NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Wool Speculation.

Representatives of wool-brokering firms in Napier say that there is .'quite! a lot of wool speculation being done in Napier and in other parts of Hawke's Bay. There is a large amount of wool stored in the wool stores at Port Ahuriri and in private wool sheds awaiting future sales. Much of this, it is stated, is privately owned by speculators, who hope to sell out on a rising market, says the "Hawke's Bay Herald." Some sheep farmers are still holding pre-earthquake wool in the hopes of selling when prices are better. These people have been selling their yearly clips, but are striving to hold pre-quake wool until better times approach. One Napier firm is holding about 300 bales of pre-earthquake wool.! Destruction of Kcas. f A request that it should resume paying a bounty for .the destruction ofkeas was received by the Awatere County Council on Friday from the Marlborough Sheepowners' Union. The union drew attention to the serious menace of the kea to stock in the back country, and explained that,, in conjunction with the Canterbury and Olago Sheepowners' Unions, it was pressing the Government to restore the bounty formerly paid, states the "Marlborough Express." "There is not the slightest doubt that a tremendous lot of damage is done by keas," said Councillor A, J. Murray, in moving that 2s 6d a beak be allowed for keas. This was seconded by Councillor A. R. Wooding on the understanding that the bounty be paid only as long -as the Marlborough County continued to offer one. If only one county was paying out, he explained, the keas killed over the whole district were sent to it. The motion was carried. Problem for Belgian. The complications that may arise as a result of the strict enforcement of the compulsory military training laws adopted by some European countries are exemplified in the case of a young Auckland resident, a Belgian, states the "New Zealand Herald." The young man, who left Belgium before he was twenty, the age at which all Belgians are obliged to commence three years' active military training, has received instructions to report for his term of service, but finds himself in difficulties owing to the travelling expenses involved. Mr. A. M. Ferguson, Consul for Belgium, said that all Belgians who retained their nationality, whether living in their own country or abroad, were expected to do military training. No passage-money was provided' by the Belgian Government, however, for Belgians living abroad when they became of military age, and in the latest case the young man had received in.structions to report for service, but had no means of doing so. It had been suggested that the man should adopt British nationality, but he Was not anxious to follow this course, Mr. Ferguson added. Meanwhile he was confronted with a difficult problem, and one that offered no apparent solution. Fish Ladder on West Coast. A fish ladder of an entirely different type from that used above th% Waitaki dam has been in operation, most successfully, for some months in the Arnold River, on the West Coast, and a statf I »nt concerning it has. been made by Mr. I. 'Bennington, secretary to the Grey Acclimatisation Society, states "The Press." The Kaimata dam on the West Coast is provided with a fish ladder, short and steep, and consisting of about 20 concrete boxes, which, by the method of construction, enable the fish on their way up the ladder to have a rest in each box before continuing their journey upwards. The fish do not have to jump over the steps, but make, their way up the ladder by entering a hole at the bottom of each box. Mr. Bennington said that there had been isolated instances where fish had been caught by their gills in the protective wire netting over the series of boxes at Kaimata, but the success of the ladder had been proved by several experiments which the society had conducted. In these experiments the bottom box had been netted off, so that no fish could return through it. After the positions of the fish in the ladder had been noted, the water was shut off, and some hours elapsed before it was turned on again. It was found that when the water was again turned on there were no fish in the boxes, a conclusive proof that the ladder was working successfully. Mr. Bennington expressed the opinion that the type of ladder in use at Kaimata was the best available, but it could not be applied at Waitaki, because the necessary length was not available.

Counsel's Real Meaning'

"My learned friend will kindly slop me if I lead the witness too far," said counsel in the Supreme Court at Auckland. "I am certain he will," remarked Mr. Justice Callan with emphasis. "It always amuses me," continued his Honour, "when counsel requests his dear friend to stop him if he leads too much, when what he evidently means is, 'Do let me do it as far as possible.' "

New Zealand Gladioli,

The prominence which gladioli bred in New Zealand were achieving overseas was mentioned to members of the New Zealand Gladiolus Society at Christchurch. It was stated that recently Mr. W. Pfitzer, of Stuttgart, j ! Germany, the world's leading*hybridist, had commissioned Dutch agents to secure for him two New Zealand originations for breeding purposes. A Clever Celestial. A Chinese witness, whose age was in question in the (Supreme Court at Auckland, was complimented on his cleverness by Mr. Justice Callan (states the "Herald"). When the witness gave his age as 55, his Honour remarked that this was nearly correct. The man had already said he had been for 28 years in China and for 30 years in New Zealand. "He has dropped three years somewhere," said his Honour. "A different calendar," said witness promptly. "You are more clever than you make out," replied his Honour, laughing. A Ratana Ceremony. . With picturesque ceremony approximately 1000 followers of the Ratana movement gathered in front of their •Temple on Thursday morning to witness the unveiling of the new memorial gates and archway which have been erected to commemorate the birth of Ratanaism and to preserve the memory of their leader';? three sons, Arepa, Omeka, and Hamuera (Alpha, Omega, and Samuel). Maoris from all parts of the North and South Islands, and some from the Chatham Islands have been arriving' all the week in order to be present at the celebrations, states the "Wanganui Herald." At a signal from the conductor, Mr. Paikea, the Ratana Morehu Band sw,ung into a familiar march and the procession started on its way to the Temple. Following the band, which was led by a diminutive drum-major, waving a carved taiaha, came Mr. Ratana and the members of his family, the menfolk dressed in suits of navy and the women in black satin frocks with black silk shawls covering their heads. Next in order came the women of the choir, their dresses of vivid orange,; with head coverings of the same 'hue providing a brilliant splash of colouring in the bright sunlight. The nursing sisters came next, wearing ! lavender dresses and white nurses' veils. The apostles and lay-readers, in full regalia, followed next, red, white, blue, and i lavender colourings contrasting vividly with the sombre black of their ecclesiastical robes..