NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Fog Delays Shipping1. The thick fog which lay over Wellington Harbour this morning was responsible for delaying both the Nelson and Lyttelton ferry steamers. The Rangatira, from Lyttelton, did not draw into her berth until 7.50 a.m., and the Arahura, which normally berths at 5.30 a.m., was not alongside until 7,10 a.m.. The fog, which cleared fairly early at the Heads,.remained in the inside of the harbour for some timei' and the Lyttelton and Nelson steamers came up the harbour using their sirens frequently. There was not much traffic in and out of the harbour this morning, the only other large ship to move being the freighter Zealandic, which left just before 8 o'clock for Port Chalmers. The heavy fog proved of considerable inconvenience to motorists. The fog hung about the city all night, and there were still traces of it at 6 o'clock this morning. Between lighting-up time and early this morning, visibilty was very poor. Motor-car headlights did not penetrate very far, and drivers had to exercise considerable caution. . In the Hutt Valley the fog was particularly thick, and some motorists were forced to a standstill on occasions. Dash for Liberty. A tramcar came to an abrupt stop in order to avoid loss of life, and pedestrians hurriedly moved , aside from harm's way when an exciting dash for liberty was made in Courtenay Place yesterday by a fugitive from custody. Hotly pursued by his keeper, the escapee soon found that rapid progress through the rush-hour crowd on the pavement was an impossibility, and in desperation raced into a nearby restaurant. Confused by the surroundings, terror-stricken perhaps by a vagrant odour of cold chicken—for he was only a large black rooster—the fugitive paused momentarily, and then fluttered in behind the cash desk, while a frightened girl promptly deserted her post and fled. With the entrances blocked with onlookers, the fun was at its height when the bird's owner arrived, effected a speedy capture, and bore it away to whatever fate awaits prime cockerels. . Rich Colours. When opening the flower show at Lower Hutt yesterday, Lady Spriggs remarked on the deep rich colour of New Zealand flowers. When attending a wedding reception in England recently, she'had been struck with the rose-pink colour scheme of a room decorated with chrysanthemums. Later, her hostess revealed the secret. Originally the room had been decorated with white chrysanthemums, which the husband of the hostess described as. being more fitting for a funeral than a wedding. He had then purchased a spray and some dye, with which he .had artisticaly sprayed the -chrysanthemums a charming pink. Lady Spriggs said she was sure the flowers before her did not owe their wonderful colours to the same source. Waterfront Picnics. Members of the Wellington Harbour Board staff and the Wellington waterside workers are holding their annual picnics tomorrow, the Harbour Board employees at Maidstone Park, and the waterside workers at Trentham racecourse. Consequently, no work will be done on the Wellington waterfront, and this will also be the case at Lyttelton and Dunedin, as the waterside workers at those ports are also having their picnics. The inter-island steamers, with the exception of the Nelson vessel, are sailing at the usual times, but taking no cargo. The Matangi is to leave Wellington at midnight on Sunday for Nelson instead of at 7.30 p.m. tomorrow.1 Practical Qualifications. "With the probable introduction of apprenticeship or service arrangements in the profession, the time has arrived when consideration should be given to the question of intending practitioners having some practical experience before being granted a transfer to public accountancy status," said the president, Mr. C. H. Wynyard, in an address at last night's annual meeting of the New Zealand Society of Accountants. The Law Practitioners Amendment Act, 1935, he said, provided, among other things, that after 1939 no solicitor should commence practice on his own account or in partnership unless he had had at, least three years' legal experience in a law office or in the legal branch of a Government Department. He was strongly of the opinion that the time was now opportune for the society to give consideration to practical experience as a necessary qualification before transferring any member to the status of public accountant. A full investigation of the question would probably reveal that such a elastic alteration to the regulations could not be made binding on present members of the society, but after due notice he felt certain that a regulation could-be drafted to operate at a future date. "Drinking to Time." The New Zealand licensing laws strike many English visitors as peculiar. Confirmation of the opinion was given yesterday morning by Mr. A. Birkett," of Hanley, England, who described them as ridiculous (states the Christchurch "Star-Sun"). Mr. Birkett is making his second tour of New Zealand. He said that' it seemed as if the time had come to revise them, and bring them up to date. English visitors were accustomed to having liquor with their meals, and they missed these facilities in New Zealand when they were not actually staying at a hotel. Australia and New Zealand 'were unique in this respect. Mr. Birkett said that he had" been in hotel bars between 5.30 and 6 p.m., and many of the patrons gave the impression that they were drinking to time—drinking as rapidly as possible to assimilate the desired quantity before they were shut out: At, some country hotels he had oven found it impossible to get a meal after 7 o)clock, but the comparative'scarcity of'travellers might account for that.

