NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 138, 7 December 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Universal Half-holiday. A motion that the Upper Hutt Borough Council's delegates to the annual conference of the Municipal Association support the universal halfholiday (midday on Saturday) was moved by Councillor W. Greig at last evening's meeting of the council. He was sure the public would support it, be said. Some time ago the universal half-holiday was observed in Upper Hutt, but they lost it. The Mayor (Mr. A. J. McCurdy) said that the people would have an opportunity in January for fixing the half-holiday. Councillor G. H. Guthrie stated that a lot of people came to Upper Hutt and spent money there on Saturdays, and if a universal half-holiday were fixed the town would be adversely affected. Councillor Greig's motion was not supported. ' Maori Carvers Busy. The contemplated erection of meeting houses and other tribal buildings in various parts of the North Island is at present keeping the carvers at the Ohinemuri Maori School of Arts and Crafts exceptionally busy and it is seldom that so many .orders are received at the one tinie (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The carvers recently completed the necessary carvings for a meeting house at Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, and also for a dining hall at Tuahuru, on the Mahia Peninsula. These have been forwarded for erection. The largest job on hand. at the present time is the carvings for a meeting house to be erected at Waitara, Taranaki, as a memorial to Sir Maui Pomare, and already several of the 30 main slabs have been completed. In addition to these main slabs there are altogether about 200 smaller carved pieces which are. required for the building, and sortie months will elapse before these are ready for delivery. Several small carvings are also being done for a meeting house at Ruakawa, near Otaki, the main carvings for which were completed at the school in 1934. It is anticipated that the completed house will be opened in February next. Preparations v are being made at the school for the carving work for two dining halls and another meeting house for other districts. Good progress is being made by a party of carvers under the supervision of Pini Taiapa, at Motatau, North Auckland, on carvings for the Waitangi house. Two-inch Eeels. About three months ago Mr. S. Sumich, an Auckland fishmonger, received a consignment of Waikato whitebait, in which were three tiny elvers, or baby eels (states the "Auckland Star"). At first glimpse they appeared to be scraps of black worsted, for they were no thicker than ordinary mending wool, but their lively wriggles soon indicated that they were very much alive. Mr. Sumich put them in a goldfish bowl filled with fresh water, ■ and there they have lived and thrived ever since. Apparently obtaining some kind of nourishment from the water, they have grown slightly in length, if not in thickness. The microscopic fins near the head and the dorsal fin along the whole length of the body can be seen at close quarters. They swim slowly round the .bowl in the daytime, manifesting much more activity in artificial light. The stretch of the lower Waikato from which they hail is well known for its big eels, specimens up to 201b in weight having frequently been caught. If the three babies now living in the goldfish bowl were placed on the scales it is doubtful whether they would disturb the balance even to a fraction of. an ounce. Spectacular Skiing:. Travelling on skis from the northern lip of the crater round Mount Egmont to Maunganui hut five members of the Stratford Mountain Club accomplished the journey in the good time of half an hour recently. Without skis the time required would have been from one to two hours. "It was a spectacular effort,"-said.'Mr. H. J. Wood, manager of the hostel, describing the view of the skiers from North Egmont. "Their speed appeared to be very high indeed as they careered down the northern slopes and across Snow Valley on their way back to the Stratford side. The marks of the skis were strikingly visible in the snow in the wake of the alpinists." Vicar's Complaint. "It is certainly a novel task," said the Rev. H. V. Salmon, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Devonport, on Wednesday night, when speaking to members of the Devonport Borough Council as one of a deputation concerning the question of using the parish hall as a public hall (states the "Auckland Star"). The vicar said it was usually his duty on Sunday mornings to collect beer and whisky bottles left in the hall after social functions held on Saturday evenings. "Full ones or empties?" asked Mr. E. Aldridge. "Empties," replied the vicar. Another councillor suggested that probably the bottles had been left as "tips." Mr. Salmon and a member of the Parish Hall Trust Board gave the council a number of reasons why the hall, which adjoined the church, should not be hired for public dances, adding that they were not anxious that it should be used as a public hall, even if the council agreed to subsidise the hall for public use. The council decided not to take any further action in the matter*