NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 212, 8 September 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Air Mail from Overseas. The Waiotapq, which left Sydney for New Plymouth yesterday, lias a large quantity of overseas air mail aboaro. State Houses in Palmerston Nprth Thirty-eight houses are now let in tho State housing block at West End, while there are three to bo occupied •shortly and another live to bo ready at a very early date. The erection of about 115 additional houses is covered by contracts let, and tenders are now being arranged for 1G more. Bananas Plentiful in Samoa The crop of bananas in Samoa this season has been good, acoording to Mr Thornton Jackson, of Auckland, who returned by the Matua, after spending two months in the Islands. Mr Jackson said that although bananas wero plentiful at Apia little or no copra was being produced, as tho oversea market prices had collapsed and tho natives found the return was uneconomic. At Nukualofa hurricanes had razed ttto banana crops, and very few were bein& sent from thoro to New Zealand. Von Tempsky’s Anniversary Seventy years ago yesterday tho gallant Von Tempsky, “the most conspicuous and romantic figure among the white scouts who had mastered tho art of bush warfare," fell rallying his men ut the engagement of To Ngutu-o-te-manu, inland from Hawera. The attack on. Titolcowaru and his insurgent native followers was led by Coloner McDonnell, but they encountered the enemy skilfully i>ostod in the bush. Their hot and accurate tire drovo the white force back, and Von Tempsky was among the 20 who were killed in the engagement. Local Body Amalgamation With the object of formulating a case for submission to the Minister of Internal Affairs when he receives representations on Tuesday from the bodies concerned in the Local Bodies Amalgamation Schemes Bill, members of the Makerua, Manawatu, Buckley and Sluggish River Drainage Boards met in Palmerston North yesterday to discuss tho evidence to be given. Though not represented, tho Moutoa and Oroua Drainage Boards forwarded letters expressing their views. Messrs H. Seifert, It. J. Law, F. J. Foster, W. E. Thomas and It. Tanner were solocted to proceed to Wellington to present the viows of tho boards. Value of Air Mail

The success of the new air mail service in speeding up tho interchange of communication between New Zealand and Groat Britain is well illustrated in the recent experiences of a suburban resident. Taking advantage of tho first "all-up" air mail, which left Auckland by the Mariposa on Friday, August 5, ho wrote to a friend in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This loiter was delivered in Belfast on August 19, and the friend replied on the same day. His answer was delivered in Auckland on September 5, exactly one calendar month from tho date on which the first letter left Auckland. This contrasts with the period of three months that has been allowed for a reply in the past. Loss in Value of Ambergris No longer are small fortunes to be picked up on beaches in the form of ambergris. According to Mr A. W. B. Powell, assistant-director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, ambergris lias no longer any commercial value. Nor have many persons any idea of the appearance or form of ambergris. Almost every day specimens of dried-up sponge are sent by persons to tho museum under the belief that they are ambergris. As a mattei of fact, ambergris, which resembles beeswax and melts under heat, has tno odour of musk. It was the odour 01 musk which drew an expert's attention to tho caulking used in a log hut on the Ninety Mile Beach many years ago. He discovered tho owner had usea ambergris to fill in tho spaces between the logs, but the owner was unaware that it was ambergris, which at that time had a high value. Ambergris was used as a basis in scent, Mr Powell remarked, but it was no longer apparently in use for the purpose.