NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Moderate southerly winds prevailing. Weather cloudy to overcast and cold, with some occasional rain.

The further outlook Is for rather unsettled and cold weather. Temperature at 9 a.m., 47 degrees. Full Moon.—June 7. High Water.—Today, 12.6 p.m.; tomorrow 12.22 a.m., 12.48 p.m. Sun sets today 5.1 p.m.; rises to.morrow 7.36 a.m., sets 5.1 p.m.

U.S. Memorial Day. Homage was paid at Auckland yesterday, states a Press Association message, to the American war dead who are buried at Waikumete Cemetery. It was the first United States Memorial Day ceremony to be held in Auckland. Service and civilian representatives gathered for a brief and simple but effective service, which was held in the open air by the graves of the Americans of the various forces who have died in the Auckland area as the result of wounds, sickness, or accident. The Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, attended the service at Waikumete. Spots on the Suit. After having been apparently free from spots since April 8, the sun has now developed a very slight rash. Three minute spots were located yesterday near the central meridian, these being observed by Mr. G. V. Hudson, Karori, who keeps the sun under constant observation for spots. Whether these sports are the herald of renewed solar activity after a period of minimum activity remains to be seen There were some people who suggested that the recent period of very bad radio reception was due to sunspots, but this was not the case, as at that time there were no spots at all. Power and Broadcasting-. The interprovincial conference of the Farmers' Union, held yesterday at Palmerston North, was of the opinion that broadcasting should be curtailed still further in order to save electric power and so avoid the cutting t off of water heaters on dairy farms, states "The Post's" correspondent. One delegate thought two hours a day quite sufficient for the dissemination of news and other urgent matter. The conference also adopted a recommendation that the broadcasting stations be reduced during the power shortage to one in each of the four main centres. That would also save man-power, it was stated. Waste into Profit. "One of the Internal Marketing Division's three new dehydration factories is already in operation and the second will start working within a few days," said the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing (Mr. Roberts) last evening. The disposal of the waste products at the plants had presented a major problem, he said, but preparations were well advanced for turning the peelings and strippings into organic manure. The system would probably be extended also to the major packing sheds where vegetables were trimmed and prepared for export to the Pacific. The plant required was not complicated, and, quite apart from the sale the product was expected to have among gardeners, it would eventually .pay for itself by reducing cartage and other expenses. New Zealand Dialect. The dialect of the New Zealanders, because of slipshod pronunciation of consonants and avoidance of vowels, was practically inaudible from the stage, said Miss Ngaio Marsh, the novelist, in an address to the New Education Fellowship at Christchurch, reports the "Christchurch Star Sun." The drama, said Miss Marsh, was very much the Cinderella of the arts in New Zealand despite the thousands spent each year on competitions, the cultural value of which was dubious. Then tens of thousands of pounds were spent on the cinema, which had no cultural value at all, as important foreign films were rarely, if ever, shown in the Dominion. With drama there were a few people contributing either a guinea or half a guinea to assist groups for which the term repertory was often a courtesy title. Acting was a craft, said Miss Marsh, and she believed that the standard attained could not very well be exceeded without additional professional help. New Zealand was so very far from the centres that, if the people were not careful, they would grow into another lot of Pitcairn Islanders. South African Anniversary. Today is the 42nd anniversary of the signing of peace between Britain and the Boers. The following message of greeting has been issued to all South African veterans in the Dominion by Mr. E. Hogg, Dominion president of the South African.War Veterans' Association of New Zealand: "Most of us have reached the three score years and ten, yet the spirit of the past days remains unimpaired. Ours was the pioneer force to leave the Dominion at the call of Empire. Today our sons are serving in many distant fighting areas, upholding the high honour of New Zealand troops. It is with the greatest appreciation I recall that our foes of long ago are now our brave Allies, and together we stand in this great conflict for democracy. That grand leader of the South African Union, Field-Marshal Smuts, is proving a tower of strength to the Empire's cause. Should it be possible for him to pay a visit to this Dominion he can be assured of a warm welcome from our association." Soap or Groceries? Whether facial foundation creams and lotions and other cosmetic preparations have a greater affinity to soap than they have to groceries, was a question discussed with some humorous asides in the Arbitration Court yesterday, when Colgate, Palmolive, Ltd., through Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, sought to have their name struck out as a party to the grocers' sundries award. Mr. Glover opposed the application. Mr. Mountjoy called evidence to show that the males in the firm's factory at Petone were under the soap workers' award, while the females were under the grocers' sundries award, yet all were' engaged in the same woifk. Out of the firm's 150 employees 71 were eligible for one or other of these two awards, and it was desired to have uniformity, with all employees covered by the soap makers' award, which would give the employees at present under the grocers' sundries award slightly higher wages. After hearing argument, the Court reserved its decision, as it did also in a similar application by the Vacuum Oil Company, where manufacture of insecticides brought employees under the grocers' sundries award. This award Mr. Mountjoy characterised as rubbish, there being no such separate industry in reality. He contended that the oil stores employees' award should cover these workers. Fight Between Hawks. "Last week I witnessed two battles between two bush hawks and the ordinary harrier," writes a correspondent of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. "The fights took place over the Haast Valley and provided a thrilling spectacle. The method of attack adopted by the falcons was to shoot up about two hundred feet above the harrier. Then one shot down like a bullet at the slow-flying harrier which, however, rolled over on its back just in time to face the enemy with its talons, which the bush hawk avoided by inches. At the moment of near contact between the harrier and this bush hawk, the second bush hawk was hurtling down from its elevated position in order to catch the harrier immediately it resumed its normal flight position, but the same thing happened again. Over rolled the harrier as before, while in the interval the first bush hawk had shot up to his former elevated position and was powerdiving again, and so they went on. While all this Spitfire versus bomber business was in progress, the harrier hawk was flying all-out trying to escape during the seconds between the dive attacks. These fights lasted almost fifteen minutes, and we who watched never expected the harrier hawk to escape, but escape he did."