ITEMS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 264, 3 August 1932, Page 11

ITEMS IN BRIEF

About People and Events WHITE HERON ON HARBOUR A white heron, a rare visitor to Wellington, attracted much attention from motorists and other passers-by on the Eastbourne road yesterday morning. The bird was wading in shallow water close inshore a short distance to the northward of Point Howard. An Access Way. The formation of the access way between Devon Street and Te Aro School is occupying the attention of the Reserves Committee of the City Council this week. Retired Man’s Body Found. The body of Harold Maxwell Furnace, a single retired man, was found in the stream at Kitchener Park, Feilding, yesterday. Mr. Furnace had been missing for several days and a police search resulted in the finding of the body.

College FootbalL Some attractive football should be seen at Athletic Park this afternoon, when the first fifteens of Wellington College and St. Patrick’s College, Sllverstream, will meet. Judged on performances this season, both teams are strong, and the match should be closely contested.

Who was the Client? An amusing exchange occurred while a witness was giving evidence in a motor accident case in the Supreme Court yesterday. In cross-examination the witness said he volunteered his information to counsel for the plaintiff. “How did you come to meet him?” asked counsel for • defendant. “He’s a client of mine,’’ replied the witness amid laughter in which his Honour joined. “Do you mean you are a client of his, or is he a client of yours?” asked counsel. “Oh, he uses my taxi,” was the reply. Foreign Trade. After Mr. R. Darroch had lectured to the Wairarapa branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union upon Empire trade, some of his listeners said that they had been told that they had to buy foreign goods in order that the foreign countries could pay Britain what they owed her. “But this did not explain why a large number of the farmers have Implements and machinery made in the United States,” Mr. Darroch remarked, when reporting to yesterday’s meeting of the Navy League.

Attempted AU Black Boycott An attempt to turn public opinion against the All Blacks and stifle interest in the second Test match against Australia at the Exhibition Ground was perpetrated in Brisbane. Round the city posters were displayed requesting the public to boycott the match. On the notices it was declared that certain members of the New Zealand team had acted as special constables in the recent trouble. The attendance at the match was greater than at any forme: All Black match in so th® boycott proved unsuccessful

Shepherds on Skis. Snow on the higher levels of Banks Peninsula is so heavy that shepherds have been forced to do some of their snow-raking for sheep on skis. On Saturday two shepherds equipped with skis, horses and dogs covered a large area in the Mount Herbert region and recovered from the deep snow on the eastern side of the hills no fewer than 20 snow-bound sheep. They used horses to take them up the deep snow, and then ski-ed for miles, the dogs following them tirelessly in a close survey of a big area.

Earthquake Prophecy. Advice that the Navy League had been allotted a street day at the end of January «jxt and in February, 1935, was received at the meeting of the executive yesterday. Mr. R. Darroch said that the league had had two street days. On the first of these the Murchison earthquake occurred. The other occasion was marked by the Hawkefs Bay earthquake, and the amount raised on that day had been given to the fund for the relief of those in the devastated area. A member: Cannot we take out earthquake insurance for January?”

A Medical Opinion. A well-known medical practitioner of Wellington, giving evidence in a civil action arising out of a motor accident, was asked by counsel in the Supreme Court on Monday how often it was, if ever, that he had given evidence for the plaintiff concerning a man’s physical disability. “Not often,” he replied. “Did I hear you say only once before?”, counsel asked. The witness replied: “I was very sorry about it because I was foolish enough to say that a man would be laid up for five or six months, and he went back to work the following Monday.” (Laughter.)

Long-distance Radio-phone. • The radio-telephone between Australia and England was used for a business chll of exceptional duration a few days ago when Mr. C. E. Blayney, representative for Australia and New Zealand for the British firm of Rootes, Ltd., spoke to London for 41 minutes. Mr. Blayney and his secretary, who were connected from Sydney with the London offices of the firm, conversed with Messrs. W. E. and R. C. Rootes, three directors, and a secretary. A regular conference resulted, and this use of the radio-phone is an Illustration of the enterprise shown by British firms in keeping close contact with overseas’ representatives.