NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 67, 25 March 1927, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES FROM ALL MART’S. THE DOMINION DAY HY DAY. Kill Om Art Union. Some delay has been occasioned in the publication of the final figures in connection with the Kia< Ora art union in aid of the Cambridge Domain and other objects in that town owing to the result of the sale of t!ie gold in Australia not having been received. This has now come to hand from the Australian mint, it is understood the amount is far short of what was hoped tor. Now that these returns are available a complete statement in connection with the art union will be made as soon as possible. •* * • New Zealand Composers. New Zealand composers are increasing in numbers and the latest to break forth into song is Mrs Abel Rowe {nee L. Tov/nson) of Thames. She composed the song “The 11 nia,” a Maori song of welcome, and it was greatly appreciated when recently sung at Rotorua on the occasion of the visit of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchbss of York. The music is pretty and very appealing. The words were composed by Maewa Kaihau, and express loyally to country and King, the huia feather being sent to charm life unto the end. •* • * Another Mystery. When digging a hole for a pipe for the Antipodes Island hut the seamen of the Hinemoa were astonished to come upon a fragment of coarse pottery in the ground, two feet below the surface. It was a portion of a bowl, and how it got there was a mystery. This relic of former human habitation on this desolate cluster of rocks was preserved and deposited in the Dominion Museum to provide another conundrum, like that of the naval officers’ buttons on a skeleton exhumed when first fortifying Marsland Hill in Now Plymouth, the Tamil ship’s bell discovered up Auckland way, and the supposed Spanish helmet dredged up in Wellington Harbour.

Somewhat Complicated. An interesting position has arisen in No. S Highway District in regard to a Raetihi motor lorry owner and his heavy traffic fees and license (states the Wanganui correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). The Govornmepr, takes up the attitude that all fines in regard to highway traffic should go to the State coffers and not to the local bodies pool in the Highway Croup. The Raetihi owner owed the Ractjjji Borough Council a certain amount for fees, and was duly prosecuted by the Highway Group inspector. At the court he pleaded extenuating circumstances, and the magistrate, being sympathetic, find him the exact amount owing to the council, intending the fine to cover the traffic fees. The Government held on to this amount and refused to disgorge. The owner, having paid the lino, applied to the Raetihi Council for his license and was refused, and is now driving without one. The inspector intends to prosecute again before March 31. • • ft ♦

Beautifying the City. At out six or seven years ago the Auckland City Council, under Sir James Gunson, decided to inaugurate a policy of tree-planting that would eventually emtrace the whole city area. Many miles ,of streets have been planted annually, and the policy is being carried on just as vigorously to-day ty the present administration. Last planting season over nine miles of streets were planted with elms, planes, and limes, t ringing the total to fully 50 miles of trees. So convinced is the City Council of the value of this work that a separate department for treeplanting and pruning has been set up. under the superintendent of parks, Mr T. Pearson. The policy of the City Council has been to plant trees in the residential streets and some of the minor traffic streets. The heavy volume of traffic carried I by most of the main thoroughfares has rendered them unsuitable to this form of improvement, but the excellent effect produced by the older trees in Lower Symonds street and in Jervois road, Ponsonby, is an indication of what can be done in streets where there is room for the trees without impeding traffic. * * >.< M

Huge Allcmhuu-cs. The total attendances at the Searchlight Tattoo recently held at Newton Park are estimated by re-

liable authorities at upwards of 135,000 persons, inclusive of children (reports the Wellington Post). This was for six performances only. Authoritative sources .agree in estimating the attendance at the Living' Flag display on the Monday afternoon last at 50,000, including children, an easy record for .any gathering in the history of Wellington.; while the total asseml; at • Monday evening’s performance is estimated at 30,000, and • the total on this occasion would have been larger still but for the breakdown in the car service just prior to the commencement of the performance. The estimated attendances during the six performances at Auckland were from 120,000 to ■ 130.000. During the 12 performances at Auckland and Ellington the Tattoo was thus attended l y over 250,000 people, which approaches one-third of the total population of the North Island.