NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 40, 16 August 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

White Butterflies,

"The white butterfly has put in an early appearance this year" (writes M. Hyland). "I caught two in my garden on Monday, 9th. I have seen more since then. It would be advisable to warn gardeners to try and kill these pests when they see them in their gardens." Useful Cow Covers. Cow covers can be put to many more uses than merely protecting cattle from the weather. At football matches, for example, the humble cow' cover can be a boon. A number of the country visitors to Wellington for the Rugby Test on Saturday brought these covers with them and not only they, but others near them with whom they had shared this form of protection from the weather, found the covers very handy whenever there was a shower of rain. Trouble for Nothing. ' Several passengers who brought citrus fruit from Australia by the Awatea this morning in ignorance of the restrictions on imports were soon made aware of the position when it came to declaring their possessions to Customs officers. Amongst those who thus learned something not to their advantage was an Asiatic, who took matters more philosophically than the others, one or two of whom appeared to be rather annoyed at having brought the fruit across the Tasman for nothing. The officials were courteous but adamant, and the passengers concerned evidently decided that there was nothing much that could be done about it, and left the fruit in the shed. Four Tests in One Day. A remarkable record was put up by New Zealand on Saturday—one that has probably never been equalled by any other country. Representatives of the Dominion on that day were engaged in playing no fewer than four Test matches. There was the Test match in Wellington against the South African Rugby football players, and there was +hn Test match in England between the Dominion's cricketers and those of the Old Country. In Auckland New Zealand and Australia played a Rugby League Test, and in Australia the same two countries were engaged in a hockey Test . match. Three of these Tests saw the Dominion victorious: in the fourth, the cricket Test, a result has not yet been reached, but New Zealand won the toss for a change, which may be half the battle. Four Test matches in one day, especially when the relative size of the Dominion is considered, is a record which will take a lot of beating. Treasured Trophy. One of the nippiest pieces of handling of the ball at the Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon occurred immediately after the final whistle. A Test match ball is always a coveted trophy, and one of the players .apparently had well-laid plans to acquire one used in the first Test as a trophy. Immediately the final whistle went, a young lady armed with a rug ran out from ,the side-line. The player, ball under arm, moved hurriedly in the direction of the young lady. As they passed there appeared to be a little sleight of hand. The player ran on minus the ball, and the young lany passed unconcernedly on, with a new bulge under her rug. The corner posts and flags also disappeared within seconds of the final whistle, and the sideline flags hardly survived the whistle. Another much-treasured trophy was a torn pair of shorts removed during the match. Good Lambing Season. With the lambing season now well advanced in the Auckland Province, sheep farmers in most districts report a particularly successful year (says the "New Zealand Herald"). Losses were fairly heavy in early lambs, but more recent arrivals have thrived under temperate conditions, which have also greatly assisted the ewes. An outstanding feature in most areas is that the lambs are better conditioned and much more active than those born under more rigorous conditions a year ago. Very early lambs do not now hold the attraction for breeders that was once the case. In recent years there has been a definite trend towards later lambing, with, more satisfactory results. This fact is amply exemplified in the present season, and it is generally agreed that the later lamb is always a better type in every respect., Crafts of the Maori. Any suggestion that the ancient crafts of the Maori are dying out is at once dispelled by an inspection of the elaborate new house being constructed for King Koroki at the Ngaruawahia Maori settlement (says a Hamilton correspondent). Combining pakeha architectural principles with all that is best in the building methods of the Maori, the home is now nearing completion and the date for the official opening has been definitely fixed for March 18, 1938. It has been decided to name the. house Turongo, after a Waikato chieftain, who was the husband of an East Coast chief tainess, Mahinarangi, after whom