NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

JUnerals::in''the: Wiuidsi••■;■;.•;'!. X'; : !:\ v v --i- : -' As.; H, result of the. utilisation of unemploymeut funds for' the encouragement of prospecting'for minerals, a report was recently submitted to the Mines' Departnient by:the leader of a, prospecting ''.'-'party,, which had worked in the. Dusky Sound district, states-the "Otago Daily Times.'". Samples of;various min-eralised-rocks are being investigated.by the Dominion Laboratory, and already there is sufficient justification for a decision! to send out, early in;the New Year, a party which .will commence work Pn two areas'where it is belieyr ed that the men will make good wages' on an alluvial gold deposit. In addition to this activity, another group will be sent-..t0 Fanny Cpve and Chalky Inlet ,tb follow up the -work of a prospecting party,' while another area/ in Barn: Bay distriist! is to .be similarly investigated by a, party assisted from unemployment;,funds,?:' subject to the usual conditions. .^Tne^jpiiit."efforts; of the! Unemployment ..Boardv:and ;Mines Department, in conjuuetioa- with a local committee at Thames,- haye resulted in •a fairly..large .development of' a system of.pfoßpecting,under superyision. ■: J

University or .union Tees? ,- >.;/ 1, j / /if'l; gather" that'youdanot iiold with unions^'jsaid' Mr. ,J.:H.'-Salmon, to. a debtorjwho '! appeared -int the,';;.'Magis.trate's Court; at: Wahganui;/recently, states '^ The :/ f!trpniclol ?'' Evidence showed'that he j ;yra'B;'B]o.^e/..£6'in'arrears with fhis union' feesJrTho;debtor stated that, !he .had- five - cliildreii^1/: tho - eldest of whom! was 20/ and was at the'.'.uni-yerisity;-.m^.'yire^ng^n.;:.Qn.-Vant.:iaybr'fige it was costing him 325. 6d a! :week to keep his soil; there. ; Counsel! for plaintiff } said he thought 'that there was no reason .why the debtor should, not pay.his union arrears if he could keep his son at university. "Yes,", said Mr. Salmon,, "but it is very creditable to "him j to endeavour to keep his son at university. No doubt if it were not for the fact that he is giving his boy that education he would.be able to pay something off his debt. I must make, an order, but to show the attitude of the Court towards his position and his own attitude. I am..going to -mako a very small order because I think he is doing' the right thing.'' Accordingly an,.order for Ss 6d a mflath, j»as made*

Well-siiiking^^ in Gisbornb. , The succession of dry summers has led to unusual activity in well-sinking in and around Gisbornc. A number of farmers on the flats are reported to j have obtained satisfactory artesian sup- i plies, but even more interesting is the success, that has attended similar efforts Within the borough. In a number of localities there is apparently quite a large subterranean supply of water, 'and this has been tapped, not only by ■private householders, but also for commercial purposes.- Two striking instances are those of the Gisborne Gas Co. : and an ice-cream company, both, of which have sunk wells on their respective properties and are obtaining a flow of approximately 10^000' gallons a day, thus not only saving considerable expense, but also ensuring a continuous supply irrespective of tho borough service. Several tests of ithis artesian supply, have been made by the Health Department and the ' reports generally indicate that the water, particularly in drought periods, When it is most required, is of excellent quality.

