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Evening Star, Issue 23368, 11 September 1939, Page 6

Shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday the City Fire Brigade was called to 35 Crown street, North-east Valley, where a pan of fat in an oven had caught alight. There was no damage. At 8.55 p.m. a malicious false alarm from the box at the corner of Tennyson and Smith streets was answered.

The stupidity of fast motor car driving on a surface carrying a thick spread of shingle was unpleasantly brought homo" to a motorist, his passenger, and two pedestrians on the top road to Povtobello yesterday afternoon. The ear skidded violently on a bend at a high speed, careered out of control towards the two pedestrians, slewed to the other side of the road when within 15yds of them, hit a watertable, and then went into a series of skids before it followed an orthodox course. Several persons who saw this episode unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the registration number of the vehicle. In the exhibit buildings of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition the flooring covers an area of approximately 16 acres, and the great majority of the flooring has been made from New Zealand timber Some indication of the amount of flooring used can be had from the fact that if it were made into a 12in plank it would reach 1,704 miles, which is nearly 500 miles further than from Wellington to Sydney.

Testimony to tho high standard of efficiency displayed by the various teams which took part in tho annual ambulance competitions of the Hillside Hail way Ambulance Division on’ Saturday was paid by Colonel Barclay (Chief Commissioner for tho Dominion), who expressed to Divisional Superintendent Penson his appreciation of tho work. Never (ho said) had he seen competing teams show a greater and more intelligent interest in the tasks which had been set them. The chief commissioner also congratulated Mr Penson on the fact that tho division had been able to secure tho services of Mr W. L. M'Evoy as president. He was a gentleman who had long identified himself with first aid work, and was a warm supporter of St. John.

Tito largest plateglass windows ever constructed in New Zealand are an architectural feature of the Australian Pavilion at tho Exhibition. Tho plateglass, over the main doorway has an area of 1,125 scpiare feet. This is exceeded, however, in the facade of the composite window at the north end or the building. Tho glass in this structure totals 2,520 square feet. Inside the facade a spiral staircase leading from tho main floor to the cultural exhibit can he seen from tho outside of the building.

“ The position of students of the University of New Zealand who may be called on for service within or beyond New Zealand has already been given serious consideration,” said the registrar (Mr I. F. M'Kenzie), in a statement to-night. “As the statutes of the University require the approval of the Governor-General-in-Council, no relaxation of the rules govejyiing tho courses and examinations can be granted without proper authority. Representations wore, however, made early last week in order that the necessary legislation on the lines of that introduced in the Great War might bo approved at an early date. As soon as the position is clearly defined tho university will issue a full statement to the colleges and students.” “ Some children are placed in great danger when allowed to use electrical connections in school for the purposes of putting on a kettle,” said Mr J. “ . Mudford at tho last meeting of tho Wanganui Education Board. Mr Mudford said that the children did not know how to use tho electrical connections properly, and at one school he went into he was horrified to find au electrical connection with the plug of flex connected to a plug in tho wall and the other end lying in a pool of water. ‘ It anyone had picked! up that cord they would have been in danger of being electrocuted,” he said. The board’s secretary, Mr G. N. Boulton, was instructed to send a letter to school committees pointing out tho danger of letting children use the electrical connections.

Having received an unexpected dig in the nape of the neck, and also had his hat tilted forward to an undignified angle hy a push from the rear, a passenger m a tramcar had occasion while on ’liis way homo from work one day to consider the unmannerliiiess of some users of the trams (says the Auckland ‘Star’). Reflecting that it was not ever thus, ho looked about him andi observed that there was not the accustomed orderliness about the way which those who were reading newspapers handled their sheets. Some of these readers quite unselfishly opened the papers out full width, giving tram mates sitting abreast of them a glimpse of the latest war news as a compensation for having their comfort cramped by the extended elbows of the news reader. Of course, this compensation was; not shared by the man ,in front, whose neck was alternately tickled and scraped, and whose hat was poked awry by the projecting edges of the newspaper. The courtesy of the road has developed a certain tram technique in newspaper reading, which apparently is unknown to those alien motorists unused to the restricted conditions of the public vehicles. At this time last week, one ladies’ hairdresser in Dunedin gazed ruefully into his cash register, which recorded the extent of his business for the day. His turnover was barely enoudi to cover working expenses for the 24 hours, let alone pay wages. After the sensational news received over the radio on the Sunday, few housewives left their homes to have their toilet completed, apparently, but maintained touch with world events very closely. Business returned to normal on tho Tuesday.

