NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Superstition Defied. A Westport bride defied superstition at her marriage recently. The intorior of the church was being ronovatcd, and a ladder used by painters was left in such a position that tho bride was obliged to i walk under it to reach the altar. She did so evidently caring little for the superstition which is usually associated with such action. "Everything to See." In an interview at Greymouth, Mr. John Brownleo, the noted baritone, at present touring the Dominion, said that the scenic beauties of New Zealand were wonderful. Coming through tho Buller Gorge it was marvellous to see tho trees coverod with a peppering of snow. Tho scenery throughout New Zealand wns remarkable and varied, and he considered there was nothing liner anywhere in tho world. If nearer to Europe, it would be ;iu absolute playground.' There was everything to see. In short, thore was so much that one could see packed into a small space. "Refreshing Discipline." Addressing delegates at the annual mooting of tho New Zealand Kugby Union today, Mr. G. 11. Pownall (Wangauui), retiring presidont, expressed his appreciation of the loyalty of unions to the decisions arrived at during tho last annual meeting, and to the cooperation of tho clubs in tho various 'unions. "While speaking of clubs," the said, "may I congratulate tho Otago and Taranaki Unions on possessing clubs,which during the past season susponded' their own players who had offended on the field when their offences had escaped tho notice of tlio roforee. Discipline such as this is most refreshing and augurs well for tho future of both tho clubs and tho unions coilcorned." Attractive Swamp Cypress. The swamp cypress (taxodium distichum), a native of tho United States, is at present at its best near tho pond in tho Botanical Gardens. Tho autumn foliage of the' swamp cypress is of a glowing rod, and it would bo hard to imagiuo anything more beautiful. As it is semi-aquatic, positions on tho banks of rivers or- in swamps and marshes aro highly suitable to <Jio swamp cypross. All tho species thrive in moist soil. First City Council Meeting. The first meeting of tho new City Council will be hold on Monday afternoon. After tho signing of declarations by councillors, the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) will make his formal declaration in tho Council Chamber, and tho personnel of the various standing committees will bo discussed and arranged. All tho chairmen of committees under the old council havo been returned with tho exception of Captain S. Holm, who was chairman of the Observatory Committee, but it is probable that thero will bo soveral changes .in the membership of committees, not only to fill the places of members not returned to tho council this year, but also to meet individual preferences. The first serious work bofore committcos will no doubt be the consideration of ostimatcs for the year. Another question for early discussion is that of tho site for tho'now central fire station. Misuse of Easements. Troublo arising from the improper uso of gas main easements by property owners at Lower Hutt wns roportod to Tuesday night's meeting of tho Pgtouc and Lowor Hutt Gas Lighting Board by the acting-socre-tary (Mr. O. SUbory). Ho said that tlic board would have to seriously consider its position in regard to. easements at Lower. Hutt. Each year it was becoming more difficult to attend to mains on. account of proporty owners utilising tho easements, and in many areas hodges, fowlhouses, and all classes of buildings wero built on top of the mains. No effort, it would seem, was being made by the local council to keep these areas clear, and it was only natural that the owners ahould resent their grounds being interfered with by tho board's workmen. It was also becoming very difficult to attend to the pumping of syphons on account of gardens being made up on top of them. It was decided to point out to the Lower Hutt Borough.Council that easements were being; misused, and to ask the council's co-operation in keeping the easements clear. Sparrowliawk Menace. The depredations of the sparrowhawk upon pigeons and nativo birds in the Tara'ruas were stressed in a letter received by tho Wellington Acclimatisation Society last night. Mr. T. 0. Haycock (Martinborough) wroto that he did not consider tho havoc wrought' by tho sparrowhawk among > feathered game was sufficiently appreciated. On his property at Bough Hill he had seen six wild pigeons brought down in one week. Many of the smaller native birds in the Haurangi reserve were approaching extinction. If ferrets, stoats, weasels, and sparrowhawks could bo exterminated the forests would become attractive .for their bird life alone. Thero was still a remnant of kakas and parakeets on tho Mount Boss range, but tho nativo birds would not long survivo tho sparrowhawk. Entomological Research. Reviewing the entomological research organisations of tho world as a whole, remarked Dr. D. Millor during the course of bis lecturo last night, it is found that the United States of America takes tho lead with its vast Federal and Stato . institutions, followed by the British Empire. "Within the Empire tbero is a contral organisation in London, the Imperial Institute of Entomology, with which co-oporates tho Empire chain of entomological research stations. In recent yearn a special branch of tho Imperial Instituto of Entomology was established by tho Empire Marketing Board at Fnrnhara Royal, in England; the purpose of this was to supply the wholo Empire with parasites required for tho control of destructive insects. This Farnham Royal Laboratory has proved itself an outstanding example of successful Empire co-oporation, especially to New Zealand (virtually tho backyard-of tho Empiro, when ono considers its size), which in 1930 absorbed more than half of the output of that laboratory,, while in 1931 shipmonts of parasites wero sent'to us totalling over 2(30,000 insects."

