NEWS OF THF DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THF DAY

Friendly Pipit The native ground lark, or pipit, is commonly regarded as being fond of human companionship, says a writer in a magazine devoted to aspects of New Zealand bush life. What really attracts the bird is the number of flies and other insects disturbed from the vegetation by the pedestrian's movements.

Unusual Mishap Something unusual in mishaps befell a lady motorist in the Hamilton district last week. She was driving a small car with a suitcase on the carrier at the rear. It became detached, falling on to the road, and was dragged for miles. The car was travelling at a good speed, and it was not long before the bottom of the case became worn through. Several new frocks were torn to shreds. Commercial papers were strewn to the four winds of heaven, and some jewellery was lost. It was an irate lady who when pulled up surveyed the damage.

Poor Peach Season Stone fruit has suffered severely from brown rot in most fruit-grow-ing districts this season, and Auckland retailers report a large percentage of losses in purchases. One affected peach will often convert a case of good-conditioned fruit one day into a dead loss the next. All good quality peaches have been bringing the ceiling fixed price at the city markets. No local nectarines have been marketed this year, and those arriving from the south show a large amount of ripe rot. Early varieties of stone fruit, which were, harvested mostly before the dry spell broke, were in excellent condition.

The Argonauts A centre of attraction at the popular Mission Bay Beach on Sunday was a small boxlike punt, equipped with single sail and handled by two 12-year-old boys, who launched their craft in fairly choppy water and were delighted when they found it did not leak. They sailed up and down the beach all the afternoon, encouraged by pushes from bathers and shouts from people on the beach While unfavourable comment on their boat by adults was received eood humouredly, the two yachtsmen were quick to resent taunts from those of their own age.

Freakish Weather February and March are, as a rule, the driest and warmest months of the year in Wellington. This year they are proving themselves to be among the most freakish. Last week the district was visited by one of the most severe southerly gales experienced for 12 months, and heavy rain fell in the capital. A month ago the hillsides, lawns and grassed playing arpas were parched up. To-day they are as green as in spring. Though there was a very warm spell in February, fires were lighted on Friday and Saturday, when conditions were wintry.

"Jtequest Book" A special request book which handles any reasonable request a member of the forces cares to make is one of the popular services provided by the Anzac Club in New York. Lieutenant Ivan Curd, of Devonport, who has returned home after three years' service in the Navy, said that one serviceman from "Down Under" wanted to meet an anthropologist, while others wanted to visit an orchid farm, a bottling , factory and the New York fire department. Almost every man may make three or four requests, and in the period during which the service has been in operation more than 50,000 requests have been attended to.

South Island Main Trunk The first trial run with one of the two new 75-ton locomotives was made over the new 23-mile Clai'ence Bridge-Kaikoura section of the South Island Main Trunk railway on Friday. The locomotive came down with the ordinary passenger train from Blenheim to Clarence Bridge, the present northern terminus, and then came on to Kaikoura with a load of coal and some trucks of miscellaneous goods for the use of the Works Department. The train arrived about 12.40 p.m., and after the engine had been turned on the newly-built turntable, the train left about 1.10 p.m. •on the return journey. Satisfaction with the condition of the track was expressed by Mr. L. L. Meadowcroft, resident engineer of the Works Department at Kaikoura, who went over the line with the train to Aniseed during the return trip to Clarence Bridge. It is expected that another trial run will be made over the line this week with a large sheep train.