TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 180, 24 April 1924, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

It is anticipated that 125 cars will be needed to take the naval men for a drjvo on the occasion of their visit to Masterton (says an exchange)-

“A waste of public money!” declared Mr. F. Biirgoyne in opposing a motion, brought before the Chris - church Drainage Board, that the board contribute £2O to the cost ot entertaining the men of the Imperial cruisers which are to visit Lyttelton next month. For all Mr. Burgoyne s protests (relates an exchange)., the board voted the money.

Reports have been received by the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society (states a circular issued by that organisation) that bird feathers were found in opossums’ stomachs when being scientifically examined to ascertain their feeding habits. Does this mean the extermination of the opossums or our native birds which. The necessity for more island sanctuaries to at least preserve species becomes daily more urgent.

For a week past a fine 12-pointer stag has been running with the dairy herd on Mr. Frank Raven’s farm near Honikiwi (states an Auckland exchange). Mr. Raven noticed the stag coming in with the cows, but as they passea through a paddock it gracefully leapt over the fence. The animal disappeared as mysteriously as it had come.

Arrangements are being made by the combined egg circles (states an exchange), to hold meetings of poultrymen in the various districts throughout Otago for the purpose of organising and instructing producers how to prepare eggs for the market, local and export, with the object of placing before the public eggs of the best quality.

Though a recent decision in the Magistrate’s Court was to the effect that payment of wages for Anzac Day was not compulsory, it is understood (states the Auckland-“ Herald”) that the manager of the Chelsea Sugar Works has announced that employees will be paid for Anzac Day and all holidays mentioned in the award. This action is greatly appreciated by the men engaged on hourly remuneration-

When the Public Works Department were carrying out alterations to the Wangamji Police Station, they had their hands well pressed down on the economy spring (observes the “Wanganui Herald”). Instead of spending a few pounds in new lino for the constables cloak room, they resorted to a patchwork display with old lino that would eclipse any grandmother’s patchwork quilt for oddments. The amount of time occupied in cutting and fitting, together with the abnormal number of tacks required to keep the sundry pieces in position, would have, if calculated on a commercial basis, played, an important part in the price of new linoleum. While on the question of alterations, it is also interesting to mention that no provision has been macle for. drying the clothes of the constables in wet weather. This is one of the main essentials of an up-to-date station.

The wet spells this summer have been short and sharp, and the long stretches of fine sunnv days have set many old timers talking of the kind of weather we used to have twenty years or more ago. The 1923-24 summer also has produced several of Nature’s eccentricities, such as the old hands talked about. Throughout the district, for instance, many plum trees are blossoming for the second time this season, and garden plants of all kinds are behaving strikingly at variance with their usual habits (says the “Herald”). These things, however, frequently happen, but has anyone heard of whitebait running twice in one season? A well-known Waitotara resident, whose veracity is above question, told us to-day that during the last last day or two large shoals of the little fish had been making their way up the Waitotara River; in fact, he had caught some himself and duly eaten them. An abnormality of thZ kind is quite new in our experience. Can any of the old timers remember a year in which the spring run of white bait was succeeded by an autumn one?

Excitement was provided for a large crowd of onlookers at the Addington trotting course last Saturday afternoon by a man and his wife, who engaged in a fight over money matters (states the “Lyttelton Times”'). The woman apparently had been winning, and her husband took possession of her money. She strongly resented his action, and endeavoured to obtain the money. A scuffle ensued, in the course of W'hich the woman broke an umbrella over the head of her husband. eventually chasing him right off the course.

A South Canterbury orchardist informed a “Timaru Herald” reporter that for the first time in his experience he had lost fruit this year through the depreciations of starlings. He did not know why these birds had taken to fruit this year, but supposed it was on account of the excessively dry weather and the absence of grubs. Orchardists in Central Otago had had a similar experience this year in the matter of loss of fruit through starlings.

Mount Egmont is remarkable for its numerous and rapid changes of aspect. The other day one could have vowed it was smoking like a volcano, states the “Hawera Star.” A thin spiral of cloud camo from the crater and went up into a bigger cloud above the peak, looking for all the world like a smoking peak. It almost made one wonder now far the lava would come, and whether it would would be necessary to leave Hawera.

A remarkable tribute to the beauties of New Zealand was paid by the well-known Welsh surgeon, Sir John Lynn Thomas, prior to his departure by the Makura for Vancouver, on route to England (states an exchange). “The spa at Rotorua is excellent I know of nothing better. The world should know more about the splendid baths. Rheumatism? It does not bother uic just now. I took all tlio treatment offering at Rotorua, and enjoyed every moment of our visit. Perhaps the Government will do more in the way of development. The resort is worth generous expenditure by the State, eo that more national benefit may be obtained from its excellent service.”

Uuunlly, in the Dunedin district, and generally in the .South Island, the weather is sterdily fine from about the middle of April till the latter part of .June. This year, so far, this experience is continued, but, without the customary forerunning of variableness (states the “Star”). The dry period has come on top of a drought. The land is thirsty. Vegetation is dwarfed. Tn particular, the hard-fleshed turnips tor cattle feed are blighted. The watercourses are nearly empty.* Such a long withholding of rain has not occurred for many years. Some say it is a ■‘ejord. Our water supply i" holding out well under the unusual conditions, thanks to the precautions the city engineer and his staff and tii-i observance of the restrictions by consumers. Bur we must lie nearing a crista. At any hour the authorities may announce a compulsory curtailment.

