TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 88, 10 January 1923, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

During the holidays a Wanganui party of four, shooting for four days near Knrioi (says a Wanganui paper), got 1200 rabbits.

As a local resident was driving across the Patea bridge to the railway station (says the “Press”), a starling flying overhead dropped an egg, which fell on the shirt front of the driver, covering it and his waistcoat with the yolk, etc.

_lt is freely rumoured that a reduction in the bank rate of interest will be made early next month (states the “Oamaru Mail”). Tho amount of the reduction is mentioned as one-half per cent., and will probably apply only to those accounts coming into the firstclass category with collateral advantages.

A scythe that was brought out to New Plymouth in 1843 by the late Mr. H. Barriball, and has seen service for the intervening eighty years, has been presented to the New Plymouth museum bv the only surviving son, Mr. 8. H. Barriball, Hillsborough (states the “News”).

Outside interest in tho forthcoming West Coast exhibition is spreading, ns in addition to applications for space from Christchurch and Wellington (states the “Hokitika Guardian”), applications have been received also from Auckland and New Plymouth.

We understand (says the “Wanganui Chronic.©”) that summonses against a number of seamen who left the Storm at Wanganui recently have been set down for hearing on January 16. Proceedings will be taken against them for alleged breaches of the seamen’s award.

A somewhat unpleasant experience befo’l a girl about 18 years wh'le bathing at Fr'end'y Bay last Saturday as the result-.of the sudden appearance of an octopus (states the “North Otago Timos”). The devilfish made an attempt to clasp the limbs of the unfortunate girl, whb, however, was rescued from harm by a ladv bather in the vicinity. Beyond suffering a little from shock, no other injuries were received.

It is very evident that the system of booking seats on the railways is not to be relied upon (remarks the “Wanganui Herald”). A Wanganui resident, who has returned from Auckland, states that he has booked at this end «h three occasions, and has failed every time to get his proper seats allotted to him on. joining the express at Marton. .He intends making application to the Headquarters of the Department for a refund of the cost of booking and the telegram. Southern exchanges indicate that similar trouble also occurred on the Southern express line during the holidays.

A Timaru trawler which imd been used for trawling off Greymouth for some months past, not with a great deal of success owing to the constant “sea” off the port, has given up ths task (says the “Argus”). It xhe owners co did have trawled three days a week,/they would have made a fortune, as the fish could be railed overland to the large market at Christchurch, but they could not depend on one day a week, and so had to desist.

Mr. T. C. Arnold, a buyer for the New Zealand Meat Packing and Bacon Company, states (reports the “Taranaki Daily News”) that a report pubI’shed to tho effect that the Eltham bacon factory was closing clown was misleading. The company, ho says, : s still in business and is represented by its agents in Taranaki; who are prepared to purchase pigs in any quantity for cash. It is correct that the Eltham factory is not working, but the pigs are being forwarded to tho Wellington works.

A large and heavy motor lorry took up a full complement of passengers to tho North Egmont mountain house on New Year’s Day, and (states the “Taranaki Daily News”) broke through the road and stuck. It took several hours to gel it out and on the good road again, incidentally blocking the traffic. As a result th? Park Board has decided to prohibit heavy lorries from using the road, which, owing to the parsimony of the' Goy ernment, is very difficult to maintain in reasonable condition.

The unusual sight of a rigged 14-foot yacht in the Dunedin Octagon attracted considerable interest the other day (states the “Otago Daily Tinies”). It was the Heather, which twice represented Otago in the competition for the Sanders Cup. successfully so in 1921, and creditably last year. The object of the inhibition was to advertise the appeal for funds to send the Winifred, which will represent Otago on the next occasion, to Auckland, there to attempt to wrest from the northerners the coveted trophy.

“I mad? the mistake..of allowing myself to be persuaded to take a hand m local politics. The two've years spent on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, a like term on the Borough Council, nnd six or seven on the Harbour Board, represent sacrifices which in just’ce to myself I should never have made.” This (says an exchange) was the confession of a Ne» Plymouth man who died recently. It i» too often the case that when a cnnable man takes up public work he is kept at it continuous'y. to the detriment of his own business interests. Everything is expected of the willing horse.

Dur'ng the men’s nnd boys’ hours on Sunday morning, a swarm of bees paid s visit to th“ H.nwera. baths (says the "Htnr”'i and afterwards settled on 'lcssr's. Wc’sh nnd McCarthy’s windows. Fame of the. bovs got nn to nnvo a Took, and one of them. "Wilfred Bunker, got hold of a live wire above the seats and hung there. When freed ‘’■am the wire ho was breathless. Mr. W. Scott, of Auckland, rendered fir"t--id nnd restored rosn’r.ation. Or. Ruist wan quicklv on tho scene, and ordered Bunker’s removal to the hospital. It was found that his hand was had’v burnt. The wire is one running across to Messrs. Welsh and McCarthy’s office, nnd has now been, it is understood, raised and covered.

“To save a shilling n bale on their wool rind nn hour with their eream, the settlers are tearing; our roads snd bridges in )>ieces.” said Councillor Sutton nt a meetin" of the Clifton County Council hst Friday (states the “Taranaki Herald”). The council was doing its best to provide good roads, but ho complained that there was practically no consideration shown by the settlers. He knew of a case recently where settlers had complained of tlie state of their road, whilst the very next, day, in order to save a few pence, a huge lorry had come and taken nwav n<» less than 2 bales of woo] in one loacl. In another instance, where a road was being reformed previous t'r.da I'ing, a cream lorrv whirr."- 1 through with chains each morning uuiT practically rendered days of work useless. Tho big lorry was not a success on such roads , this had been proved’ by the I’ub'ic Works Department a'i Mt. Mess nger. The work could easily be done by tho smaller typo, perhaps at a slightly extra cost, but not at tho expense of tho roads.

