NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

"The Ugliest Yet." "The; new. nio'tor, registration plates are the ugliest yet issuod and spoil the appearance of any car," said Mr. H. J. Butcher at a moeting of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association (reports the"New Zealand Herald"). It was decided to forward a remit to the animal meeting of the North Island Motor Union suggesting that the authorities should be approached with a view to having number plates of a more pleasing colour in future. How the Dock Came to Canterbury. An explanation, for the truth, of which he could not vouch, of how the dockweM was introduced to Canterbury was given to the pupils of the Elmwood School, by Mr. 0. W. B. Anderson (states tho "Christchurch Times"). He said that the captain of a small sailing vessel mr Akaroa had bargained with ,a "number of Maoris to carry, a cargo ,of fiax> from Kaiapoi to his vessel. In return, ho was to bring them tobacco. When '• he arrived in Sydney, he found there was a great scarcity of tobacco, so he brought back a number of sacks of dock seed, which he gave the Maoris as tobacco. -. Auto-loading, Not Automatic. An ( unusual point ,was argued 'at Timaru on Thursday be-tween, Mr. E. J. Anderson (Dunedin), counsel for a Mosgiel resident charged with using an automatic shotgun to kill native game, and Mr. W.D. Campbell, counsel for the* South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society (reports the ",Christehurch Times"). The issue was whether or not a Winchester repeating shotgun was an automatic weapon. Mr. Anderson contended that the gun was non-automatic, as the human agency had to be introduced and only * one shot could be fired without reloading, which was done by pulling back the handpiece under the barrel and pushing it forward again, which ejected the spent cartridge and re-loaded the gun. He quoted ""Webster's Dictionary" to'support his argument that the gun was not automatic. Mr. Campbell argued that even if the gun were not automatic, it was autoloading: The society's ranger admitted that he was not an authority on guns. In dismissing the1 information, Mr. C. Jt. Orr Walker, S.M., said that, even though the gun yas auto-loading, it was not automatic. , <■ Just to Christchurch. 1 "There is one thing I am sure we can pride ourselves on here, and that is that we hold prime place in the -world for unsightly streets," was*a remark made by Mr. E. C. Barker iv tho course of his address on community planning at Christchureh on Thursday night, which brought forth a spirited defence of Christchurch and its streets from the chairman of- the Town Planning Institute ; meeting, Mr. A. A. Galbraith (states "The Press"). "I was sorry to hear Mr. Barker say that our streets are ugly," said Mr. Galbraith. "They may bo to a certain extent. I have an Englishman's feeling, but at the samo time I like to be just to Christchurch. It has some very, very beautiful streets, and its. architecture, though there is room for improvement, is extremely good considering all things. You will "have to go a long way to find any city with such artistic surroundings. Yon may go in any direction and see beautiful landscapes .and vistas in connection with the river and the so.'i.j The aesthetics of this city, are very difficult to surpass," j

Civic Church Service. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, and city councillors will attend St. Pan] 's Pro-Cathedral to-morrow morning, when a special civic service will be held at 11 o'clock. Canon Poreival James will be tho preacher, his subject being "The Civic .Ideal." Hospital to be Closed. The effect of the hospital subsidy cut is serious for Motueka, whose hospital is to be closed by tho Nelson board, so as to'balance'its budget' within the limits allowed by tho Health Department, says an exchange. At the Department's dictation, the board has also increased its fees to 12s per day, reduced Colliugwood's subsidy for a doctor by £100, halved the £100 subsidies for two nurses at Takaka, and reduced Murchison's subsidy for doctor and nurse by £50 in each case. Parking Ground Wanted. The need for a parking ground "at tho summit of Arthur's Pass was referred to by Mr. W. F. Harlcy (representing the Greymouth branch) at a meeting of the Council of, the Canterbury Automobile Association. , Mr. Harley said it appeared that the parking ground had been forgotten during the recent inspection by the National Park Board. The summit of the pass was adjacent to the ski-ing grounds, and'already West Coast motorists were in the habit of driving .there. It was very difficult to be sure when a car was on the road owing to the snow. t Hauraki Gulf as Yachting Ground. "You have in' Auckland one of the most wonderful yacht racing and cruising grounds in the world," said RearAdmiral Geoffrey Blake at the prizegiving function of the Eoyal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (reports the "NewZealand Herald"). Mentioning that he had been stationed in various parts of the world and was familiar with the Solent in England, Kear-Admiral Blake said he had seen, nothing to excel the Hauraki Gulf, which possessed wonderfully safe anchorages, a prevailing wind -which ' gave smooth water in certain areas, and good fishing. Mural Decoration^ ' ■ Signs of the decline of Western European art wero referred to by Professor F. P. Worley,' when addressing the Auckland Society of Arts, and he said mural decoration as an art had disappeared (reports the ''New Zealand Herald"). It had not occurred to anyone to decorate the interi6r walls of j the magnificent building of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, he pointed out. A few centuries ago the walls of such a structure would have had artistic mural designs. 1 ■ j