NEWS OF THE DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1927, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY

SPREADING THE NEAVS. In America they have a way of waving their handkerchiefs to give vent to the feelings of the moment. The average New Zealander finds it more satisfying to throtv his hat into space, while there are soliie who make use of whistles, drums and other incidentals, and in parts of South •Africa the tribesmen lustily beat their tom-toms to announce an important event. Among tho tramwaymen in Auckland on election evening tlie gong served for much the same purpose, when the result of the Raglan hv-elec-tion became known. “AVon by over a hundred!” shouted a motorman, and he kicked up the gong with special vigour. Other trams took up the signal and in a short time it was soon common knowledge that the Raglan had been won by Labour. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. An investigation has disclosed that tlie colomn on Puponga Point, Cornwallis Park, which was struck by lightning during a thunder-storm early in the week, has been more seriously damaged than was at first supposed. The column has been cracked in a vertical direction, hut the base has escaped injury. So far the authorities have not decided what repairs are necessary. Cornwallis Park, an area of 1927 acres was a gift to the city by the late Mr John Aritchell McLachlan, a condition being that the Auckland City Council should erect a monument tp the Scots settlers who arrived in the ship Brilliant, and landed there on October 29, 1841. Tho late Air. AlcLashlan was horn at Cornwallis. The monument, was unveiled by Sir James Gunson on February 19. 1919.

DIMMING OF HEADLIGHTS. To dim or not to dim is a question which Air Tate, S.AI., discussed at a sitting of the New Plymouth Court, expressing the opinion that if anyone dimmed the other man was hound out of courtesy to do so. Tho magistrate was careful to first explain that lie was not a motorist himself. If ho were, he would have been more diffident about expressing an opinion upon what' ,s a very vexed question. Experienced and careful motorists have repeatedly declared that there arc occasions on which it would he exceedingly risky to dim lights when passing a car which had also dimmed, and just as risky under different circumstances and conditions of weather and road not, to dim. The magistrate himself lias laid it down that the motorist who cannot see ahead of him owing to the dazzle of an approaching car ought to stop. If both dim in conditions preventing clear vision, they would, according to tlie magistrate’s dictum have to stop, or he liable for any accident resulting should they proceed. In the case under the Court’s review it would seem that both motorists exercised a measure of care and consideration for the other, yet not sufficient to prevent a slight collision.

MAORI SUPERSTITION. Tlie AVanganui Alaoris aiuP their cousins in Poverty Bay have something in common. “Another instance of ALion superstition is evidenced in the plans of a new Maori Anglican Church to be erected at AVangara (states tlie “Poverty Bay Herald”). In tlie specifications no part, such as windows or rafters, is to built in odd numbers. There must ho two, four of six windows on either side; seats must he provided in even numbers in fact, throughout everything has to be divisible by two.” In connection with this matter, an occurence hearing on the same superstition took place at Pari kino, AA'anganui River, last year, when some of tlie young men Greeted a frame for a tent which was to serve as a dining room during the visit of a football team. AVlien tho top was completed one of tlie elders noticed that there was an odd number of rafters and studs. “This sort of thing will never do,” they said, and tho covering had to be taken off and an extra rafter and stud put in. And so the gods were satisfied.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. “One of the most salient points in favour of the workers is compulsory preference to unionists,” states the annual report of the Auckland Employers’ Association. “This is one of tho burning questions raised by the farming community, who have recently passed resolutions asking that this privilege to unions ho abolished. On the face of recent happening it appears grossly unfair to confer such a privilege on any body of workers, unless it could he accompanied by an enforceable condition that the unions so privileged must guarantee to the employers a. fair return for wages paid. The . only fair wage basis is payment for value received, whilst as a matter of practice the minimum wage awarded by the Arbitration Court is based oil the maximum capacity of the skilled worker. Tins not only destroys all enterprise and incentive on the part of the worker, but its operation relieves all workers of the necessity of striving to earn the wages they must be paid, and tends to reduce the output down to the capacity of the least skilled workers.

VALUE OF FORESTS. “No race can exist long without forests,” states the New Zealand Bird Protection Society in a report. 11 New Zealand our forests are being destroyed at a far greater rate than thev are being replaced by exotics. Our indigenous' forests are vital as a regulation to climatic condition. Lack of a sufficiency of forests produces a harsh, hard, barren atmosphere, uitli extremes of rain, drought and wind, conditions unsuitable to the economic use of our soil. Much of our land is extremely steep, and the soil, being of a friable nature, is very subject to erosion. Our birds arc necessary to the existence of our forests and to the existence of our pastoral and agricultural industries in no uncertain manner. We are destroying our heritages bequeathed to us by Nature. It took our forest thousands and thousands of years to | produce the soil on our hills. Are we I living on our capital and calling it profit, and will there be a day of reckoning when budgets refuse to balance and our eroded and insect-infested lands refuse to yield a sufficiency ? Surely it is the duty of every New Zealand citizen to help to safeguard our heritage.”