the handsome meeting house adjoining has already been named. Turongo and Mahinarangi were ancestors of Princess Te Puea and the Maori royal family. The Chewing Gum Habit. Chewing gum may be an aid to footballers, and may also be invaluable in helping to keep the "pecker up" when there is some long waiting in a crowd to be dbne, as there was at At^efere Park on Saturday, but it definitely has the very opposite effect when, after having been well chewed, it is thrown about indiscriminately and others happen to sit on it. This happened in at least one case at Athletic Park on Saturday, and a pretty good mess was made of a pair of trousers and the lining of an overcoat. Anyone who has wrestled with the job of removing chewing gum from clothes after it has been sat on for an hour or two knows full well that it is not an easy task. ' Although there may be, other equally effective remedies, it was found in this case that mineral turpentine applied with a clean cloth worked wonders in quick time. So pleased with the result was the person who removed the gum from his clothing in this way, that he passed the-hint on today. He still believes, however, that if people must chew gum in a crowd they should keep it in the mouth. A Triple Contest. A suggestion that a New Zealand League football team should visit Australia next season to take part in a triangular contest between the; two countries and France has been made by Mr. H. Sunderland, one of the managers of the Australian League team at present in Auckland, reports the "New Zealand Herald". He said he had not been sent from Australia to make any'promises, but he and his comanager, Mr. K. E. Savage, could be sympathetic. Mr. Sunderland added that he had made such a proposal for last year, but it had been rejected by the Australian Board of Control. However, after the return of the present team from its tour, both he and Mr. Savage ; would use their utmost endeavours to have the programme fulfilled during 1938. "I have worked out the cost of a New Zealand team's tour of Australia to within ten pounds, and I am quite satisfied that the players would go on terms which would guard against their having to swim back over the Tasman. In fact, I am so sanguine of the result of a New Zealand team's tour that I am willing-to personally guarantee £500 towards the cost,"

Duty of the Pedestrian. "When a pedestrian sets out to cross a wide road it is not sufficient to look around just before stepping off a kerb and then walk across, without giving any more attention to his or her movements," declared the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North, reports an exchange. "If that were permitted, then all I can say is that it would be an unfortunate state of affairs. The pedestrian has a duty to look after himself. He is also entitled to have others regardful of his rights, but he does not own the highway any more than, the motorist. Each has a duty to the other." Tourist Bureaux Praised. Tributes were paid to the work of the New Zealand Government tourist bureaux in Australia by Mr. W. G. V. Fernie on tiis return to Christchurch, reports the "Star-Sun." Mr. Fernie said that the bureaux in both Sydney and Melbourne were doing a fine job in selling the idea of New Zealand tours to Australians. The new Melbourne office was now almost completed, and would certainly be a credit to the Department. Steamers Being Scrapped. For many years connected with the former, thriving Onehunga-New Plymouth passenger trade the well-known coastal steamers Rarawa and Ngapuhi are now being dismantled in the stream at Auckland, says an exchange. A decision to scrap both ships was announced at the end of May, and + since then many parts have been taken ashore. The bell of \the Rarawa has been sent to the New Plymouth Borough Council and the whistle of the Ngapuhi has been purchased by an engineering company. Numbers of requests have been received for souvenirs of the ships by former passengers. Curiosity Stops Traffic. Quite a serious traffic blockage took place at the Petone end of .the; Hurt Road early yesterday morning. -The reason for the hold-up was nothing other than curiosity. A horse-float driven by R. J. Brown, of Palmerston North, was involved in a collision with a motor-car driven by R. H. Miles, also of Palmerston North. No one was injured, but the drivers of some 5U cars pulled up to investigate and offer help. The traffic block was only a temporary one, but the number of cars on the road caused quite a delay before the traffic streams got moving again. Rugby Thrills at Sea. Radio enabled the passengers on the Awatea, which arrived today from Sydney, to follow the progress of the first Rugby Test match between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday, and though they were well