New University Buildings. Sketch plans of the proposed new biology and administrative blocks for Victoria University C6llege were considered by the meeting of the college council last night, and were generally approved. The architects are to be instructed to prepare detailed plans and specifications. Memorial Chapel. It was reported at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board last evening that approximately £500 had been collected by the nurses for the building of a memorial chapel. The nurses wrote to the board asking whether provision had been made for the chapel in the board's new building scheme. The chairman (Mr. J. Glover) stated that the matter had been referred to the board's architect. Preserving New Zealand Flora. "I am glad," said Lady Spriggs at Lower Hutt yesterday, "that the people of the Dominion are preserving their native flora. lam sure it is worth preserving, for although I have not been fortunate enough to see all your flowering shrubs, I have been delighted with what I have seen." Lady Spriggs then described a practice which had been adopted in England for the past five or six years by which owners of gardens threw them open to the public. A charge of Is was made, and by this means large sums were raised for the Country Nursing Association. Wanganui Harbour. Recently the Wanganui Harbour Board decided to suspend work on the building up of the moles at. the river mouth owi^g to loan, moneys having been exhausted. At a special meeting on Wednesday .the' board decided to adopt a suggestion made by the Government to raise without a poll of ratepayers a sum not exceeding £15,000 to complete the work, states a correspondent. A letter from the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M.J. Savage) indicated that the Government was not in favour of the £15,000 loan authorised for the payment of a long-standing debt to the British Admiralty for bringing the dredge Kaione to New Zealand being diverted, as was proposed by the board. Mr. Semple's Latest. "The man who wears the dungarees is a damned sight more useful to the nation than the banker who sits at his desk and plays pitch and toss with the welfare of society," said the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) when addressing public works employees in the Cromwell Gorge. "I would sooner have one navvy than ten bankers," the Minister added. "If I had my way I would put the dungarees on the banker and give him a spell at that kind of work for a while. And that is what will happen to some of them if they don't look out." The Minister was loudly cheered as .he drove away. An Assault on a Shark. A novel form of assault on a large shark discovered in the shallow waters of Manukau Harbour goes to the credit of the occupant of a dinghy, who, however, for a time regretted his aggressive attitude, states the "New Zealand Herald." Coming suddenly upon the drowsing fish, he seized the anchor and hurled it at the shark. So energetic was the throw that the attacker nearly followed the anchor. The effect on the shark was electrical. It leaped into the air, and came down with a resounding splash. Then, frightened or in a fury of pain, it turned and twisted in a flurry of spray and muddy water, its reaction to the attack lasting in this way for some minutes. By the time it had made off, the owner had hauled in his anchor and had removed himself as far from the scene as ; was possible. "An Old Tory." ."A hard-cased old Tory and' not ashamed of it," was Mr. G. Gould's description of himself when speaking on behalf of the Waimakariri River Trust at Wednesday's airport ceremony, states the Christchurch "Star-Sun." Mr. Gould said- that two of the greatest calamities that had ever befallen the British Empire were the invention of the aeroplane and the submarine. Ducks had webbed. feet, and, if the Lord had meant people to fly, He would have given them wings, said Mr. Gould. It was said that flying saved time, but what was the use of saving time if .Mr. Semple. said that people could work only 40 hours a week? Those "Running Shoes." > The now-famous statement concerning "running shoes" has become an idiom in New Zealand, but it was left to a passenger on the Lake Wakatipu steamer to turn the tables on its originator (states the "Southland News"). The steamer was leaving Queenstown for the head of the lake and one man' missed his breakfast rather than miss his boat. To his chagrin the boat did not leave until well after the scheduled ■time : for the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) was detained in the town. "Good morning, sir," said