TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 147, 19 March 1934, Page 13

TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWS

Items of Interest From All Quarters

Nearly 700 pheasants are at present being liberated in approved properties by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. The society does not intend to have an open season for pheasants in the coming shooting season, and consequently no recommendation for one has been forwarded to the Department of Internal Affairs.

' It. is estimated that close on 100,000 tons of stone brought down by the last big blast at the Cobden quarry have been taken out by the Greymouth Harbour Board, and there remains little loose stoue for use at the breakwater. The presence of the cave, recently discovered, is likely to prevent further successful blasting in that vicinity. As a big blast costs something approaching £l4OO, it was fortunate that the last blast brought to light the presence of the cave, for it could have happened that a succeeding blast would have set in the vicinity of the cave, with the resultant failure, and total loss of expenditure.

Efforts are being made in Christchurch to build up the membership of the Imperial Overseas Legion of Frontiersmen. Before the war the legion was strong in the South Island, but since then it has not been active, states the Christchurch Times.” At the present time it. 'is active in the North Island, and it is hoped to strengthen it in the south. Anybody who has served the Empire on a frontier as sailor, soldier, explorer, prospector, miner, guide, engineer, trader, cowboy, stockrider, transport rider, rancher, trapper, lumberman, telegraphist, surveyor, airman, or similar occupation is entitled to become a member.

There is apparently a scarcity of export fruit packers in the Nelson district. Mr. C. G. Wilkinson, the Christchurch manager for the New Zealand Fruit Growers’ Federation, stated at a meeting of the Canterbury Fruit Growers’ Association that he had received a telegram from a prominent Nelson grower"asking if any packers were available in Canterbury. While it. was stated that there was no shortage of packers in Canterbury, one member remarked that. local growers themselves required the services of all available men.

“Our classical scholars of the nineteenth century have led us into very sad beliefs concerning the ancient Greeks,” said Professor J. Shelley at a meeting of the New Zealand Society of Artists. We have been led to believe that the Greeks were restrained, hyper-sensitive people. This was quite wrong. The Greeks would not carry out a murder ou the stage, it was said. No. they would do it behind the stage, where they could produce plenty of blood. Then they would wheel in the body, dripping gore. "Believe me,” he concluded, “the Greeks were as crude as the average Australian. I have found one must say nothing against one’s own countrymen.”

a subscription of £5 was recently made by their Excellencies Lord and Lady Ble.disloe to the Maoris at Whirinaki. North Auckland, for a flag, and Mr. Harding Leaf, of Kohukohu, has prepared a design which has been received by an Auckland firm to he followed in fashioning the flag. The New Zealand, ensign will be the flag and will measure 12ft. by Gft. It. will bear the following inscription in white letters, “Presented by Lord and Lady Bledisloe to Te Ramanoa.” The work is expected to be completed this week, and a special meetingx/>f residents of the Hokianga district will be held at Whirinaki fbr the unfurling. “To Ramanoa.” included in the inscription, signifies a torch of light, or knowledge, for the common good.

IVhile no damage was done by the recent earthquakes to apiaries in Hawke’s Bay, considerable damage has been sustained an apiaries in the Woodville, Pahiatua and Eketahuna dis triets, according to information received by Mr. L. Riesterer, Government apiary instructor in Hawke’s Bay. who has left to assist with the work of rehabilitation. In many apiaries in these areas, practically all the hives have been knocked over, with general diimage to bee-ware and consequent risk of the spread of disease. Mr. Riesterer’s extensive area stretches from Cape Palliser in the south to Cape Runaway in the north, and, commencing with the Hawke’s Bay earthquake in 1931, he lias had to supervise the work of rehabilitation of apiaries after four earthquakes in various parts of his district.

In the pleasant, surroundings of the Provincial Council Chamber the Arbitration Court is holding a. sitting at present (states the “Christchurch Star,”). When proceedings reach a dull stage the fine decorative work in the Chamber is a,.subject of study, not the least interesting feature of the place being the particularly apt inscriptions suitable for contemplation by public men, which form portion of the stained-glass windows. In these days of factions very topical is the. text. “Party is the madness of many for the gain of a few.” Others that are always worthy of consideration are: “Be not a hypocrite in the sight of men and take good heed when thou speakest," “Weigh thy words in a balance lest, thou fall before him that Heth in wait,” “The credit that is got by a lie only lasts till the truth comes out,” “Auger may glance into the breast of a wise man but rest only in the bosom of fools,” "Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent,” “By others’ faults wise men correct their own.”

The progress being made with the laying of the pipe-line under Auckland, Harbour justifies the expectation that Birkenhead Will be drawing water from, the city’s supplies in the Waitakere Ranges next month, states the “New Zealand Herald.” The land pipes have been laid, both at the city end, linking with the main system at Western Springs, and at the Birkenhead end. On the city side cast-iron pipes previously in use were utilised, while on the northern shore new steel pipes made in New Zealand were laid. A consignment of asbestos cement pipes for laying on the • harbour mudflats has arrived, and as soon as the tides are suitable these will be placed in position. Tins type j ,of pipe was adopted to combat corro-1 sion, which is active between high and | low water. About three-quarters of a i mile of the route lies along the mudflats. j For the submarine section of the route ; —a distance of about one and a quarter , miles—steel pipes, specially designed to stand the strain of lowering, and sped- < ally jointed, will be used. These pipes? will be of heavier gauge and will beb bitumen-coated. They are expected tol arrive from Britain in about three/ ■weeks, by which time it is expected thalli the mudflat sections will be laid and the workmen will be ready to forge the final) underwater link.

