Reporter’s diary

Press, 5 November 1983, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Folklore ... MOST photographers would be disappointed by badly over-exposing a picture, but not a reporter of “The Press” who has returned from a short stay on Chatham Island. The subject of the picture was the grave of the last Moriori, Horomona Te Rehe, (Tommy Solomon), who died in 1934. Legend has it that if photographs of the grave, near Owenga, turned but properly the photographer will be plagued with bad luck. Mystery

surrounds the over-exposure of the photograph, because all others, taken that day developed perfectly and the camera’s setting was checked before the picture was taken. Bald problem A CHINESE doctor has developed a method of acupuncture to counter baldness which is showing excellent results, the English language ‘China Daily” reports, Dr Yan Shixie, a practitioner in a Peking hospital,

had been nicknamed "Yan Three Needles” for having chosen three points, one on the top of the head and two others in the neck, to insert needles to cure baldness. The method has positive results in most cases after three to six months, the paper said. Dr Yan, aged 70, turned to traditional Chinese acupuncture 'to cure baldness because he thinks it is caused by nerve problems. Bail special SPECIAL trains will take 400 railway enthusiasts from Auckland and Wellington to Ohakune today to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the North Island main trunk railway. They will be joined by another 300 invited guests and railway workers for a reenactment of the spike driving ceremony near Pokaka tomorrow. The trains will combine to run up to the reenactment site where an obelisk commemorates the original ceremony. From there they will go to Waikune and Rarumu before returning to Auckland and Wellington. In 1908, the Prime Minister, Sir Joesph Ward, drove in a silverplated spike officially completing the line. Today Auckland and Wellington are linked by a 680 km band of steel, a proposition first raised in 1858. Island justice AN UNOFFICIAL judge held court during a cabaret at Waitangi, on the Chatham Islands, last week. Some islanders and mainlanders faced charges ranging from gossiping to failure to shut a gate correctly. The fines imposed went towards a fund the islanders have set up to raise money for a new sports complex near Waitangi. The stern-faced judge, complete with wig, was the County Clerk, Mr Dick Schofield. He was as-

sisted by two sheriffs, dressed in Western garb, who pulled the accused out of the crowd and brought them handcuffed before the bench. One of the accused, an islander, told the court he objected to being brought before a judge who looked like a Romney sheep. The judge denied this and said he was not a Romney, but a Border Leicester. Another islander, Mr Peter Black, is a contractor whose firm is putting up power poles around the island. He was charged with being the leader of a “Black Power gang.” Fortunately the judge was not as stern as he appeared and the heaviest fine imposed was about $3. It is also a good thing that he did not take any notice of a certain section of the crowd which called for the death penalty for many of the “criminals.” Luke's surgery POLICE dog Luke underwent surgery yesterday in a bid to reduce infection in the leg injured in last week’s shooting drama in downtown Auckland. His handler, Constable Jim Donald, said that Luke was “quite bright” before the surgery but the infection was not clearing up as he hoped. Constable Donald said the operation was important because victims of shock, both animal and human, went through a crucial stage of recovery about a week later. It was feared that Luke would lose his leg but a Herne Bay veterinarian, Mr Tom Henderson, reconstructed the limb and Constable Donald remains optimistic that amputation will not be necessary. Selling fireworks WITH Guy Fawkes Day here, thje Chief Inspector of Explosives, Mr H. Richards

remind resellers of fireworks of their obligations under the Explosives Act 1957, in particular the requirement restricting the period during which fireworks can be sold. Except with the approval of the Chief Inspector, fireworks may not be sold after today. Any person who sells fireworks outside October 27 to November 5 commits an offence. The Chief Inspector also advises users of fireworks to observe the following basic safety rules: Never throw fireworks; do not put fireworks in pockets; follow instructions on each firework, or packet; light at arms length; keep fireworks under cover; replace lids on boxes.