the disgruntled one as Mr. Semple at last boarded the steamer. "Good morning," came the affable reply. "It's a pity you didn't have on a pair of your running shoes this morning, sir," was the unexpected addition to the conversation, and for once the Minister failed with the retort courteous. Auckland's New Fire Station. Approval of the raising of a loan Of £30,000 for the purchase of a site at the corner of Grey's Avenue and Pitt Street for the erection of a new central fire station had been received from the Local Government Loans Board, reported tlje secretary (Mr. P. Butler) to a meeting of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board on Wednesday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The cost of the site was estimated at £18,680, the additional amount of the loan being required for the purpose of defraying the cost of levelling, excavating, and preparing the site for the building. The money would be raised by means of a bank overdraft, the term of the loan being three years, said the secretary. At the previous meeting of the board correspondence had been received from the Local Government Loans Board asking the reason for an application for a Joan of £30,000 when the actual cost of acquiring the property was estimated, at £18,680. A sum of £5000 would have.to be paid for the erection of retaining walls, and it was stated by the board's architect that the cost of surveying would approximate £100. A certain amount would have to be paid to the owners of properties as compensation for loss of business. Wilful Mischief. ' Since the Government's sawmill at Frankton Junction was vacated seven years ago upon the completion of the construction of a large number of houses for the Railway Department, the premises have suffered a great deal of damage at the hands of vandals and mischievous boys (states a Hamilton correspondent). It is estimated that hundreds of pounds' worth of damage has been done to the windows of the sawmill and factory and to the machinery. There is a recrudescence of the trouble every year during the school holidays, and this year was no exception. Twelve boys appeared before the Hamilton Children's Court on Wednesday charged with wilful mischief to the sawmill windows and plant, the damage on this occasion being estimated at £15. The boys were severely admonished by the presiding, Justice, Mr. F. W. Platts. One was placed under the supervision of the Child Welfare Officer. One case, in which the offender had been in trouble before, was adjourned for three months.

Private Aeroplane for Wellington. A Miles Whitney straight low-wing monoplane has been/bought by Mr. Harold Edwards, of Wellington, for use in his business, which requires his personal supervision and inspection in towns all over the country. This is the first instance in New Zealand of a man buying an aeroplane for use in connection with his business. The machine will be shipped from England about the middle of April, and will be ready for flying near the end of May. Firearms in Streets. "During the present enforced holiday a number of children have been receiving weapons which are firearms as defined by the Police Offences Act, and have been out on the streets firing at other boys," said Sub-Inspector J. A. Dempsey in the Magistrate's Court today, when ' Frederick George Davies and Charles Leslie Weston -appeared before Mr. J. Morling, S.M., charged with supplying a firearm to a person under 16. It was explained that Davies bought an airgun ; as !a present for Weston's grandson. A pellet from the gun had subsequently struck a tramcar. The two defendants were fined 10s each. X . ; Highway Improvements. The extent to which the highways between Napier and Taupo and Taupo and Auckland are being improved by deviations, the elimination of bends, and widening in parts, was striking, said Councillor J. Burns, who has returned from a tour of the North Island. Work seemed to be going on everywhere and a feature of the trip was the way in which the workers helped motorists by directions • and advice.. Education Inquiry. The Victoria University College Council last night had before it the questionnaire from the Government committee on educational reorganisation, and it decided to inform the committee that it was in agreement with the answers given by the New Zealand University Senate, but it proposed to consider the matter in detail and would avail itself of the right to give evidence before the committee. Emphasis was laid on the fact that the council was concerned only with that part of the questionnaire dealing with university education.