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Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 120, 18 February 1928, Page 26

A "giant” cel, weighing 301 b., five feet in length, and 16 inches round the gills, was caught in the Motueku 'River at Pokororo recently by three children. The eldest boy is 14. Their achievement is probably a record for their ages, and nearly a record for size of cel secured (says the “Nelson Mail”). The monster was caught with the aid of a pitchfork, potato fork, and gaff. The eel was pinned under a lengo of rock in throe, feet of water, where ho was held till a gaff was secured round a bone in his head. Then came, the pull out of the water, which was no easy matter. When on shore the children turned the eel on his back, and an application of the butcher’s knife ended his struggling. Strong exception was taken and vigorously expressed at the monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council to the recommendations of the Highways Council, allotting only thirteen miles of additional highways for Stratford County (states the “Post”). Tt was decided that, if necessary, the chairman and Councillor Jacobsen should go to Wellington to interview the board in the matter. Special objection was taken to the excision from the proposals of nine miles of the main road through Tututawa, which, said Councillor Jacobsen, carried an enormous amount of traffic. Pecuniary toys, estimated a.t sever,il hundreds of pounds, has been suffered by the Roose Shipping Company, in consequence of parts of the Waikato giver haring been rendered unworkable, by river steamers for the period following the closing of the sluice-gate/ at Arapuni. while the course of the river, en far as deeper channels in its bed are concerned, is constantly changing (says the "Star”). The silt brought down has raised the level of existing sandbanks, besides making new ones, and the trouble is greatest in the broadest parts of the river. The swifter current in the narrow stretches carries the sediment along before much of it has time to settle. Many sandbanks arc now encountered between Mercer anil Taupiri. and there is easily a foot of silt alongside Hamilton wharf, affecting the discharging of cargo from steamers. Just below Tlnngiriri appears to be the worst part of the river, which in places is onlv abopt 3ft. deep, hut shallows arc met all the wav from TL'imilton to Tuakau. Between Hamilton an I Ngaruawaliin there ir in averaj# depth of 4ft. or Mfe