NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Great Solar Activity.

Attention was drawn by Mr. G. V. Hudson, Karori, yesterday to the great solar activity at present. Yesterday no fewer than 11 groups of sunsprits were visible on the disc* One group in the sun's northern hemisphere, just past the central meridian, was nearly. 200,000 miles long. Another large group ih the sun's southern hemisphere is passing the sun's central meridian. Magnetic disturbances and aurora are probable.

Plea for tlje Wood Pigeon,

Concern is being felt on the West Coast of the South .Island regarding the rapid decline in.numbers of the native wood pigeon, or dove, v.hich is being killed in large numbers in South Westland. According to reports, the depredations can be traced to some of the mining camps in the vicinity. Opossum trappers are said to-be largely to blame also. One correspondent say s\ that the' Forestry people confine their attention to forestry. ' matters, rather than to matters concerning- bird life in the forest. The Acclimatisation Society did the 'best if could, but its funds were very limited. The correspondent suggests the 'appointment of honorary rangers, who could- report when they saw guns going into the bush, for the-guns went.in for only one purpose, and for only one kind of bird. ■'...''•'■'"

Centennial Tennis Tournament,

The Welli ngtori Lawn Tennis Association management .committee, at its meeting last night,, decided to apply to the New Zealand Association: for the ■ allocation to Wellington of the New Zealand lawn tennis championships of the 1939-40 season., Mr. A. M. Pinkerton said that it should not be impossible to have several players from overseas competing in the Centennial tournament. It would probably be the best.tournament ever seen in New Zealand.

Honorary Rangers.

"The Government has helped us in removing the.protection on stoats and weasels and in granting us the'right to increase.our fishing and shooting fees," says the annual report of the Wellington . Acclimatisation Society. "It has not yet, however, seen fit to put the'question of opossum revenue, on an assured basis so that we can anticipate our revenue-and budget accordingly; also it has not moved in the matter of making all honorary'rangers' warrants lapse after three years— a reform; that we consider essential before we are prepared to recommend any further appointments."

'Shooting Licences Increase. The number of shooting licences issued up till May 18 this year is 1324, as against 1200 for the complete season last year. As the licence fee has been increased to 25s from £1, this'means that nearly £1700 has been paid, already, with the prospect of a few more licences being taken out, as against i£l2oo for the whole of last season. This- is attributed partly to the better prospects of securing game, which has been fully proved so far, and to, the fact that everybody, now has more leisure, and apparently more money for sport. ■/

Obsolete Telephones.

, "Some people appear to think "that one should not use the telephone merely for a chat, but should reserve' it for business use," said a speaker in Ruatoria when addressing the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones); on what he described as the totally obsolete type of telephone instruments nailed to the walls of most settlers' homes ( in the Waiapu Valley,' says the "Poverty Bay Herald." "I cannot agree that a man or woman should not use the telephone for social purposes, as often ahd as' long as he or she wishes," he continued. "It is the unwritten law about here that the womenfolk have the use of the telephone during jthe day for social purposes, and thai the men have it in the evening^. It should be possible to sitdown.in comfort and carry on a conversation, instead pf having to stand up to reach the level of the horn on an antiquated instrument that must.have come ashore .with the surfboats in the old days, or up the coast by bullock wagons." The PostmasterGeneral agreed with, the speaker, that everything possible should be done to improye'not only the technical.side of the service, but also to render it more convenient for the public use.