NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Unemployed Deputation.

Arrangements have been made for a deputation of unemployed men to wait upon the Mayor of Auckland . (Mr. Geo. Baildon) next Tuesday morning. The deputation will bring urnler the notice of the Mayor the large amount of unemployment in the city, and stress the need of steps being 'taken to provide work. Comrades to the Besctte.

The assistance of the* City Fire Brigade was required shortly before eleven o'clock last evening by Mr. H. Graham, a member of the Mount Albert Brigade. "While Mr. Graham was starting the engine of his motor cycle in Grafton Road, near the Auckland BowHng Club's green, it backfired. A sheet of flame shot up and soon envetoped the machine. Mr. Graham had jumped off. i brjgade was summoned, and smothered the flames by means of chemicals. Strengthening Whan Bridge.

! A start has been made to strengthen tiny Whau Bridge between Avondal© and New Lynn. At the moment weights crossing the structure are limited to five tons, and when repairs are completed the limit will be increased tot ten tons. r tune past extra heavy traffic has been compelled to use a deviation route between Avondale and New LynK, and as a result the deviation road has been badly cut up. Plans for the new and permanent Whan Bridge are now ?n Wellington awaiting the approval of the Main Highways Board. Winter Shelter Closes.

Having 1 served a. useful purpose during the worst three , months of winter, the shelter for homeless men in Parnell Road is to be closed after the present week-end. Since June 8000 beds hj»ve been provided, and 16,000 meals supplied without charge. "I ghould like to thank the public for their support in providing the shelter," said Canon Grant Coweu to a, pressman. ' Some «♦». *1 Bt t.H quit ® positively," he added, -that but for what has been done they could not have survived the winter. Now that the spring weather has oome these men are pushing out into the country in- the hope of finding casual labour or work on farms. It has been a hard winter and we are thankful for what the shelter has been able to accomplish." Windswept Auckland. Bright and smiling, Auckland emerged this morning from an unusually severe manifestation of the annual spring-cleaning phenomenon known as the equinoctials. For five days and nights the city has been swept by high winds, accompanied by a mingling of cyclonic, electric and Antarctic effects. Citizens who had become habituated to looking with enforced slit-eyed .squint upon the moving scenery, with hands trained to snap-catching of hats that declined to, stay put," enjoyed the chance of lazy full-eyed contemplation of the morning's comparative spring stillness, with a fuller understanding of the explorers who have written about the depressing effect of the eternal winds of the Antarctic Ocean. The Expert's Fluke. j

"That's the firet one for four years," announced. Walter Lindrum with a smile, when he fluked the red last evening in his billiard match with Clark MeConachy. Lindrum had lost his opponent's ball, and Wal. missed in attempting to screw hack into the centre pocket, but doubled the red in the bottom. McConachy appreciated the accident, and drawing his opponent's attention by tapping him with his cue, quietly remarked: Ive never bad one in my life." Those who heard the remark, of eourse, realised McConachy's luck is not as bad as all this, but it is a fact that flukes are' very little in evidence in champion billiards. Lindrum's good fortune was the only windfall of this nature during the evening. A Pig at large.

By skilful manoeuvres two ferry employees Attempted the rescue of a big fat pig that plunged into-the hfcfbour near the ferry wharves yesterday afternoon.. It appeared to bo enjoying the and made off. under one of the piers, where «flie rescuers, after frantic efforts . in a dinghy, got a line secured to it and dragged the prize aboard. Then began a -desperate struggle. From side to side tossed the dinghy, and the pig and men were, soon capsieed. One clung desperately to "the line and scrambled ashore, where a cargo net was secured to hoist the pig on to the wharf. Mention of pigs recalls a cartoon in "Punch." A parson asked a small boy where his father Was, and the youngster replied brightly: "He's in the pig sty. You'll know him; he's wearing a hat." Anglican Broadcasting.

A canvassing representative is to be appointed by the Anglican Broadcasting Association of New Zealand for the purpose of increasing the membership. This decision was reached by the association at its- annual meeting on Thursday afternoon, presided over by the Rev. Cecil A. B. Watson. A committee waa set up to find out what kind of station would be most suitable. It is hoped, to have some definite scheme in hand before the Diocesan Synod meets next month. .Trouble with the Radio Broadcasting Company, it.wau. reported, had been straightened out. The original proposals for the erection of a station strong enough to cover the whole of New Zealand had been found too costly, and inquiries are now to be made as to the suitability of a shortwave station to cover the Auckland Province. Mr. Watson was re-elected president, and Canon Percival James was re-elected to the council. Mr. F. A. N. North was elected to fill the vacancy on the council caused hy the retirement of Mr. Norman Burton owing to ill-health. A Fisherman's Hani.

Strange bellowings awakened a launch owner at Maungaturoto., or an arm of the Kaipara Harbour, last Sunday night. Investigations the following morning showed that two blackfish, a species of whale, had got into difficulties in shallow water, the point at which they were found being 45 ..mites* from the Kaipara Heads. Fishermen expressed surprise that the blackfish had come so far inland and entered a narrow creek where the water at low tide was only 3ft deep. When found, the monsters were swimming around hear some nets. By means of his launch, Mr. J. Louie, who made the discovery, managed to drive them among the mangroves, 'where he succeeded m getting ropes round their tails. A desperate struggle took place, in which the powerful launch engines werfe put to a severe test and for a time the launch was unable to make headway. The fight ended-by the blackfish becoming exhausted and at the mercy of their captor. Thev were killed with an old bayonet.

Joy Among Children. "On their arrival they scampered all over the house, and then with faces aglow with excitement they rushed out and started games on the beautiful lawn, a thing which was hitherto: unknown to most, of them." Thus, the October number of the "Church Gazette" refers to the transfer of- the first batch of 20 children- from the Richmond Road home to iiheir- beautiful.- new surroundings at Takapuna. The s<»?e..of established under the care lpf r Brett Memorial Home. are. i .The: remainder of; the as thie .necessary addi* ifuma tSMxisting buildings.. "The Siints* itf-111 -mfea -the children very they bave takeu a "the- Sunday, school and children's iSIPteMfN s- do' not J>e.fo*tun)B, and it is ,t«T Vill Young, who ton iriesd to «hcm is ihe.pasfe" .