NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 93, 17 October 1934, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Self-denial Appeal. ltcsults of this year's Salvation Army self-denial appeal, which is conducted annually throughout tko Dominion, will not bo availablo until towards the- end of tho month. The street day held in Wellington yestorday, a'Salvation Army officer informed a "Post" reporter today, was quite a success, but really it was only a phase of the Army's annual appeal, as a great proportion of the money received was collected prior to tho street day. The First Casualty. During the action against the Turks at the Suez Canal in February, 1915, Private 13. Ham, of the Twelfth Nelson Company, was wounded and later died. Ho was the first Now Zcalandcr to loso Ills life in the war. Among those who were present at the reunion of survivors of tho Main Body of the Now Zealand Expeditionary I'orco last night was Private Hani's brother, also Major Broarton, who commanded tho company, and others who wore at the graveside when. Private Ham was buried at Ismailia. Church Reunion. "Speaking as a country vicar I cannot emphasise too strongly the need for some scheme of church reunion, especially in the country districts," said the Bey. A. H. McC. Achcson, vicar of Waimate, in the course of his sermon at the Synod service in tho Anglican Cathedral, Christchurch, on Monday (states the "Christehurch Times." Mr. Acheson declared that it was his opinion that reunion had been sought along wrong lines in the past; would not the hope of reunion have been nearer if an attempt had been made to organise a universal church as a big family. He had heard it said that they should wait for a lead from the mother churches, but ho saw no reason why New Zealand should not take a lead. In such a small country it would bo considerably easier to come together and understand each other. It seemed that in all their deliberations they should havo before them a vision of the churches of tho world as one big family. Strange Sea Bird. A strango sea bird found its way on to tho premises of the Sailors' Host this week, states the '' Tiniaru Herald,'' and so far no one has been able to say to what section of tho bird family it belongs. It is somewhat like a young penguin in appearance, and, in fact, has a bill similar to that species, but it also has the tail feathers of a shag and a fairly large wingspread for a bird of its size. The stranger is not yet fully fledged, and stands about six inches high on web-footed blue- legs. The feathers on the back arc a dark elate colour, while the front is pure white from the beak to tho tip of the tail. Several men who frequent the waterfront a good deal saw the bird, but were unable to place it. Ono said that he had picked up young penguins, shags, and gulls, but tho straugo bird resembled none of thoso species. As tho bird is only a fledgling it is improbable that it flew from any groat distance, and how it cam© to Tiniaru remains a mystery. A possible solution is that it travelled up the coast on ono of tho two coastal vessels which arrived in port from Dunediu. Pensions for Clergy. The bequest of the late Mrs. BullockWebster for the purpose of providing retiring pensions for the clergy will yield over £50,000 after the payment of death duties, Bishop West-AVatson informed tho Canterbury Auglican Synod in his opening address, states tho "Christehurch Times." Ho pointed out that the benefaction would supplement the work that had been done to build up a pension fund in tho diocese. "Not long ago Mr. E. 6. Hogg told v'»] in Synod that wo needed £20,000 mor>; to make our fund what it should be, but the depression prevented auy appeal being made," said the Bishop. "Now by this bequest, after death duties havo been paid off, the dioceso benefits to tho extent of over £50,000. It should be understood clearly that this fund and its administration aro quito distinct from our diocesan fund. Tho Public Trustee controls its administration, but wo hope that tho benefactions from the now fund may bo worked in view of and in sonu; relation to the benefits of the old. Until all legal preliminaries aro Nettled we. cannot look lo see any distribution of (lie prooiTils of the bequest, but t is a cause, of deep thankfulness to God that wo may by its means hope to sec the present inadequate pensions supplemented ami more adequate pensions assured for the future."

Whole-Heartea Singing. Apart from the silence observed while tho "Last Post" and the "Reveille." were, played, and during the singing of the' ".Requiem" by Mr. Uarison Cook, following the toast of "JMlen. Comrades," an impressive feature of the great gathering of Main Body survivors at the.reunion last night was the singing of the mon. They joined wholeheartedly in tho choruses, but it was their rendering of the National Anthem that struck the deepest note. Standing they sang it lustily, their strong voices doing full justice to the sentiments expressed in the anthem. It was splendidly done. Death of Professor Stewart. A letter posted at Pitcairn Island was received in Christ- | church on Monday from a passenger on the Akaroa stating that Professor Hugli Stewart, news of whose death on board ship reached Now Zealand on September 29, fell ill three days after leaving New Zealand, and was confined to his cabin up to the time of arrival at Pitcairn. The writer did not, however, speak of Professor Stewart's illness as serious. Pitcairn Island is ten days' sail from New Zealand. Tho Akaroa sailed from Auckland on September 14, and Professor Stewart's illness must, therefore, have been of approximately ten days' duration. An Aiiti-Hornist. Lord Nuffield, the English motor manufacturer and philanthropist, is one of the stoutest supporters of tho "Silence Zono" system. Addressing a luncheon party of 1400 in London recently, he said he favoured, the total abolition of motor-horns, because a man who could not "hoot" invariably drove much more carefully. In some Scandinavian countries experience had ■ shown that the less motor-horns wore used, the lower was the dcath-rato on the roads. Another thing Lord Nuffield said ho would like, to see was the abolition of hand-signalling. He himself never gave signals, he said, but before turning to the right ho invariably looked behind him. If nothing was coining he knew lie was free to turn, while if another road-user was overtaking him he lot him go by before attempting to turn. "This," Lord Nuffield remarked, "is the only safe way." A Penguin in. the Harbour. Considerable attention was attracted yesterday by tho appearance of a young penguin in tho water between the Tug Wharf and Queen's Wharf No .13. Tho bird, which, according to some workmen engaged in tho vicinity, was the same one as appeared there last year, was busy catching fish. It would swim out along tho edge of the Tug Wharf, dive, and swim under water at great speed towards the junction of tho two wharves, driving the fish before it. The speed attained by tho bird seemed to be almost twice that of tho fish, and it seemed to have no difficulty in catching what it wanted. During the performance, which brought it within feet of the wharf, the bird paid little attention to tho onlookers. Send-off to Woolston Band. Before leaving New Zealand by tho Makura yesterday to take part in tho Ballarat and Melbourne contests members oi: the Woolston Band were entertained at tea at Messrs. Kirkcaldio and Stains by the president, Mr. E. Palliser, and members of the management committee of the Now Zealand Brass Bands' Association. Speeches woro properly brief on both sides, but wero most enthusiastic, and tho opportunity was taken by Bandmaster Estali to express the warm appreciation of the bandsmen for tho very wonderful support given them to make- possible their participation in the Centenary contests. The people of Christchureh, said Mr. Estall, had been most generous in their support and encouragement, for whereas only a few weeks ago the financial hurdle had appeared just about impossible, such was the generosity accorded them that they were able to sail from New Zealand with the way made clear and' with overy member of the band free to give his whole thoughts to the job ahead —of doing his best to gain a place among the best bands of Australasia.