NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11505, 28 April 1923, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

“There will never he any satisfaction till the Harbour Board takes control of the railway along the waterfront,” remarked Air G. R. Hutchinson at a meeting of the Auckland board

Reports having beon received that opossums are not numerous in the Auckland district, the council of tho Auckland Acclimatisation 'Society does not consider an open Reason necessary in its district. It was, therefore, decided to reply in the negative to an inquiry from the Department of. Internal Affairs as to whether the society desired an open season this year.

Mr Burn, head of the Precision Engineering Company, which manufactured the tokens for the City Council milk supply, has handed to Mr C. B. Norwood, chairman of the milk comrjiittee, a set of beautifully-finished silver tokens. These are to be distributed to each of the members- of the committee as a souvenir of the first milk tokens issued in New Zealand. *

When a call for volunteers to take up a collection at the overflow memorial service at Hamilton was made, Charles H. W. Shortland (20) promptly took off his hat and went about amongst, the crowd gathering contributions. Someone noticed him place a 10s note from his hat in his pocket, and later he was arrested. He admitted the theft, arifcT was fined £lO in the Police Court.

The extent of the havoc wrought by the storm which burst with such fury over Tauranga County last week; is now being summed up. Mr J. P. Page, county engineer, and a public works’ office*- aio travelling through the district assessing the amount of damage done. Mr Page states the damage appears small east of Te Puke and west of Tauranga, but within that belt the destruction is severe, one large bridge and many small ones being completely swept away. Most of the roads will he impassable for weeks. The aggregate sum needed for repair will be considerable.

Mr W. G. Bishop, speaking of tho increase of Asiatics in the Horowhenua district, at the general meeting ef the Levin branch of the R.S.A., said that the danger of such an increase was a social one and applied particularly to this district where there was a- native population. Another important point was that where Asiatics settled it was difficult to get white people to live, and it was not fair to returned Soldiers who had taken up farms to allow Areatics to come into a district and lower the value of their, land by lowering tho desirability of the district as a place in which to live. He considered that every district should have a local option on the subject of excluding Asiatics. ' ,

’ . / It was clearly seen amongst the applicants for the position of house manager at the Costley Home how many had been oaught in the illusionary land boom of a short time ago, when fortunes were supposed to be made out of the land in a very short period. Many had returned from the country to the towns, and were looking for jobs where there was something more permanent than the fluctuations of farm produce, the results of which very often failed to produce enough to pay the interest on land which they had learnt by experience had been bought at too high a price, and where in many cases they bad lost the savings of a lifetime. »Baok to the land had no charms for them now.

“Foreign insects can be introduced in all manner of ways, per fruit, seed, packing cases, ballast, on almost in any old way. and often quite undetectably. Some ef these Immigrants will find very congenial conditions here,, with few or no natural enemies to keep them in check. Having landed in such an Eldorado for them they would proceed to increase amazingly to our national loss. There are .many terrible borers of wood, and- fruit pests, which have not yet arrived, but may come along any day. Let us therefore keep our defenders, the birds, in good force, They may quite easily save us millions, _ and our forests x from total destruction. A word of warning was given on this matter by the late Sir 'avid Hutchens.”—Mr A. Seed, secretary, Dominion Sawmillers’ Federation. .

“A boy of sixteen out here is equal to one of eighteen in the Old Country,” said the Dominion Chief Scout, Lord at the annual meeting of the committee of the council for New Zealand of the Boy Scouts’ Association at Christchurch, Buildings to the value of £245,945 were erected in Hamilton during the year ended March 31st, 1923.. When this report was submitted at a meeting of the Borough Council, remarked that the record, was one which, relative to the size of the borough, could, not be rivalled by any other town in New Zealand. If it is definitely decided t 9 hold the New Zealand billiards championship in Wellington, in all. probability 'W*' Smith, several times ‘ Canterbury champion, will come tip to Wellingtcm to compete. He lost to Sied'eberg in 8 the final in 1921. It is also likely that Shanks, of Wellington, will play, for he has been showing excellent form of late. The total area of Auckland park properties is 2488 alr 39p,- and the number of men employed therein is fifty,” said the Mayor (Mr J. H. Gunson). “It will also be found that there is no individual large expenditure, the amounts being well spread over the 20 park areas and reserves of the city. The chief expenditure, obviously, is in the matter of labour for the maintenance of the parks, propagation and plants, and materials and £ools. The importation of freshwater prawn into New Zealand is favourably regarded by the council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. At its meeting a ‘correspondent at Hamilton offered to supply names of residents of Apia, Samoa, who would be willing to assist the society to procure specimens. This specieß, stated the writer, grew to a large size and increased rapidly. It was of a fine flavour, and, besides being a table delicacy, it would, if acclimatised in New Zealand, greatly increase the food 6upply for trout. “Let us sink all politics and party feelings in this effort, the , achievement of which will demonstrate that when the welfare of our country is at stake, we New Zealanders are not slow to act. In the meantime, any means of bringing the subject and importance of bird life before the publie'and the discountenancing of poaching, or destruction of such valuable seed distributors as native pigeons, will prove most valuable.”—Mr E. V. Saunderson, organiser of the Native Biids Protection Society.

“It is quite on the cards that the, terrible yellow leaf disease caused by something attacking flax Toots', and which threatens to put an end to flax milling—an industry worth millions — may eventually be traoed to the destruction of swamp birds such as pukeko and! weka. A similar calamity may just as, easil? overtake our forests through our upsetting the balance of nature by destroying native birds, the guardians of the timber trees.”—Mr A. Seed,' secretary of the Dominion Sawmillers’ Federation.

