NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 68, 29 September 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

— ♦ Yesterday in Parliament. An exceptionally busy day was spent in the House of Representatives yesterday. The presentation of the report of the Commission which inquired into claims for redress in connection,! with confiscations of Native lands following the Maori Wars led to some discussion, in the course of which the Prime Minister announced that the Govorninent would give serious consideration to the recommendations for compensation in certain cases, and declare its intentions later. A Bill to amend the Government Railways Act was introduced, and occasioned some debate upon provisions relating'to the appointment of a General Manager of Railways, and superannuation funds. The Wellington City Milk Supply Amondment Bill was reported from the Local Bills Committee, with amendments, some discussion taking place on the question of the competition of nearby farmers with the City Council milk supply scheme. The report was talked out without the nature of the amendments being disclosed. In the evening the House made oxcellent progress on Bills, passing the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Amendment Bill, the Public, Works Bill, the Companies Amendment Bill, tho Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Bill (with amendments), the Motor Spirits Taxation Amendment Bill, and the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill (with amendments). The House rose at 11.48 p.m. until Monday afternoon. The Legislative Council sat all afternoon, adjourning until Tuesday, after partly considering the Mental Defectives Amendment Bill on the second reading. Savage Attack by Bull. Suffering from a pierced lung and several broken ribs, through being attacked by a bull, Mr. William Colgan, jun., of Patumahoe, near Pukekohe, and formerly of Northcote, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital in a serious condition on Tuesday (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). Mr. Colgan went into a paddock near the house on Tuesday morning to remove a'cow. A Jersey bull which was in the paddock charged him, and, knocking him down, rolled him over, two or three times. His sister witnessed the occurrence from the house, and, rushing out, drove the bull off with a household mop. Statue to Maori Chief. As a memorial to a loyal Maori chieftain, Kapereiere Meihana, of the Nga-ti-Pukeko tribe, a statue has been propared by W. Parkinson and Company, Ltd., under instructions from the Wairariki District Land Board, Rotorua, and is to be erected by the Government and relatives of the late chieftain at Whaka'tane (states the "New Zoaland Herald"). Meihana, who was born in 1860 and died in 1926, was, with his father, a staunch supporter of the Government during the insurrections on the East Coast. "Ho was a loyal supporter of the soveignty of Great Britain and was mourned at his death by both Maoris and pakehas for his lovable qualities and uprightness of character." Such is the inscription engraved on the pedestal on which stands a life-size statue of the dead chief. It is a fine piece of sculpture, the dignified old figure being clothed in a chieftain's cloak and clasping in one hand a mere, the symbol of chiefly rank. The statue will be removed from Auckland and erected in Whakatane, over Meihana's grave, in tho near future. Blackfish Caught. The recent strong westerly winds aro believed to account for the presence of two large blackfish, a species of whale, which wero washed ashore at Maungaturoto, on the upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour, last Monday (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). When captured, they wero lying in shallow water several chains .above tho Maungaturoto Wharf, which is about 45 miles from tho open sea. Considerable surpriso was expressed by fishermon with a knowledge of the harbour that the fish should have found their way so far inland. At the spot where they were caught the tide runs up a narrow creek, and on receding loaves a channel about 3ft in depth. The two fish had ovidently gone up the creek with tho full tide, and some hours later were loft almost stranded. Mr. J. Louie, a fishermen, who was sleeping on his launch some distance above the wharf, was awakened during Sunday night by strange bellowings likp those of bulls. The noise continued for some time, apparently coming from the two blackfish. Next morning Mr. Louie was attending to his nets after the tide had rison, when he discovered the two monsters swimming round near the nets. Manoeuvring his launch he was ablo to drivo tho'two fish into the mangroves, where, after considerable trouble, he passod ropes round their tails. They .struggled furiously for some time, pulling the launch astern against the full strength of the engines. Eventually tlio captives became exhausted r and wero killed with an old bayonet.

