NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Upper Hutt Rates. A striking increase in the manner in which, the rates have como in sinco April of this year, as compared with tho' corresponding period of last year, was recorded in the report of the actingtown clerk (Miss' C. Hathaway) to the Upper Hutt Borough CounciMast evening. The figures wore as follows, those for last year being given in parentheses: April, £113 15s 5d (£91103 sd); May, £308 13a (£43 6a 2d); June, £140 13s 2cV (£l6 17s 2d); July, £616 ISs 2d (£l9 Is lid); to August 10, £808 14s 7d (£32 is 6d)—total, £.1988 14s 4d (£202 17s 2d). Centenary Rowing' Regatta, | Cabled advice, that the London eightoar crew has definitely entered for tho Melbourno centenary regatta has been received by Mr. A. D. Bayfeild, secretary of the New Zealand Bowing Asso; eiation. The London crew will arrive about September 24 next; Hopes were expressed in the cable that tho Wanganui crew will bo- taking part. s " ' \ ■ Substantial Damages. Within the past throe- months juries in tho Supremo Court at Wellington in two civil actions arising out of motor accidents have awarded substantial damages. On May 11 a joiner's apprentice, aged 20, and his father claimed £.3000 general' and special damages, and the jury awarded £2500. In that case, as in another heard yesterday, tho injuries received had resulted in the amputation of' a leg. The claim made in yesterday's case, in which the plaintiff's age was given us 23-1- years, was for, general and special damages amounting to £3175. The verdict of the jury was for £2660. Kiwis Still Plentiful. , That kiwis are still plentiful in their natural home, the native bush, is shown by the fact that one opossum trapper on Mount Egmont has recently caught nine in his gin traps. Fortunately none was injured and all were released. Recently Mr. A. Haldane, caretaker of. tho Stratford mountain house, came across the remains of a kiwi egg from which a chick had just emerged, showing that the* wingless birds are still breeding. It is satisfactory (says a Taranaki exchange) to know that the rangers and trappers take a keen in-. terest iv the preservation, of the bird life of the reserves and see that nothing is done to interfere with or disturb the kiwi, native pigeon, the tui, or the makomako (the bell bird). Bobby Calf Industry.. According to a report from Feilding, the cessation of the bobby calf industry, or at least the prohibition on tho .export of bobby calf produce, meant a loss of £500 per week in wages to Foilding. This came about by the dismissal of the labour which would have been occupied in dealing with the calves at this time. It is estimated (says an exchange) that the labour alone of thoso actually employed at tho local works was worth £500 a week, and on top of that there were tho lorry drivers, whoso contracts wore largely destroyed by the quota. The calves wero bpiiig taken in by the different interests at competitive prices ranging from a few pence to ovor Is to 2s a head, but the numbers being handled wore nothing like the figures which were reached last year. Feilding was one of many country towns that had suffered a "cut" in spending power by reason of the cessation of this industry, and the loss of £500 per week in wages could be ill afforded. Tree Planting. Before 'the assembled school at WellingtoivCollego yestorday afternoon Mr. T. B. Cresswell, a former headmaster, and Mrs. Cresswell each planted a tree in tho school grounds. Mr. Cresswell was not in Wellington on Arbor Day when othor trees were planted at the college, and Mrs. Cresswell was unable to attend that ceremony owing to illness in her family. An opportunity was also given yesterday of seeing the tree, a Chile pine, presented by Mr. T. Waugh and planted by tho youngest boy in the school, J. W. Millor. Mr. Cresswell addressod the boys and commented upon tho great development of the buildings and grounds in tho last two decades. Ho urged them to remember that they had wonderful grounds and buildings, and that they enjoyed greater privileges than the boys in his time.