out in the Tasman, they shared in the thrills ot the crowd at Athletic Park. The broadcast was naturally of especial interest to the New Zealanders on board, but there were also many Australians who had seen the Springboks play in the Commonwealth and who were anxious to hear how the tourists fared against the All Blacks. AH Is Well. , The international situation has eased- New Zealand won the first Rugby Test. The previous weekend a gloom overhung the province. Old friends passing in the street did not speak, mindful of each other's sorrows, and it was strangely silent in the cow bails from Wanganul south. Last weekend strangers hailed each other actKs Post Office Square, and Daisy and Strawberry had to look round reproachfully during unwarrantably long spates of frantic jubilation while the froth sank in the pail. The sun was-still shining this morning. It had ■better.' v <v: ■.■-.,,' Teleprinter Success. ' The Telegraph Department's teleprinter service fronv Athletic Park on. Saturday again resulted -in highly efficient transmission of Press messages throughout the Dominion and overseas. In consequence of the success of the experiment the Department has decided to install teleprinters (if accommodation can be obtained, for them) at Christchurch, Dunedin, and Auckland for the matches against Canterbury, New Zealand (second Test), Otago, and New Zealand (third Test). A message boy service will be utilised in other centres, where the traffic will be less congested and where the grounds are nearer to the telegraph offices. The total number of words handled at Athletic Park on Saturday was 8160, of which 4373 words were sent to overseas addresses. About 2300 words were lodged before half-time. Altogether 114 messages were sent, to 218 addresses. ' Waste of School Milk Ration. Although the yiew is generally held that the free milk distribution is responsible for marked benefits to the health of school children, there are de- ■ finite indications that the scheme, as it is being operated at present, is marred by considerable waste (says the "New Zealand Herald"). This arises , from the fact that many of the reci- ■ pients, particularly the younger children, are not capable'of drinking a full • half-pint bottle of milk, the only size • which is provided at the schools. Head- [ masters who were approached on the i subject agreed that the waste due to unconsumed milk was fairly extensive. "The scheme, of course, is purely voluntary," one headmaster said. ■ "The children are not forced to take the milk and those who do take it are not forced to drink a full bottle. Any ■ suggestion of compulsion would proi bably undermine the- benefits." An- ! other headmaster said that half a pint 1 of milk was-obviously too much for i children in the primer classes, some of • whom could not possibly drink such ; a quantity without physical distress. A i request had been made to those in i charge, to supply at least part of the ! milk to the various schools in smaller i bottles, but nothing had been done. ! Gold. Rush Anniversary. I Sixty-five years ago today two . bronzed and bearded men walked into . the Treasury office at Dunedin. and . dropped on the counter bags contain- ' ing 1392 ounces of alluvial gold. They | refused to state where the gold had come from. The provincial authorities offered them the reward of £2000 ' previously offered to anybody who should find a new goldfield, the conditions being that the men returned to the new" fields ito point out their discovery and that 16,000. ounces of gold were produced within three months. The next day, August 17, Dunedin was 1 at fever heat; the Molyneux Rivei\ in - the gorge between Dunstan and the i Kawarau Junction, was named as the > source of the gold, and that day long ; trains of men, horses, and vehicles set ■ out on the great gold rush of August, l 1862. The two diggers who had : "struck it rich" were Hartley and ; Reilly, both of whom had been in the ) Californian rush. They led the Otago - invasion into a wild and picturesque ; gorge where, with great cliffs reachl ing down from snow-capped), summits ; 5000 feet above, and where bluffs jutr ting into the river made progress - almost impossible. So deep was the t gorge that when the advance guard . reached the spot they-found that the - winter sun hardly penetrated to the - bottom of the gorge. More than 10,000 t men took part in the rush. In a drama r tic scene at the spot where the gold I was first discovered, the hungry and 3 tired men, unable to find good pro--1 spects, threatened to lynch Hartley and t Reilly, but when Hartley waded waist- ) deep into the river and filled his dish - with gleaming-spoil a desperate rush ) to stake claims followed. Before the i end of the year 70,000 ounces of gold had been taken from the area.