NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 3, 3 July 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Land for Patriotic Fund,

The secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board, Mr. G. A. Hayden, announced yesterday afternoon that a lady, who desired to remain anonymous, had given a section of freehold land at Karori in aid of the National Fund. Mr. Hayden said that the land would be disposed of, but the manner in which this would be done would be announced later.

History of Rugby Union.

Mr. A. F. Wiren, of Wellington, has completed a history of the Wellington Rugby Union, it was announced at the meeting of the management committee of the union last night. He has undertaken many years of painstaking research in the General Assembly and other libraries, and has searched newspaper files for as far back as 70 years. It was resolved to publish the work when finances permitted.

Wang-anui Centennial.

After paying all expenses, the Wanganui and district Centennial celebrations, held in March, showed a surplus of £464 3s 3d, writes "The Post's" representative. After making donations to the five bands which materially assisted, and to the organiser, the balance will be handed to the Wanganui City Council to be used' for the Winter Garden' scheme, which is that city's Centennial memorial.

Spirits in the Front Seats,

Observing how members of the Wellington Missionary Association conformed with church custom by sitting as far back as possible at the annual meeting of the association last night, the newly-elected president, the Rev. D. B. Forde-Carlisle, said that for a number of years he had frequently admonished his congregation at Berhampore for this. "I dislike speaking over a timber yard," he said, "but I was told by irregular churchgoers that though absent in body they were present in spirit." Having this in mind he had told his Berhampore congregation that perhaps these spirits used the front seats. "Don't sit on the front seats or you might sit on a spirit," he said.

The White Heron,

The white heron at the Botanic Gardens, Christchurch, has been a muchphotographed bird this season, according to the director of the gardens (Mr. J. A. McPherson). Scores of photographs have been taken each week lately, and considerable interest has been shown in the bird's habits. The heron, which has become more tame and which seems to have no objection to people approaching within a few yards, now spends some of its time on the Avon, near the gardens, and apparently feeds from the river, though not on trout. Mr. McPherson stated to a "Press" reporter that the heron had been noticed lately catching goldfish in the garden ponds and letting them drop back again. It had, he said, established itself on the Avon in the face of opposition from seagulls, which fairly regularly fed on less sprightly trout in the river.

Rail Service to- East Coast.

Representations made to the Railway Department by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce with a view to the inauguration of a night rail-car service between Hawke's Bay and Wellington have not been successful because a rail-car cannot be provided out of the available stock and also because no importations of rail-cars are possible at the present time. The Railways District Traffic Manager (Mr. A. F. Parkes) stated at a meeting of the council of the chamber last evening that a steam service for the night run had been investigated, but the expenditure would be out of all proportion to the revenue possibilities. The Department was considering putting on a night train between Gisborne and Wellington, to consist of ordinary cars and sleepers, when the line was completed to Gisborne. When that would be depended upon war circumstances.

Sleeping Car Berths.

An outline of a new system of allocating berths in sleeping cars on express trains which it is proposed to introduce shortly was given by the Railways District Traffic Manager (Mr. A. F. Parkes) at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night. There had been a good deal of misunderstanding and complaint about 'late-comers securing better berths than those who arrived earlier, said Mr. Parkes. Under the new system a note would be taken at the time application was made for a sleeper and tickets would be issued. Then, about noon in the case of the 3 i o'clock express and about 4 o'clock in the case of the Limited express, berths | would be allotted in strict order of the applications. For instance, the first two who applied would be placed in the middle of the No. 1 car, the next two in the middle of the No. 2 car, and the next two again in the middle of the No. 3 car. The same principle would be adopted in allotting the rest of the berths, so that those who applied early would be given the best berths