NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Sunday Observance. The "Wellington Ministers' Association yesterday passed a resolution protesting against the lax observance of the Sabbath. Members spoke against the recent decisions of some public bodies regarding Sunday amusements. It was considered that certain activities amounted to Sabbath desecration. Guides to Terry Wharf. The suggestion was made by Mr. I. V. Wilson at last night's meeting of the 'Wellington Automobile Club's executive that illuminated notices giving the direction to the Lyttelton Ferry" Wharf should be placed by the City Council at points along Lambton quay. Mr. Wilson said he had had the experience of people asking him the way to the .Ferry Wharf, and for the benefit of visitors to Wellington particularly he thought something should be done in the matter of providing suitable notice boards. It was decided to bring tho question under the notice of the City Council. Bunny Street Intersection. The poor lighting* at tho corner of Bunny and Featherston streets was commented upon by'several members of the executive of the Wellington Automobile Club last evening., Mr. H. Warburton said that the visibility at this point at night was very bad; in fact, if there were other headlights shining a motorist was unable to^see what he was doing. Mr. A. J. Tdogood: "It is the widest and most dangerous street." The executive decided to take the question up with the City Council. Cars on Paekakariki Hill. * The practice of cars parking ou both sides oi! tho road at the top of Paekakariki"Hill was referred to at last night's meeting of tho executive of the Wellington Automobile Club. Mr. J. J. Curtis said he thought something should be done, and the suggestion was made "by Mr. I. V. Wilson that some similar restriction to that in force at Paremata should be imposed. The chairman (Mr. E. A. Batt) said he had noticed that ■ tho practice of parking at the top of the Paekakariki Hillwas becoming a real danger. "I was there recently," he said, "and cars were parked all over the place—two deep in places." The matter was referred to the club's Roads Committee with a view to negotiations with the Main Highways Board being undertaken. Approach to Tunnel. Representations were made by tho Wellington Automobile Club recently to the City Council regarding the dangerous nature of the corner at the junction of Ellice and Brougham streets on the way to the new Hataitai tunnel. At last night's meeting of the club's executive the secretary reported that the council had advised that at the present time it could not undertake the work of .setting back the corner. The chairman (Mr. E. A. Batt) said that the council had not dropped the idea of proceeding with; the comprehensive scheme of running a road through from Dufferin street to join the tunnel road at the extreme end of Brougham street, and ho thought it was only a question of time when the work would be done. The present route was only temporary. ...-,-■ • Pigeon Post. The pigeon post is still an institution of considerable value to some outlying parts, of the Dominion,i especially at election times, when tho rapid delivery of returns must be arranged for independently of telegraph or telephone (says the "Poverty Bay Herald"). At the 1928 Maori elections pigeons were employed in making the returns from Motiti Island, in the Bay of Plenty, available to the returning officer, at Gisborne, Mr. J. Harvey, who on that occasion dispatched a pair of his own homers to the island and after the close of the poll had the returns delivered to his own loft in Gisborne. Last week's returns were also received on the mainland by pigeon post. In good weather, Motiti Island is served by a launch, .but the provision of the pigeon poat was made in case unfavourable weather dislocated the usual means of communication with the mainland. War on Sandflies. The war which has been declared on the sandflies which infest tha bush country of New Zealand was advanced a step when on Friday a further consignment of dragonflies was liberated at Cass by Professor E.Percival, acting for' tho Department of Scientific and Industrial Eesearch (states the "Christchurch Times"). Sandflies spend a great part of their lives in an aquatic stage, and inhabit the fast-flowing creeks in'the bush country, where it is impossible to,;use'"the kerosene or oil which are ; .tleadly against^mosquitoes. The aquatic stage of a' certain species of dragonfly inhabits the same type of water, and it was found that where there dragonflies lived there were few sandflies, the young sandflies forming part of the diet of the young dragonflies. The dragonflies liberated by Professor Percival belong to an Australian species, a little smaller than the larger New Zealand species which is found in fairly high country. About half, the "consignment shipped from .Australia survived. This is considered to be a very gbod proportion,, because as the insects have to be obtained for liberation in their aquatic stage, their transport presents many difficulties. Consignments of the tauio species were liberated last year at Cass and in Nelson. It will probably bo £oine time before it is known whether tho liberations have : been a success.