Speaking of the necesity for all returned soldiers’ to support the R.S.A., Dr. Gow, president of the Levin branch, said at a.general meeting, that it Was not a matter of what a man might make out of the R.S.A. personally, but of keeping up an organisation which could help any of their comrades who might require assistance. As long as there were comrades who through wounds, etc., were unable to light the battle of life for themselves, it was the duty of every Digger to remain a member of the R.S.A. in order to help them. •

The last issue of the Gazette contains regulations under the Health Act. 1920, for the registration, of eating houses by local authorities. These include the precautions to he taken in the storage of food, cleaning premises, accommodation of staff," etc., and clause 6 (e) provides that “Every kitoflen on the premises,- and every place in which -food is prepared for serving to the public, shall have all .windows, doors, and ventilators adequacy protected by movable gauze screens’ or by other effective methods, so as to. prevent the entrance ef flies.”

Reporting to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, Dr. G. 'J. Blackmore said: “I would again draw attention, as I have done on several previous occasions, to the inconvenience caused by the failure of the postal authorities to deliver letters at the various tuberculosis institutions. There are usually something' like 350 people in residence at the three places on this hill, and the letters for the whole of them are delivered at the Coronation Hospital. We have to make our own arrangements for gating these letters up the hill and delivering them to the persons to whom they are addressed.”

A Hindu, who appeared at the Auckland Police Court on a charge of theft of coal, was given a very had reputation by Senior-Detective Cummings, who prosecuted. The latter said that this was not the first bag of coal or chaff that the prisoner' had stolen, and he had previously been convicted of a brutal assault. The magistrate said that the large majority of the Hindus were very law-abiding, hut there were a few who were not. He thought that both the police and the Hindus should make representations to the Government to have strict inquiries made concerning Indians before they became domiciled here.

The formal opening of the four large reinforced concrete and steel suspension bridges, erected at Hinekura, Featherston county, will be formally opened on the afternoon of May Ist.- The bridges were designed and constructed by Mr Joseph Dawson, of Khandallah, and formerly of Pahiatua (a well-known member of the Wellington Land Board). They have attracted a great deal of attention fcom engineers and contractors. It is probable that the ceremony will be attended by the Minister for Lands and also by Walrarapa and Wellington M.P.’s, and members of local homes. Mr Dawson probably holds the record for the erection of suspension bridges in the Dominion, structures hearing his name having been built in the Forty-Mile Bush, Wairarapa, Rangitikei, Marlborough, and Wellington districts.

“Auckland harbour now' holds the premier position amongst the ports, of the Dominion in regard to the amount of cargo handled both inwards and outwards. The imports last year amounted to 1,080,087 tons, the exports to 331,419 tons, and transhipments to 60,358 tons, a total of 1,471,864.” So ran a paragraph in the annual report of the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board. More cargo is handled per day at this port than at any other port in the Dominion, and the port has the reputation of being able to give vessels better dispatch. The value of the imports was £12.496,209, and of exports £9,595,225. There was a decided improvement in the shipping returns, the increase over 1921 arrivals being 447 vessels, with an increase in the net tonnage of 41,067. All shipping was handled expeditiously and without accident.

As instancing the number of bodies which use the Y.M.C.A. for various purposes, during March the rooms were used 47 times bv 32 bodies. Petone Borough Council has been authorised to raise a loan of £9OOO for the purpose of redeeming maturing debentures of sewersJT# drainage loan, 1913. There are no less than 16 local associations affiliated with the New Zealand Football Association. These associations have 393 teams, which include 54 schools. At the meeting of the directors of the Wellington Y.M.C.A. a letter was read stating that the National Convention would be held in Palmerston North in July, and that Dr. Datta would arrive in August. • The total revenue of the Manawatu Acclimatisation Society for the year amounted to £475, states the annual report. While this was a decided increase on previous years, it must, to a great extend be attributed to the fact that it was now necessary to acquire licenses to take native game. The total gates of the Australian soccer tour amounted to £3483, of which £306 was paid in amusement tax. The N.Z.F.A. received 25 per cent, of the profit, its share amounting to £27 7s 2d; four associations received 14 guineas each, one £4 18s, and five £3 13s 6d each. White Island was unusually active this week, this being probably due to the heavy downpour of rain during last week-end. The steam rose to a great height against a background of clear blue sky. The volume of vapour presented' a beautiful spectacle toward evening with the colours of a gorgeous sunset reflected upon it (says an exchange). The great , pillar of steam was like a lofty opalescent vase standing out of the sea. The following statistics are recorded for the urban district of Wellington for the month of March: —Births 175, Or 1.58 per 1000 of the population; deaths. "71, or 0.64 per 1000 of the population. The total number of births in the Dominion was 1001, as against 949 in February, an increase of 52. The deaths were 414, an increase of 17 compared with the previous month. Of the total (leaths, 250 were males and 164 females. Of these 151 were persons of 65 years and upwards. Six deaths were due to suicide, two to conflagrations, three by drowning and three by railway accidents. Signor Constantini, late of the Sistine Choir, and who is settling in 'Auckland, spent seven years in Russia. The first six years “everything was beautiful.” Then came the revolution of Kerensky, followed by the revolution of Lenin. The foreigner fared no better than the unfortunate Russian. Signor Constantini had 33,000 lire in a Russian bank, and this was at once confiscated. When he asked for its return. “What!” said the Bolshevik official- “We know you are trying to leave the country. > You made the money here, and here you. will leave it.” Anyone who crossed the border was rigorously searched by “Customs officers,” and relentlessly robbed of all money and -jewellery, which was confiscated to the State. Finally the singer made his escape from Murmoa in an English' ship and regained Italy -penniless.