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Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 10

“ A.E.S.” sends us 10s for dependants of the Huntly mine victims. The principle of establishing wet canteens in the military camps was approved by the executive of the'Dannevirke R.S.A.—Press Association.

At the commemorative dinner celebrating the arrival of the pioneer sailing ship Tory at Petone, many tributes were paid to the courage and vision of the early settlers, but when Mr Justice Blair proposed the toast of the Maori race he humorously challenged the justification for those tributes. He conceded that the voyage of the Tory was “ quite a good performance,” but he saidl it was a Cook’s tour. A far better performance ivas Kupe’s trip from Hawaiki, with no sextant but a calabash with a hcfie in it, and no chrono : meter but the skies. "That was a very much greater performance than that of any of you people who boast, and have been boasting all night, of what a wonderful performance it was taking the risk of coming to a country that was already settled by a very much better people than those who came to settle it,” said His Honour. The Government motor ship Maui Pomare, which'is now in a New Zealand port, experienced engine room trouble during her recent voyage. Assistance was rendered by the Government lighthouse steamer, Matai. Mr Langstone, Minister in charge of External Affairs, states that the mishap was in no way due to any malicious interference with the vessel’s machinery, that there was no injury to crew or to vessel, and that the fruit- ,cargo which was being brought to New Zealand was landed in good condition. The Minister added that the publication of these facts should completely dispose of the somewhat alarming rumours which had been current regarding the Maui Pomare.— Parliamentary reporter.

Opossum trapping on the slopes of Mount Egmont this season has been phenomenally successful and returns by trappers show a total of over 3,000 skins for the six weeks’ operations. The bags have been varied by _ the catching, in addition, of three kiwis, many goats, a dog, 420 rats, several catsj 37 weasels, a rabbit, wekas, and —a crayfish. This last catch was the captive of an opossum taken, and was of the fresh-water variety.

At the annual meeting, of the Otago Cricket Association last night the president (Mr A. H. Allen), in referring to the war situation, said that they were all proud to think that Great Britain was still a -protector of the weak against the strong, and was still ready to make sacrifices for that purpose. New Zealand was proud, also, to be associated with the Mother Country in her fight for Poland’s rights. There were some people, added Mr Allen, who questioned the policy of continuing to play cricket while the war was on, but he believed that it was best that the game should proceed. Cricket was a recreation, and those who took part in it would, if they were among those who joined the forces, play the game on the battle field as well and truly as they had done on the cricket field. A claim that the establishment of wet canteens would militate against future enlistments and would cause parents to deter young men from joining was made by the Auckland Ministers’ Association in a resolution which has been forwarded to the Government. The association strongly urged the Defence Department to maintain its policy of keeping all military camps free from intoxicating liquor.

A prediction that there would be a further increase in the price of petrol was made at Hastings by Mr .1. P. O. Skoglund, No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority. Freight rates were Doutul to rise in the benzine industry itself. Mr Skoglund said, and consequently the. retail price of the commodity would have to be increased. In the United States the price of petrol had been increased by two cents and it followed that there must bo another rise in New Zealand.

A resident of Greymouth has reported to the Forest and Bird Protection Society that several times he has seen native pigeons served l as “ young duck ” in inland hotels of the West Coast. The society has received many other complaints'from trustworthy correspondents that poaching of native pigeons is carried on hy many persons who raid the forests of the West Coast. A statement from the society says that similar pitiless killing of the birds goes on in parts of Nelson province, the Northland, andi other districts. “ These continued breaches of the law are a reminder of the urgent need of better management of wiki life. By present signs the native pigeon seems to be doomed to the fate of the American pigeon, which formerly thrived in countless millions, and is now extinct—wiped out by pot-hunters,” the statement said.

Fat sheep prices opened slightly easier than last week’s market at the Burnside sale but soon improved to be firm on recent rates. Extra prime heavy wethers made to 44s 6d ; prime, 38s to 40s; medium, 29s to 31s; light and unfinished, 21s to 24s 6d; extra prime heavy ewes, to 3os; prime, 29s to 31s; medium, 22s to 2oa ; light and unfinished, los to 20s. There was a yarding of seven spring lambs. The best, from the Milton district, realised 30s to 34s 6d.

