ITEMS OF INTEREST

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11934, 28 January 1936, Page 2

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Port of Wlmkatane. An indication of the increase in the trade of the port of Whakatane was provided at the last meeting of the Whakatane Harbour Board. The wharfage returns for the month of November were £457 as compared with £356 for the same period of last year and £255 for November 1933. For the months of December the figures were: 1935, £465; 1934, £399; 1933, £406.

Sodium Chlorate Ignites. A further warning to farmers about the danger associated with sodium chlorate is supplied by the experience of a prominent Tahaia (King Country) farmer, who was engaged in haymaking operations last week. They stopped for lunch some distance away from the partly completed haystack. The farm sledge, which had been used for carting sodium chlorate some time previously, was parked near the stack, and upon it stood a cream can containing the harvesters’ drink of oatmeal and water. It was noticed that smoke was rising from the sledge. Investigation showed that the sledge was on fire, the liquid in the can boiling, and the top of the can melted with the fierce heat generated. Both handles were melted off the container. The outbreak was caused by the strong sun shining on the sledge, among the joints of which powdered sodium had lodged and was ignited.

Slice]) Worrying. A statement that £l5O worth of rams had been worried by dogs on a sheep station in the Waimana district was contained in a letter sent to the Whakatane County Council last week from Mr Bird, who suggested that all dogs without collars should be destroyed. The Council referred the matter of straying dogs to the inspection for his attention.

Turtle Seen. Last Friday, when Messrs Wright Brothers were fishing about four miles oft the Whakatane Heads, they saw a large blackish turtle, estimated to be about five feet long, floating only a few yards away, and, bringing the launch round, tried to get near enough to the reptile to catch it. The turtle, however, had other plans for its decease than a dignified exit by way of a soup tureen, and dived out of sight. There have been several of these quaint creatures reported lately in the waters nearer to Auckland, but this is the. first one seen in the Bay of Plenty.