NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 129, 2 June 1936, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Beer and Revenue. How much the glass, pewter, or glass handle of beer contributes to the revenue can be ascertained by the mathematically curious from official statistics. However, a sidelight on the subject is thrown by the annual report and balance-sheet of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd. That company reports for the year ended March 31, 1936, a gross profit—after payment of rates and taxes due, and providing for land and income taxes—of £594,082. But out of that profit beer duty amounting to £508*680 has been paid, leaving a net profit of £85,402 for distribution among the shareholders to provide for dividends, and for the carrying forward of the balance of £18,000 in accordance with the usual business practice. "Rubber Necks." O. Henry, the great American shortstory writer, in "A Comedy in Rubber," introduces a couple "who wouldn't miss a crowd for worlds." There are such people in New Zealand—crowds of them—and pointed attention to their unwelcome curiosity when accidents occur was drawn in a report from delegates to the recent North Island Motor Union meeting at Palmerston North, pnesented to last night's meeting of the executive of the Automobile Association (Wellington). The report stressed the danger of people congregating around the scene of an accident, and added that "inconvenience and congestion were not only caused to passing traffic, but also seriously hindered those engaged in rendering first aid." In view of the difficulty of enforcing a regulation, it was decided to appeal to all motorists to give their co-operation in allowing persons injured in accidents to be given prompt attention by keeping clear of the scene.

Aerodrome Fire Equipment. A Are tender and ambulance unit of special design has been added to the equipment of the Rongotai Aerodrome to meet possible emergencies about the hangars or machines. The unit is designed to reach any part of the aerodrome or its surroundings at high speed with driver and several assistants, but the equipment may be operated by one man if assistance is not at hand. The fire extinguisher is of the foam type, and a complete asbestos suit, covering body, head, and limbs, is carried. The helmet is supplied with oxygen sufficient for fifteen minute's of work, and various special cutters and other tools are provided so that any part of a machine whiqh may take fire may be cut and cleared away. A first-aid' chest and stretcher are carried on the tender. The plant was inspected and approved yesterday by officers of the Wellington Fire Board. It is the first of its kind in New Zealand upon a civil aerodrome, though the Air Force bases at Wigram and Hobsonville have had similar equipment for some time.

Winter Surfing;. A bitterly cold southerly wind with a "cutting edge" was blowing out of a leaden sky across a jade-green sea, with high white crested combers breaking inshore. Just beyond the breakers the scow Kohi rolled, and tossed, with the trim little Janie Seddon in attendance, hovering like a guardian angel a little further out, and also tossing like a cork—dancing in unison with her festive heavy scow partner, like a couple in a merry folk dance, as they performed their respective works in relaying the shore end of the new Cook Strait cable at Lyall Bay to replace the thirty-year-old one, worn out by the fraying attrition of the currents through the Straits. A tram drew up at the tram stop. The overcoated motorman released the wheel, and swinging his arms around his body said, "B-r-r-r-r!" when he observed a white-haired man in scanty bathing togs running across the Parade towards the beach full in the face of the biting wind. On the Parade a Government lorry had been backed across the footpath into the teeth of the wind to shelter with the back of its cab the driver who, in an overcoat turned up around his ears, looked half-frozen. Three motor-cars for the shore cable staff stood on the Parade, the staff themselves being unseen. The bather entered the sea and "shot" the breakers in evident enjoyment. Te was an object of great interest to the shore staff, who in top boots and overcoats had taken refuge from the cold win,-! in one of the bathing sheds, where their heads appeared in the long opening above the "chin-high" wall like a line of sparrows on a telegraph wire. It is perhaps as well that the sturdy bather did not hear some of their re-i marks —but one wonders —who was the warmer? '

Automatic Traffic Lights.

' Appreciation of the action of the City Council in installing the now automatic traffic lights at the Queen's Wharf gates was expressed by the report of the roads committee of the Wellington Automobile Association at the monthly meeting of the association's executive last night. From observations made so far, the report stated. [these lights appeared to be giving every i satisfaction, and were definitely an improvement on the present time cycle systems. The committee was of the opinion that close observation of the working of the lights should be made with a view to considering representations for their extension throughout the city. Not According to the Terms. One of the conditions imposed by the City Council when granting permission for street collections is that the collectors shall remain at the points specified and shall not enter shops with their boxes, but, said Councillor W. Duncan at the meeting of the council last night, one of the organisations which recently held a street day had made "a welter of it," and collectors were all over the streets and into shops and shaking boxes inside car windows. The Town Clerk (Mr. E. P. Norman) said that as soon as the complaint was brought to his notice he had communicated with the organisers and was told that written instructions had been issued to all collectors and an official was sent round to inform them that the instructions must be obeyed. Councillor Duncan said that if the same sort Of thing happened again he would be inclined to move that street days should be ended altogether. Often the Best. "I believe that the moral impulses created by Friendly Society movements have been, and will continue to be, a great factor in shaping men's andl women's characters, by leading their] thoughts to higher things," remarked Mr. C. H. Bascand (Christchurch) during the course of his presidential address to today's meeting of the Dominion Council of Friendly Societies. "There are some critics of the movement," he continued, "who tell'us that friendly societies are old-fashioned. To this statement I can only say that some of the best things in life today are oldfashioned." Speedometer Test Boards. "Whatever be the wording on a speedometer test board, some fool will want to go as fast as he can over the distance," said a member of the Wellington Automobile Association executive at the monthly meeting last night. The roads committee, of the association regretted that the North Island Motor Union had decided not to recommend an alteration in the wording of the milage test boards. Members of the executive recounted cases in which motorists had misunderstood the signs and proceeded to test the maximum speed of their cars, over the scheduled distance. The executive decided that the speedometer test boards within the association's jurisdiction should be removed.