ACROSS THE TASMAN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16545, 27 September 1924, Page 12

ACROSS THE TASMAN.

HAPPENINGS IN AUSTRALIA. (Own Correspondent). BUIS BANK, Sept, 14. Recently the Home boat Diogenes arrived at Brisbane with 70 immigrants Jur dillTreut parts of the Stale. Tiie sum of £26CO was added to the wealth of Queensland by these newcomers. The largest family was that, ol a- woman who had arrived 1 with her six ■children to join her husband. The latest device for checking the prickly pear menace is a Renault caterpillar tractor, which works on the plan of the tanks that did so much to secure victory for the Allies in France. A set of serrated cutters is arranged in front of the tractor and; revolve at terrific speed, breaking the heavy slabs of pear to pieces and tearing the roots out of the ground. Nozzles placed above the cylinder spray poison on the mass, which materially assists in the process of destruction. A “Health Week” campaign is being conducted in Brisbane. Arrangements were made for special window displays by the shops, and some very attractive scheme were worked out. There were to be addresses in churches and Sunday schools, while at other functions opportunities will he taken by means of lectures to further bring the attention of residents to the matter. Free exhibitions of health films were also be a feature of the movement. SOUVENIR. OF CAPTAIN C'OuTK. Intended for exhibition in schools and libraries throughout Australia, an interesting souvenir o.f Captain Cook lias been prepared by the assistant librarian at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library. The souvenir is in the form of a paper 30iu hv 18in, suitable for framing, containing a central engraving of Oie great navigator, and two extracts from bis original journal, which the Commonwealth purchased' last year for £SOOO. The first extract is from Cook's description of the ceremonv with which he formally took possession o.f the^eastern coast of Australia. The. second extract extols the natural endowments of the now country. Copies of the souvenir have been distributed to 12.900 schools in the Commonwealth. Municipal councils of Australia and New Zealand will receive copies on application, and on the understanding to have them framed and exhibited. FOR, DEFENCE, Details of the proposed' disposal of the grant of £1.000,000 a year for five years, made available by the Commonwealth Government for defence purposes, show that one of the first charges will be £70,000 for improving the conditions of the auxiliary naval forces and the permanent military forces, whose rates of pay were considered to be unduly low. It is intended to reduce the number of quotas in the senior cadets to one, but at the same time to increase the quotas in the citizen forces from two to three, thus giving each lad the same spread of train-ing-four years—as at present. There are two quotas of trainees at present, in both the cadet and citizen forces, each trainee, thus receiving two years’ instruction in eaeli division. Under the now scheme, which comes into operation next year, each trainee will receive one year’s instruction as a senior cadet, and three years as a member of the citizen forces. BARRIER REEF. The study of the geological history of the Great Barrier Reef and the knowledge of its relations to the coastline of Queens land has been commenced by Mr. Charles Hedley, F.L.S. Mr. lledley has been carrying out a survey of the reef on board IT.M.A.S. Geranium. The growth of the reef and tbe duration of its existence are tbe main objects which the expedition seeks to establish. Experiments with coral are to be made, and deposits marked and tested with a view to a comparison after a number of years. Questioned at Cairns as to anv theories on the growth and formation of the reef, Mr. Hedley outlined the view that the coast of Queensland most probably lias extended to the reef, and that subsidence bad occurred 'in recent geological times. Ho held the view that the existing coastline. was liv no means in a slate of geological stability. DAIRY STABILISATION.

. For some time past much thought lias been given in Australia to tho necessity for Commonwealth action to stabilise the dairying industry. It is understood' that a Bill has been drafted to give effect to a modified scheme. This Bill will probably bo on the lines of the New Zealand Act dealing exclusively with exports. STOCK DECREASING.

Substantial decreases in the number c f the live stock in Queensland have been disclosed by the Registrar-General in Lis statistics showing a comparison of the position at January 1 last with the figures for the twelve months previously. The decreases were: Horses, 52,462; cattle, 558.949; sheep, 884,970; pigs. 28,374. BALLROOM ETIQUETTE,

In Sydney’s swagger cabarets when the band starts up the youth of tho ago looks over the maidens assembled, and selects bis particular blossom. To put it plainly, introductions are no longer necessary. Youth sitting at the tables scattered round the room go across to the sweet girl graduates of jazz, and request them to dance and, in a twinkling, the polished floor is tilled with fox-trotters, or camelbumpers, who have never before, up to that wonderful moment, set eyes on one another. This, according to the authorities, is Sydney’s modern and correct procedure. At the close of the Blues. Youth takes bis beautiful partner back to her own table and surrenders her to Madame. Stopping for conversation? Ob, no! There is no time, for at. Sydney's afternoon cabarets one dance being over is the signal for another to commence. Youth and maiden both go to dance, and they should worry who their partners are, provided they are wellgroomed, have nice manners, and dance well. Miss Maiden 1 , may talk to her partner, of course, if she wishes, but it. is not considered exclusive to give her name. And this is how one scribe concludes : “Bohemia, my dear—yes, quite so: /All the same, Sydney enjoys its jazz, which is the main point with dlancemad feminity; whether it dances with n foreign prince or an ambitious bank clerk really doesn’t matter so long as lie conforms to the social rules of the game.”