1 Proprietary medicines are excluded from the list of drugs which, under the terms of the Pharmacy Bill, may only be sold by registered pharmacists. Reporting on the measure to the House, the Public Health Committee stated that it had received an assurance from the Minister of Industries and Commerce that this committee would be consulted before any change was made in the provisions of the law relating to proprietary medicines, though the Bill, as reported, empowers the Minister to raalte changes in this respect after giving notice m the Gazette. The committee recommended that the Bill be allowed to proceed with some amendments, the most important, being that persons exempted from the restrictive provisions in respect to the sale of drugs, will include any person who, at the commencement of the Act, was a member of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists.—Parliamentary reporter. Public libraries in Christchurch and its suburbs are going to take action against the borrower who docs not return books. At recent meetings of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Library Association complaints have been made of subscribers who had deliberately retained books beyond the limit, and even some who had refused to return borrowed hooks. Now the branch has decided to follow the example of sports clubs and set up a defaulters’ list, if library committees in its district will co-operate. The committees will be circularised, and it is hoped that a means will he Found to stop the nuisance. The proposal is that a list hearing the names of ail borrowers who have defaulted should be dis-. played in the libraries, which would refuse to lend books to them. Some' New Zealanders, who have scant knowledge of their native trees, have a notion that totaras and kauris will not thrive in loneliness, states a bulletin issued by the Forest and Bird Protection Society. Of course, they like to live in splendid companies, but they can flourish as solitary landmarks. Here and there in the Northland one sees a majestic kauri that has escaped the fate of steel and fire—a noble survivor whose trunk is ever coveted by sawmillers for conversion into board timber. In the Northland, too. may be seen separate puriris, each with its own great dome of verdure in a dairying field. In valleys of Akaroa one sees isolated white pines, totaras, and other natives, which farmers have happily spared. Similar lonely natives stand as towers of beauty in many other districts. Of course, the ability of smaller trees, such as the kowhai. pohutukawa, ngaio, matipo, and others to grow strongly In solitary state is well known.

Caught by a strong north-easterly gust as she was negotiating the steamer basin by Victoria wharf about 6.30 last night, the 1,500-ton motor vessel Port Tauranga, engaged in the inter colonial trade, was swung from her course and rammed a sandbank, where her nose became stuck fast. It was dead low water. Not until about 2 o’clock this morning, when the tide was almost full, was she able to he extricated from the bank and proceeded on her way. As she left the Victoria wharf ■ about 6.20 p.m., the _ Port Tauranga was a light ship, travelling in ballast. This contributed materially to the accident, as she presented a big surface to the wind, which was of sufficient strength to take early control, while her water resistance was lessened considerably by her being without cargo. She was swung around, her head verted off towards Vnuxhall, then she went aground within 20 yards of a marking pile, striking lightly, hut with enough force to imbed her in the sand.

If it is possible, the petrol rationing scheme will be relaxed during December and January to allow New Zealanders to enjoy their normal holiday routine. This was indicated by the Oil Fuel Controller (Mr G. L. Laurenson) in reply to a question submitted 'by the Christchurch* ‘ Press ’ about the prospect of motorists securing enough petrol to embark on motoring holidays. Mr Laurenson’s letter states; “I can assure you that I am most anxious to see that both the commercial community and the private user are interfered with as little as possible through the oil rationing scheme. _ You will realise, of course, that it is essential for me to know what regular shipments from overseas can be expected, and if it is at all possible arrangements will be made for the scheme to be relaxed over the holiday period. Yon will, no doubt, appreciate that at this stage I am quite unable to indicate to what extent his can be done.” The annual university degree and diploma examinations will be held from Monday, October 30, to November 17. and they will be followed a fortnight later by the matriculation and junior university scholarship examinations. The annual terras tests for Otago University students will be held from October 2 to October 12.