TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 105, 28 January 1929, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM T.HE PROVINCES

“Have you got the bottles of liquor?” a police constable was asked in a prohibition order case in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court. “You took possession of them.” The constable looked blank for a moment, and then said, “Well, they were given to the sergeant.”

How big do flounders grow if they are allowed by their enemies to reach maturity? (asks the Auckland “Star”). The question was suggested by the size of a flounder caught by a party of fishermen who were netting for flatfish on the beach in front of the Whangarei railway station wharf. The fish was too big to be put into a kerosene tin, and measured 25 inches by 19 inches across.

A charge of breaking his prohibition order was strenuously denied by Peter Busbridge at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court the other morning. Busbridge was charged with procuring liquor. He said the liquor had been given to him, and contended that he had not procured it, but had received it. Eventually Busbridge admitted that he had a mouthful of liquor, and the Magistrate decided that this should cost him 40s.

Gore orchardists are complaining that the recent spell of hot weather has had some troublesome effects, notably upon apple trees, the fruit of which is badly blemished on the cheek turned towards the sun. One theory is that the dew of early morning, affected by the sun’s rays, is projected through the skin of the fruit and causes a superficial blemish of the flesh (states the “Ensign”).

It is not expected that the Auckland Aero Club’s Moth aeroplane, which has been assembled at Christchurch, will make the flight to Auckland for at least three weeks. The club’s instructor, Major G. A. C. Cowper, who is to pilot the ’plane, has commenced a special refresher course of one month, which is being given in Christchurch to the officers of recognised aero clubs.

The Otago Motor Club has sent the following telegram to the Minister of Public Works drawing his attention to the Main North road leading to Dunedin : —“Otago motorists are dissatisfied with the unsatisfactory condition df the main highway leading to Dunedin, and ask you personally to investigate the position. Reconstruction is urgently required. If agreeable, we will arrange to meet you at Palmerston and motor you over the main road to Dunedin.”

Youth autograph hunters were busy during the tea adjournment at Eden Park on the afternoon of the Plunket Shield match. As the players filed off the field to refresh themselves after two hours in the sun they were besieged by a host of small fry. armed for the most part with school pads, exercise books, or scraps of paper, few, if any, of them possessing genuine autograph books. Evidently the youngsters anticipated a Wellington victory, for it was chiefly the visiting players who were in demand.

A heavy north-easterly range at Sumner the other evening did considerable damage to the rock foundation on which the tram rails are laid at the near end of the causeway leading from Clifton Bay into Sumner (states the “Sun”). The rock underneath the rails was washed out, and next morning it was considered unsafe for the trams to pass over the dangerous part of the line. Accordingly, the passengers were required to change from one tram into another while a gang of workmen carried out repairs on the line.

After having carefully brushed her removable teeth the owner put them on the window-sill. She turned away to go on with her toilet, and when she came back she was horrified to see a bare sill. What could have happened ? Mystified, she summoned the household. No one had played a joke. The mystery grew embarrassing. Then someone had a brain-wave. That cocker spaniel. Whistles failed to elicit any answer, and a search was ordered. Away up in the bush —the family was camping out on the Waitakeres—the spaniel was found busy burying what he evidently thought was a new sort of crinkly bone.

Throughofit the present fishing season, as in previous ones, there has been abundant evidence of the fact that the rivers of South Canterbury are heavily stocked with excellent trout, many silvery beauties having rewarded the patience of the successors to Isaak Walton. In the Upper Pareora, a resident of Timaru (says an exchange) lauded a magnificent fish, a brown trout, weighing 1511 b., exceeding by 21b. a fish caught in the same waters a short time ago. The fish was caught on the fly rod, and was brought to the bank after an interesting and exciting play of tactics between the fisherman and his catch.

Appearances are often deceptive, even when there is an instance of what looks to be wealth, waiting to be annexed without trouble (remarks the Stratford “Post”). A Stratford motorist found this out the other day, when with his family he was motoring to the Everett Reserve and saw lying on the roadway an opulent looking purse. He was going too fast to pull up within several car lengths, but, when he did Come to a standstill he backed his machine only to see the purse vanish into the air, literally speaking, to the accompaniment of ironical laughter from some boys at the other end of the string to which it was attached.

It seems a ridiculous thing to start travelling in the opposite direction when you are making for a certain destination (remarks the Auckland "Star”), but that is what the people at the bottom end of Remuera have to do when they set out for town. This was explained to the Transport Board by a deputation which asked for a bus service between the bottom end of Victoria Avenue, via Shore Road, and Parnell to Auckland.. It was pointed out to the board that the tram route took a person one mile in the opposite direction if he were bound for the city, and that meant needlessly travelling two miles every day. The residents wished a more direct route to the city, and considered a bus service as suggested was the bes* solution. The Transport Board promised to give the request every consideration when the bus services were reviewed.

A resounding crash, followed by a general titter, disturbed the Magisterial atmosphere at the Napier Police Court the other afternoon, during the hearing of a somewhat lengthy case. A lawyer, who was appearing in this particular case, has a habit of, when pressing a point, pressing heavily with one of his feet on the spindles of the nearest chair (reports the “Telegraph”). On this occasion the pressure was/either more pronounced, or the spindles weaker than usual. At any rate, they collapsed, and it was the foot hitting the floor with such force that considerably aided the commotion.

The prevalence of mosquitoes about Christchurch this season was referred to at a meeting of the council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, when a member drew attention to a complaint made concerning the annoyance caused to hospital patients by mostjuitoes, said to come from the Acclimatisation Society’s garden, adjoining the hospital. The curator said that the ponds were cleaned out regularly, and that the insects were no worse now than usual (states the “Press”). “The wet Decenv ber has been responsible for the pest,” said a member, another adding that mosquitoes had made themselves a nuisance at the Selwyn this season. It was decided to refer the matter to the garden committee.

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