Supreme Court Year. Many, big and important cases, both criminal and civil, have '.'..been dealt with this year in the Supremo Court, and .some have been of a rather, unusual type. ; The year undoubtedly has been a- very, heavy, one. On the criminal side, .thb principal case from, the point, of view of public interest was the trial; pf.; George Errol Coats for mur-der.(-|Th'ere were other cases also which attracted- considerable attention, notably fthe telegraph betting cases, tho prosecutions for theft of cigarette coupijn»';from a well-known.".'business ipuse/fand the case! in whichyi^man ;'Were'-'Benteneed:!;jto'-ii-':lflng. ter^ ofilmprisonment for robbery,/under arpßX^:!'ionnec'tion''i^tt';thd;'-hbldrn^q£ mbtprists at Miramar-and latpr-a'/ser-j vieet station p^ppriefor on the^!' 'Day fs j B ayi: road;' Thre^^important'); wni.;;cases | 'in jeach, of : .-whicliifth e:' questipn^icif ■■ te,star nientary.! cppacily. 'io f ;;' th c ■ '■fe^tat'brjsiros^ ;were:/)^(bre£|M||Gburt.^!v.Tn^ jdiy brcei caisel diplingVwith': the ;'p;f;idpmi(yje;iTOs7^ ! ance^:iThen! ';^the^e!S:W!erS:? iith' e'fs' earth c; quake" cases) which raised the important question whether injuries suffered by four men1 in the Hawkes "Bay. disaster last !Fobruary came within vthe: meaningi of ' the' Compensation Act as arising out of the* employment:of the men;'and the'case in which Mr.: Justice Reedrgave judgment last week-for 563000 cpmpensation in respect' of itho death of. a passenger!,;in; any aeroplane :crash-.';near'-!W«iirba. - ■,■■-- 1 ■;,.■-;■.;;■.!■ ;: -j

'An"' <'b:s;^AKaih»w*i.; ;'"".;;V'--' '':,';■ ;-:J:----usual"siz«'^' xepbrted l>y! MrfiErnes| C. Preston^tof ! Tauranga; A^lmßmber; of a launch party /which /recently fished' oflf Mayor Island, caught a kahawai 2ft 6Jin long- and weighing; HHv t .f'.This seems to ,be a .fish ; ,of, extraprdinary; size,'' p Mr. Preston ' writes./,,.i.'.'.Out;,'^of; tho.hundreds!'l- i have- 'caught'S.aiound Mayor Island' andVTa^'ranga--:'^-iar'i(est; kahawai;;was! 71bi*f " V-.piT^i^i?^!

,Oift;:by;;Kete-Adniiral;:-,.,;'::■,;, : i ; ;-^)^ -j! A valuable addition to the'many.'fiiie. trophies iannually- competed' ibiv by Auckland yachtsmen has been /^received by the .Royal New Zealand ■ Yacht Squadron ;!from Rear-Admiral ■ Geoffrey' Blake, ;; Officer ' Commanding ; the New Zealanct -Division ;of the Royal Navy '..(statea the' ;"New";. Zealand Heraldj!;').V^The rvi trbphy^ ■ 'yhich;.y is a! silyer't;model;;j>.of a Viking ship, will vbeJr competed.: for <:. annually; by keeiyijen'ts on the register of the squadron 'ii£: the- night cruising race to Ka-'!wau;-''.^he:&st''xajSf:^or..-thiß.,-handßome prize will be ! held! bn 6th"./ Fe-bruary. The model, which haanow rea6hed New Zealand from the-makers^ in England, is •a!:*ppy o$ onb!.presented;.,by .RearAdmiral Bkko as! a trophy in sailing races in'the Atlantic;.Keet.-'ln.;tliis;:cpn'r ] 4iest'eacK':ship of.■iSiie*fleej6-e'iiiefß;alerew > andithe1 'iresUlt^ of- the races, ire' workeasput ?bh/ 'a soale^of points to adjust thtf^liilEerence betweeu thfr various types of I^^s^cbmpeting;; Th^Kßnglisn/jtrophy is -at- present''Held by', tho ..battle-; >cfuiser:,iHoo i d.: ,;The-:trophy.{was pfl-ered ;!Blak^ / }ittt':4he!i:.p^rizfei .'giying.' -^ction.!' last! JuneJ'r' and;-Accepted! -forj competition!';iiiT the Kawau race. ■■;, •'■;•■•.• '.::'.

