NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 75, 29 March 1934, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Buns and Eggs. ' Hot-cross buns, traditionally associated -with Good Friday, have been, on sale during the last few days, but-the demand for them, according to; pastrycooks, is not what it used to be. Eastereggs, on the contrary, seem to. bo as much in demand as over, and the shops have large stocks of them ;in various guises. Retailers, however, are finding that the smalloi- and less expensive ones are those- sell most readily, the elaborate and expensive egg being admired but not bought. Maintenance Defaulters. "I do not mind confessing that the Court is often in a stato of desperation in regard to these cases," said Mr. I>f. Gi :Lewey, S.M., Invereargill, when a man was charged with the disobedience of a maintenance order in respect to his, wife. '..'■■.f'-Jf. I send these men to gaol it has a. double-barrelled effect, for.the State has to keep both the family- and the ■ prisoners. "Until we have a compulsory farm where the. defaulting men havb to^ work and, contribute their earnings to their families, there is little I can do with these contumacious, nonVpaying r maintenance people. -This farm, scheme may seem visionary, but something like that has to come; about one of these days," added his Worship. Mr. R. Stout (who appeared for the wife): "The Soviet Government has solved the problem, 'sir." ■' ' • ■- : Help for Returned Soldiers. The assistance board of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association reported at last night's meeting of the executive that the number of orders issued during the month was-116, and the amount involved was £76-16s 6d. An amount of £2 8s Od had been spent on the Titahi Bay scheme and £96 19s Od had been sallocated to the work subsidy scheme under .which 46 men had been employed. The number of days worked -was- '71. / Grants totalling £83 14s ; 5d had" been paid to the suburban sub-committees and £73 was devoted to" the sub-branches. The assistance granted, to members of Imperial arid other forces had totalled £14 9s lOd, involving 35 orders. Mussels on the Tof ua. ; About 130 tons of mussels we.re scraped off the hull of the steamer Tofua, which has been sold to the Japanese, in the Calliope Dock, Auckland, on Tuesday, states the "iN.Z. Herald." .This is the largest amount ever cleaned from a vessel's hull at Auckland. The mussels and other marine growth accumulated on the hull during the 23 months the vessel was lying at anchor off Hobson Bay. The mussels will later be loaded into punts and clumped at sea. In addition to having the hull cleaned and painted, the tailshaft was to be drawn and inspected for flaws before the Tofua was undecked. The Japanese crew for the Tofua will arrive from Sydney by the Marama on April 10, and the vessel is expected to leave for Japan a few days later. Distress Signals for Yachts. The Wellington Provincial Yacht and Association has arranged with the Wellington Harbour Board that the distress signal for yachts in daytime is to be a yellow flag. Local yachtsmen have also been recommended to carry red flares for use in emergency at night-time. These flares are universally recognised distress signals, and it is believed that they should form part of the equipment of every yacht and launch making a trip after dark. A Missing Emblem. -■ The Timaru Scottish Society is concerned, abeut the continued absence troni the Burns Monument in- Timaru Park of the thistle design included iii the original lay-but, and a further letter urging that the design should be replaced was received by the Borough Council at its meeting on Monday night. In recommending that the setting should be left as it is in the meantime, pending the erection of now gates, the curator expressed the opinion that the best setting would be grass all round the base, with two yew trees behind tho monument to throw it into bold relief. He quoted an authority to show that the original design was carried out in what was known as "carpetbedding," a type of gardening1 which had developed while the taste of the mid-Victorians was at. its lowest ebb. Tho curator stated that if any outside body wished to have special plants grown in the borough reserves, or to have any design incorporated in the general scheme, it should bo prepared to supply the necessary plants and defray any additional expense. Tho works committee recommend d that the design should not be reinstated. During a discussion on the matter one councillor took objection to the curator quoting an English authority in a matter which concerned people of Scotch descent, and another said he had noticed that the Scottish Society had not incorporated tho thistle in the garden plots in front of tho Scottish Hall. The report was adopted.

Local Singer's Misfortune. Misfortune overtook Mr. Kenneth Maeauley, the well-known Island Bay singer, soon after he left Wellington yesterday on a motor-cycling trip to Napier. His machine skidded on wet bitumen on the Packakariki Hill about 3.30 p.m. and caught fire and was very badly damaged. Mr. Maeauley escaped with scorched clothes and a bruising. The motor-cycle, almost a new model, was uninsured. Mr. Maeauley was taken to Daunevirke by a motor-car and then went on to Napier, -where he is to sing in the competitions tonight. Ho is also under engagement to the New Zealand Broadcasting Board to sing at Auckland shortly. Voices Across the Sea. The state of perfection reached in tians-Tasmian radio telephony was demonstrated last evening when Mr. G. W.'Clinkardj general manager of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Tourist ana Publicity, spoke from the Telephone Exchange, Featherstpn Street, Wellington, to Mr. L. J. Schnritt, New Zealand Trade and Tourist Commissioner, at Sydney. Mr. Sehniitt was speaking from, the Commonwealth Postmaster-General's exhibit at the Royal Show, Sydney, and both his conversation and Mr. Clinkard's were given to the public there by a loudspeaker system, known as the public address system. After talking to Mr. Schmitt, for about a quarter of an hour, Mr. Clinkard spoke to Mr. A. J. Stallworthy, M.P., -who is at present on holiday in Australia, Mr. Stallworthy said that New Zealand was well to the fore at the show, and referred in glowing terms to the work being done by New Zealand House in Sydney. Mr. G. E. Milne, telegraph engineer, then spoke to a few visitors to the show. The demonstration was arranged by the Department of the Commonwealth Post-master-General and the New Zealand Post and Telegraph.Department. Modern. Maori Carving. ; • A visit to the Rotorua; Maori Arts and Crafts School was paid by Mr. G. Bernard Shaw and Mrs, Shaw on Tuesday, states : a ,Rotorua correspondent. They were; received on. their arrival T>y the director j Mr. H. -Hamilton. Mr. Shaw evinced , great. interest *in the Native ' carvings; andv-iyas surprised to learn how expeditipusly-the 'work was done, under modern methods. He, also inquired .as to the .values "of carvings .and referred to "the -work-that was' done by the old-tim.e carvers with their stone implements. During Ha visit Eramiha Meke gave Mr. Shaw an illustration of the singing of an old-time Maori song which was sung more or less in a monotone. Mr. Shaw was much interested. He said ho did not like the modern music of the European, being introduced into Native singing. On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw visited Hamurana Springs, after -which they travelled round Lake Botorua, returning by way of the Native village of Mourea. Yesterday Mr. Shaw rested, and this morning ho left for Wairakei, after which he will spend a few days at National Park.