NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 9, 10 July 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Rain' and Slips. ' ' . i • The persistent rain has caused many minor slips in many parts of the city and suburbs, and what was . once a garden is in some cases now a heap of sticky mud. One such slip which has caused devastation to several gardens is at the cornor of Milne and Okn roads at Island Bay. - At Victoria College there has been ,a-slip which'has. brought 'down a retaining wall protecting the steps leading to tho top of the gymnasium. Parish of Kelburn. ' The "Wellington Diocesan Synod yesterday agreed, on the motion of Bishop Sprott, that the parochial district of Kelburn be constituted a parish. An Act was passed to give effect to the resolution., ' . > , Out 'of Season. ' One of tho after-effects of the dry spell in Poverty Bay last summer was a surprising growth of nearly all plants during the Jato autumn, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." Even orange tre-os commenced tto blossom profusely, and men of 30 years' experience with cirtus trees say'they cannot remember ever beforo having seen orango trees in full blossom in winter. Exceptionally heavy blossoming was "noticed prior to the first of the heavy frosts; and although tho frosts and cold winds since then have cut tho blooms off, more continue to appear. Citrus growers of the district are anxious to see what the setting of tho crops will be like next spring after out-of-soason blossoming. Nearly a Sugar Famine. • ♦'But for .the mercantile marino Great Britain ; would have been starved through submarine activity in 1917," said Lord Bledisloe at the annual meeting of "the Wellington branch of tho British Sailors,*! Society"- last evening. "At that, time I was Deputy-Food Controller in Great Britain, and I may tell y.ou that at, ono time in that year we had only enough bread-stuffs for our 45 million people, not, to mention those whom we supplied with food who wore in the trenches, to last us for a month. A few months later, as sugar Controller, I can testify what 1 believo has never yet been recorded, that owing to the sinking of two grcal ships bringing sugar jcspectively from Cuba and Juva we. had only enough sugar 1o last us for a fortnight. Hundreds of full ships wero saved from sinking by the vigilance and •courago .of i those who manned our armed merchantmen." Coaches for Sport. An interesting announcement was made by Mr. 11. Amos, chairman of the Olympic Games Association of New Zealand, when he met'sports bodies in Dunodin roceiitly. Mr. Amos stated that if tho proceeds of tho Olympic Association art union reached the sum expected it was hoped to import to the Dominion 'coaches for' > athletics and swimming at least.. Tho idea has .found a lot of support in Dunedin, and the opinion has been 'expressed that tho Olympic Council should make an effort to have the coaches here in time to put the final touches to. the- New Zealand team that is to compete at the Olympic Games. " ' "Non .Smoking." ■ Following the, practice in some countries on the Continent, says'the "Rail-ways-Magazine," the Great Western Railway in England has labelled 25 per cent, of its passenger accommodation "nOD smoking." "It is not only tho male smoker who has nowadays-to be considered," says the magizine. "There is also a largo proportion of smokers among the fair sex, while many women not actually indulging in the. habit themselves seem to love to ,-journey in the more or less 'fragrant atmosphere of a smoking ( compartment." "Nick-Names.l^ He had heard criticism from several sources, said a member of tho Scots College Old Boys' Association at the annual meeting yesterday, of tho practice of referring to old boys; in "The Scot," the annual publication ttf the college, by the "uick-nanies'.'by.which they .were known .in...their, school, days. In some cases roferenco was mado to reverend ■ gentlemen, and ~ the "nicknames" did-not..correspond with-.their-present walk in'''life. ■ The headmaster had stated'that it might be advisable to check tho use oli these names.'

Traffic in Silver. 'flip actual amount of silver, stated in yesterday's "Post" to bo somo hundreds of pounds, taken from a passenger boarding the TJlimaroa/for Sydney; was, on Ms own admission, £.430^,worth. The importation;to- and 'exportation from New Zealand of .silver arc prohibited. Chapel for Scots College. ! Two old boys of Scots College were' on the leaching stair, said Mr. J. R. Sulcliffe, .headmaster of Scots Collage, at, tho annual dinner and reunion of tho i Collcgo Old 'Boys' Association last | oven ing,'and ho would not be satisiicd ' until ho had an old boy in chargo of the college chapel. The collego must have 'a chapel, and ho hoped lo liave it soon.