NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 49, 27 February 1934, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Rationing of Teachers. • "Education boards, school committees, headmasters, and rationed teachers themselves have all expressed keen appreciation of the scheme which has been put into operation this year giving work to unemployed teachers," said the Minister of Education (the Hon. K. Masters) in an interview at Christchurch. . Young teachers themselves on his visit to Southland and Otago with whom ho had come in contact had expressed great satisfaction at having an opportunity to start in their profession, knowing that the practical work-would bo extremely helpful to them. Silver Standard in "Bikos." -. : Mr. W. H. G. Geake, Sydney chemical engineer, who has just returned from a trip abroad to study tho problem of weevil in wheat, told a Sydney paper that in tho industrial war, Japan had won the first offensive. The larger countries were stopping Japanese'imports, but; Japan had beconn the, manufacturing nation for most small countries. The. South African Government had recently passed anti-dumping legislation, which had prevented Japan from landing 8000 pairs of white canvas shoes at 9d a pair. Dumping occurred. regularly in Egypt, Ceylon, and Aden. Japanese bicycles were .being landed in those countries at 12/6. Damage by Goats. Extensive damage by goats to the native flora was soon apparent to the Auckland party, of -scientists which visited the Three Kings Islands recently, states the Auckland "Star." It was found that on tho Big King Island tho_ goats had eradicated some of the native plants, and rare ferns and shrubs peculiar to the islands could not be found. Bird life on tho Big King was found to bo fairly plentiful, fantails, larks, hawks, moreporks, bollbirds, parakeets, quail, a landrail, and a few starlings being noted. ' Seabirds were numerous. A number of fish specimens woro taken by the party. These, included bonito and tunny. Some dredging for marine specimens was done near the North Cape, and a, landing was made at Torn Bowling Bay. , Specialisation in Everything;'. • Qne of .the things that strikes 'the visitor to Sydney, is the way business dealing in 'one class of wear has congregated together. For instance, in one block between George and Pitt Streets, one will find a number of firms dealing exclusively in women's apparel. In the adjoining block are cheek-by-jowl, several large firms dealing exclusively in men's wear. It is akin to the drifting together of birds of a feather. Discussing this almost unique circumstance with a "Manawatu Times" representative, Mr.' Jas. Smith, a Sydney business man, pointed out that the result was interesting from another point of view in that it had; produced window displays of particular kinds of goods unequalled in extent anywhere else* in the world. The'combined window; displays of three' firms alone totalled over 700 feet in length, and' the gorids on view were, exclusively1 devoted , to, men's appaiel and wear. ' ■ Basin Reserve and Cricket. V V , ;. • Although icrickpt: at Basin •Be-! serve, thisi season1; has Kbeen- subjected to a, good- deal of interruption, the Wellington ■Cricket' .Association does not propose'to .use. the VgVound after March 24._ At last-night's meeting of the association's management commit-' tee the - state of the' reserve from a ; cricket point of view was discussed^ and ;it was agreed that every-oppor- ; tunity should be given the custodian of bringing the playing area up to concert pitch. It was ' stated that there had bee?i insufficient time between the last-football, season and .the present cricket season to give the ground the , attention it needed, and consequently its condition as a cricket area had suf- ' ferecl. A thorough top-dressing was needed, and in order to have ithis ef- . fected it was decided that the Basin Reserve be closed to cricket after March 24. By .this actibn it was felt that the ; custodian would have a more reasonable : chance of carrying out essential work,

A Wearisome Speaker. A story : concerning a wearisome speaker was^ told by Dr. Fong Foo Sec, the noted Chinese Rotarian, during his stay in Auckland. It was at the Shanghai Botary Club, Dr. Fong said, that' the particular speaker, had delivered a most 'boring address. • one man, sitting between the president and the speaker, ./went tti sleep, until the president, anxious that the club, should show no discourtesy, tapped him on, the head, with his gavel. However, in a few minutes the man was asleep again and the president used his gavel a second time with greater force. The sleeper blinked for a minute, arid then SRid: "Hit me harder this time, I can still hear him." Unselfish Children. An example of unselfishness has been given by four children who won money prizes at the Whangarci Agricultural and Pastoral Society's recent shqw, writes the Whangarei correspondent of the "New Zealand Herald." A letter from the children was received at a meeting of the executive of' the society asking that, in view of the financial loss resulting from the wet weather during the show, the society should retain their prize money. Appreciation of the offer was; expressed by the executive. As the prize money in. the classes concerned was donated, and did not come from the society's funds, it was -decided,, at the wish of the donor, to pay the money to the children. The" executive decided also to pay all other prize money in full. Cruising Taxi-cabs. In Sydney new regulations' are proposed to prevent "cruising", "touting", and' traffic congestion by. taxi-cabs! One proposal is that.a moving taxi m\ist not pick;up a passenger within' 100 yards' of a taxi-cab rank,, where tli'dke. is a vacant cab.' Another is that unhired taxi-cabs must not travel'at a slower speed- than other meeht>iically-propelled vehicles travelling in the same direction. Other proposals dealing with "cruising", aro designed to prevent taxi-cabs passing whilo unhired any particular point within'2o minutes of havinp previously passed it,, and to prevent, taxi-cabs passing places of public /amusement when the audiences are leaving, unless they are hired, or. are proceeding to pick up passengers.' The secretary of .the- New South Wales Taxi Owners' and Drivers' Association, states/that 90 per cent, of the taxi-drivers -of . Sydney favour the proposed, regulations. Petoae Eugby Jubilee, i . . ;' V /Mention.' was .mad© ;at the annual meeting of the,PetonpEugby Football Club last,evening of the fact that in ;three years' time:' the club will celebrate the anniversary of its founding fifty years ago. Mr. C. P. Brockelbank exhorted the committee to make ar-' rangements so that the jubilee could bo fittingly celebrated. Mr.