NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1934, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Groundless Rumour. A denial that there was any truth in the rumour that a, quantity of poppies had been stolen-prior to the recent Poppy Day appeal was given by Colonel A. Cowles, president, at the annual meeting of the Wellington R.S.A. last evening. He said that the association had no knowledge that any poppies had been stolen. A careful" check had been kept and none had been missed. "Skee" or ."She"? An ingenious argument on the controversial question of whether the word "ski" should be pronounced "skee" or "she" is reprinted from the Toronto Ski Club's periodical in the latest bulletin of the Ruapehu Ski Club.. In the opinion of the Canadian writer the pronunciation should bo "skee," and he supports his contention with some amusing pseudo-historical facts that carry quite a lot of conviction. The Ruapehu Ski Club quotes the article "without comment." Praise for Flock House. "My own'opinion of Flock House is that it is one of the finest institutions in this country for taking care of the sons of returned soldiers," said Colonel A. Cowles at the annual meeting of the Wellington R.S.A. last evening. "Not only do they learn the principles of farming, but they receive an excellent character training^ and they are turned out really fine fellows. There!has been a very small percentage, of failures." He added that some of the boys who had passed through Flock House had saved enough money to acquire an area of land on which they had established a communal settlement, and they were on the road to prosperity. An Honest Better. An instance of strict honesty is? reported as the result of a totalisator investment on the last race at the recent meeting of the Rangitikei Racing Club at Bulls. A Palmerston 'North punter gave a visitor to the races a sum to invest for him, and the horse backed won. In paying out, the totalisator, omcial parted with & 60-odd instead 'of £30-odd. Apparently the mistake was not noticed by the collector, who was merely acting as agent. He parcelled the notes up and handed them to the third person to hand to the original investor at Palmerston North, who immediately noticed the over-payment. He notified the racing authorities, and the money was thankfully received to make good the £30 shortage. ~ The Sandpaper Tish.' While trawling off the Otago Heads on Monday Mr. George Tullock caught a fish unknown to him or other fishermen in Port Chalmers (states the "Otago Daily Times"). The specimen was sent to Mr. David H. Graham, who identified it as the sandpaper or roughy. When first caught Mr. Tullock said it was brilliant crimson in colour, but faded when left out of the water. The fish is seven inches in length, with a skin similar, to rough sandpaper.' The vent is between the ventral fins and quite close- to the head. Mr. Graham states that this is the first record of one being-caught alive in Otago waters.1 A specimen was washed ashore at Portobello in June, 1931, after a heavy,gale. The only record of these fish has been ! obtained after .gales when the water has become exceptionally dirty. According to an English authority, they belong to water about 200 fathoms in depth. The- previous records of securing this fish are labelled . 1884, one of which is in the Otago Museum and another in the Canterbury Museum. It is known to fishery research workers as Paratrachichthys trailli.