NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 16, 19 July 1932, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Toe Late Lord Plumer.

A salute of nineteen guns, at' minute intervals, will be fired from Point Jerningham, commencing at noon to-mor-row, in honour of the late Field-Marshal Lord PJumer. ' Steam to Hydro Power. Although it is about eighteen, months later than originally had been estimated, the Grey Power Board is at last on the eve of transferring from steam to hydro generation of electricity (reports the "Grey River Argus")- Before the end of this month on© of the turbines is expected,, to reach the producing stage. To Win the Sanders Cup?, Hoping that he will be able to turn out a craft good enough to represent Wellington in the next annual Sanders Cup contest, to be he]d at Lyttelton and possibly win back the trophy, Mr. Rex E. Bix, a local boat-building apprentice, has been engaged during' the past two months in building a craft according to the Sanders Cup specifications. The work is progressing well, having reached a stage at which the boat has been timbered and planked, and the decking is being fitted. Mr. Rix has built a boat each winter during the past four years, namely the "Cappy Eix," Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and the "Pollyooly," but this"is hi,s first attempt at a "one designer." The sails are being made in Auckland. Record Dairy Yield. Cause for optimism is revealed by' the past season's statistics for the dairying yield of the Auckland pro- j vince (says the "New' Zealand Herald"). Calculations based on an authoritative estimate show that the output of butterfat was 12,395,0001b in excess of that for the 1930-31 season, and the return to dairy farmers nearly £594,000 greater than last year, on a basis of Hid per lb for butterfat in each season. Although the final figures 1 for the June output have not yet been published, the official figures for the I eleven months to the end of May show an increase in output of 9.3 per cent.; compared with the corresponding-jj eleven months of the previous season. It is confidently estimated that this rate j of increase baa been maintained, in,. which event the June output would be 2,053,0001b, compared with 1,878,0001b in June, 1931. On this basis the year's output wa's 145,236,0001b, as against 132,841,0001b for the year ended 30th June, 1931, and 129,300,0001b in 1929-30. This is a record for the province, production first passin? the 100.000,0001b markin 1926-27. The latest figures indicate tliat dairy farmers of the province will receive on an average ll^d per lb for their season's butterfat. Calculating at this rate, the total.return for the year will be £6,959,225, compared with £6,365,298 last season. Labour for Nothing. "Take all you can get and look for more" is apparently the motto of a North Otago farmer (says the "Oamaru Mail"). The fanner applied for a single man to carry out work approved by the local Unemployment Committee, and an unemployed man was duly sent out to him. Tho farmer offered no wages, so the man received just 10s a week-^the amount of the unemployment subsidy. When the farmer sent in the certificate certifying that the employee had performed the work and was entitled to the subsidy, the Labour Bureau was dismayed to see a claim by the farmer for 15s for the man's board and lodging. The position is that an unemployed man is assessed for wage tax on the subsidy he receives from the board, and also on the value of his keep, (the minimum of which is fixed at 15s), so that the worker had to pay Is 3d on 255, end received only 8s 9d. The -farmer had noticed the minimum allowed for board (for^wage taxation purposes only) and considered that he was entitled to it, especially as it was the first time that he had had anything to do with an unemployment scheme. Mayor in Glider. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) was taken for a ride on. a glider on Saturday afternoon and did his best to capsize it (states tho ','Christehurch Star"). Tho occasion was' a demonstration, arranged by the Canterbury Glider Club for tho members of the Eadio Club, in which the Mayor took an active interest. A dozen men-straining at stout ropes supplied the momentum for the Mayoral ride. Strapped . securely in the aeafe, the Mayor gripped the controls with grim determination. As the machine gathered way, however, he relaxed to the extent of allowing himself to smile, and then to wave a confident hand at the crowd. That was his un- , doing, for he pushed every available control and piece of gear within his reach hard over to. the right. Responsively, the glider swung round, still, however, hugging the earth, apd went into a perfect skid, unintentional but effective, and faced round on its own tracks. It was the biggest thiijl of the afternoon —barring one. The second thrill was when Mr. W. Went, piloting the glider, towed behind a motorcar, landed on a fence after a good flight. Ho misjudged his distance and had not sufficient room left, pushing the nose gently into the wires without causing any damage to the machine or injury to himself. This was the fourth Lowing flight of the afternoon behind a ear, and only the second day on which such flights have becu attempted in Christchurch.

Within Its Income. The Waikato Diocese lived well within its income during the past year. This was reported to the- Synod at Hamilton by the Standing Committee, which stated that the diocesan indebtedness had been reduced from £2800 to £322 during the past three years, and parishes were also making strong efforts to clear off their debts. The capital funds of the Diocese had increased by £654, and now stood at £33,754. Substantial grants had beeu made to the maintenance of backblock parishes. Friends in England had subscribed £130 toward tne Waikato Diocesan Backblock Fund. About £800 was required annually to maintain the fund. Trout Kescued, Eels "Dispatched." Anticipating that as the result of the drop in the Kawarau Biver owing to the closing of the dam at Lake Wakatipu some of the trout in the river would be left high and dry, the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society sent a man out early on Sunday morning to investigate (states the"Otago Daily Times"). It was found that fish of all sizes, measuring from three inches to B.pounders, were lying about on the exposed gravel and rocky, formation below the dam. Others were suffering captivity in several dools. ,A number of helpers set to work and returned as many as they could into the rivers—over 400, it is stated. Upwards of another 100 had perished. An. interesting fact is that about 100 eels were also captured and "dispatched." Nugget Found in Street. What may be termed an extraordinary find was made by an Invercargill visitor to Winton last week, when a small nugget of gold was picked up from the dirt and gravel of a parking area in the borough on the Great North road (writes the Winton correspondent of the '/Southland Times"). The nugget was approximately half an inch long and an eighth of an inch in thickness. "You did not. know the streets of' Winton were paved with gold?" remarked a Winton business man to the correspondent. In conversation with the business man was the visitor who had made the find, and he carefully drew from his wallet a piece of paper, which revealed the nugget when unfolded. The find did not appear to be pocket-worn or to have been an ornament on a chain, and was in a rough state. The finder' related that he parked his car on an area near the Post Office and on walking over to the street noticed something glitter. On investigating ho picked up the nugget, which he himself believed was gold, and took it to a local bank to be weighed. As the branch wu not a gold receiving one, it did not possess the necessary instruments to weigh the nugget, hut nevertheless it was pronounced as the genuine article. A Voracious Bird. A number of. New Plymouth' residents a day ortwo ago were surprised to gee a kingfisher near the Hiiatoki Stream killing a small bird by beating its head on a stone. Mr. W. W. Smith, speaking to a reporter, stated that kingfishers have been known to seize birds sitting on their nests in the nesting season, and also to rob small birds' nests of their eggs. The kingfishers generally congregate in the months of September and October in Taranaki at the mouths of rivers, where the young eels, or elvers, are leaving the sea and ascending them. Generally a number of these beautiful but voracioiis birds assemble around the lower lake in Pukekura Park in the month of November to. feast on the small eels after their arrival in the park. The birds may then be s«en diving rapidly from the tree ferns or other plants growing around the lake capturing'them. They also kill mice about farmyards. ' " ■