NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 2, 3 January 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Gaming Act Charge Alfred James Dewar, of Palmerston North, appeared before Major J. T. Bosworth, J.P., yesterday, charged with, keeping premises as a common gaming house. He was remanded till January S on bail to the amount of £IOO. Seventh Day Adventists’ Camp In a self-contained canvas township, over 800 members of the Seventh Day Adventist Conference are encamped at the Epsom Show Grounds at Auckland for a gathering that has been held annually since 1889. Housed in neat linos of well-equipped tents, obtaining food and cooked meals from a communal kitchen and assembling in huge marquees for services and meetings, tho campers are practically independent of outside facilities. How Times Change! “Fiddlesticks!” criod a man who went into a Dunedin music store to buy four violin strings and was charged 5s 9d, when, years ago, he had paid but (id each for them. He was assured that times were different now, and he agreed heartily, remarking: “Why, I remember the time when I bought a second-hand fiddle —and a good one it was —for 7s; and it had four good strings." The shopman ventured to suggest that at the time stated music must have been “in tho air,” or, maybe there was a plague of cats, causing the market to be gutted, or glutted. Surplus Zoo Stock Through export difficulties on account of the war the Auckland Zoo has temporarily lost an important source of income from the sale of surplus stock overseas. In the past the zoo has sold considerable numbers of animals and birds abroad, the transactions not only proving remunerative but also resulting in additional space being available for new stock. Zoos in Australia, in the United states and Canada, and in England and Germany have been customers and such animals us hippopotami have brought attractive figures. Among surplus stock now at the zoo arc a large number of native kcaa. Soviet Flag in Contennial Display The inclusion of the emblem of Soviet Russia among the flags of various nations used as part of the Centennial decorations at tho Auckland Chief Post Office, Queen Street, causod some unfavourable comment among passers-by. The rod flag with the device of a star over a hammer and sickle was among thoso flying from one of the pylons that have been erected on the footpath outside the post office. After flying for some time the Soviet flag was removed and replaced by that of tho Republic of Panama. It was stated that the change was made because it was decided to replace tho particular row of. flags with larger ones. The Scots and Air Rains Rev. J. Lamb Harvey, formerly of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Auckland, writing from Dufftown, Scotland, says that the courage of tin* people in' the north of Scotland, where some of the early uir raids took place, is something to admire. The Scots have a very firm faith in the justice of the Allied cause, and think that despite the attacks made upon them, with so little result, they arc being protected in some Divine way. Many of .the crofter folk cannot understand, writes Mr. llarvey, why their isolated, quiet villages have been singled out by the Germans, because nothing is further from their thoughts than a desire for war. A Profitable Cow Over 20 years old, looking in splendid milking condition and still producing 401 b. of milk a day, with a 4.1 test. That is tho record of Maori, a Jersey grade cow, bred by her owner, Mr. W. H. Butler, ltahotu, in Taranaki. It is a refreshing record, particularly in these days, when heavy replacement costs in herds are such a disquieting feature of dairy farming. Maori nearly finished her career when she was only three or four days old, for at that stage she slipped on tho concrete floor of the shed and broke one of her hocks. Mr. Butler was just about to kill her when by a fortunate chance Mr. R. B. Wood, well-known veterinarian, walked into the shed. He put tho broken log in splints and bound it, with the result that Maori made a good recovery, though the effect of her acidcnt is still noticeable in her walk to-day.

Queen Stops Film A newsreel picture of the Queen making her Armistice Night broadcast so displeased the Queen wheu she saw it that she insisted on all copic.i sent abroad being stopped and remade. By tho last-minute decision some copies were taken off ships and aeroplanes carrying them to tho United States and other countries. The film had aroused much unfavourable comment among British cinema audionces. It was generally agreed that no in re unflattering portrait of the Queen had ever been circulated. It was explained that the trouble was caused by unsatisfactory lighting arrangements at the Palace. The light throw a deep shadow on the Queen’s lips, giving the appearance of a moustache. The camera had also caught tho Queen at a very unfavourable angle. Guard Against Mine 3 One of the many defensive steps against the danger of war at sea shown among shipping on the Auckland waterfront has been the use of the paravane, a protection against mines, which has appeared on a few overseas vessels visiting the i>ort. One liner has a large paravane boom at her bow with a number of paravanes stacked in readiness on dock. The paravane is an ingenious apparatus for sweeping up submarine mines and rendering them harmless, in appearance it resembles a short, squut torpedo fitted with large fins and serrated steel jaws which cut through the stout mooring cables of a mine. Wheu required the paravanes are rushed to the forecastle and made fast to the boom, which is swung in front of the ship. Once in the water the paravanes dive and remain at a depth of many feet, while the action of the fins causes them to stream out from the ship. If tho taut paravane wire makes contact with a mine cable the cable is deflected into the toothed jaws and instantly severed. Wheu the released mine comes io the surface, it can be suni by gunfire*