LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22936, 14 January 1938, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

High Barometric Pressure With a reading at midnight last night of 30.46 in., the highest barometric value since August 14 was recorded. During the past month barometric pressure has * been unusually steady, in the vicinity of 30in. The main deviation was during the storm last week-end, when the barometer registered 29.50 iii. on Sunday morning. Drownings Averted A drowning accident on Lake Wakatipu was averted recently by the prompt action of Mr. G. Cook, of. the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company, in jumping on board the launch Thelma and hurrying to the assistance of a party whose boat had capsized. A squall caused the boat to ship a quantity of water and one of the occupants, in moving hurriedly to bail out, caused the craft to overturn. The prompt arrival qf the launch saved the situation. Boy's Disappearance at Millord Police at Takapuna aro continuing the search for the boy who was seen to disappear while swimming at the northern end of Milford Beach on Monday. The foreshore in the vicinity has been inspected daily, but so far there has been no trace of the missing boy. Wide inquiries have been made throughout the district, but no advice has yet been received from parents or relatives of any children missing. Three people stated that they saw the boy disappear. Seepage in Cable Tunnels Water that had accumulated through seepage in wet weather was pumped from the cable tunnels leading from the King's Wharf electric-power station in Quay Street and Breakwater Road yesterday. A considerable volume of water had to be removed to free the tunnels. This work, which is done periodically, attracted much attention from passers-by at the foot of Queen Street. Many cables feeding the Auckland Electric-Power Board's services aro contained in the tunnels. Kindness Appreciated A proud possession of the St. John Ambulance Association is a letter from a Parnell resident, posted on the notice board in the Rutland Street building. It refers to the kindness of a St. John ambulance driver in accepting a greatlyreduced fee at a time when the correspondent was unable to pay the usual amount. As an expression of his appreciation of this action, the writer enclosed £lO, the letter concluding:— "While I can, I wish to donate this amount to the funds of your association." Fire Engine's Unusual Task The modern fire-fighting equipment at the Central Fire Station came in very useful yesterday afternoon when a flag was being hoisted on the flagstaff at Albert Park as a mark of respect to the American fliers who perished with the Samoan Clipper. A halliard broke and the electric extension ladder equipment from the fire station was used to replace it. Eightyseven feet in length, the ladder enabled the job to bo completed within a few seconds without the necessity for anyone climbing up the flagstaff. Back to Normal A marked slackening in the volume of passenger traffic being handled at the Auckland railway station has been noticed during the past two days. With the, re-opening this week of the majority of business houses, large numbers of holiday makers returned for work over the last week-end, but it was Wednesday before any appreciable decrease- in the volume of traffic was noticed. In contrast with the abnormal length of many expresses during recent weeks, the trains on Wednesday and again yesterday were of practically normal proportions. Farmer's Unusual Pet For two years a Springburn farmer, Mr. T. H. Stevenson has had as a pet on his farm a hind which he captured when a fawn at Cloudy Range, Mesopotamia, and which, during the holiday period, has attracted much interest among campers and visitors from Ashburton. The deer is now so tame that it will follow its owner round, and to prevent it from being a trouble, Mr. Stevenson has often to keep it on a chain. In spite of its rather unnatural conditions of life, the hind keeps in excellent condition. Another Name lor School Where part of the Virginia creeper on the wall above the main entrance to the Hamilton High School has come away the words "Waikato High School" in large lettering have been revealed. That the school was ever known by this name is doubtful, as in 1903, when it was on the site of tho present Hamilton West School, the name was changed to the Hamilton West District High School. Later the school was removed to its present site and in 1911 it was renamed and gazetted as the Hamilton High School. The origin of tho term "Waikato High School" remains a mystery. Experiment with Linen Seeds

An unobtrusive contribution to Imperial defence is being attempted by those in chargo of the experimental plots of the Agronomy Division of the Department of Agriculture, at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln. Reporting to the North Canterbury executive of the Farmers' Union on a recent visit to the plots, Mr. R. G. Bishop said that anexperiment was being made with the growing of Irish linen seeds, linen being used in Britain for the wings of aeroplanes, and so on. Since Germany had prohibited the export of fibres used for this purpose, the Empire had had to depend upon its own product, and, as Ireland could not supply all the linen seeds required, the trial had been begun at Lincoln. Use o! Leisure How has the new loinuro been used, asked the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, the Hon. J. A. llanan, M.L.C., in his address at the opening of the Senate in Dunedin yesterday. So far, he said, the use to which leisure had been put, taking it by and largo, did not tend to the uplift of the race by enriching life and pointing the way toward a great future. A, glance at the leisure pursuits of the day was rather discouraging. The greater part of the reading matter which was in plentiful demand at book shops or libraries depended for its interest not on its valuable knowledge and information, but on sensation or mystery. That was in keeping with the widespread craving for the concocted emotions and the inanities of Hollywood. Escape from the boredom of vacant hours by these resorte was a jpental opiate. >' V