NEWS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11222, 30 May 1922, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

“The British-Australasian” stales that at the time of the crash in which Sir Boss Smith and Lieutenant J. ivl. Bennett lost their lives, Mr H. T. Beasley, an Australian journalist, was supposed to have been taking part in the flight. As it was, he missed death by three minutes. He was delayed, and arrived on the scene just too laite to participate in the fatal flight. It was the intention of the Invercargill Competitions Society to include in the programme for this year’s festival an inter-school debate, and application was made to the EUqcation Board for permission for members of the society to wait upon the various headmasters. The application was discussed at a meeting of the board, when it was decided that, in viow of the time that would be required to prepare the children for the debate, the board was not in favour of the proposal. Mr L. J. Schmitt, of the Department of Industries and Commerce, is at present, on a visit to Nelson. He said that one of the objects of the department was to encourage people to buy New Zealand goods. There was no doubt about the fine quality of these goods, and’ if the people gave their wholehearted support it would mean a big increase in the development of New Zealand’s industries, thus giving employment to a much larger number of people and keeping the money in the country. Before the Urewera country was open to prospectors for gold and other valu. able metals, many interesting reports lvero circulated in'regard to the richness of this unknown land. Now that it is open and fairly accessible, attention is again turning in the same direction and at least one man is giving it a trial during his spare time. Ho has had experience in many other alluvial diggings, and ie at present working np the bottom of a creek between rocky sides. Although it is too early to say much, he is quite sure that the indications are as good or better than those shown in other places where gold has been found in paying quantities. There has been quite a remarkable growth of grass during the past few weeks, and those farmers Who were late in getting their spring feed in have been most fortunate in that the weather has remained so mild (says the Urenui correspondent of the “Taranaki Herald’’). Most herds of cows are now being milked only once per day, and in a week or two a great number will have been dried off for the season. As there is a fair supply of hay and ensilage, together with mangolds, etc., there should be no difficulty in getting through the winter safely and bringing in the stock ,in good order for next spring. The Hon. O. J. Anderson (Minister for Marine), who returned to Wellington on Saturday from the north, informed a “Times” representative yesterday that the reports of tho Fisheries! Department aro to thfe etteot that the supply of oysters this year from the beds about Auckland and as far as Whangarei and the Bay of Islands, is likely to lie more plentiful than in previous years. The department, under Mr Ay son (said the Minister) has justified itself in the work that it has done in the protection and management of the beds. Each year the department, by artificial sowing, is putting down fresh beds, and they are proving a great success. Tho Auckland oyster 'season opens on J uno Ist. Mr J. T. Ward, Director of the Wanganui Observatory and a member of the New Zealand ’Astronomical Society, arrived last night from Wanganui. He brings with him a 12-inch reflecting telescope made'by himself. The telescope’s futur'e home is to be in Dunedin; and the instrument is a gift from Mr John C. Begg, also a member of the New Zealand Astronomical Society, to the Dunedin Astronomical Society. Special arrangements have been made by the Astronomical Society for those interested’ to see the telescope in Wellington. Mr Ward has undertaken to unpack and erect the telescopo and deliver an address on Tuesday evening at the special meeting of the Astronomical section. This is not the first reflector made in New’ Zealand. The Astronomical section has the one made by the late Mr Parsons—a gift presented by Mrs Parsons. Of more recent years Mr Thomas Allison, F.R.A.S., and Mr J. Thomas Ward, liave made reflecting telescopes up to 14 inches in diameter. These instruments perform excellent, ly, aiul are a great credit to New Zealand, ’

Two nine-months-old lion culls froo, bile Newtown Zoo wore shipped to Sydney by the Tahiti yesterday. The Masterton High School Board has now actually in the bank £14,000 of the required £IO,COO. Further amounts have been promised. An aeroplane in charge of Captain Blake, which is making the journey from Gisborne to Christchurch, alighted at Masterton on Saturday. The cold (snap experienced during the last few days has had the effect of covering the Rimutakas and Tararua? with a thick coating of snow. The Masterton .Savage Club held a successful “korero” on Sturday night. Ono of the principal attractions was a lecture by the Rev. W. Bullock on “The East End of London.’’ Tlic Govcrnor-Geileral. Lord Jellicoe, has made a donation of £SO to the Sir Arthur Pearson .Memorial Fund for the blind civilians of New Zealand. At a meeting of the Southland District Labour Council, it was unanimously decided to affiliate with the Invercargill branch of the New Zealand Labour Party. \ The United Slates Circuit Court of Appeal has decided that the Californian alien land la.vj prohibiting the ownership of land by Japanese, is constitutional and in no manner violates the provisions of Japanese-United States treaties. “What I saw the other night was the worst scorching I have etfer seen in New Zealand. A motor-cyclist was going down tho avenue through the traffic at a speed that was amazing,’’ said Sir Robert Stout at the Supreme Court, Wanganui. A gentleman residing at a wellknown boardinghouse in Auckland, on awakening in the morning, missed £l7 from his trousers, pockets. Another boarder residing in the same house also had his pocket-book taken during the night. Since the sentence imposed at the Supremo Court, Invercargill, on a young man for the theft of a bicycle quite a number of missing machines have been found by the police in various parte of the “town, being presumably loft by people who are in fear of the arm of the law. At the meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association last night, the chairman (Mr M. E. Bennistoit) stated, amidst applause, that the management committee had subsidised junior tennis in Otago and Southland to the extent of £5 for each association. Tho lamb season which has 1 just closed has been noteworthy for lack of quality, due primarily to excessive moisture in the grass. At first the quality was not so bad, but later the lambs were the worst on record, having no weight in them at all.—“Wairarapa Age.” During tho hearing of a case at Wanganui, ' when The details of a plan were under discussion, it came out that Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, was well versed in all that a plan can say. He had passed the surveyors’ examination when ho was a young man. * Rape- lambs have had a bad time this season. The wet weather has had such a detrimental effect that lambs fattened on good grass have really been better than those fattened on rape. Hawke’s Bay farmers found their rape growing rank at a very early stage, and the lambs scoured badly on it. A cowardly assault is reported from. Timaru. An old man, seventy years of ago, was sitting on a (win-dow-ledge when a young man asked him for a shilling. The request was refused, whereujxm tho old man was struck a heavy blow on tho eye. His assailant made, good his., escape. General Headquarters Instructions, dated May lltli, 1922, set forth that the sale of uniform greatcoats _ which boar tho departmental brand is forbidden, and when any greatcoats are reported for disposal it will he distinctly stated whether such coats arc branded or not. A conference of South Island Hospital Boards will be hold at Timaru to-morrow, to consider the question of the provision of a consumptive sanatorium for the South Island. Three sites in Central Otago have been suggested to the Public Health Department a,s the location of tho proposed sanatorium. The Helensville district has proved to be good sporting ground for pheasants. A number of sportsmen have secured good bags,. the best reported being 55 pheasants by three guns in three days. Jt is understood that the use of poisoned pollard for the destruction of rabbits is also proving detrimental to bird-life in the district. In certain parts of the lower ranges of tho Southern Alps on the Canterbury side rod deer have become so numerous that one or two parties leaving on a shooting expedition have been requested by the acclimatisation authorities to do some culling, a task they found of no difficulty, owing to the great numbers of deer. The grain season is keeping the railway staff at Timaru very busy just now. An enormous amount of grain is being handled in the course of transit to the mills and to the port. A large proportion of the wheat arriving by rail is being shipped to Auckland, several shiploads having gone north during the last few weeks. Tho insertion of the two words “if efficient” into the G.H.Q. Instruction regarding posting and training for 1922 should be specially noted by trainees. It means now that no one will be transferred to the “Reserve List” until he has passed as “efficient” by the 0.C., irrespective ol having put in the necessary term of training “Supposing two men were working on a winch, who would bo the boss?” was a question put to Captain G. G. Robertson by Mr Roberts in the Arbitration Court at Auckland. “The man with the most to say,” replied witness. “Supposing you and I were together on a winch, who would be the boss?” asked Mr Roberts. “Oh, I would give way to you,’’ was the reply- ■ Four young men from Dunedin had an unfortunate experience a week or two ago while on a pig-shooting expedition in the back oountry of Roxburgh." When they left their camp early one morning everything appeared to be safe, but when they returned at lunch time, found, to their dismay, that the camp had been burnt down- Fortunately, there was no wind lat the time, as otherwise a fiveseater Buick oar might also have been burnt. Through the fire one of the men lost about £2O in the pockets of a noiv suit, and all suffered the loss of some pqisofial effects.