“The working man is not spending the same amount of time in his garden as he used to do,” said the chairman of the One Tree Hill Road Board, Mr R- G. Clarke, when discussing an application for a building permit on a section of less area than specified by the by-laws (reports the Auckland “Harald”). “People nowadays he sakl “do not want large sections, and he' instanced a subdivision where the smaller sections were taken up before larger ones. The chairman raised the point whether this might be due to the pleasure-seeking tendency of the ago. “Perhaps the workmg man playa howls,” suggested a member of the board, “instead of worlnng in his garden.”

That interesting Auckland-built craft of adventure, the 18-t.on schooner yacht Vision, slipped quietly away to sea on 'Tuesday, bound on a holiday cruise to Nukualofa, in the Tongan group, thereafter to such other island ports as her owner and builder, Mr. James Reid, may decide (states the “New Zealand Herald”). Long years ago Mr. Reid entertained the hope that some day he might once again visit the Islands, calling at any point he desired. Finally, being no longer tied to business, he built, singlehanded, his vessel Vision, and now has begun his ocean cruising. lh e date of the yacht’s return is .Problematical. As Mr. Reid has himself phrased it: “Me may be away six months or six years.” Mr. Reid is the skipper of the. little packet, and his daughter Phyllis will help him. A young man living at Terrace End. Palmerston North, had a bit of real bad luck on a recent evening (relates the local “Times”). He had arranged to spend Easter at Wanganui, and had bought another suit .Of clothes for the holiday. . Working overtime to get clear of his employment, he had to cycle home in the dark, after calling at his tailor for the new outfit. When he alighted at the suburb, he discovered that his bike lamp had set. fire to the parcel, which had been resting on it, and without bursting into flame had eaten a shoulder out of the upper garment. Nothing loth, he set out again for town to have repairs effected. The last seen of him was after he had paid a couple of futile calls at the tailoring establishment. And he was not in a holiday mood then.

New Zealand is receiving steady additions to her population by the arrival of parties of Yugoslavs, and almost every steamer reaching Auckland from Sydney brings detachments of these people (states an exchange). A noticeable feature about these parties is that they include numbers of women and children. When the Ulimag roa berthed at Auckland ehe landed 34 Yugoslavs, among whom were three women and five children. Six of the party were men who had previously been in the Dominion and had gone to their native country to revisit their people. New Zealand is being extensively advertised by Yugoslavs on their visits to their homes, and as a result of the recital of the advantages of life in this Dominion, many compatriots are finding their way here.

Psychology has now invaded the missionary field in the Solomons stated the Bishop of Melanesia (Dr. J. M. Steward) in an interview at Auckland during the week (states an exchange). The latest scheme is to uncloth the. heathen, as far as Western dress is concerned, and encourage them in warm countries to resume their loin-cloths or “kilts,” as the case may be. It seems that, after many years of experience, the missionaries have come to the conclusion that they simply, have been making the natives look ludicrous by encouraging them to follow the dress fashions of civilisation.

That the proper place for exhibiting educational films is in the schools, is the opinion of the Educational Film Committee appointed to report on the matter. The Education Board (states the “Herald”) has received a letter from the Auckland Primary _ School Committees’ Association endorsing this opinion, and recommending that the jboard urge the Education Department (to provide the necessary equipment, and that in the meantime children be taken to and from pictures and admitted free, the Department paying expenses. The board has adopted the report, and decided to forward the association’s letter to the Department.

A tussle for public support between lawn tennis and church services has been in progress in some parts of the backblocks of Taranaki during the past summer, and from the experiences of the Rev. H. G. Sell, it appears that lawn tennis has won (states an exchange). In the course of an address, Mr. Sell, after referring to the difficulties associated with life in the backblocks, said there was no settled religious life. The services were usually held in schools and halls, and they did not create a spiritual atmosphere, lln some cases he had to clean the buildings out before the service could be Commenced. There were very few Sunday schools. One of the saddest things about the homo mission work was the want of religious instruction among the children. Some of them knew nothing, not even the simplest Bible story, and their difficulty was that the services were not frequent enough. Another drawback, said Mr. Sell, was the custom of playing tennis on Sunday. He did not object to tennis on week days, and in some cases on Sunday, as he contended that many settlers had nothing elso to do when the service was not held on Sunday, but he objected to the game when it interfered with the attendance at the church services. There were many cases where the young people did not attend the sendee because they had been playing tennis, and were too tired to go to church.

As the result of publicity given to the fact that an aged “pauper” Christopher Clinta had died at Woolston, Canterbury, on December 4 last leaving money and securities to the value of £5BOO hidden in an old mattress, numerous claimants (states the “Star”) have communicated with the administrators, but they are all said to bo without right. There are many beneficiaries, principally nieces and nephews, mid the number may be increased, for it has not been ascertained whether •another brother, Denis, who disappeared 50 years ago, is alive or dead, or whether he left any heirs. Only claims based on kinship with the missing Denis will give the administrators cause for further investigation, as the other beneficiaries are known, and have been informed that they will participate in the estate.