NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 21, 25 January 1940, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Memorial to Wharepouri. A decision to proceed with the erection of a small memorial to the Chief Wharepouri was made at the meeting of the Wellington Provincial Council of the New Zealand Centennial organisation yesterday afternoon. The memorial, which is to be placed on one of the islands at the foot of the Ngahauranga Gorge Road, will be a bronze tablet on a concrete base, with a reproduction in relief of Wharepouri's canoe, and a, suitable inscription. • ' ' , Remarkable Chest Expansion. With a chest expansion of nine inches an Auckland recruit for the Expeditionary Force being medically examined on Tuesday created a record which has -been striven for with keen rivalry by men who have states the "New. Zealand Herald." A local doctor's record of seven inches had been bettered by half an inch only a few hours previously. The recruit, who is a storeman, weighs only lOst 81b, and stated that apart from a little boxing he had never undergone strenuous physical training. Collection of Sea Shells. Specimens of sea shells collected by an American expedition in Central and South American countries have been received on exchange by the Auckland War Memorial Museum from the leader, Mr. W. J. Eyerdam, of Seattle, states the "New Zealand Herald." In the course of its wanderings the expedition travelled from Central America to the Straits of Magellan, covering 25,000 miles. The collection comprises much material new to the museum, and it is regarded as having a high scientific value. One important aspect already established is that previously it had been wrongly assumed that-certain species of shellfish in South America and New Zealand were identical. Important differences are disclosed by even a cursory glance. To Aid Prisoners in Germany. The vicar of Cambridge, Waikato, the Rev. C. W. Chandler, who in November offered to-" assist in ministering to the spiritual needs of British prisoners in German internment camp's, has received a reply from the Bishop of Fulham, who made • the appeal for volunteers for the work. "I am most obliged to you for your letter of November 22, and your offer of service," stated the Bishop. "The emergency has not yet arisen, but I am getting ready for it. I have noted your name, and will send you particulars in due course, but this may not be for some time, as negotiations with an enemy Government are necessarily very slow. In the meantime let me assure you we appreciate your patriotic offer." Gum-tree Scale. Most eucalyptus trees in North Taranaki are affected to a greater or. less degree by attacks of "gum-tree scale," a pest which, if unchecked, will sooner or later destroy the affected branch and eventually the whole tree. In scientific phraseology the trouble goes by the name of erococcus coriaceous and in appearance it is reddish black in colour, about l-Bin in diameter, and the shape is like that of a small sweetpea. seed cut in half. The flattened side is attached to the bark of the tree and the "scale" maintains life by sucking the sap from the bark. When crushed it exudes a dark red liquid. The antidote for the trouble comes in the form of a small ladybird—rhizobius ventralis—and if this ladybird is given a fair opportunity to combat the ravages of scale it can be 100 per cent, successful. The right time to liberate the ladybirds who do this particular job is now, and the Department of Agriculture has transported a large number of ladybirds to New Plymouth and is having them distributed free of cost to farmers and gardeners who have gum trees affected by scale. The Starlings Were Right. Yesterday evening when drizzling rain was falling and the clouds on the hills seemed to presage the possibility of more rain, two Lower Hutt residents who were tending their gardens started an exchange of opinions about the weather. One was just as emphatic that rain was coming as was the other that it was not. "There is an infallible way you can tell," said one of them. "Just watch the starlings: if they fly low it means ■ rain; if high, fine weather." Hundreds of starlings fly down the Hutt Valley every evening towards sundown on their way to their nightly roosting■-places, and it was not long before a large flock of these birds was.seen. They were flying high, so the fine weather prophet was elated. But within a minute or so another equally large flock came flying overhead—this time quite low down, and it was the turn of the rivaj prophet to crow. But hardly had 1/ie argument been resumed when a still larger flock of starlings came swish/ng overhead— this time neither particularly high nor low, at just a mediur/i height. "What do you make of that, George?" was asked of the one who* had previously suggested the appeal to the starlings. George said he did not know and referred the question to a "Post" representative who was also tending his garden. The latter's answer was that ultimately no doubt the starlings would be proved to be right, but which flock he carefully did not specify. And right they wer»

Language Study for Troops. Dr. A. C. Keys, lecturer in modern languages at Victoria University College, has offered to assist officers and men engaged in intelligence work with the forces to renew their contact with French^ German, and Italian; Notification to this effect appears in Trenthant Mobilisation Camp routine orders, and units are asked to hand in names of those who desire to take advantage of the offer. Australia Day Tomorrow. Tomorrow, January 26, is Australia Day, on which the Commonwealth will celebrate the 152 nd anniversary of the founding of the first British settlement in Australia, by Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N., at Sydney Cove, in 1878. For years the holiday was, known as Foundation Day, for a time as A.N.A. (Australian Natives' Association) Day, then the acceptance of Anniversary Day became fairly general throughout the Commonwealth. A few years ago the definite title Australia Day was proclaimed. Bull in Boot Shop. Slighting reference is often made to the awkwardness of a bull in a china shop but that figurative animal cpuld not have caused more surprise than did the Jersey bull which entered a boot shop in Tuatapere-^by way of the window, says a Southland correspondent The bull was wandering along the main street when it saw its reflection in the window. A bellowing challenge was issued and immediately accepted. ; "The bull charged its shadowy opponent and hurtled into the shop amidst a shower of falling glass. The bull was quickly chased ,back into, the street. Petrol Consumption. Some enlightening figures relating to the recent consumption of petrol in New Zealand were revealed by the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) when announcing details of the petrol restrictions last night. "During December I made an appeal to all owners of motor vehicles to endeavour to reduce their consumption so that there would be an over-all reduction of 30 per cent, in the consumption for the whole country," said Mr. Sullivan. "This means that the average monthly consumption should be not more than just over 6,000,000 gallons. Recent figures, however, show that the consumption for December accounted for just over 9,000,000 gallons, and for January, so far, has been at the rate of just over 2,250,000. gallons a week. This shows that rationing, with all its drawbacks, is really essential if we are to make a serious attempt to reduce our petrol consumption." War Steps In. The New Zealand Public Relations | Council, which was formed about ayear ago by representatives of the various Dominion produce boards under the chairmanship of the High Commissioner to make New Zealand better known in Britain, is ceasing its work in view of the war, states "The Post's" London correspondent. Mr. Gilbert Macalister, the manager, has taken up an appointment as public relations officer of the Federal Union, an organisation which is propagating the idea of a federation of the democracies as a prelude to world federation. Up to the outbreak of war the council had done much valuable work. It was responsible for arranging notable .broadcasts about New Zealand arid it built up a publicity service' to the British provincial Press. It also organised a campaign whereby some 4,000,000 school children in the United Kingdom received 12 weekly lessons on New Zealand.