NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 83, 9 April 1934, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Post Office Clock.

I The repairs to the Post Office clock bell fittings have been completed, and the striking of tho hours was resumed at noon'today. " Telegraph Service Interrupted. Telegraphic, communication with Auckland was interrupted on Saturday owing to a fire two and a half miles south of Taupiri, which damaged all the main .circuits between Auckland and Hamilton. Communication was totally interrupted from 12.55 p.m. to 1.55 p.m., when a circuit was arranged via Paeroa. At 2.45 p.m. a second circuit was restored, and at 2.50 p.m. a line suitable for multiplex, working became available. A. third circuit was made available at 3.10 p.m., and this enabled the normal multiplex working to be restored. Communication, was made with Hamilton at 1.30 p.m., and this enabled traffic in the Auckland district south of Hamilton, to -be dealt with. . ; Beavers and Muskrats. Discussing in'an. interview requests which had been made to him to permit of the importation of beavers and muskrats, the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young) said that he was ''definitely against the introduction of these animals. He regarded them as pests, and expressed the view that already the Dominion had to endure enough of all kinds of pests without being overburdened with the addition of more.; After reviewing tho habits of the leaver, the Minister remarked that the animal was certainly to be admired for its ingenuity, but it was not hard to visualise the havoc which it would cause in.some of the swamp drainage and river protection areas if it became established. 'Needless to say, the proposal for its introduction had been turned down. "Keep Sport Clean." . Frequent applause and laughter punctuated the speech of the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, when he presented the Kirk-Windoyer Cup to the winning Now Zealand team at Auckland, on Saturday afternoon. After the New Zealand captain, MivT. H. Horton, has been carried to the clubhouse shoulder-high, his Excellency was welcomed by Dr. Milsom, the club president. His Excellency said that when twenty minutes before he saw people carrying notices ( bearing the word "Silence!" and there wore also notices labelled "Stop!" he thought it might be Ms fate on this occasion to hand over the trophy without saying anything; • While congratulating New Zealand on its victory, he hoped that, unlike the Oxford and Cambridge boat race, there would not bo a large gap between the competitors in years to come. He -vvas pleased to welcome the Australian captain, Mr. E. Apperly, because not only was. he a great man, but he came from Gloucestershire, where his Excellency came from. The Australians played' a good sporting game, and the more they, saw of sporting representatives of Australia the more they were pleased. Let them do all they could, whether they cam© from Australia or New Zealand, to see that the sport was kept clean. Down the Waiau on. Raft. ' An adventurous voyage, during which the'Waiau River was navigated from Lake Te Anau to Clifden on a raft, was accomplished by three residents of Southland —Messrs. H. H. Twcmlow, his son George, and Mr. D. Peterson — during the Easter holidays (states the j "Otago Daily Times"). It was _a haz-| ardous feat, and they had thrills in plenty as their craft swept through rock-infested cauldrons, but not once did their stout conveyance fail them, nor did they once feel that they were in real peril. So confident are they of tho strength and buoyancy of the raft that they arc looking for fresh waters to conquer, and"" will probably tackle the Clutha in the near future. "When wo' set out I did not think that there was any danger to life," Mr. Twemlow, sen., informed a "Southland Times" reporter, "and this proved true.- At the same time it was easily the most exciting experience of my life. We found that four hours a, day on ' the river was quite enough for our nervous energy. The excitement and tho strain of keeping a constant look-out proved exhausting. Though the oars gave us a lot of control over tho raft, there were times when tho force of the current caused j the river to take charge of us and not we of it. There was, however, not a moment during the trip when' we regretted the venture." Warship Laburnum.. H.M.S. Laburnum was removed on Friday morning from Devonport to the western viaduct, where she was visited on Saturday morning by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe. His Excellency inspected the warship and bade farewell to the crew, who will leave for England this week after being on the New Zealand station for two and a half years. Two. officers and 78 ratings will leave Auckland by ti;niti next Wednosday evening for "We' v"' vton, where they will embark on tho motor-liner Eangitane, which is-to leave Wellington for London -next Friday morning. The relief complement for the Laburnum, three officers and about 80 ratings, will arrive at Auckland from London next Wednesday by the motor-liner Rangitata. Aftor embarking the new crew the Laburnum will remain at the western viaduct until next Friday, when she will return to Dcvonport. On April "0 Hie. wni-ship will proceed to the llauraid Gulf, .where she will ciirry out ten days' gunnery exorcises. Tn May she will bo docked for cleaning mul refitting and early in June she will lenvc on her usual winter cruise to (he South Sea Islands.

Typically Shavian. "There is nothing more terrible than' to have newspapers- that are too good for you," remarked Mr. Bernard Shaw at Picton, '.'just as the most awful fate that can befall a people is to have a Government that is too good for them." Drought in the Sounds. One of the results of the drought has been the death of quite a large number of native trees and shrubs in the Sounds, says the "Marlborough Express." In Queen Charlotte Sound, in particular, .substantial sections of bush have gone brown and dead as if affected by fire. The scenic reserve at Harbour Point on the western side of the entrance to Onahau Bay has suffered, and another point whore the hand of the drought has fallen heavily is that on the western side of Lochmai'ii. Mabel Island has not escaped the severe conditions. Commerce and Politics. " Commercial* work is the very worst possible training for, political work,'' is the opinion Mr. Bernard Shaw expressed in an interview at Picton. "On the whole, you would get better government if you had it done by youths of 18 who had never done any commercial work. They at least would not be spoiled, and would be in an attitude to learn something.' Of course, the young women of 18 could have a try as well!" He referred to "the stupendous ignorance with which the world is governed"; and deplored the fact that legislators were largely drawn from a class who had made a competency in business and had retired. Bag-snatcher Foiled. An unsuccessful attempt to snatch a bag from a woman was made by a-man near the corner of Mount Albert Road and Belmont Avenue, Auckland, about 11 o'clock on Thursday' night (states the "New Zealand Herald")- The man disappeared, and detectives are making efforts to trace him. Tho incident occurred shortly after Miss Louisa Sexton, of 6 Belmont. Avenue, alighted from a tramcar in Mount Albert Road, not far from her home. She was walking towards the corner of Belmont Avenue when a man ran up. from behind her and attempted to snatch her bag. Fortunately Miss Sexton had a chain attached to the bag wrapped round her wrist, and the man failed to tug it away. He did not repeat the attempt, but disappeared. Miss Sexton said she did not hear the man approaching, as ho was wearing sand shoes.