NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 139, 15 June 1933, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

KUbirnie School Jjlbiiee. Kilbirnie School]/ which for many years was the only school in. the East-, erri Suburbs of Wellington, will attain Its jubilee early next yleair, having been founded in January, 1884. It is intended to raark the occasion by suitable functions, and all old pupils of the school are asked to co-operate. At a recent meeting, of ex-pupils and others interested the following- provisional committee was, appointed to make preliminary; - arrangements:—Mosdiuncs Wensley, Benner, Bathell, and Freeman, Miss Hansen, Messrs. R. Phillips, J. Worboys, J.Carrad, P. Kidge, A. J. Ogden, J. J. Clark, J. W. telford, G. Taplin, -F. H. Porter, and Well. Expupils are invited to send their names and addresses to the hon. secretary, Mr. J. H. Phillips, 4 Eaupo Street, Hataitai, .Wellington, E2. ' .-.:■. -'■ :'■ '■ Practical. . J.Besides making ■ propagandist efforts to protect nativo bush,' the Auckland District Council of tlie New Zealand liistituto of Horticulture has deciucd to start. a bush preservation fund. It is taking 'stock of preservablc bush within easy distance of 'Auckland city. The council's annual report states that suggested activities by the State For.est Service'with regard to the Waipoua kauri forest has led the executive, with the assista'uco of many other bodies, to form the Waipoua Kauri Forest Preservation Committee, which the Commissioner of 'State Forests, the Hon. E. A. Banso'm, has undertaken to support. A Bank's Benefactions, , The Auckland Savings Bank, donor of :£10 ; 0.00' to the Waikato Unemployed Settlement Scheme promoted by Mr. D.' V. Bryant, has many public benefactions to its credit. One of them is incidentally referred to in the annual report, of the council of the Auckland district of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, which document states that the council's scheme for horticultural and agricultural courses at Mount Albert . School, on the area of 20 acres provided by the Auckland. Savings Bank: has been adopted. Preliminary work has been carried out on the area for the establishment of a citrus test plot, which has been under consideration for the last six years. Planting will start iii'the near future. An Efficient Dog. Three men who were shooting, in a farm in the Dargaville district were charged, before Mr. G. N. Morris, S.Mi, with shooting, game out of season. One of them/William Dalbeth,' farmer, in evidence stated thai he was after hares and rabbits and denied shooting at pheasants. The Hobsoii Acclimatisation Society's ranger deposed that he' saw Dalbeth fire two shots and heard another shot. While -he was speaking to Dalbeth later a-dog came up, with a dead cock pheasant in its mouth. Dalbeth told witness he had not'forgotten the date. The Magistrate said he; believed the ranger's stor.y of the incident and fined defendant £5 and costs. The other two men were each fined £2 and costs. The higher fine, £5, was imposed on Tangiwai Pcrapt for shooting a native pigeon. . Laughing Jackass in New Zealand. - Although the sight of the Australian kookaburra is thought to be without precedent in the Gisborne district,, one was seen by Mr. C. Ivess at his homo in Waitangi Street'last week, states tlic "Auckland Star." ..The- .bird, which is drab in colour but not unlike the kingfisher in shape, although possessing a larger beak and being largerin size, was perched in one' of Mr. Ivoss's cabbage trees. On referring, his experience to Judge H. Carr, lie- was informed that in the bush near ToTaga Bay a number had been seen in the past. , . Native Birds Increase. , "I have not for many years seen so many pigeons and kakas at one time as I recently did on the Piriiioa reserve," said Mr. F. Willis last night at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation '• Society. Native- birds were also increasing in a gratifying way on this reserve, which provided nn instance of the value (if protection aud> good ranging.