Reference to the possibilities of the fruit-canning industry in Hawke’s Bay was made by Mr J. Wattle in an address on secondary industries at last week’s luncheon of the Napier Rotary Club. The establishment in Napier of a factory for canning asparagus was being planned, he said, and the vegetable could be grown on a large area of Harbour Board land near the Taradale road. Tomatoes, peas, and apricots could also be grown, and this would be a great asset to the district and would be utilising the land in the best possible way. Investigations conducted over the past three years have proved that satisfactory crops of linen flax can he grown over a wide area of the South Island and that the fibre yield and fibre quality are satisfactory (states the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research). Numerous trials have been conducted in co-operation with the fields division of the Department of Agriculture. Private building construction in Now Plymouth has been brought almost to a standstill owing to the craftsmen being needed_ urgently for special national service (says the ‘ Taranaki Herald ’). However, it is stressed that this service is of a temporary nature only, and that when the services of tho men are no longer needed on this special work normal building activity in New Plymouth will be resumed. All arrangements for tho utilisation of the services of building tradesmen in combined work were made through the Taranaki Master Builders’ Association, and it is stated that every builder responded wonderfully to the call. No indication can bo given of the length of time for which tho services of building craftsmen will be required, but builders stress that the hold-up of private building is only temporary and that this will be resumed as soon as possible.

“ There is a submarine off the New Plymouth coast.” was the excited comment in New Plymouth one morning last week. Others decided that the large dark object moving under the surface was a whale, but all guesses were proved wrong. Close scrutiny through powerful field glasses proved the object of excitement to be a large school of big fish, probably porpoises. The shoal, which had the appearance of a large, dark, underwater object, was sighted off Kawaroa Park, not very farout beyond the rocks that border the coast at this point. Soon quite a crowd had gathered to watch the sea and to speculate as to the origin of the dark patch. It did not take long for rumours to start, but these were stopped effectively when a close scrutiny from a point of vantage revealed a shoal of •!0 to 40 largo fish which appeared to bo porpoises. Odd porpoises arc occasionally seen off New Plymouth, but a shoal of this size is unusual.—‘ Taranaki Herald.’

Relief- has come to tho motoring community through the announcement that 10 gallons of petrol a month will be available to them from Friday next. This morning the city streets were very nearly like old times in the number of cars to bo seen. Certainly they were not being run about to any marked extent, but parking places were well patronised. Ton gallons spread over a month will not permit of very much joy riding, and it appears as if the cars will bo used only for essential purposes or for bringing business folk in and out of town. Yesterday few cars were on the road, and hardly any of those indulged in long" running. The fewness of touring cars was most apparent because yesterday was easily the best Sunday experienced in Dunedin for many months, and under ordinary circumstances the roads would have boon extremely busy. To be or not to bo. That is the problem agitating the Dunedin Master Butchers’ Association in so far as tho increase in the price of meat is concerned. A desire on the part of the association to advance tho price of fresh meat was frowned upon the Government. Under the emergency regulations, butchers were told, they could not increase the price to the consuming public, this despite au advance in the price of fat stock.-] at tho weekly sales. The decision of the Government to release a certain amount of chilled meat originally intended for the United Kingdom, for local Dominion consumption, will not materially lessen the demand for fresh meat, butchers say, and they are nob disposed to sell at a loss. With a view to getting blip whole matter reconsidered, tho president of the Association (Mr B. S. Vercoe) left this morning for Wellington, to put the butchers’ side before tho authorities. The enthusiasm of many golfers in the city was tested yesterday—the first Sunday on which tho restrictions on petrol'for private motor cars wore in operation (says the Christchurch ‘ Press ’). The restrictions did not prevent many members of the Christchurch Club from playing at Shirley, for, instead of the many cars which usually lino tho parking area, there were bicycles of varying ages propped against tho clubhouse. It was obvious that many of the bicycles had not been ridden for many years, one member arriving on a machine 41 years old.

“ Tho training school for the school dental service in Wellington is very efficiently mu, and the New Zealand method of handling dental problems in school children is the most complete and effective one I have yet met with,” said Dr Eugene Schmitt, a New York dentist, who is visiting Christchurch, in an interview with a * Press ’ reporter last evening. Dr Schmitt emphasised the need, which has lately been discussed by the New Zealand Dental Association, for pre-natal care, and attention to young children, to ensure good teeth. He said that there was a tendency to neglect tho teeth of children, parents hesitating to pay the necessary dental fees. “ But I doubt whether, under the present economic structure, tho average man will ever get enough money to pay for adequate dental care,” he said. Outstanding items on Dr Galway’s programme on the Town Hall organ last night were Franck’s ‘ Piece Heroique,’ a finely dramatic work handsomely embellished by tho executant, the vigorous ‘ Fanfare ’ of Lemmens, Elgar’s lovely ‘ Lullaby,’ and the same composer’s inspiring ‘ Pomp and Circumstance ’ march. Other pleasing offerings were Guilmant’s ‘ Priere et Berceuse ’ and Wesley’s ‘ Holsworthy Church Bolls.’ Miss Ruby White, solo pianist, played very acceptably two movements of Mozart’s ‘ Concerto in B Flat,’ the orchestral accompaniment being given on the organ.