NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1945, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Back for More — and Got It Hooking a fine rainbow trout at Taupo recently on the fly, an angler had the pleasurable anticipations of a good fight and grassing his fish. The line, however, came back to him, somewhat to his surprise, because his gear was of the best. Examining his cast he found the fly gone, but nothing broken. It had apparently been imperfectly tied on. Two hours later, having fished other water, he came back, and at the first cast hooked a fish in the same place. This one, a very fine fish, he landed. When he came to take out the fly he found his lost fly fast in the trout's mouth. Fishermen's Obligations The fact that owners of registered fishing boats were obliged to forward to the Marine Department a return of' all fish, including oysters, caught from the craft, was mentioned during the hearing of a prosecution in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. It was pointed out that in the event of no fish being caught it was obligatory for the boat owner to furnish a "nil return," each owner being supplied with forms and envelopes at the time of registering his boat. t>. D Croad, of Point Chevalier, who appeared on four charges of failing to make a return, was fined il IU/ on each. Use for Young Sharks A novel use for young sharks has been adopted by a city professional man who is a regular fisherman during week-ends and holidays spent at his seaside cottage. A keen gardener also, he makes use of the fish for fertiliser purposes, burying them beneath fruit trees after taking the precaution of removing the livers the oil from which, it is Delieved, will kill plant life. Young sharks about live and six feet in length, which are fairly plentiful in the waiheke passage this year, are hooked comparatively easily, though they usually put up a good fight before being hauled into a boat. Gratuities for Servicemen

The opinion that the time had arrived tor the Government to announce its policy regarding gratuities for servicemen and service worn © was expressed in a remit from the Ohai sub-association, considered at the quarterly meeting of the district council of the Invercargill R.S.A. It was stated that Canada had already announced a gratuity of 2s a day for every day of service overseas. The Government had not indicated whether there would, be a gratuity or not, said Mr. A. Smith, the chairman. The announcement of a gratuity would be of considerable value to returned men. In many cases the gratuity would run into a considerable amount, and the men Avould be able to make their plans accordingly. The council decided to support the remit and forward it to the Dominion headquarters.

Lazy Bees There are all sorts of angles to gardening in the tropics. The Australian Army planned to make itself self-sufficient in vegetables in the Northern Territory, but the black native bees were found to be so lazy that crop pollination failed. So they imported bees from the south. The new arrivals worked so well on the large variety of flowering gums in the area that large quantities of honey are available for hospital patients. Catches of Kingfish Good catches of kingfish have been reported by fishermen during the last few weeks, especially in the lower reaches of the harbour and off the mouth of the Tamaki River. Residents of eastern suburbs have landed several good-sized fish recently, near the reefs off Mission Bay and St. Helier's, and also off Brown's Island. A favourite spot for landing an occasional "kingy" is off the bridge near , Ngapipi Road, on the Tamaki Drive, where large-sized fish of all types, including giant conger eels, are frequently caught. Farmers Satisfied Farmers in the Wairarapa are well satisfied with farming conditions this year. Fat lamb killings have been most satisfactory and weights well up. White-face lambs, which take longer to mature, will kill well next month if the present dry spell continues. Wheat crops are promising, and the heads are filling out. If the present favourable season continues a bumper harvest should result. Crops of red clover are also doing well. Hay has taken a long while to crop till a few weeks ago due to the moist season. The growth of grass was remarkable. Conferences In Nelson Two groups of businessmen, the N.Z. Retailers' Federation and the N.Z. Master Grocers' Federation, have chosen Nelson as their meeting place this year for their annual conferences, both of which will be held this month. The N.Z. Master Grocers' conference will meet in the Marsden Church House from February 6 to 9, and will be attended by some 65 delegates, many of whom will be accompanied by their wives. The conference of the N.Z. Retailers' Federation will open in Nelson on February 27 and continue till March 1. More than 100 visitors, of whom 70 are official delegates, have already signified their intention of attending. Want to Live in New Zealand

Many British Imperial servicemen would like to settle in New Zealand when the war is over. This is the impression the Mayor, Mr. Allum, has gained from the numerous letters he has received in recent months from servicemen who ask questions about such matters as employment and housing. "I have had enough communications to show there is a lively interest among these servicemen in New Zealand's place in the post-war world," said Mr. Allum. He suggested that now that many men had made the break with their homeland they were apparently anxious to start a new life elsewhere.