"Struggling Artists." Humorous references to tho trials and disappointments of artists were made by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral (Sir Charles Pergusson) at the opening of the New Zealand AcademyExhibition last evening. His Excellency said he supposed that sometimes just as a golfer smashed his best driver and wondered why he ever took up the game, so artists felt inclined to throw the palette and brushes across the room. "I believe it is' so," he said, "because I live in close associa-, tion with two struggling artists." (Laughter.) Later, His Excellency mentioned criticism, and said that sometimes there was worse than criticism: when there was no criticism or complaint at all. "When I saw a young artist reading this evening's paper with downcast face I thought 'the craze for fame is in us one and all, better be damned than mentioned not at all,' " he said amidst merriment. Michaelmas Day. In the Western Church the festival of St. Michael and All Angels, "Michaelmas," is celebrated to-day, 29th September. According to eminent authorities the feast appears to have grown out of a local celebration of the dedication of a Church to St. Michael, either in Apulia or Rome, but. by the end of the ninth century it had grown to be a great day. The name Michael is given in the Book of Daniel to one of the four Archangels, who appears in Jewish theorosphy as the greatest of all the angels and as the chief antagonist of the Prince of Evil. The origin of the custom of eating a goose at Michaelmas, like a turkey at Christmas, still common in Europe, is lost in the mists of antiquity. Michaelmas daisies, well known to all garden owners, derive their name from the fact that they aro usually in full bloom at Michaelmas, although, of course, this does not apply to the Southern Hemisphere. New Maori Pa. An ambitious plan to provide an appropriate meeting place for Maori tribal gatherings in Gisborne is now under the consideration of thi Maori Lands Board (says the "Gisborne Times'.')- Somemonths ago the Harbour Board took Native land on Kaiti for harbour works development, paying the owners £10,000 compensation. Out of these funds the board has purchased an area of seven acres at the bottom of Kaiti Hill, situated at the corner of Ranfurly road and the hill road, four acres of which are flat, the balance being hilly, At present the authorities are undertaking the levelling of the property and fancing, and it is probable that the land will be .cropped for this year. The plans for the lay-out.of the property as a meeting ground for the tribes for huis at which the Ngationeone tribe, who formerly owntd tho Kaiti land taken for the harbour, will act as hosts, have not yet been drafted. It is understood, however, that a number of buildings will be erected on the site, including a model meeting house and a church. In any case the pa buildings will not be started until late next year, and the inauguration ceremony is to take place about Christmas, 1930. " 'Mid Pleasures and Palaces." "This is .a communication all the way from Paris, gentlemen," said the Mayor of Deyonport on Thursday evening, when an item on the order paper was called (states the "Auckland Star"). The letter was an impassioned plea from a resident of the borough now touring the Continent, that the Devonport Borough Council should, in his absence, do its best to clear x t_e surplus growth of weeds from Rata road, a tiny blind street thirteen thousand miles away from the Grand Hotel dv Pavilion, close to the Champs Elysee. The correspondent, after referring to Paris as '' this most beautiful city with its glorious boulevards," said that he will be "very glar 1 to get back to delightful Devonport," and plaintively informed the council that '' many friends from abroad intend visiting me when I return, so please do not let me be ashamed of Rata road when I return, after tho glowing accounts I have given of our country's beauties and of Devonport in particular." The letter Was sympathetically received, and for the sake of [Devonport's fair fame in Franco something is to be done to reduce the crop of weeds. Spring in the Gardens. In the city spring is heralded only by warmer days and bluer1 skies, but in many gardens it finds expression in a profusion of flowers, and this is particularly the case in the Botanical Garden's just now. Although the various spring flower shows have already been held, the season was rather early for them, and now the bulbs are at their best, and should be visited by every garden-lover. In secluded quarters of the bush the kowhai blossoms aro out in all their ' golden splendour, and a quiet observer may often catch a glimpse of a tui sipping from the honey-laden flowers, or its melodious song may be heard. Indeed, a stroll through the bush paths will often give glimpses of native bird and forest life rarely seen in tho vicinity of a city. Again, in other directions, broad walks under the shades of pine trees offer special attractions. As the flat is reached by the path from Kelburn, daffodils are to be seen blooming in the greatest profusion on grassy slopes, until the bank below the director's residence presents a magnificent effect of massed colours. A little below are flowering plum trees, each surrounded by a heartshaped bed of daffodils. Along the main drive beds of primroses, scarlet anemones, and various other spring flowers also make admirable displays. A handsome Japanese flowering cherry tree, which has been the admiration of visitors for many years past, is just coming into flower, offering a sharp contrast to the red flowers and glossy green leaves of tho camellia trees in the valley above. The magnolias are in full bloom, and with the many spring flowers will amply repay a visit to the Gardens during the next few wekes.