NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Departing Footballers. The New Zealand Association football representatives for the Australian tour assembled in Wellington yesterday. They leave to-day by the Wanganella for Sydney. The team was entertained at dinner by the New Zealand Football Association Council yesterday evening. A Martial Insect. "The weta," writes an opossum trapper to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, "kills every tree it feeds on." Shrubs and saplings are killed in hundreds by the weta, which (he adds) has no natural enemy. He states that "the black I borer" is as bad. In spots in the bush wetas are found in hundreds. A big weta with his appendages outstretched can be 9in long. After 00 years of white settlement wetas are still in Wellington suburbs. They seem to be able to live in the earth as well as in bore-holes in saplings. Nothing attacks a weta in his lair. He is more possessing than prepossessing. Free Passes Withdrawn. A surprising request to the Auckland Rugby League last night came from some unemployed workers' associations, j.sking that the system of free admission of unemployed to Carlaw Park football matches on Saturday be changed to a small fixed charge. The reason for the request was the discovery that the free passes issued had been subject to abuse, by sale and traffic. The League agreed to withdraw the free passes, and to impose a small fixed charge to those who produced levy cards. Motor Car Headlights. The proportion of motor cars in Auckland with headlights which do not conform to the regulation standard was reported at the meeting of the council of the Automobile Association last evening to be greater than ever before. The president commented approvingly on the fact that 479 headlights had been adjusted between 0 April 4 and 7, but that there were still many offenders against the regulation prohibiting glaring lights, which constituted a danger, particularly in wet weather. Library Windfall. Beneficiary under an art union, the Devonport Public Library received as its share £1000, which is now in the possession of the trustees. The annual report of the controlling committee, presented to last night's meeting of the borough council, stated that it was too early yet to put the money to practical use. It was earmarked for building purposes, and the new structure would be erected later on. Messrs. W. D. Meiklejohn and E. H. Little were appointed to represent the council on the committee. A Gargantuan Pumpkin. An outsize in pumpkins was found on the farm of Mr. J. Jack man at Mercury Bay. So big was it that Mr. Stan Bryce, the manager of the estate, decided to weigh it. Taken to the Mercury Bay Dairy Company's factory scales at Wliitianga, the pumpkin, which was of the kumikumi variety, was found to weigh 85ill). It is over 3ft long, and Mercury Bay residents are just wondering if this is not a record. Certain it is that no cooking vessel other than the whale oil try-pots of long ago would be capable of holding it entire. Local Bodies' Difficulties. Difficulties encountered by local authorities in their efforts to reduce rates were mentioned in a report which was placed before the One Tree Hill Borough Council at its meeting last evening. Owing to the statutory reduction of interest by 20 per cent as from April 1, a saving of £819 would be made on certain of the council's loans, but unfortunately that saving would be almost neutralised by the increased exchange payable on the London loan of £50,000. Had the London | loan been raised in New Zealand, it would have been subject to the 20 per cent reduction, or £600 per annum, in which case the ratepayers would have benefited by no less than £1350 over the present charges. That sum would have provided for an all-round reduction in rates of 2d in the £. Further Moa Relics. Most of the leg bones of a moa, a piece of the skull and one or two pieces of the backbone have been unearthed at a spot about 100 yards from the Omahu-Puketapu Road, about 12 miles from Napier. Following the report of the find, two members of the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, Dr. A. G. Clark and Mr. C. F. H. Pollock, journeyed to the spot. They found that all the segments were well preserved, and concluded from their size that the bird had been a large one belonging to the Dinornis maximum class. Dr. Clark stated that the specimens were very good ones, the one iinfortunate feature, howevr, being that there was no breastbone. He thought it possible that the finder, Mr. C. Tong, a drainlayer, might yet discover further portions of the skeleton. The discovery of. the bones was made when Mr. Tong was working at an unusual depth in the gorge drains. Street Collections. Towards the end of last year the Mount Eden Borough Council made a suggestion to other local bodies that, owing to their detrimental effect on business, street collections should not be permitted on Fridays. At that time the One Tree Hill Council approved the suggestion, but it was reported at last evening's meeting of that body that the result of the Mount Eden Council's appeal had not been disclosed. The opinion was expressed that action by two or three local authorities would only cause confusion. The council decided that the matter should be referred to the Suburban Local Bodies' Association, witli a recommendation that that body should approach the City Council a view to combined action being taken in the matter. "It is a good suggestion, and one which may bring unanimity," commented the Mayor, Mr. ( I. J. Goldstiue. Surplus of Tigers. Tigers thrive in Auckland, and there is a surplus of them at the Zoo, according to a statement made last evening by Mr. G. L. Taylor at the annual meeting of the Auckland Zoological Society. Had it not been for high freight rates, the excess stock would have been disposed pf to European purchasers. The price offered was £30 each for the larger specimens, and £25 each for the smaller, and they were all perfect specimens, said Mr. Taylor, who was chairman of the parks committee in the last City Council. If the permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs can be obtained, two spider monkeys at present on board the Danish motor ship Victoria, which was in Auckland some months ago, will be bought for the Zoo on the vessel's next visit to the port. The Minister refused the request formerly, but it is thought that all chances of introducing disease will be eliminated by the'"quarantine" of the animals for many months on the Victoria. A Perfect Gentleman. Among the fine collections of Maori heads by G. Lindauer in the Old Colonists' Museum is the portrait of one famous Maori, Renata Kawepo, with only one eye. He was chief of the Ngatiteupokoire tribe, of Hawke's Bay. •iiSVhen discussing the collection to-day, Mr. John Leech, whose hobby is art, recalled how Kawepo came to lose his right eye. "Lindauer, who afterwards told me the story, was in Kawepo's district with Sir Walter Buller getting suitable subjects for portraits," said Mr. Leech. "Sir Walter told Lindauer that the old chief was a perfect gentleman. At the . time of his injury Kawepo was engaging in an inter-tribal fight, and he was getting the. better of an enemy. He had him on the ground, and was about to dispatch him, when the man's wife came on the scene, and, ; putting her hand around the chief's head, gouged his eye out." Mr. Leech said that notwithstanding the excruciating pain he must have been suffering, Kawepo ordered his war party not to wreak vengeance on her, remarking that she was perfectly justified in protecting her husband in the manner she did. J