Twelve Wet Weekends. ! For twelve successive weekends, weather conditions at Greymouth, on the West Coast, havo been wet and miserable. Carnival attractions had to be postponod again on Saturday, reports tho "Grey Biver Argus," and also Eugby and Lenguo football matches. Lower Hutt Stopbank. It is oxpected that the work of raising tho btopbnnk alongside the Hutt River in the neighbourhood of Moera will bo completed next week. This is tho most urgent portion of tho work of raising tho stopbanks upon which the board's engineer, Mr. 11. Sladdou, reported after tho 1931 Easter floods. Tho work has been dono mainly with "unemployed" labour, and tho cost to tho board is expectod to bo under £250. Anglican Primary Schools. Mention was mado at tho session of tho Anglican Synod yesterday that the church primary schools of tho Wellington diocese provide for 353 children, tho largest school boing St. Mark's, with a roll of 231, tho maximum tho school can accommodate It was also reported that "Croydon," tho boys' school at Day's Bay, had hud v satisfactory your. No Jury Available. . Owing to numerous cases of exemptions and nou-scrvico 'ot summonses, tho jury panel at tho present sossions of tho Supremo Court is smaller than usual. This morning, at tho conclusion of tho hearing of a criminal case, Mr. Justice Blair romarkod that it would be impossible to go on with the next case on the list until one of tho several juries then' out considering their verdict had returned. Without them, he said, there wero only' soven jurymen loft. Tho Court therefore was adjourned until the return of ono of tho juries. Perhaps he was Right. At ono of this week's educational conferences a schoolmastor was stressing tho desirability of teaching physiology in tho schools so that pupils might havo some idea as to the composition and functions of their bodies. He said that even his own boy was surprised one day when eating beefsteak for dinner to learn that it was tho animal's muselo ho was consuming. "Ho thought it was gristle,' said tho speaker. '' And perhaps he was right,'' -was a remark which could be heard above the ripple of laughter. A Hair-Like Cine. , It is said that the moustache is coming back, but tho como-back must be slow, because a passenger in a crowded Plimmerton train on a rocent Sunday was identified* by his moustache alone: The passenger, Captain M. S. Galloway, tells the story himself in tho current issue of the "New Zealand Railways Magazine." It seems that he had lost an overcoat, which found its way to tho Pliinmertoh stationmaster, from him to the,guard of the train, and next day from tho jfuard back to Captain Galloway. "Imagine my surprise," writes Captain Galloway, <' when the guard, in the midst of' his other worries,' with a cheerful smile, sorted mo out in a crowded train and said: 'Are you tho gentleman who loft his coat in tho train yesterday ?' ' Yes,' I- said, and after describing tho lost article satisfactorily, he brought it along and restored it to mo. Flattering myself that I should be so apparently well known, I inquired how ho came to pick mo out in such a crowd: 'Well, when I handed your coat to tho stationmnstcr ut Plimmerton, he said you were on tho train, and ho described you as having a littlo black moustache.' " Hutt Park Rates. Owing to tho small attendance at its mooting yosterdnyr'-tho Hutt River Board refrained from any discussion on tho question of taking action in regard to tho collection of rates from tho Hutt Park Committee. The members of tho board • perused a statement of the committeo.'s receipts and expenditure. The secretary of the board stated .that the socretary of the committee had informed him the committee was faced with expenditure which would improve the revenue from the park, but in view of that expenditure ne could not see any possibility of tho board getting any rates at present. "Does ho mean our board?" asked Mr. F. J. .Tories, chairman of the River Board. "If ho does we will see about that. If the committeo can spend money, they can pay their rates. They have a very casual way of doing business, in my opinion." i Worship of Champions. Tho need for keeping games in their proper perspective was stressed by the Rev, H. K.- Archdall, headmaster of King's College, Auckland, at the secondary schools' conference. Ho remarked that there had arisen a dangor of over-athleticism ? with tho wowhip of champions and the making of international competitions into affairs of State. There was far too much anxiety to win, rather.than to play the game as well as possible. "Thore is prevailing at present a regrettable view of sport which is cutting deep into the national mind," said Mr. Archdall. "This ia the view that all sport » competitive in its essence, and that the chief aim is to find out what team or individual is the best. It is the spirit only which gloats over tho international or interschool contests, and even judges tho standing of institutions by success or failure in games. This is to turn a means to an end." Retiring Mayor's Thanks. "I should like to tako this opportunity of thanking somo of the public men. who havo so greatly assisted mo and this district while I havo held office," said tho retiring Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. W, T. Strand, at the ceremony of installing the new Mayor and council last evening. "Tho sorgeant of Police, Mr. J. W. McHolm and tho Police Force generally aro men whom any district should be proud of. Sergeant McHolm, by his wisdom and his twdorstanding of human nature has beon of most valuable assistance. Our postmaster, too, Mr. A. N. Wallace, is perhaps one of the most efficient postmasters in New Zealand. His uufailing courtesy and his readiness to help, not only in his own work but in every public servico in tho district, has made my work very much lighter. Tho ministers of religion havo been to mo a tower of strength." Mr. Strand paid a specially Jiigh7sribute to tho work of Mr. W. P. WiHiains, hon. secretary of the relief committee, who had worked "morning, noon, and night till he was tired out" in giving service. "Many a man," said Mr. Strand, "has beon!knighted for a losslservice to the public than Mr. Williams has givon." Mr. Strand also thanked tho wholo staff, Mr. B. S. Knox, end tho wifo of the Town Clerk, for willing service, and Mrs. J. Mitchell, who had acted as Deputy-Mayoress. Remarkable Animal Births. A correspondent (G.W.8.) forwards the following particulars from tho "Belfast Witness" of remarkable animal births: "A heifer uudor two years gave birth to throe calves. A owe gave birth to four lambs, three of which are alive and doing well. Last year the same ewe had three Jambs, all of which survived. Another cwo in Newtownstewart gave birth to five lambs, while one in Dargeon also gave birth to five lambs, and tho owner has seven other ewos which gave birth to four lumbs each. A lamb i with ' five legs was born and can walk tolerably well." Surely .(suggests thd writer) a sheep country like Now Zealand can equal or excel these remarkable births registered in Northern Ireland. ■