NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 120, 24 May 1939, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Bowling Record,

By being a member of the champion of champions team of the Wellington Bowling Centre during the past season, Mr. R. Cometti, of the Hataitai Bowling Club, has established the record of ten wins in competitions conducted by the centre. Last evening the executive committee of the centre considered recognising Mr. Cometti's record and it was agreed that he should be awarded a bar to the medal given by the centre when he won his first five championships. Another Hataitai player, Mr. P. McWhannell, also qualified, for the centre's gold medal during, the season. • Pliable Sticks Wanted. A lad was nearly spiked when a corner-post broke during the progress of a Rugby football match at Wakefield Park last Saturday, according to information received by the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union last night from the junior advisory committee. The latter committee recommended to the union that pliable sticks be supplied where possible, as it was thought that this might be cheaper in the long run than paying medical expenses to a player who might be injured by the use of the present sticks. The secretary of the union (Mr. A.' E. Neilson) was instructed to make inquiries. Accuracy in Bombing. Accurate bombing could not be guaranteed from any height because of the human element, said Wing-Com-mander G. S. Hodson, Officer Commanding the Wigram Air Training School, speaking to members of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, reports "The Press." It had been found, though, that bombing from 16,000 to 20,000 feet was sufficiently accurate to cause extensive damage, although there could be no certainty at such a height of hitting a particular object. He added, in reply to a question about the efficiency of the balloon barrage in London, that he understood the balloons rose to a height of about 20,000 feet. Big Eel Killed. An eel over 4ft 6in long, and 15in in girth, weighing just on 251b, was taken out of the Little Wainui on Saturday by a young man at a weekend camp there. It was speared, then secured to a line, and finally shot in the head before being got out of the water. . The Wainui-Iti is a small stream, but well known as a good angling one at the beginning of the season. The stretch of water in which the eel . was taken gave very poor sport to trout fishermen during the past season. It is probable that the eel was the cause. Though by no means a record in size, there is probably no trout too big in the Little Wainui for this eel to have billed and eaten. . ' Secretary's Majority. Many young men have joined bowling clubs during recent years, but the invasion of young men on the bowling green began many years ago, judging by the record of Mr. H. F. Clarke, of ,the Island Bay Bowling Club. Mr. Clarke is still a long way from qualifying as a veteran bowler, but the annual report of the Wellington Bowling Centre records that he has completed twenty-one years of continuous service as honorary secretary to his club. Mr. Clarke has also represented his club on the centre for a number ,of years. Petone Citizens' Band. An application for permission to play on the Petone Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoons was received by the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union, at its meeting last night, from the Petone Citizens' Band. The band, the application stated, was a newly-formed one and desirous of appearing before the public. No demand would be made on the public and the suggestion was that the band should march and play to the ground and play a tune at the interval during the football match. On the motion of the chairman (Mr. J. N. Millard) permission was granted. Attack by a Bull. Using a hay fork, Mrs. W. Bagshaw, jun., of Patumahoe, succeeded in rescuing her father-in-law, Mr. W. Bagshaw, sen., from a. Jersey bull which had knocked him over and was goring him on his farm at Patumahoe, states a Pukekohe correspondent. The bull had a chain from its head through a ring in its nose, trailing on the ground, but this became caught in a fence about 100 yds from the1 farmhouse. Mr. Bagshaw went over and released the animal. He was leading it through a gate into another paddock when it suddenly charged him and* knocked him down. It then started to gore him, one of its horns piercing his arm. Mr. Bagshaw shouted for help and Mrs. Bagshaw, who was in the house, ran out. She seized the fork from a shed and, rushing towards the infuriated animal with it, attracted its attention just long enough for Mr. Bagshaw to get up and make his escape. Mrs. Bagshaw's intervention probably saved his life. His injuries necessitated medical attention.

j That "White Paper." | The extent to which radio broadcasting has disseminated a sprinkling of knowledge about overseas affairs was shown to one Wellington householder this week when his daughter, aged ! eight, asked: "Why are the Jews tearing up white paper in Palestine?' The small girl's father is still wondering if his explanation was fully understood. Soil Erosion. "It took more notice of our representation* than it usually does in such things," remarked Professor W. P. Evans, president of the Royal Society of New Zealand, when the council of that body, at yesterday's meeting, was considering the action of the Government in regard to soil erosion., Dr. H. H. Allan outlined the work of the committee which the Government had set up in September last. The country had been divided up into major topographical units and erosion problems had been discussed. Further and more detailed reports had then been discussed and a draft report, at present confidential, prepared. National Parks. A plea was made at yesterday's meeitng of the council of the Royal Society of New Zealand that a greater interest should be taken in the administration of the National. Parks. The subject arose when a brief report on what had been done at the Arthur's Pass National Park was read. The Department was congratulated on the steps it had taken to control the deer menace and on its planting programme, but it was suggested that the Royal Society itself might take a more active interest. Danube is Not Blue! Speaking to Dr. Georg Gruber, conductor of the Vienna Mozart Boys' Choir, at a civic reception in Christchurch, the Town Clerk CMr. J. S. Neville) said that when he visited Austria he was disappointed to find the Danube to be yellow, reports "The Press." Explaining, Dr. Gruber said that the river was . really , grey in colour, its beauty making one think that its colour was blue. He said that the piece of music "The Blue Danube" was originally written by Johann Ptrauss for some friends, a male voice choir, and sung to a piano accompaniment. When the music was adapted for orchestral use and the title translated, the word "blue" was interpreted into the translation. Dr. Gruber said that he had never seen the river blue. , ! Diphtheria Campaign. The response of parents to the Health Department's request that their chil- '■ dren should be immunised against diphtheria is very gratifying to the authorities, Dr. B. Wyn Irwin, medical officer of health, stated yesterday. Since the campaign opened on February 22,! until the end of the first term, the pupils of eight schools in Wellington and the Hutt .Valley had received treatment, said Dr. Irwin. A total of 1757 children had received testing and treatment, though in some cases the treatment was not yet complete, as the three injections of anatoxin was spread over seven weeks. Work was still continuing in the Newtown School and a start would be made on the children in St. Thomas's Kindergarten and the pre-school children in the Newtown area. The treatment was being given this week in the Trentham and Silverstream schools. The nex-t Wellington schools to be visited would be St. Patrick's Convent and St. Catherine's Convent, Kilbirnie, then probably Clyde Quay. The Department was grateful for the assistance given byprivate practitioners, added Dr. Irwin. Considerably more than 100 children,many'in the Hutt Valley, had received the treatment from their own doctors.