French Distinctions. - , ;! ' ,/■-/■. '■.' ;;.'. ■;-,.;■ / On the.recommendation of 'the'forineiConsul for France 'in ''-, Auckland^';M.' Paul Sorre, two members of the: Auckland. French Club have been> decorated officers of the Academy of France in rec6gnition;:!bf about>ls years' service bii!behalf of the French inhabitants;;'b.£: AucklandvCity. (states-theV/'Ne^, Zqa'- : land'Her.ald?;.')v;;Thpse';h.ohpured^OT G.; Si /Coldham}' MjA£ who hasjbeen' "sSn-, iorj Fiench;fniaster ,at th«^,Mpuntf ■Albert . Grammar ; Schpbl sinc^: it; was !f oundedabbutlO years; agb,'-'ana is, dent;of ; the-jclub,"(and, Miss^Elsie! "Jeni niriga, who is^^ honorary secretary-" of the iclub. The deoorotip>B^'wliicli;<aiei^'co>i-' ferrecViby!•;tlie ■OPpreign-.pep'arliment} of the Government,!! takeitte-f oriri; bfvi halt /.'oval. ofbrilliants^^ set in.Silver,; ; hung i on a purple;; ribbpni ; Tho actual presentations will take Vplacb at -. the ■&st'-;'meet!ing..;,ol.,'the' ; .Fr^nc.h--;,piub-.':itt. April!next :year.; : So far only! the certificates, have been, receivecl, from France^

So^.^bfl^lNliwtingale^ j:^!v '■■■■] Thefspng 'Of the nightingale, while perfectlyi!j£aniiliar; to thoso residing in the^Olia^pbuntryjas a .sound that; has beeii-deiiieaVto the majority of New lZeaianders/despite the fact that,several importedvAnp".;;fele^sed at^AiicJcJand;; On a, recent; evenV iiig: :at'•'■%nskVj.a'& Mangap^apa , residept, whose h6me!|sf|ituated in the locality: of Hospital ,Hili (Gisborne),i;ana who has heard -nightingales in; Englandj is certain thai- he/heard'and saw one: of the beautiful songsters on his property. Thei bird was perched on the top of a pine tree, and the Resident watched and listened\tp it fof: fully 10 minutes before: it topk to the wing. The incident ■is^iii^ip're;Bt^g.-iri-'--that;:.iip.^tqv.d'atd/only ; very' bccasipnal rejlbrts"fo'ij- ■nightingaleß havo bcen,recoivod sincei.thp, birdsJwere imported 'into , New Zealand.. "Some morittia- ago itlwas: reported-that the nightingale's song, had, been heard at Methven. '-.. ..-■' .- >■- .; ■...; ; -;i

The Pukeko. ...Some .complaints have boon made b^ farmerg,! notably in the! Auckland-dist-rict, of damage done, to.; their -'.'crops by the pukeko. It is ■ not apparently widely, known, that the :pukeko_, al-. though» catalogued under; the: Animals. Protection and Game Acty 1921-22,;, as an absolutely protected bird, can with the signed •permission;;of the jMinistei: of 'Internal Affairs, be destroyed. ,j It is';adyjsablej:;;^/any. occupieriof;;land 'suff6ring:.-£.rom":i-th'etd^red L iitidns''i'of;.it,(ic pukeko^ to write tlie'i-Mimiter^fpr-a'utlibr^ ity •td> ; kUl l !^h!o?:bir'QS^j.The:;|pu i koko ,not^classed!;am"ong gun^sjfipi'tsmenVasila': good /Sporting bird,;;as! Jit. is tpraoficaUjij' tame,;aiicl -ono/can get van !cl6'se-.-upi sh'oti! 'The student of "natural.-''Msf tpry-'.aiil:('iho''iiative;:.birdi]o!yef;are;f i a,'l;; mi'rei's ofj^tlie 'grace and beautiful :pluni!-. a'ge^f : ''t'Ke-/pukek'pj''i'anS- : til»(sy^OT!B':io'^Tt;1 for Hh#;protectipn of^ tho;'birds > : t6,i..b!ei maintaiji.ed,!/ The. MinistertXtho'/Hoh. A.'Hamiiton): has lately granted several by ! farmers to be 'permitted- to, destroy thdfpukeko ■. doing damage to^heir properties.^-/., '7;'; ; , •

A Glorified, Picnic. ! ■ir.)CX.:-\"!"i'-uJ : "The-conference is only a glorified picnic, that's, been my .experience,'? said Mr. A. T. Smith at a meeting'of the North' Canterbury Hospital, Board when there was a discussion on the question of, whether the general. con-, ferenee of the Hospital ; Boards' Association should be held this year.'The board decided to recommend that no conference' be held this year. ■. .At tho same time, it was agreed that,if the oonference wore held it would send three delegatesj .i...j_ !..„_ ■',