The “Grey River Argus” says: —The cable message recording the death of Professor George Samoul Sale in England has more than a passing interest for West Coasters, as Mr. Sale was the most notable figure in the earliest days of Hokitika,, where ho was tho principal agent for tho . Canterbury Provincial Government in inaugurating the capital of Westland. Ho thus won the cognomen of “King, ’ and his word was as much law as that of any king. Officially he was “Warden Sale. He was Deputy Superintendent, Magistrate, treasurer, warden, and manv other duties fell to him, inluding that of amateur surveyor, for he “surveyed” Revell Street, which is about the only crooked street in the southern town. It was virtually laid out, however, before Air. Sale looked it over. He designed the court buildings, a. relic of which is the Supreme Court Hall, in Sewell Street.

Air. P. R. Climie, organiser for the Canterbury Progress League, who has just returned after spending 12 days on the West Coast, -most of tho timo being spent at Franz Josef Glacier, says the only river between Hokitika and the glacier remaining unbridged is the Waitangi River, nearest to the glacier (writes the “Otago Daily Times”). A start has been made with the foundations, of this bridge, the erection of which it is expected will be oomn’oted within four months. When tho bridge is opened for traffic tho last barrier will be removed that at present prevents motor travelling as I' o r south as Waihao Gorge, and the Waihao River itself. , The Waitangi bridge will open un for motor traffic the region extending many miles south of the river. in which the hush exceeds n beauty (if that be possible) the bush north of Waihao. The rends in South Westland, from a mot/irist’s point of view, are not bv any means perfect, notably the section between. Ross and Fergusons, this state of things being duo to the heavy motor lorry traffic engaged in the transport of timber from the mills to the railhead at Ross Road. This road is very rough, rutty, and bumpy!

About thirty tons of salvaged cargo from the Wiltshire was discharged at Auckland a few days ago by the auxiliary ketch Ohia (states an exchange) It consisted of glass, wire, crockery, soft goods, Mid general merchandise. Work at the wreck was partly suspended during the holidays, but is now again in full swing. There is still n considerable amount of valuable cargo to be salved, but it is not known how long the work will take. Operations will continue as long as payable cargo can be i ecovered. It is not thought that a largo quantity of the heavier cargo will bo worth recovering.

A difficult journey over Alount Egmont is being undertaken by five schoolboys, who set out from the North figment house last week, and whoso return will be watched for this week (states the “Taranaki Daily News”). Their first stago was to Bell’s Falls, where they were to cam;? for the night, moving to the Kabul house next day. After a night’s r?st it was proposed to go "over the top . from this point, thence proceeding to Rawson’s Falls, where rest would be taken prior to tho final journey back to the North Egmont house. Some of the boys know the route well, and a successful trek is anticipated.

“1 arrived here this morning from Auckland, though it has taken me a long time to make the trip.” With those few words one of tho unemployed introduced himself to an “Ashburton Guardian” reporter. A sturdy, honest-faced man, but not unnaturally somewhat unkempt, he explained that he had been out of work for 18 solid months, and was only 36 years of age and enjoyed the best of health. “There’s nothing doing between Auckland and Ashburton,” he said, “and I don’t know how much further I will have to foot it. I have even offered my services for nothing so that 1 might be sure of menls and that I would not have to sleep out night alter night, but. could never get placed. It is a cruel shame that an able-bodied man who has been in the country for years and years can’t get a iob, while those who are coming from Homo fall right into work.”

For farmers in North Otago to cry for dry and warm weather, and even some wind, is a somewhat rare experience (remarks tho “Oamaru Mail”). But that is the condition of affairs at present. The great amount of rain that fell in December, largely supplemented in niany parts of the county by heavy downpours since the advent of the New Year, has left tho ground thoroughly saturated with moisture. Thon the muggy weather, with only short intervals of sunshine, has proved highly detrimental to the cereal crops. As a consequence of these adverse conditions, rust and the dreaded “Takenil” have made their appearance in n number of grain fields, nnd unless there is an early change in the climatic conditions the harvest, which promised to he fairly good, will be very greatlv affected. "What is-wanted, very badly is a good spell of bright warm sunshine. with sufficient wind to dissipate the rust, reduce the excessive moisture, and haiden the straw. The same revised conditions are also needed to give substance to feed, which has become rank in growth very generally, with a consequent lack of nourishing capacity.

A homing pigeon performed the fine feat last AVednesday of reaching Invercargill from I’uysegur Point in DOmin. with a message from a partv that is cruising over the West Coast Sounds. The successful homer performed no small feat in coining back to Invercargill over rugged, wild, for-est-clad, mountainous country such a long distance in such a short time (says th? “South’and Timos”). This bird, AVhizz-bank, recent’y flew down from Christchurch, but the previous experience does not lessen the merit of the last flight. Bird fanciers arc not as n rule willing to risk the loss of their homers by sending them out with exploring parties or on similar trips, where they have to cross wild country on ihe return journey. Pigeons have often been known to be chased by hawks, nnd there is more than a poss’bility that such adventures boftell Whizz-bang upon his rapid' flight over soa. bush, and mountainous places, while the difficulty of locating himself was proved by tho statement in tho message ho carried that four other birds failed to do so.