-E.: Price stated that tlie club's gymnasium hadf served for 47 years, and it would bo, pleasant if the club could celebrate tho jubilee by building a new gymnasium. The late^Mr. J.. McGuiness had bequeathed £25 to the club, and by putting aside a similar amount from the gymnasium account the club could form the nucleus' of a building fund..' The president (Mr.. C. Nissen) supported; Mr. Price's remarks, and said that it was hoped to assist the building fund this year by niearis of social functions and. dances.; Saved by a Fish. ;\v':' :' V; i' it is claimed that; a fish .once saved the lives..of more than 400 persons, -the passengers and crew; of'the sailing ship Crusader,' which made : voyages,; from England to New Zealand in the severities and eighties. During the 1574 trip, when the; ship was in the Bay jof Biscay five days out from port, it was found that there was a very bad leak. The ship's pumps could not cope with it,' arid'hope was almost given up. But the leak suddenly became less serious; only a slight trickle of water came in during the rest of the voyage. When the ship arrived she was sent to the Port Chalmers dock for an overhaul. A largo fish was found wedged tightly into a hole in the bottom. "It sounds a fishy, story," said 'Mr. E. 8.. galley, vice-president of the Clipper "Ship Crusader Association, /Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon, "but it is ; a perfectly true story.. I was a passenger. '.' Salmon Fishermen Unlucky. ; •. ; ; In' spite of-the fact that weekend prospects for salmon fishermen in Canterbury were reported to be- good, catches were small generally ■ (says the ," Star). • A quinnat salmon weighing ,401b, and eight others raiVginfJv">'i lißlb to^ 301b, were taken from the" Ashburton side' lof the; Rangitata. Hiver^ln-, the ' Kakaia/ nothing1 much .was ,'.'■ caught between the : mouth and.rtlio: Griu^e. .There appeared■:to 'bQifislii'-Waitflig-'',.at the mouth of the.river, bui;/they/.'were prevented from"cofning'in by, the heavy seas.. Sunday; the '•* heavy;eastorly, .which had been' causing pounding seasj .changed/ to ■'.a';!',(north-wester, -and prospects were.better.- v Thei Wairnakariri ,was' very' low 'and' clearY and about twelvef fish, ranging- between.'l6lb and 301b, were caught between, JSaiapoi 'and the mouth, not; many 'considering/ the army of rods out. As far'as;'is:knbw;ni only phis' salmon had been caught in "the Hurunui so fat. . ' -./>/■ ■.\!o§ ,-.''• ; />'; Ninety-sis; Awards! ■..'■.";"''■■■/■.' s':/! '•■'.'-. i;', Few ■■.wonjen can lay' claini; to winning S)6 prizes!in, one-show, but that is the record established-by; Mrs. M. ;E. Irving .at the • ..Ohura Agriculturaland Pastoral Show last-weelC-She' had approximately; 180 entries^ /and 'more, thanhaif of v them.;were> on 'the prizelist. ! In numerous: classes' she, gained first, and' second//-' Mrs.;lfving< showed hpr versatility by -exhibiting in sixdifferent sections, but. each was connected in some way with domestic life. She scored in all 44 firsts, 48 seconds, and four thirds, while a number of other exhibits were highly commended. The most successful section, as far as Mrs. Irving was concerned, was for vegetables,' in which she registered no fewer than 13 firsts, 14 seconds, and two , thirds. In the cookery classes Mrs. Irving, won more prizes than: all the.other exhibitors put together.; The total of 28 prizes -comprised 12 •■ firsts, 15 seconds, and one third. The-sec-tion for" jams and pickles was not. a very large one, but it was sufficiently large for Mrs. Irving to gain 17> prizes, including ten firsts and seven secori'ds. Cut flowers and pot plants gave her eight' firsts; nine seconds,' and a third. Next Tasman Air MaiL .; .'>'..'■ /: -';'//- Playing: the role of 'mail-carrier'for the first-time in the course of. hisilong list- of ■< Tasman 'flignts, /Sii; Charles: Kingsford Smith, it" is- expected, yt'will' leavp Ninety Mile Beaci ie'xt'month on his sixth journey: by';air across the'Tasf. man Sea. - Sir/Charles has-carried prir vate- mail'before .on his,flights1 between New Zealand <and. 'AustraUajv but it' !is likely that' this',Jtitne; his' letters will' be carried 'under 7' r6fficial:-Boalkr'-:,Mrv Wilfrid Kingsfpri Smith' states that.ai' early. announcement could b/e, expected' as to the result of the negotiations; which were being.conducted' at present with' the Government regarding the carriage of a special, air. mail on the;flights If sufficient; mail /was • forthcoming, ; : Sir Charles: would most,probably dispense with. a ■ navigator on the' return flight, since he recognised that' the coast of Australia was easier to pick up than that of New Zealand. .In that case, Mr. J. W. Stannage, the wireless operator, would' be the only other member of the crew. Sir Charles has definitely decided to take off from Ninety.Mile Beach. The, flight will not be made any later than the end of March, as the westerly gales over the Tasman usually begin in April. . At' present the Southern Cross is in an Air Force hangar at Hobsonville, and is being given a thorough overhaul.' •