NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1935, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Fire Brigade Parades. The frenzied blowing of fire engine sirens in New Plymouth and Fitzroy streets last night did not indicate anything more than a further demonstration by the New Plymouth fire brigade in the course of fire prevention week. Both engines were engaged on a parade of the streets in conjunction with the fire police corps.

“Blue” Language. Amusement was created at the annual meeting of the Westown Golf Club last night when the chairman called for Suggestions of club colours. One member said the only colours noticeable in connection with most golf clubs were the varying degrees of “blue” language. Mr. R. G. Howell immediately moved that the colours be light blue and dark blue. These colours were adopted. Replacing Tangahoe Bridge. The construction of a temporary bridge on the main road about five miles south of Hawera to replace the structure across the Tangahoe River, washed away in last month’s big flood, has been commenced, and the bridge will be erected as soon as possible. Of other bridges damaged in the Hawera' county a start has been made-with the erection of a temporary structure across the Mungumungu stream on the Ngawahine Gorge at Ararata. Insects in Stored Wheat.

Insects have been busy among New Zealand wheat held and stored for higher prices. How much the farmer has lost to insects by holding grain from the market it is not possible to estimate. The Canterbury Agricultural College, however, in a report to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has drawn attention to the monetary loss attributable to ignoring the divine admonition on laying up earthly treasure “where moth and rust doth corrupt.” Ashes for Gallipoli.

The ashes of ribbons from wreaths placed on the Sydney Cenotaph last Anzac Day are being conveyed to the Imperial War Graves Commissioner at Cairo for scattering at Anzac Cove on the 20th anniversary of the landing. The ribbons were preserved for the purpose by Colonel G. E. Murphy, custodian of the Cenotaph at Sydney, and the ashes have been placed in an urn which is being taken to Egypt on the Orient liner Orontes. Difficulty With Name.

The difficulty experienced with the original name (Okoari) of the new golf club at Westown, New Plymouth, was exemplified in a way disconcerting to a member last night. A proposal was made that as the name was not well known the club should be known as the Westown club. One member, a supporter of the original name, rose to move an amendment to retain the name. However, the amendment was lost amid laughter—the mover was unable to pronounce the word. An Erroneous Impression. That New Zealanders are inclined to err on the side of modesty in the advertising abroad of their country’s charms is the opinion of an English tourist at present at Christchurch. In conversation with a Press reporter, the visitor remarked that he had come to the Dominion with an utterly false idea as to the time required for a thorough tour of the Dominion. From the High Commissioner’s office he had gleaned the impression that four weeks would give him ample time for seeing the whole country, but now he had already spent two months in New Zealand and’was about to remain for a third. He considered that it would be to the Dominion’s advantage to forewarn oversea tourists that although New Zealand was a small country they could not hope to see half of its attractions in the space of a week or two; and he thought that many visitors must leave the Dominion regretting that their itinerary, as planned before leaving England, did not permit them a longer stay.

Scanlans Ltd. announce the arrival of many more beautiful new winter coats for the season just opening. In addition to the newer plain faced cloths there are many novelty woven velours in warm patterns of forest green, Burgundy and Woodland brown, with lovely rich fur collars at prices ranging from 79/6 to £6/19/6. Evei-y woman seeing these coats must surely long to possess one.*

Bridge or Beethoven? “The greatest damage to music hi the home has, in my opinion, been done by bridge-playing,” said Mr. Louis Hatzfield, a representative of a London music publishing company, in an interview at Christchurch. “While at one time people would gather in the home for musical evenings, now you see the tables out for bridge. People spend hours at a time playing bridge, and if the choice of music or bridge were offered it would be bridge every time, The game is a curse to music.” Fire Fascination.

An astonishing example of the attraction of fire for some animals was instanced recently, when a farmer at. Stanway was burning a large quantity of wheat straw, some of which was in a paddock in which were a number of valuable heifer calves. Five of these animals, timid enough at the best of times, allowed their curiosity to get the better of them, and they found themselves between the fire and a fence, enveloped in smoke. An attempt was made to drive them back, without result. A further effort was made to drive them straight through and out at the other side, whereupon the five calves, far from showing fear of the flames, jumped straight into the burning mass and were destroyed. Poplars Avenue.

The Napier Thirty Thousand Club has received a request from the Launceston Fifty Thousand League, Tasmania, for photographs of the avenue of poplars which the league understands was planted between Napier and Hastings by the Napier Thirty Thousand Club. Photographs have been forwarded to the league with the information that this avenue at Pakowhai was planted about 40 years ago by the late Mr. William Nelson. Many members of the Hawkes Bay County Council are keen to get the Highways Board to lay this stretch of road in concrete, so that a drive through this avenue would be free from dust. Lovers of beauty say that the best time to view this avenue is on a moonlit night when the moon shines directly down the centre of the trees. Public and Police.

The attitude of present-day people toward the police was the subject of comment by Mr. W. Nash, M.P., when speaking at Moera, Lower Hutt, during a public farewell to Sergeant J. Scarry, who has been, transferred to Auckland. He could not help thinking as he entered the hall, said Mr. Nash, of the changed attitude to-day with regard to policemen compared with what it was 20 or 30 years ago. When he was a boy all the schoolchildren were afraid of a policeman, but modern children did not have the same fear. Policemen had a difficult job, for not only did they have to prevent the breaking of the law but they had to do something to help people, especially those in whom a difficulty of temperament tended to make them lawbreakers. The people needed less police protection in New Zealand than in any other country. There was a member of the force for every 1279 people in New Zealand, as against one for every 750 in Britain.