NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 232, 1 October 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

They Remember Auckland. The Southern Cross aviators have evidently not forgotten the friends they made in Auckland and the happy time thev had here. While the plane was en route to Blenheim from s ockburn, the operator sent out a special :nessage,"Hello, Auckland! Hope you are getting me all right. I think the boys would like ? , hack with you again." The message was picked up locally by a few short-wave enthusiasts who happened to be reading Morse at the time. Fewer Bankruptcies. There have been 114 bankruptcies in Auckland during the nine months of the present year, a figure which is considerably lower than those for the corresponding periods of 1926 and 1927. The difference in the totals is surprising, last year coming first with 162, whilst there were 133 in 1926. The monthly figures have also varied to a marked degree, as witness five in January, 1926, and 29 in June last year. During the month which ended yesterday there were 14 cases, which is the same total as that for August, and one less than September, 1927. Tire Brigade's "Mixed Bag." The City Fire Brigade had a busy time on Saturday evening, calls to a fused cable junctionbox in Quay Street, a burning motor car in Upper Queen Street, a roadman's hut at West Tamaki, and a minor outbreak at a house in Eglinton Street, Parnell, making up a decidedly "mLxed bag" in the course of a few hours. The motor car, which is owned by Mr. S. A. Blake, manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company's factory at Waiuku, was considerably damaged. An outbreak of fire in a tar boiler caused the brigade a journey to 88, Franklin Road, Ponsonby. The flames were extinguished before serious damage had been caused. " 'Tis an HI Wind—" No longer is a free view available from Ladies' Mile when races are on at Ellerslie, as a high fence has been erected, the reason given being that a gathering of spectators at that point had a bad effect on timid horses. Some of the residents in the locality have bemoaned the fact that a lovely panoramic view from their homes of Maungakiekie has been obliterated, but have found solace in the fact that now they have an excellent barricade to the prevailing eapbyrs which visit that part of suburban Auck° land. Sheltered by the fence, they now garden with a new zest, and successfully grow frail things that flourished not when the cold west wind swept by with a monotonous frequency. Abolishing Collection Plates. At last evening's service in St. Paul's Church, Symonds Street, the vicar, the Rev. Cecil Watson, announced that a new system of offertory coll action was to be inaugurated in the church next Sunday. The collection with plates is to be abolished, and the congregation will be asked to place their offerings in collection boxes in the porch. The vicar pointed out that a city parish like St. Paul s was largely dependent on visitors for support, and therefore could not depend upon envelope giving to the extent which might be possible in a suburban parish. In spite of this it was believed hearty support would be forthcoming for a method which had no element of compulsion in its appeal. It is stated that St Paul's is the first church in Auckland to try the change Power Extensions. > The service gangs attached to the Waitemata Electric Power Board continue to be busily engaged making new service connections in various districts. Commenting upon this fact at to-day's meeting of the board, the engineer (Mr. F. J. H. Wilson) stated that though the figures for Sep tember were not yet complete, it was anticipated that the connections for the month would exceed the 100 mark. It was pleasing to note that in spite of the recent boisterous weather no serious interruptions had resulted. Any trouble that had occurred had been due to causes quite external to the board's scheme. A careful inspection had been made of lines and equipment, and there appeared to be no indication of damage by lightning or the gales. ° Rugby's Great Day. Not for many a long day has Eden Park witnessed such wildly enthusiastic scenes as were witnessed on Saturday afternoon, when UniverI sty beat Ponsonby in the final of the Auckland Rugby Union club championship. Spirited barracking from stands and terraces, rather more for the students than for Ponsonby, who had been cock of the walk for four seasons, was heard from the time the teams took the field until the final whistle, when a host of yelling undergraduates rushed on to the ground and carried the 'Varsity fifteen shoulder high to the pavilion. Even with tiie game over and the championship decided, many of the crowd of between 6000 an 1 7000 strong still lingered, and it was not until the college barrackers had gone out in front of the grandstands and given hakas and a crude form of war dance that they turned thenfaces for home. Poaching and Prohibition. There was a humorous interlude at the prohibition meeting in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, when Mr. Tom Blood worth admitted that in his boyhood he was not altogether innocent of the offence of poaching. He was born in an English county noted for its sporting squires, and was brought up to obey the injunction: "B.ess the squire and his relations, and keep us in our proper stations." He had vivid recollections of the sanctity of the squire's pheasants, which were most carefully looked after in order to pro\ ide sport for the guests at house parties, and at the age of eight he was emploved as a beater. Like many another country lad, he did not altogether respect the sanctity of the game, and on one or two occasions the pheasants met a humbler fate than that which was ordained for them He hoped the confession was made at too late a date to bring retribution on his head 1 (Laughter.) Memories of "The Belle." I am proud to be associated with the Auckland Amateur Operatic Society," said Mr. Colin Muston in a happy little speech before the curtain at the finale of ' The Belle of New York" season at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night. The musical conductor stated that in his opinion the work of the local amateurs was quite equal to that of the amateur societies in England. He added that he knew whereof he spoke because he was over 30 years of age before he left England. Rarely in the historv of amateur operatics in Auckland has there" been such a scene of valedictory enthusiasm. In response to insistent calls, some of the prominent 1 officials of the society spoke either from the , dress circle or from the stage. Those who were intrigued to the footlights found themselves in 1 a maze of streamers, balloons, bouquets and colourful favours. Cheers followed on cheers, and 1 when eventually the National Anthem was sung 1 with "heart and voice," performers and audience 1 went away feeling that a notable musical triumph 3 had been achieved. Encourage the Tonrist. ' Now that the greater portion of the East ' Coast Main Trunk line is an accomplished fact, < there is every possibility of tourist traffic de- < veloping between Tauranga and Rotorua. To-day 1 the Kaimai Hills Road between the East Coast 1 and South Auckland is an all-weather road, ' thanks to good work done by the Main Highways 1 Board and the Public Works Department. It Is only 36 miles from Matamata to Tauranga by this route. The distance between Rotorua and Tauranga by road is 56 miles. In order to encourage people to take the "new round trip," the Railway Department has decided to issue tickets for the combined road and rail trips between Tauranga and Rotorua and vice versa. Commencing this month, travellers will be able to purchase these tickets at any officered railway station in the North or South Island. Motor cars run daily betwen Rotorua and Tauranga, Sunday excepted, and leave the East Coast pleasure resort at 8 a.m., and Rotorua at 1.15 p.m. Negotiations are now in train for a similar service between Tauranga and Matamata.