NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 11, 14 January 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

"Time, Gentlemen, Please!" Sydney hotels closed punctually at 6 o'clock on Thursday, January 2—the first night of the enforcement of 6 p.m. closing. City hotelkeepers considered that the change should be handled discreetly. "The law permits a man to buy a drink up to half a minute to 6 o'clock, and it is reasonable that he should be given time to drink it," one said. Another surprised and angered his customers by scrupulously observing the new direction. The bar had been cleaned and the barmaids had j gone when he closed his door as 6 o'clock struck. At another hotel, two naval ratings, determined not to be denied their beer, bought ten quart bottles a few minutes before closing time and sat down on the pavement outside the "pub." to drink it. Other sailors in the crowd which gathered to watch took them away in a taxi. Pines at Korokoro. The Forestry Department advised the Petone Borough Council last night that an inspection had been made of the borough's pine plantations at Korokoro and suggested the taking of measures for the prevention of fires and for the better control of the forest. These included fire notices and the provision of ploughed fire breaks. "A Proud Father." Passengers on an Auckland citybound car recently were treated to a little light entertainment when a male passenger arose to alight in Queen j Street, states the. Auckland "Star." A | large placard on his back bore the following inscription: "Kick me. I am a proud father." The notice had evidently been put on by one of the vie- • tims friends on the tram, and there was a general burst of laughter as the man walked off. He seemed surprised at the mirth, and, unaware of its origin, joined in the laugh. He was last seen walking down the street with the informative statement on his back. Yachtswomen. Several Auckland yachts have women in their crews; some of the boats are owned and sailed by women. But one of the most consistent sailors over a long period is, perhaps, Mrs. R. E. Fenton, of the Panmure Boating Club. Although she has passed her 60th year, Mrs. Fenton and her two daughters have sailed the 16ft yacht Tui for the past ten years with no mean triumph over all-male crews of other boats, especially in the narrow waters of the Tamaki River. Her success on Saturday in the first of three races for the memorial cup given to commemorate her late husband was a popular one among her fellow-club members.

Western Hutt Road Open. [ Though much has still to be done in the construction of the three miles of' the Western Hutt Road between the Normandale and Petone' railwaycrossings, traffic is permitted to run through. at drivers' own risks and sometimes inconvenience, for power navvies, lorries, and men are working at the hillside opposite the Lower [ Hutt railway station and on the Korokoro ramp, which will be almost double its present width when finished. That the Normandale-Petone crossing length will carry by far the greater part of through traffic is indicated by the number of cars that use it in its unfinished, and consequently dusty, and in parts still narrow, formation. The car traffic assists to some extent in consolidating the new road bed to the solid foundations necessary before a sealing coat can be put down. Auckland Yachts Capsize. Eleven yachtsmen were thrown into the'water when three yachts capsized in a strong south-westerly breeze off Achilles Point, Auckland harbour, on Sunday afternoon. Although all were in the water for periods of up to half an hour and two women were included in the number, none suffered any ill effects. The three yachts, which included the 12ft 6in Lila, sailed by Mrs. C. H. Rogers and Miss A. Stanton, and two 14ft boats, were taking part in the Kohimarama Yacht Club's race for the Shoebridge Shield. The 14-footers were Mr. P. Cleary's Malvina, with a crew of five men, and Mr. J. White's Taiting, with a crew of four. Although some of the yachtsmen were suffering from exhaustion when they were picked up, their recovery was quick. The president of the club, Mr. George Goodwin, of Tamaki Drive, rescued the crews and their yachts in his speedboat Miss Joy. J. P. Firth Scholarship. The first J. P. Firth Scholarship ofj £50, tenable for five years at any uni- ] versity college in New Zealand, has been awarded to Robert Hunt, son of Major F. L. Hunt, 47 Tan era Crescent, Brooklyn. The scholarship is open to pupils of Wellington College and is awarded for scholastic attainment, ability in sport, and general character. Fire Drill in Schools. The need for regular emergency fire drill in schools, particularly the efficient evacuation of children from the classrooms to .allotted points in the school grounds, was the subject of a recent Education Department circular to education, high school, and college boards. The Department recently asked secondary school boards and school committees to co-operate with emergency precautions organisations in making available school buildings as evacuation centres in an emergency, and consideration is now ,being given, according to the circular, to the protection of school children during school hours when under the charge of the teachers. Warning Shots. It is extraordinary (to the landlubber) how masters of small craft seem to ignore or overlook the rules in wartime. The trawler Cowan, out of Lyttelton, for instance, returned from the fishing grounds on Sunday morning and her master failed to observe a signal frc^i the fort to stop. "Bang!" went a gun and the shot passed a few yards from the trawler's bows, but she steamed on. "Bang" went another gun, and this time, it is said, the shot passed between the Cowan's foremast and funnel; then she stopped, and it is reported that the skipper was able to make a satisfactory explanation. The Cowan was allowed to proceed to port. She returned to the fishing I grounds early next day.