TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 85, 9 January 1928, Page 7

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR

Numerous coinplaints were made during the holidays concerning the inadequacy of the borough water supply (says the Timaru “Post”). A resident of High Street stated that he was unable to obtain sufficient water to fill, a kettle for some considerable time. Together with other residents of the street, he was much concerned as to what would happen should there be an outbreak of fire.

The Stratford Mountain House Committee has arranged to place a caretaker at the hostel, and has appointed Guide Haldane, well-known to visitors at Egmont, at the North House (states the Hawera “Star”). The committee has made many improvements, including the installation of the telephone, and work on the track.

A child wandered from its parents at the Oamaru .Railway Station, and was on the line when an express train drew m (states an exchange). The driver, when he saw the child, applied the brakes, but had a constable not jumped on to the line and rescued the infant the consequences would probably have been serious.

There is apparently one boy or girl in Feilding grieved to think of the fate awaiting his or her or somebody else’s woolly playmates (says the “Star”). A letter was recently addressed to the Feilding freezing works office expressing concern at what was considered to be ‘the cruellest thing I know, those 3600 dear little' lambs you killed yesterday.”

The liquid bell-like notes of the tui are again to be heard at Havelock North', the.birds having returned a few days ago, which is an earlier reappearance than in previous years (says the “Tribune”). Usually they come at, the time the flowering gum trees burst, into blossom, staying through the, winter and early spring, and take their departure with the last of the lucerne tree flowers.

Among the many improvements to the Milford Track is to be the erection some time this year of a hut at the top of the McKinnon Pass at an altitude of 3100 feet (reports the “Southland News”). The tourist officer advises that the building is to be as up to date as possible, and that an oil stove will be provided. The hut should prove a boon to tourists, as it will break in two one of ,the day’s marches. On a cold day and in wet weather the stove will prove invaluable for providing hot nourishment for weary Hampers.

The result of top-dressing pasture laid down some twenty-five years ago with superphosphate is shown on Mr. D. Bruce’s farm, Otama (says the “Mataura Ensign”). Up till August last the land had never been treated, and the growth of grass was almost negligible, but with the application of two cwt. of . superphosphate what was once' considered land of poor quality is now covered with a fine growth. Where clover and cowgrass, were believed to have died out there is now to be seen a phenomenally luxuriant growth. “Such has been the effect of applying superphosphate to various parts of the property that I find I am able to carry nearly, double the number of stock I carried formerly, and there is still room for improvement. Weather conditions are ideal, and ,if they continue there is little doubt but what the season will be good,” saifl Mr. Bruce.

Now that the new Arapuni. Lake is gradually taking shape, it is becoming quite evident to even the casual observer that this sheet of water, which will extend for some twenty miles upstream, is destined to become one of the greatest sporting centres in the Dominion, and, therefore, in the world (says the Auckland “Sun”). Whereas Lake Taupo is almost as broad as it is long, > and is thus affected by every wind that blows, to the hindrance and annoyance of fishermen, the new Arapuni Lake, being land-locked, will be free from all such disabilities.

The receipts of kauri ’ gum into Auckland, after reaching the high figure of 500 tons in November, dropped back in December to 284 tons (states an exchange). The records of the past year show a decline as compared with 1926, and, as a matter of fact, this is merely a continuation of the decreasing tendency which has been a feature of an industry that was once one of the most important in the province.

Speaking at Tauranga, Mr. Judd, of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, said it was estimated that 230,000 pigs would be fattened in the South Auckland area this season (states an exchange). The year’s surplus for export was estimated at .65,000..'. The association had sold pigs locally for export to Australia, and Britain, .and endeavours were being made to open- up new markets. Sales had been made which showed a material advance on th'e local sale prices. The scheme had been operating for only about five: weeks, and it had already handled 5000 pigs. He estimated that 50,000 pigs would be handled this season.

Some remarkable geographical information has been heard in Hamilton lately as the result of the visit of the Balclutha Bovs’ Band (remarks the “Times”). One bright person guessed in turn that Balclutha was in Australia, Africa and. Canada before being informed that it was in the South Island of New Zealand, while some well-grown girls heard discussing its whereabouts were equally vague. One expressed the opinion that it was in South Auckland, while another smartly volunteered the statement that it was in Scotland.

A source of danger to motorists and to all who journey on the coastal roads are the mobs of horses which infest the liighwavs in the region of Te Ngae (says the Rotorua “Chronicle”). It is possible to count a hundred of these mongrels, with a few assorted utility tvpes holidaying oh the main road or the banks. They gallon ahead of cars, or with disconcerting suddenness decide to cross in front of an oncoming vehicle. At night they are specially dangerous It would be greatly in the interests of motorists and also of landowners if a number of these useless beasts were rounded up and detroyed. They have no value, and confer no benefit on anyone. They also spread noxious weeds — if there is anywhere left where they enn snread to

Modern educational methods working on the untutored mind, often leave peculiar impressions (remarks the “Northern Advocate”). The other day a native youth, wholiad just left school, was asked by a Whangarei resident what occupation he was going to follow in the work-a-day world—whether a labourer like his father, a carpenter, or a business man. The young hopeful appeared puzzled for a short time, but a scratch of his curly pate seemed to give him inspiration. “I know,” he replied. “I’m going to be a citizen.”

