OUT AND ABOUT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14570, 14 January 1948, Page 2

OUT AND ABOUT

Fat Lamb Drafting The peak of fat lamb drafting in the Feilding district is in advance of its normal time, and today breeders find themselves facing an unusually dry spell and .up against a demand for freezing space. Works interests anticipated an early season and made some effort to encourage breeders to draft early. While many lambs were dealt with in November, most breeders held back to get more weight into their lambs, and many who did not book space ahead now find that they have to sit back and wait their turn. Welfare Of Travellers The good work of the Colonial Missionary Society in looking after travellers was warmly commended by the Rev. W. Bloxham, a Congregational minister, who arrived in Wellington from London by the Emph’e Star. He said the society, when it knew the date of arrival of a passenger, could arrange for its representative to meet him and attend to his interests. The society had representatives in every country and its services, which were available to anyone, were especially valuable to young men and women travellers.

Campers At Ohope Although old hands say that the crowd is nothing like what is usual at this time of the year, Ohope has had a considerable number of campers over the holidays, and many are still there. A fair proportion were Bay of Plenty people seeking a few days’ relaxation at the seaside, but the majority came from farther afield. In spite of the ban on children in public c'amping grounds, there has been quite an influx of children to Ohope baches, of which few, if any, are untenanted just now.

Anonymous Mother Hiding her light beneath the proverbial bushel, one of the water dragons at the South Pacific Acquarium, Wellington, '-has laid six eggs, but has left no clue as to her identity. The eggs are ellipticalshaped and white, and the mother may be any one of eight dragons in the one cage. Two of the eggs have been crushed, but the other four have been removed by the proprietor of the acquarium, Mr R. Williams, and placed in a box filled with rotting vegetation in the hope that they may hatch out. They are being kept at a temperature of about 80 degrees. , Motorists Criticised

Strongly denying any suggestion that the retail motor trade had been responsible for the recent run on the petrol stations because it did not want the present rationing system, the president of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Retail Motor Trade Association (Mr C. H. Preston) outlined what in his opinion was the cause of the rush. “It has not been publicity or specific action on the part of the trade which has brought the motorists flocking to the petrol pumps, but the same old attitude of the great bulk of motorists who want to make sure that, no matter who else goes short, they will not,” he said.

Nelson Labour Shortage Handling of the crops from the Nelson orchards and hop and tobacco fields is likely to be affected by a shortage of labour which has been aggravated by the infantile paralysis precautions and the ban on children travelling. Fewer family parties are now to make their annual migration to Nelson for seasonal work. Cancellations directly caused by these precautions are likely to cause difficulties in a district which needs nearly 2000 seasonal workers for each harvest. Moreover, the hot and early summer has caused early ripening of some crops. N.Z. Research Worker Dr. C. S. M. Hopkirk, who was in charge of the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Research Station at Wallaceville until 1945, when he accepted an appointment with Unrra, with which he served for two and a-half years, will replace the late Colonel H. A. Reid as veterinary adviser to the New Zealand High Commissioner in London. Dr. Hopkirk sailed from Lyttelton by the Australia Star, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, one of whom is superintendent of a kindergarten at Petone and the other a poultry farmer, holding a diploma from Massey Agricultural ' College, Palmerston North. ,