NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

The National Station. The opening of the new 2YA wireless station at Titahi Bay on Monday by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) fulfils two objects of importance—the giving to Wellington of a new station and providing a national station for the Dominion, a valued unit should an emergency arise. A specially-arranged programme will launch this new broadcasting service on Monday evening. A Thousand Miles. A thousand-mile bicycle trip round the North Island was made during the holiday period by Mr. J. Wiltshire, of Miramar. He made the trip with a boy of 13, and carried a boy aged 6 years on a specially-constructed saddle on his bicycle. The party left Wellington on Christmas Eve, and returned on January 21 —29 days. The trio proceeded from Wellington to Auckland via Taranaki, and returned via Rotorua and the Manawatu Gorge. The trip was without mishap, and the only discomfort was an occasional soaking from rain. Mr. Wiltshire estimates that they covered over 1000 miles. Wharf Signs for Visitors. Even Wellington people are not too sure which wharf is which and which route or road approach is the best to take. For instance, which is nearer the Post Office, Glasgow Wharf or King's Wharf, and where exactly is the turning from Waterloo Quay to Pipitea Wharf? And those are easy ones for Wellington people. Now the Automobile Association, in association with the Government Departments who assist financially towards material and labour costs, has erected useful waterfront signs, and the way has been made much clearer for the visitor. The key sign is at the entrance to the Queen's Wharf and indicates business and passenger wharves. Other directions are given at points where particular guidance i£ needed. Begonia House Visitors. The display at the begonia house in the Botanical Gardens is not yet at its best, for it may be a week or more before the buds and half-opened blooms reach perfection, but there is nevertheless a wonderful show of colour and the number of visitors increases each day. Yesterday was naturally a big day at the gardens, and tomorrow an attendance of thousands is expected. One of the loan items to be put forward next month contains provision for the erection of a begonia house worthy of Wellington's magnificent collection, and if that item is approved a new house will be built and the existing cramped space will be used for propagating purposes. At present it has to serve both purposes, but in spite of that handicap and the obviously inadequate floor and display area the gardens staff maintain a show of gorgeous colour during the summer months. Boy Falls from Cliff. While playing with his two brothers on the cliff edge at Te Wau Point, Blockhouse Bay, on Thursday afternoon Duncan Weston, aged 8 years, a son of Mr. R. Weston, of Taunton Terrace, Auckland overbalanced and fell 50ft to the rocks below, states the "New Zealand Herald." The boy broke his right arm and leg and suffered severe head injuries. His condition was described at the Auckland Hospital on Thursday night as serious. According to one of his brothers, Duncan was straining upward to reach a bird's nest in a tree on the cliff edge, 200 yards from his home. He was bumped by a large collie dog belonging to the family and, losing his balance, disappeared over the cliff. His brothers turned and ran to their mother, the dog following them, The injured lad was found lying on the rocks below the clifl by a Maori woman, who carried him round to the beach. The cliff is known as the Maori Look-out. C Steady Race Car Traffic. Though the volume of car traffic to Trentham yesterday was almost as heavy as on Labour Day, which was probably a record for Wellington roads, the 2000 odd cars made the journey with a very fair absence of delay and inconvenience, thanks to the general observance of the request made by the traffic authorities, as stated in "The Post" on Thursday, that drivers should endeavour to hold a steady speed over the whole journey and should leave it to the traffic officers to speed up sluggards rather than to attempt to pass them. The loud speaker again gave general advice and shamed individual drivers who asked for it. There were no collisions and attempts to cut in were few. Today again the inspectors, from the City Traffic Office, the I.ower Hutt and Petone Boroughs and the Main Highway Board and Transport Department are on the roads, and through the combined effort a good start has been made to educate drivers to more sensible road practice. If the lesson has gone home to Wellington drivers its effect will not end with this race meeting, for what is sound for heavy Hutt. Road traffic is sound for any main road traffic, inspectors or nono

Sighting of Cook Strait.

Today marks the anniversary of the sighting of Cook Strait by Captain James Cook in his brig Endeavour, in which he had set forth to discover, the supposed great continent in the South Pacific. After leaving Tahiti on this quest, he discovered the passage between the two islands on •January 23, 1770, and the fact that he sailed past the entrance to Wellington Harbour without noticing it is now historic. Captain Cook examined the New Zealand coast for six months, during which he charted it very carefully, but he sailed away from here ignorant of the fact that he had left undiscovered the finest harbour in the Dominion. He also made efforts on this occasion to penetrate- the interior, but the hostility of the natives proved a barrier.