.Strange companions fraternise in the lonely stretches of the Far North (remarks an exchange). At Opua, the picturesque little bay across from historic Russell, lack of other associations has thrown together two unusual friends. A donkey, which was turned on to the long acre by a bankrupt circus party, wanders daily in close company with a half-grown, sheep, which has found comfort in this friendship ever since it was a tiny lamb, and nothing can break the alliance. The youth of the township ride this bucking veteran of the sawdust ring, and the village dogs disturb the tranquil ineanderings of its fleecy friend, but every morning without fail the two turn’ up together and make their presence known to those travellers who bestow upon them selected titbits from the holiday hamper.

Some support for fhe edict of the police in Southland that no fireworks should be set off over Christmas and New Year is given by the “Southland Times,” which mentions two happenings which occurred, in spite of the order. Some rash reveller threw a lighted cracker under a seat in the Post Office Square, on which was sitting, with several others, a , returned soldier who had been suffering from shell shock. The explosion which resulted was sufficient to send the man into a dead faint, and it will be some time before he recovers his normal strength. The second incident took place in one of the crowded thoroughfares, when a woman’s skirt was set ablaze bv a cracker which exnloded at her feet. But for the help of other pedestrians the, result might have been much more serious.

Some amusement was caused at the Eketahuna railway station recently (says an exchange). A newly-married couple was being farewelled, and an elderlv occupant of one of the carriages of the south-bound express, who had evidently watched the proceedings with more than usual interest, remarked to his fellow-passengers that it was just as well that none of the confetti fell on him, as he was returning from a fortnight’s holiday in Auckland. As the train was about to depart, happy in the belief that all the confetti was used, he observed to one of the ladies on the platform, who had liberally showered the departing couple: .“Don’t you put any on me.” In the, twinkling of an eye one of the ladies turned round and smothered the head that protruded from the window with an over-dose of confetti, much to the amusementi of the passengers. Needless to say, the victim spent the rest of the journey in attempting to. efface all traces of'the incident. v

The other day a Kaiapoi lady drew £l6 out of the Post Office Savings Bank at Christchurch (says the “Lyttelton Times”). Early in the afternoon she. went to the slot outside the Chief Post Office to get a penny stamp, and placed her purse on the top of the slot machine while she affixed the stamp and posted the letter. Absent-mindedly she walked off, leaving the purse, the loss of which she did not discover until she returned to Kaiapoi in the evening. She lost no time in ’phoning to the Christchurch Post Office in the faint hope that somebody had been honest enough to take the purse to the counter. The clerk gave a negative reply, but asked the lady to wait until he had a look at the machine. There the purse lay, with its. contents undisturbed.

Passion fruit is sold on the London market, but in such small quantities that the majority of Londoners are unaware of the delicious flavour of the fruit, never having tasted it. A Gisborne resident has pleasant recollections of an occasion on which, seeking a contribution to a London household’s Christmas provisions, he chanced upon some magnificent passion fruit in a store which handled South African produce alone (says the “Herald”). The fruit was no finer than that grown in New Zealand, but the flavour aroused the utmost enthusiasm. New Zealand Would find a big market for this fruit in England, should the means of shipment prove satisfactory.

In the middle of a lecture at the Workers’ Education summer . school, Meth ven, suddenly a wild-looking niau dashed on to Hie stage behind the speaker, closely followed by a woman, whom he hurriedly embraced, just as a masked figure close behind shot at the man, who fell heavily and was dragged out by the heels. The whole thing only took ten seconds. The audience was very much relieved when Professor Shelley announced that it was really only a psychological test as to the reliability of evidence ' (says the Ashburton “Guardian”).' Each student was then asked to write an exact account of what happened, and to answer a number of questions in the same connection A great variety of happenings were recorded. Fnally, the aictors went through the scene in slow motion, proving how unreliable first-hand evidence may be.

As one party of motor tourists learned to their cost during a week-end, it is not advisable to carry foodstuffs and clothing together in a side-carrier on a car, more especially in the case of accident (says the Napier “Telegraph”). This particular party did meet with an accident, another car passing from the opposite direction carrying away all the luggage on the right-hand side, a suitcase and a box containing picnicking, materials. It is bad enough to have one’s garments, toilet accessories, and all the requirements of the average week-ender strewn about the King’s highway in disordered splendour, while the suitcase which originally encompassed them is emulating a concertina in another direction, but the members of this party were’ not even fortunate enough to get off thus lightly, for on alighting from the car it was found that a liberal mixture of mustard pickle, and vinegar from the box, following in the wake of the flying suit case, had been spread, sandwich fashion, over the majority of the wreckage.

A curious mirage was seen from Riverton Rocks the othej; afternoon (says the “Southland Times”), when those of an observant eye, on looking across the estuary to the Oreti Beach, noticed that the familiar coastline of uneven sanddunes and occasional trees had taken on the form either of a low cliff or of a line of trees all cut to the same height. Further i/otind at the fool of Ihe Greenhills bluff could be seen a band of fca-green, with white patches, evidently representing breakers, showing at intervals. The mirage presumably was caused by (he heat waves rising from the beach.