NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 55, 2 September 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Island Bay Seawall.

The completion of the seawall at Island Bay was apparently assured, said the chairman (Mr. B. O'Brien) at the meeting of the Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association last night, .but there was a doiibt whether the standards and lights ordered for the wall would now be puHn. It was decided to take up this matter with the City Engineer.

The "One-Man" Farm.

."The day of the 'one-man' farm'has dawned, and every increase in wages must inevitably result in an attempt by land owners to reduce their hold' ings to a size that can be economically worked without hired assistance," stated Mr. C. K. Grierson -at, the recent annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors; "In certain districts," he said, "notwithstanding ;the uncertainty which existp.onaQcount of the rehabilitation Acts, a considerable amount of closer sub-divi-sion of farming areas had taken place. As conditions;became more stable, this movement would continue to expand, particularly .when landholders realised the futility of expecting a sudden drop in the cost of farm labour."

Importance of Maps.

"Your council feels that insufficient importance is placed by the public on the value of up-to-date record maps," remarked Mr. C. K. Grierson in the annual report which was presented to the recent meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors. "A tremendous wealth of data has been collected by various departments, but it remains unrelated. Modern maps are the essential pre-requisite for correlating such data. However, this work demands an increased monetary grant to the Lands Department in order that staff might be engaged and trained in this essential service. It is difficult to persuade the average man that maps, rural and standard surveys, are anything but luxuries, but a modern system of mapping would save the community, through its various departments, a vast amount of money, and •this fact must be constantly emphasised."

Eggs by Air Mail.

Pigs might fly, so the saying goes, but apparently eggs cannot fly without becoming addled. The "New Zealand Journal of Agriculture" records how, in order to test out the method of transport by air for eggs, the Department arranged with the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London to forward by air mail a box containing fifteen good White Leghorn eggs. The eggs arrived in Wellington three weeks after they were sent and were at once taken to the Department's poultry station at Wallaceville. A hen was entrusted with the task of hatching eight of the eggs, and an incubator with the seven others. But at the end of fourteen days' arduous sitting on the part of the hen and incubating on the part of the incubator, there were sure indications that none of the eggs would hatch. "The experiment," states the journal, "although interesting, would indicate that it is not possible at present to get results from hatching eggs when sent so far by air mail."

Colonial Service. An unusual method of going to England to enter the Colonial Service has been chosen by Mr. W, M. Milliken, of Auckland, whose appointment to this-specialised branch of Imperial service was atinounced^last week, states the "New Zealand Herald. . Instead of taking a berth on one. of the recognised passenger liners, he has decided to work his passage Homeland today he leaves on the Blue Star Line motor-ship Empire Star as a cadet. Mr Milliken has to undergo a special course of training at either Oxford or Cambridge University for a year before he is posted to his new duties in Nigeria

Armaments in Your Pocket

When speaking about metals used for coinage purposes at the last meeting of the New Zealand Numismatic Society, Mr. C.W. Brandt mentioned the use of nickel. This, metal, he said, was in great demand because of the usefulness of its alloys for shell caps and armament steels It had been alleged that certain countries where nickel was not plentiful had adopted this metal for coinage purposes as being a readily accessible source of metal for emergency armament purposes Japan had denied that this was the reason for her change to. a nickel coinage, but it had been freely Stated that owing to the use of niokel coinage in Germany the people there were actually carrying in their pockets and handbags some 3000 tons of essential war material. Mr. Brandt also suggested that , coins in the future might- possibly be coloured, great progress havipg been made iji the manufacture of coloured alloys.

Cricket and Sport Council.

The annual report of the Wellington Cricket Association states that in common with other bodies controlling sport, the W.C.A. committee was invited to send representatives to hear the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs outline his proposals for the formation of a National Council of Sport. The committee availed itself of the opportunity to send in to the Department of Internal Affairs suggestions for the consideration of the proposed council.

National Anthem at Test Match. "Did not the crowd at the Test match against the British team in 1930, join in with the band in the National Anthem?" asked Mr. A. I. Cottrell at the meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union, when arrangements for Saturday's Test match were being discussed, reports the "Press:" "My recollection is that it sounded very fine," Mr. Cottrell added. " "Perhaps something could be done about it again on Saturday." It was decided to incorporate in the oificial programme a request to the public to join in the singing.

Art in Dominions,

The success of the recent Dominions' art exhibition held in London was mentioned by Dr. E. B. Gunson, of Auckland, when he returned on Tuesday from a seven . months' visit to Great Britain, states the "New Zealand Herald." As representative of tne Association of Art Societies of New Zealand, Dr. Gunson hung the New Zealand section of the exhibition prior to its opening on May 1 , The exhibition included sections from Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and New Zealand, T)r Gunson stated, ana it had been very successful for a ! month In general it was very well received and, as the first exhibition of Dominion art, it marked a milestone in co-operation -among .Empire, art units In response to requests, the collection was now being circulated among several well-known English galleries Dr Gun Son also attended the annual meeting of the Empire Art Loans Collection Society

The King and Table Tennis. Immediately after lunch; six afternoons a week, the brisk tap-tap of a ping-pong ball is heard in the heart of Buckingham Palace. One of the players is his Majesty the King and his opponent is usually one of his personal secretaries or an equerry. The King who used to play table tennis years ago, has taken up the pajstime agair and is now becoming one of its keenest devotees. The-sets played are no "pat-ball" affairs for the King has a quick eye and delights in getting the utmost out of each game. He has perfected a special shot of his own which, played with out-of-the-ordinary judgment, is declared by those who have opposed him to be unplayable. He does not always win, but most of the games are fought to a close finish.

Rocks Fall on Car.

With one wheel forced over the edge of a twenty-foot drop to the river alongside the Mangapoike Road, a,car was struck by several falling stones, weighing between two and three hundredweight, and damaged to the extent of £30 before it could be moved (states a Gisborne correspondent). No one was injured. A Mangapoike resident was driving home.with her children when the wheel went over the edge of the road, as she was endeavouring to avoid a number c^f stones which had fallen from the rock face on the other side: Unable to move the.car, the driver sent one of her Children four miles to Faparatu Station for assistance, while she remained with the younger children. Further falls of rock, which dropped straight on to the road,; some hitting the car, caused her to vacate: the car for 'a safer, although wet, location on the roadside. When her husband arrived with a, truck and a roadman, the car was extricated. The face at this point has always been a source of danger, the rock formation hanging out over the road. ■ ;

New Wharf for Auckland,

To compensate for the lpss'of berthage for small trading vessels when the eastern berth of Central Wharf is completed and equipped for the handling of large vessels, the. Auckland-Harbour Board decided recently to build a small wharf running out from the viaduct west of Prince's Wharf (states the "New Zealand Herald"), A sum of £44,000 was set aside in the estimates for the work. .An order has now been placed for the steel for the piling, and plans are to be prepared in the ■ near future. The new wharf, which will be equipped with sheds and a portable crane or cranes s will provide excellent berthage and facilities for a large number of small craft trading to Auckland. A railway siding will be laid on the northern side of the viaduct adjacent to the wharf, and good berthago will be available to any of those vessels requiring rail access.