An Election Story. ■ The candidate at a Dunediu election meeting had finished his denunciation of the other party and was proclaiming the good intentions of his own party when one of the audience murmured to his neighbour: "Only one man, so far as I know, ever entered Parliament with good intentions." "Who was that?" was tiio response "Guy Fawkcs," was the reply. Philomel's Kecord. Although she will never go to sea again—for the very good reason that most of hqr engines have been removed —H.M.S. Philomel, the training ship of the Now Zealand Division, has nothing to be ashamed of, for she has a proud record of service (states an exchange). The standard conipass of the warship is among the exhibits at the naval base at Dovonport, and visitors are informed that her record is as; follows: —1894, Bohenie Creek Expedition; 1896, Bombardment of Zanzibar; 1897, Benin Expedition; 1899-1900, South African Naval Brigade; 1914, transferred to the New Zealand station; 1914, capture of Samoa; 1914-18, convoy of troops to Europe during the Great War. Classed as a light cruiser, with 16 guns, tho Philomel (2575 tons) was launched at Devonport, England, in 1890. Among the men of the Navy she is familiarly referred to as :<'old ' fighting Philly." Incidentally she is the fifth British warship of her name. Lightning at Hokitika. During a very severe thunderstorm, which passed over Hokitika last week, a spark was seen to jump from the tap in the bathroom basin at the residence of Mr. H. W. Sweney, Bolleston street, writes a correspondent of the "Christchurch Times." , Several residents in the vicinity were under the impression that lightning had hit the house or the surrounding trees, but no damage was reported. Chi Saturday the mound in the centre of a lily pond was found to be disturbed, a hole two feet deep having been made. The explosion had hurled a piece of rock some twelve feet away. The leaves of the lilies were blackened along a line leading towards a fence, with a further lifting of the turf. At one time a fountain played in the centre of tho pond, the water pipe being connected to a tank at the house. Although a portion of this old pipe had been taken awayi the fact that some was left might account for tho spark which was noticed in the bathroom. The local telegraph staff had a busy day replacing fuses which had been burnt out. Approves of Publicity. New Zealand publicity displays in the centres of the United States appeal to Rear-Admiral Byrd, who has written to tho Dominion's Trade Commissioner in Canada, Mr. J. W. Collins, as follows: —"I am delighted to learn that displays of Now Zealand scenic and sporting attractions are to'be shown in some of the larger centres oi" the United States. I wish that all my countrymen could know New Zealand as I do, for I consider it one of the most beautiful and attractive countries in the world. I know ( of no country where the air is more bracing and healthy, or the people more kind and hospitable. For tho sportsman it is full of interest, whether that interest be in the form of deep-sea fishing for swordfish or in the well-stocked inland rivers for trout, quinnat and Atlantic salmon. All tho members of my expedition aro anxious to go back to New Zealand, and I myself am1 looking forward to another visit in tho course of the next few years." Sting-ray and Sharks. , Some unemployed workers attached to the Charteris Bay Public Works camp hooked a large sting-ray recently, while fishing off the Charteris Bay jetty (states tho "Christchurch Times"). The fish measured 6ft 9in from nose to tail and :4ft:3in ifl width. .On the following morning the sting-ray was thrown back into the water, and the men who thus disposed of it were surprised when they noticed three large sharks begin to eat it. Two of the sharks measured from 10ft to 12ft iv length. The samo ovoning tho sharks wore again seen swimming close to the wharf. All tho jnen in the camp were warned of the presence •of sharks in the bay, and were" advised not to bathe there. Tho sharks have not since been seen, but week-end visitors to the bay were warned against swimming.