled second class, which may be another sign of the times. Tram traffic was brisk, especially on Easter Monday. There is no means of gauging the amount of motor traffic on the roads, but to the casual observer it seemed as if every car in Wellington, unil a few more besides, was on the road during the last few days. Hawkes Bay was the objective- of many motorists who desired to see the earthquake ruins before the mess is entirely cleared up. The Disappearing Woka. For some reason which has never satisfactorily been explained, wokos practically disappeared from the back country of Canterbury twelve years ago, states.the "Christciiurch Times." For very many years they had been far from plentiful, but suddenly they bocame markedly scarcer. With the object of increasing the number of the birds in the province, the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society made arrangements to import several pairs from tho Chatham Islands, and these arrived by tho Tees at the end of last week. Tho birds,will be liberated in the hills round the Eakaia River and in other parts where they were onco plentiful. Water Too Warm. ■ It is doubtful whether the new well that has been sunk on the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society's grounds at Greenpark will be suitable for nso in the hatcheries, as the temperature- is throe or four degrees higher than that of the water in the society's old hatcheries (states the "Christchurch Times"). The ideal temperature is about forty-nine degrees, but the water at Greenpark is about fiftyseven degrees. The well is an exceptionally good one, the flow of water ■being about 360 gallons a minute, and the Acclimatisation Society after having spent £200 on-it, is loath to have to dispense with it. A number of schemes have- been put forward, such as limning tho water through a guttering for some hundreds of yards 'before it enters th& hatchery, or installing a freezing box, but so far nothing definite has been- arranged.. The high standard of the fry sold by tho North, Cantorbury Acclimatisation Society hitherto has always ensured a good demand, and the society does not wish to lower it by hatching out the ova in warm water. Preparing for Spring. In tho grounds of the old Provincial Council Chambers on Saturday morning, Mr. 11. B. Owen was busy planting hundreds of bulbs to add still further to the spring beauty of Christciiurch (states the "Christchurch Times"). This work is part of a general scheme carried out by the Christchureh Beautifying Association and tho Bcserves Department of the City Council. Thousands of bulbs are already. growing in various parts of .the city, and.this autumn thousands more, given for the purpose, are being put in. Daffodils, bluebells, grape hyacinths, and a largo number of crocuses are being planted. They should make a fine show for the visitors to Christchurch during Grand National week. The Millbrook Reserve has already been planted. Mr. M., J. Barnett, Superintendent of Keserves, has also planted a large number of crocuses in grass, principally along the Avon banks and in Victoria square. Mr. Owen said that the work had been carried on for a number of years. When ho first came to Christehurch in 1900 the Avon bank in Cambridge terrace opposite- the old council chambers was a picture of daffodils, planted by Dr. Cocka-jfue.' By 'the use of a special bulb-planting tool, if is .possible to plant hundreds of bulbs in a short space of time. The tool, which was imported for the purpose, removes a core from the turf. The bulb is placed in the hole and the, core replaced and trodden down. Mr. Owen explained that the object when planting bulbs in grass was to avoid any straight lines or symmetrical pattern, arid that "was gained by scattering tho bulbs broadcast by hand and planting them where they fell. '