NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 95, 19 October 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

flowering Cherry Trees. Somo beautiful Japanese- flowering cherry trees attracted much attention among many visitors to the Botanical Gardens yesterday. The trees near the pond are especially beautiful, with their pink flowers. There are some near by with white blossom. A copper beech tree near the band rotunda also attracted much notice. The magnolia trees at the Gardens are now past their best. The flower beds are bright with blooms, and the masses of wallflowers round the ladies' rest-room call for special mention. Tree of Medicinal Value. Botanists have been puzzled over finding specimens of a rare tree, ascarina lucida, near isolated Maori paa about Mount Egmont (reports the "Taranaki Daily News")- Specimens have been found near the old Kaitake, the Okaihu, and Patua Pas. Its original home is Stewart Island. The Maoris wer,e wise in their generation. They knew the tree had considerable medicinal value, especially as a cure for a form of influenza, which they wero subjected to in the old, as well as the present, days, and they had young trees transported in canoes front Stewart Island to Taranaki and other parts of tho North Island, and planted near their pas. Naval Pay Reduced. Advice' that the rates of pay of all officers and ratings of the New Zealand Division of the Eoyal Navy on New Zealand pay will be' subjected to a 10 per cent, cut has been received in Auckland (states the "New Zealand Herald")- The cut will come into force on Ist January, 1932. Advice was received from the British Admiralty on 17th September, ordering a reduction in the pay of all Imperial ratings serving on warships in New Zealand waters. This affected approximately 200 officers and men on H.M.S. Laburnum and H.M.S. Veronica. The ships' companies of the cruisers Diomede and Dunedin, and the depot ship Philomel, are on New Zealand rates of pay, and are paid by the New Zealand Government. Only the officers and men of these threu vessels are affected by the cut now announced. '. Pay of the Clergy. Each year at the Auckland Anglican Synod the claims of the central fund are commended to the good will of the people, but this year there was more animation about the discussion—no doubt owing to the hard times and the claims on tho fund, which is being used to assist parishes that are not in affluent circumstances (states the "Auckland Star")- Canon Grant Cowen said some vestries had asked whether it would be possible to make some reduction in the vicar's stipend. He pointed out that when times were prosperous there was no suggestion that the vicar should get an increase. Now that times were hard, the vicar often had to help people out of his own pocket; and it would be a mistake to reduce his stipend at the present time. Mr. C. F. Bennett said he would not like it to appear that the clergy were unwilling in the matter; he was quite sure they would cheerfully bear their share of any sacrifice that was necessary. At a later stage the Eev. C. A. B. Watson gave notice of his intention to move: "That in view of the present depression the regulation requiring a parish to provide tho vicar with a minimum stipend of £350, on penalty of losing its status, be suspended." Ordeal of Fisherman. Two fishermen, Messrs. C. A. Wells and J. P. Queenan, had an unenviable experience when fishing on Wednesday from the launch Betty B some fifteen miles from Whitiauga, North Auckland (states a correspondent). They were using long lines, and Mr. Queenan was in a dinghy./ Thoy became parted between Ohena Island and the Aldermans, and, darkness setting in, Mr. Wells was not able to find his companion. He returned, to Whitianga for more petrol, and search parties then set out. Mr. T. Hutchinson's party found Mr. Queenan eight hours later. He had been pulling against the heavy seas with about 4cwt of fish and all the gear. When rescued he was completely exhausted, and his hands were blistered. Fishermen have been warned of the need for carrying torche.s. This is the third case recently of men losing their companions. Workers in America. According to Dr. K. Graham Brown, of Brisbane, who is a through passenger to Sydney by the Monowai from San Francisco, the rate of pay for workers in America is being considerably reduced. In the cotton industry, for instance, he said, pickers were paid at tho rate of fifty cents per 1001b of cotton picked, and as it took a good man to pick 1501b of cotton a clay, it could bo seen that the returns were not very big. On the old rato of exchange it meant that the men were working for about Us a clay. Besides- having to contend with a low rate of pay, pickers were only allowed to work on certain clays in the week.