“The pollution of rivers is likely to become a serious problem,” said the secretary of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, Mr. C. M. Gordon, at a recent meeting of t’he council. The detrimental effect upon fish was the least important aspect of the matter; there was the wider question of the pollution of the “Among sources of the nuisance are dairy factories, sawmills and farms,” Mr. Gordon added. “This has been the worst month for some time with t ravelling unemployed, reported the relieving officer, Mr. H. Kidson, to a meeting of the Nelson Hospital Board. “Khere has been quite an influx of young men to the district seeking apple, hop, and tobacco work, and a number from the North Island have found themselv'As hopelessly stranded, he stated. In good times a fair field for the employanent of outside labour is offered in tine hop gardens, orchards and tobacco plantations, but during the past few years the seasonal work in these industries has not been enough to absoeb the local labour offering ; with theiresult that those who come from other plipees seeking work have invariably been disappointed and find themselves stijanded. An importamt work in the direction of increasing l the safety of motoring on the Ta rad hie road is at present being carried <t»ut by the Hawke’s Bay County Counjeil at points near the Napier Park racecourse, which have in the past beeni the scenes of several accidents. The/re are several bends in the road near tlijs point where the surface slopes the w|rong way, providing what is known a;6 a “greasy corner,” and during the rjust few years several cars have collideiil’ with posts, while others have turned, completely round on the road. The work which is in progress now involved the banking of the road on the outs/ide at the corners, and when completed this will do much to ■minimise phe danger which has hitherto existed. A compla/int was made by Mr. F. G. Farrell at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association concerning '. the number of motor-cars travelling tit night with only one headlight burning. In a great many cases it was the .Tight, headlight, that was not burning, aind this, being the one nearest to apr.k’oaching vehicles, created a considerable source of danger. The rar with cpie light was frequently mistaken for la motor cycle, anti sufficient room was) not allowed for it to pass. It was rwolved that patrols bo instructed -Fo keep a watch for vehicles with one headlight and to warn the drivers off the danger of the practice. For seine time the Napier Borough Council lias been dekirous of improving the soutmern ajiproach to Napier, and from whiilt nuiy be gathered (hero seems every likelihood that within a comparatively flbort, time this wish may be fulfilled.ais the result of representntiom made to! the Lands Department. In the lightiof a statement made on Wednesday' 1 ! ly Mr. A. H. Ferguson, deputyMayor <4f Napier, it appears that certain eorfAraclot's and builders had certain rishis to short-dated occupancy of Grown 'Wads in the area mentioned. The Naol'r Borough Council applied Io the LayZls and Survey Department that when tinese occupancies terminated, the borougifimigiit enter into possession of these Irjiids, for the purpose of improving Ihe [Approach to Napier. It is under,stoofl that this request will be carried imfo effect, and that the necessary proclarjfations vesting certain areas in the Napier Borough Council will be made.’ iThe land in question is situated on the .borough boundary, to the seaward </f the marine driveway.

Tliofigh official confirmation of the propoihil to spend in the neighbourhood i.»f £7OOO upon the permanent sealing oil the Westshore-embankment and the Mfestshore-Bay View road has not been received by the district engineer of puiblic works at Napier, it may be authoritatively stated, remarks a HawlHe’s Bay exchange, that, the Main Highways Board will sanction the work to begin very shortly. This is the last. Of the earthquake restoration work in tie Hawke’s Bay county, and is likeiji- to take 10 weeks. Because of the (widespread losses suffered by the com Ay at the time of the earthquake, the Public Works Department undertooflr to reinstate the whole of the Natyher-Gisborne main highway where it. traversed the Hawke’s Bay County Contacil sector. A county official said on Wednesday afternoon that this permanleut sealing .work to be done on the We.'jtshore embankment, as well as the roafl from Westshore to Bay View, was act'-lially part of the department’s promi:fc to reinstate any damage done by the! earthquake, “a very generous actioii. and one which has been fully honouiped by the Main Highways Board,” he said.

The Government’s efforts in assistinr?. farmers to cope with ragwort were criticised at a meeting of the Te Awamitiu branch of the New Zealand Fi/rraers’ Union. It was said that seaseta after season the Minister had made aif announcement which led farmers to eirpect that the Government would reccignise the fight against ragwort as a fictional matter, or that sodium chlorate —the use of which was the best method of eradicating the weed —would bL imported by the Government. But farmers found, when the proper season *wnis almost at hand, that the Government had no such intention. Consequently, the clearing of the weed had been delayed. Resolutions were passed to the effect that the branch favoured giving the control of ragwort extermination to local bodies, but was opposed to raising the funds by striking a rate, ’because of the neglect of timely work on Crown and Native lands; that funds for this should be provided by the State: and that primarily the Government should cause a reduction in the price of I,'sodium chlorate.