LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Lady Yule's Yacht. Lady Yuleji large steam yacht Nahlin arrived from Russell yesterday afternoon and anchored in the stream. The vessel will be docked lliis morning for cleaning and painting. Largo Railway Traffic. A large number of people left Auckland for the. South by train last evening, both expresses to Wellington being well patronised. An fxtra carriage was attached to the limited express, while the second train required two additional carriages. Ripe Rot in Fruit. No spread of ripe rot among soft fruits has been caused by the recent" heavy rains, according to an authority on the subject. In fact, the result has been most beneficial, the trees flourishing under the much-needed moisture. The season for plums, which suffer to some extent from this fungoid disease, has almost ended. Native Race Policy. "There is no doubt that New Zealand has shown the world the host way to live in contact, with natives," said the Hon. G. R. Carter, an ex-Governor of Hawaii, who is on a holiday cruise on tho Mariposa. "I have attended BanPacific conferences to which New Zealand has sent delegates. Your problems have interested me and I have admired your methods of dealing with the native question." Gigantic Sunflowers. Several accounts recently published of huge sunflowers ai>. followed by another from Hamilton, where two exceptional specimens have been grown bv Mrs. R. E. Bray, of 16, Clyde Street. One of the plants grew to a height of 12ft. 6in. and bore a flower 13in. across, v-hile the other grew to the height of lift. Bin. and had a flower 16in. across. In each case the stem was s£in. in circumference. No fertiliser was used to assist these remarkable plants. Extremes in Dog Sizes. An amusing contrast was afforded at the Auckland Kennel Association Show 011 Saturday when a diminutive Pekinese puppy, less than five inches lone, wandered into the. show ring, and attracted the attention of a huge Alsatian standing over three'feet high at the shoulders. As the great dog stood alongside the Bekinese, which was overshadowed by its forepaws, no more striking example of the great range of size in the dog species could have been imagined. Naval Man and Horse. A navy man is at present attached to Burnham Camp and in the course of his duties drives a horse and cart, says the Christchurch Times. He and the horse seem to understand each other very well, which is rather surprising, as his directions to tho animal have a distinctly nautical flavour. "Slow, ahead," he shouts on starting,' and "Hard a starboard" for a turn to the right. Asked how he was getting on with the horse, he said that the only difficulty he found was in making it go astern. Summer Time Period. Unless alteration is made to the law, summer time, by which an extra half an hour of daylight is gained in tho evenings, will operate for only four more weeks. The change was effected on the morning of Sunday, October 11, by the advancing of clocks by half an hour, and it is to continue in force until Sunday, March 20. Th o suggestion has been made that this year, when Easier occurs toward the end of March, Parliament should be asked to extend the summer time period to cover ihe Easter vacation. The British Navy. A cablegram designed to strengthen the hands of the Navy League at. its headquarters in London has been despatched by the president of the Auckland Navy League, Mr. A. G. Lunn. While recognising the desirability of the reduction of the naval forces of all nations the message expresses the view that Britain's reduction is disproportionate and below the minimum point- of safety. It urges propaganda to strenthen the Empire's naval protective forces sufficiently to safeguard our vital sea routes, and to complete the Singapore base.

How to Get Experience. In reply to an advertisement for two shop assistants in New Plymouth last, week such a large number of girls applied that they extended from the street right, up the stairs in pairs to the door of the office. Ono. was to be a junior assistant with some experience. One of the applicants was a 12-year-old girl. "How much experience have you had ?" asked the manager. "None," said the girl. "None 1 at all ?'' asked the manager. "No," said the girl, "and I shall not. get. any until I make a start." The manager engaged her.

Auckland on a Sunday. '-Auckland on Sunday seems to be the deadest town I have ever seen," said Mr. Rudolf Friml, the well-known musical comedy composer, who was a passenger on the Mariposa. "Of course I have been wonderfully struck by the city generally but I have never seen a commercial centra so completely shut up on a Sunday as Auckland was. I was unable to buy any picture postcards or even stamps from a shop." Mr. Friml said he thought some arrangement should be made in commercial and general interests to cater for tourists who had such limited opportunities to make their purchases. Small Boy's Grit. t Even in this luxurious age there are still to be found some youths who have the determination of the early pioneers. Such a one was seen in Patea on a recent afternoon in the shape of a small boy, aged 14, a resident of Wellington, who had been offered a position in Auckland. Having no other means of transport and little money, he decided to set out on his bicycle to cover the .500 miles to Auckland. When seen in Patea he said ho had been given a bed the previous night en route, and ho had tho sum of 4s in his pocket. A commercial traveller who admired his pluck had great difficulty in persuading him to accept a small contribution to assist him on his way. New Zealand Mark for Goods. A matter now under serious consideration by the manufacturers of tho Dominion was the adoption ( of a New Zealand mark, placed only on goods of a guaranteed standard, said Mr. J. Abel, president of the Wellington Manufacturers' Association, in Christchuch last week. The mark would have to bo applicable to every variety of goods produced here, he said, and the federation would have to see that the goods so labelled were up to the correct standard. Such a guarantee as this would lead to increased business for New Zealand and would also tend to praise the general standard of production. Tho federation had a mark in view which would meet all requirements.