Poor Help tho Poor. "Ono pleasant aspect of social relief work in Auckland is the way the poor aro helping the poor," said Canon C. H. Grant Cowen during Friday's session of tho Auckland Anglican Synod (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). Tho Bey. 11. K. Vickcry, chaplain of tho Plying Angel Mission to Seamen, said one striking feature oi! the distress among the 400 unemployed seamen was that their friends who were fortunate enough to bo employed were assisting them in many remarkable ways. Large Kingfish Caught. An exceptionally large kingfish, nearly sft long and with a girth of 2ft 3in, was caught with a light lino after a 20----minutes' tussle in the Auckland_ harbour last week. A fish of this size is rarely caught iv the harbour, states the "New Zealand Herald." The angler was Mr. H. Jackson, watchman on the Union Company's steamer Waitomo, which is anchored off Orakci. He was using a new line of light weight and a small hook baited with meat. So determined was. the tugging on the lino when tho fish was hooked that Mr. Jackson first thought he had caught a shark. When it approached tho surface, however, it was seen to be a huge kingfish. It fought vigorously, but was brought to the ship's side and "gaffed." Auckland's new Waterfront Road. " Work on the construction of the 12 chains of the Waterfront road between Kohimarania and Averill avenue—tho last link in the complete stretch between Mechanics' Bay and St. Helicrs Bay—is within a fortnight of tcompletion (states the "New Zealand Herald"). As soon as the final link in the Waterfront road has been.laid down in waterbound macadam it is intended to put a permanent bitumihised surface on the recently opened section of 34 chains from the end of Bice esplanade, Mission Bay, to Kohimarama. On the completion of this surface the present speed limit of 12 miles an hour- will be removed. , ; Progress of Sculpture. Various aspects of sculpture and tho technical processes involved-in tho production of stone and bronze statues were described by Mr. X., O. Gross, sculptor for the Wellington Citizens' War Memorial, in an informal lecture before the Auckland Society of Arts on Thursday evening (states the "Auckland Star"). Mr. Gross described the progress of the sculptor's art from prehistoric times Jo the present, outlining the methods and tools used by early craftsmen and changes in their methods in different centuries. He dealt with the uses of stone, terracotta, and metal throughout, the ages, describing the practices of the ancient and modern worker. Modern sculptors could execute a work more quickly, but not more accurately than the craftsmen of the fourth and fifth century before Christ, the common methods in use remaining the same. "Old Black Joe" Again. - Auckland railway officials were fovced to take rapid action a moment or two after six o'clock on Friday evening, when they received a telephone message from, the city police: to tho effoct that "Old Black Joe," the*mysterious "railway foe," had interfered with the line within the Parnell tunnel (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The Whangarei express was due at Newmarket at 6.3 p.m.j. aid word, was sent- to the station officials thero> to hold it back until the line had been inspected. A porter was despatched to run along tho lino from Newmarket to the Auckland station, and it is said that he covered tho distance in record time No traco of any interference, however, was found, and the Whangarei train resumed its journey less than ton minutes late. The police had received their information in a brief telephone message from a man who called himself by the name quoted. -He said he Had "fixed^' the tunnel line, and then "rang offi The British Election. "I believe that the verdict of the English people will' be overwhelmingly in favour of the Nationalist Party at the coming British General Election," said Sir Newton Moore, M.P., former Prime Minister of Western Australia, and now contesting a seat'for Richmond Borough, states* the "Christchurch Star." Sir Newton, who is at present in Christchurch> said if the people only : realised the national danger, : and the necessity for party aims, to be put aside, they would put his party in. "It will enable ' the Old Country to be rehabilitated," ho said. "Personally, I was sorry that Mr. Bamsay Mac Donald was not able to bring a greater number of Labour members in the National Government with him. When it ia realised that a stubborn old free-trader like Mr. Philip Snowden has thrown away the beliefs of years, it would be thought that Labour would bo better represented. They should have been propared to back the concerted; stand taken by Mr. Mac Donald and Mr. Snowden, men Avho have won the faith of the community by their acts."; No Meals at Auckland Station. The dining-room at the Auckland railway station closed on Saturday for an indefinite period, and the staff was dismissed, states the "New Zealand Herald." The former supervisor has been transferred to another department. For some time the refreshment rooms have not received much patronage from travellers, and over six weeks ago the tearoom, which is separate from the diningroom, was closed. Light refreshments have been served since then in the main dining-room. This economy has not proved sufficient, and as there has been no increase in patronage, the diningroom is now closed.. The dining-room in the basement, at which' a cheaper meal is available, and which is patronised by the staff as well as the public, will also be closed. The head office has given no indication when the room will be opened again, and ■it is not known whether it will be brought into use during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. It is_ not the intention of the department to call for tenders or to lease the room. No instructions have 1 been issued regarding the disposal of ; the tables, chairs, crockery, and cutlery, which are valuable, tho room being well equipped. 1 Geological Survey.. During the last year the Geological Survey Department completed the field survey of a further 869 square miles of the Dominion. This brings the total area surveyed to date up to some 29,497 square miles, or a little over one-quarter of tho total area of tho whole Dominion (104,000 square miles). The work of the Geological Survey, remarks the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, is fundamental in that it is concerned with tho detailed examination of earthstructure, this information being of considerable practical value to those seeking to exploit the mineral and agricultural resources of the Dominion. The fact that the mineral-bearing areas, for . the most part, already have been geologically surveyed has resulted in constant reference being made to the reports dealing with these districts, and frequently it appears that the dearth of information with respect to districts that have not been surveyed has imposed handicaps upon industrial developments. . Considerable work was carried out in conjunction with the Dominion Laboratory on tests of material from Arapuni, ns regards the changes of dimensions and clastic constants with varying amounts of contained water. These measurements were used by Professor Hornell as a basis -of his conclusions' as to the cause of the . breakdown.