NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 155, 29 December 1938, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

One Out of Seven. It may have been due to an inferiority complex, or' to acceptance of, a preordained fate, but whatever the cause, six out of seven runners were not prepared to go to the mark in the 660 yards handicap against the New Zealand middle distance.champion, V. P. Boot, at the Hokitika sports on Boxing Day, states the "Christchurch StarSun." And what of the seventh? .He was G. Davidson, a boy from the local school. Empire Games champions held no terrors for him, even though older runners were overawed. Davidson, with a start of 85 "yards, led for ,half the distance and Boot for the rest! Centennial Art Exhibition. It has been decided to arrange a big exhibition of British and Continental art during the Centennial period. Mrs. Murray Fuller, who with her late husband has on several previous occasions been responsible for collections of pictures brought out to New Zealand, has been entrusted with the task of-making a selection, and she i leaving by the Akaroa for England immediately. It is intended to arrange for a collection of some 700 pictures, representing contemporary .art, and t'->e exhibition will easily be the most ambitious ever staged in New Zealand. This international exhibition has been arranged by the trustees of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Musewia. Fast Trip to Russell* Leaving Dunedin at 8.30 in the morning, a party from this city arrived at RasseJj the saiae evening, 13 hours being taken on the journey. This is j stated to be the fastest trip made be-; tween the two places, states the "Otago, Daily Times." Desiring to take the fullest advantage *of the time at their disposal on the deep-sea fishing grounds, Messrs. S. C. Sutherland. W. E. C. Reid, and J. S. Monro travelled by aeroplane to Auckland on Friday, arriving in the afternoon. There a fourth member, Mr. F. E. Ward, of Wellington, joined the party,' which continued by car to Russell. After arrival at Russell at 9.30 p.m., the members of the party went by launch to the fishing camp at Otehei Bay.

New Year's Eve Business. "New Year's Eve, which in this case is represented by tomorrow night, is never a busy shopping night," said the manager of a Wellington drapery firm today. "We have already allowed twenty of our girls to go off on holiday," he added. Motor Campers Return. The unseasonable weather encountered at various holiday resorts north of Wellington has so disgusted motor campers that many have returned home rather than continue their holiday under canvas in such uncomfortable conditions. The use made of motor camps has been considerably reduced over the -holiday period. Novel Celebration. A novel celebration to mark the close of the second school year at Pirongia, Auckland Province, was a Maori hangi prepared by the boys and girls, who entertained their parents. In the hangi were 561b of potatoes, 201b of pork, 61b of beef. 71b of sausages, and large quantities of silver beet and cabbage. American Travel. The facilitation of travel between the United States, Canada, and South America- will, be discuSsec" at the first Inter-American Travel Congress to be held during the Golden Gate International Exposition from April 14 to 21 next. Sponsored by the Pan-Ameri-can Union, it will attract more than 1000 official delegates. It will be the first concerted effort of Governmental and private interests to stimulate travel between the two continents. It will be the purpose of the congress lo abolish "red-tape" restrictions. Besides delegates from each, Government, there will, be \present. /representatives oi steamship companies,'railroads, air and bus lines, automobile clubs, chambers of commerce, touring clubs and agencies, and other interests allied to travel. Preference in 5 Choral Music.

; Voting papers were recently issued by the Royal Wellington Choral Union with a view to ascertaining the most popular of the fourteen major choral works available to the union. These votes have now been counted and Gounod's "Faust" heads the. list. This opera has been' sung in concert form on several previous occasions and, in view of the vote, will probably" be repeated at one of next year's concerts. Mendelssohn's "Elijah" and Balfe's "Bohemian Girl" tied for second place; and Mascagni's opera, "Cavalleria Rusticana," and Haydn's oratorio, "The Creation," tied for fourth place. Then followed, in^ the order named, Elgar's "Dream of' Gerontius," a programme of grand opera excerpts, Wallace's "Maritana," Vaughan Williams's "Sea Symphony," Donizetti's opera, "Lucia di Lammermoor," Handel's oratorio, "Judas Macabeus," Haydn's oratorio, "The Seasons," Handel's oratorio, "Samson," and Elgar's cantata, "King Olaft"