NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1937, Page 12

NEWS OF THE DAY

Export of Scrap Iron.

Under a Customs, export prohibition order published :in the Gazette issued last evening, the exportation of cast-iron scrap metal without the consent of the Minister of Customs is prohibited. The order operates .immediately..

Anniversary of Waterloo.

Today is the 122 nd anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, when the Duke of Wellington overthrew , Napoleon Bonaparte, thus putting an end to the war ■ between • France and England which had lasted for nearly twenty years. -In yesterday's "New Zealand Herald" a correspondent, G. H. Mair. mentions that there resides in Takapuna the daughter of-One who served in the' Ambulance Corps under Napoleon at Waterloo. Last Tuesday night there died at Whangarei Mr. Alfred Edouard Caller, a son of a man who was a.'lieutenant in the French Ambulance Corps at Waterloo, and who came'to New Zealand in 1840, landing:at Kororareka.

Proposed Experimental Lighting. A question as to what had happened to the proposal to carry out experimental lighting on the Hutt Road was asked by Mr. S. Blackley at the meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board yesterday afternoon. Mr. Blackley expressed the opinion that sodium lighting was the best. The chairman (Mr. A. W. Press) and-Mr. J. W. Andrews said-that the board was still waiting for a reply from the Transport . Department and a report from the Engineer and General Manager (Mr. E. F. Hollands). Mr. Hollands stated that some of his ideas might differ from those which had been pronounced. The harbourmaster had granted permission for experiments to be carried out after 7 o'clock any evening. Personally, he thought the wrong stretch of road had been chosen for the experiment and Victoria Street would be more suitable.

Proposed Overbildge.

A letter enclosing a plan showing the proposed overbridge to be erected over the new railway line at Tawa Street, Tawa Flat, was received from the Chief Engineer of the New Zealand Government Railways (Mr. G. J. Bertinshaw) at the meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board yesterday afternoon. The letter stated that at present a power line came down the hill overhead and was then taken- underground and it was asked whether the proposed work would necessitate any alterations to the power lines and tlie cost. There was also a house to be shifted and the board was asked to indicate the most suitable site to which it could be taken. The, Engineer and General Manager (Mr. E. F. Hollands) said that what was proposed was going to be very troublesome and the matter was left to him and the chairman (Mr. A. W. Press).

Damage by Lightning.

"The lightning on' Friday, June 4, was responsible for the supply from Melling sub-station being interrupted for 28 minutes, due to damage to one of the Public Works Department transformers at Melling," stated the Engineer and General. Manager (Mr. E F. Hollands) in his report to the meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board yesterday afternoon. Members commented on the loss suffered by industries owing to the interruption and said it was the second time a transformer at Melling had been damaged by lightning during tlie past few years. It was decided to write to the Public Works Department on the matter along general lines.

A Stowaway Dog,

A Sydney report states that on a recent trip of the Union Steam Ship Company's liner Maunganui from Sydney to Auckland a stowaway dog was returned to the Dominion. The dog arrived in Sydney by the Maunganui and the statement, was published that it probably would be put to death painlessly there. An animallover, however, wrote to Captain G. H. Morgan, commander of the vessel, asking him to take the dog back to New Zealand and enclosing a postal note for 5s to pay his fare. This kindly intervention resulted in the dog's life being spared, and when the Maunganui left Sydney for Auckland it is recorded that the dog was aboard. While the Maunganui was in Sydney the dog was kept a close prisoner on the ship, because his escape, it is stated, would have cost the shipping company £50.

"Dangerous" Traction Engine.

Under a regulation still on the Statute Book the traction engine remains a dangerous vehicle. This point was mentioned by Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the course of his address to the Faculty of Insurance, last night. "Some present tonight," said Mr. Luxford, "do not remember the days when our highways knew not the smell of petrol, the days when the only mechanical vehicle that passed along thtm was the traction engine, now regarded as the most innocuous vehicle of aU— until you happen to hit one. Yet we still have that amusing regulation on the Statute Book which makes the driver of a traction engine liable to a substantial penalty if the engine is not accompanied by at least two other men, one in front and one behind, to warn the riders and drivers of horses and vehicles of the proximity of the engine, ■ and to assist them past it in safety. I wonder how popular ( the look-out man would be who stopped the driver of a modern car and asked to be allowed to assist him nast?"

Calf's Jumping: Performance,

Much amusement was caused at the Westfield fat stock sales, Auckland, ori Wednesday by an unusually persistent display of jumpihg- by a small calf (states the "New Zealand Herald"). Shortly after it was penned with, other calves in a stall at one end of a race, it leaped over a rail twice its own height into the adjoining pen. This performance was repeated 11 timesj until the calf was that number of pens distant, from the one in which it was originally placed.

"Professor of Broadcasting."

A new title has been given to Professor J. Shelley, Director of Broadcasting, by the council of the Town Planning Institute of New Zealand (states the Christchurch "Star-Sun"). The minutes of the last meeting of : the council, which were received at a meeting of the Christchurch branch of the institute on Wednesday evening, record that the secretary "had waited on Professor Shelley, . Professor of Broadcasting," who had agreed, that a useful service: could be rendered to the community by well-selected talks on town planning.

Destruction of Keas,

• Keas have been more plentiful in the Ashburton River gorge this year than for some years, according to one runholder in that district, who has been killing the birds (states the "Press"). A recent search resulted in 36 keas being killed. There has this year been more activity in the destruction of keas in the Rangitata, Ashburton, and Rakaia River gorges than for many years. Since last November the Ashburton County Coimcil has paid 3s 6d each'for 210 beak's. ■'

Fire Calls.

The ' report ofr' the superintendent (Mr. C; A. Woolley) placed before the Wellington Fire Board today showed that a total of 69 calls was received last month for all stations. Of this number, 50 calls were to actual fires (19 property, 14 ' chimney, 17 gorse, grass, and rubbish); '■ Five of the 19j false alarms were classed as malicious. The total calls for the two months of the board's year to date stands at 160, of which 118 have, been to actual fires. Of the 42 false alarms to date, 17 have been-malicious. In the corresponding two months of .last year there were ip 7 calls, 71 of these calls being to actual fires and 18 being malicious false alarms. ..'■'.-

Farewelled with a Haka

A vigorous haka by a large group of Auckland University College students marked the departure of the Limited express for Wellington on Wednesday. night (states 'the "New Zealand Herald"). The students were farewelling the former registrar of the college, Mr. M. R. O'Shea, who was leaving for Wellington to take up the position of general secretary. to the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation. Evidence of Mr. O'Shea's popularity was given, by the size of the crowd and by the spontaneity of the haka and ensuing cheers. Besides the students several members, of the university staff were present. .

"Unsanding" the Sphinx.

Sand has been.removed over an area of two square miles at the foot of the Sphinx, and now tlie paws," thirty feet in height, arc to-be seen, according to Dr. B. W. Pearcy, wlio returned to Christchurch:on Wednesday after a ten months' trip abroad (states the "Star-Sun"). Dr.: Pearcy added that people who.had: visited Egypt some years ago would not recognise the Sphinx now, such was the amount of work that had been done. During the digging operations a temple had been revealed, and several new tombs had been discovered. Indeed, so. great was the total of the finds, that a new museum-was to be built in Cairo. One of the most interesting of the new tombs was that of the mother j of Cheops, which went in two hundred feet under the big pyramid. .