NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Railcar’s Victims

Birds and animals which in the past have succeeded in avoiding steam trains to a certain degree have a new enemv in the standard railear. Travelling through the Wellington and Taranaki provinces on its trial run this week, Aotea, which in flat country reached high speeds, included in its “bag” four opossums, two cats, a moiepork, a hedghog and a hawk.

New Observatory. The work of levelling tlie site for the national astronomical observatory, the Carter Observatory, in the Botanical Gardens, Kelburn, is progressing rapidly. The area selected is adjacent to the present city observatory building, and near the Dominion Astronomical and Seismological Observatory. The recently-appointed director of the Carter Observatory, Mr. M. Geddes, Invercargill, is to take up his duties ou April 1.

Japanese Trade Harmed. Many methods of damaging the trade of Japanese merchants in the East Indies are being adopted by Chinese residents, according to passengers who arrived at Auckland from Singapore by the Maetsuycker on Thursday. In numerous centres, Japanese stores were being boycotted, it was stated, and Chinese not observing the boycott were occasionally dealt with in a rough manner. A recent offender in. this respect bad his ears cut off by several o£ his countrymen. In Singapore and elsewhere some rickshaw coolies refused to take passengers to Japanese addresses.

Taranaki Mails. An indication that the new standard railcars which are to operate a triweekly service between Wellington and New Plymouth on and after April 16 would carry first-class mails was given in New Plymouth on Thursday by the General Manager of Railways, Mr. G. H. Maekley, when replying to a question at the meeting held to discuss proposed schedules. Mr. Maekley said only lirst-class mails would be carried by the railcars, but the question of mails conveyed between intermediate stations was one which the Post and Telegraph Department "would decide.

Supplies of Petroleum. The opinion that no shortage in world supplies of petroleum is likely for many years to come was expressed by Mr. C. M. Potter, an experienced United States oil prospector, who arrived at Auckland from Singapore by the Maetsuycker on Thursday. For the past, three years Mr. Potter has been working in the Persian Gulf region and he is returning to America on furlough. The development of better equipment and the drilling of deeper wells would ensure a constant supply from old fields for a long period, and there was every reason to believe that many fields were not yet tapped.

Fireman Loses His Teeth. What terrors a fire holds for a fireman is always appreciated. At yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Fire Board a member of the brigade reported by letter that while on duty at the fire in the Salvation Army’s waste paper store in Miramar his false teeth were “precipitated into the fireXby a jet of water.” Seeing that his teeth were lost while on duty, he asked for some consideration in the matter of their replacement. On being asked by the chairman, Mr. S. S. Dean, whether he had any false teeth in store, the superintendent replied in the negative. The board agreed to contribute £2/10/toward the cost of a new set of teeth.

New Fire Engine. The Superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade, Mr. C. A. Woolley, reported to the board yesterday the arrival of a new Dennis fire engine, ordered some months ago. This serviceablelooking machine has a 90 fiorse-power, 6 cylinder engine, and is fitted with a pump capable of throwing 750 gallons of water a minute. Mr. Woolley stated that carrying a load of 5 ton 11 cwt., the machine climbed the Brooklyn Road, from upper Willis Street to the top, in two minutes, and, with the same load, climbed Bolton Street at 12 miles an hour. . The pumps have not yet been tested. As soon as that test has been made tenders will be called for the building of the body, which will be on the lines of the latest enginebodies, designed under the direction of the superintendent. > Moly Writ Cited in Court.

Precedent more long-standing than usual was quoted in the Court of Appeal yesterday when God’s treatment of Adam and Eve was cited. The case touched the relationship of master and servant, and the right of an employee to have notice of proposed action by his employer affecting their relationship was being discussed. Reading from “Strange’s reports,” printed in 1795, in the reign of George I, counsel quoted the following passage from a judgment by Mr. Justice Fortescue in •*. an English Court:—“Befldes, the objection for what of notice can never be got over. The laws of God and man both give the party an opportunity to make his defence, if he has any. I remember to have heard it obferved by a very learned man on fuch an occasion, that even God himself did not pafs fentence upon Adam, before he was called»upon to make his defence. Adam (fays God) where art thou? Haft thou not eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou fouldeft not eat? And the fame question was put to Eve alfo.”