NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 110, 5 November 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Whitebait by Air.

The demand for whitebait in Wellington recently has been so heavy as to exceed the available supply, and recourse was had yesterday to air transport to convey West Coast whitebail:, nearly a quarter of a ton of it to Wellington. Caught in Greymouth on Sunday afternoon and dispatched to Uinstchurch by goods train, the fish was sent to Wigram Aerodrome by motor-lorry, where Mr. J. J. Busch commercial pilot to the Canterbury Aero Club, had it loaded into a Fox Molh, and just over two hours later it was being unloaded at Rongotai The total weight of the fish was 5501b

! "A Penny for the Guy." . Quite a.number of unauthorised street collections were held in the city ■ and suburbs today, as well as in ' Petone, Lower Hutt, and elsewherei but, so at is understood, it is exceed- , mgly improbable that any prosecutions will eventuate as a result of this breach of the bylaws. These collections were ; in aid of a very indigent and derelict old gentleman whose real name, Guido Fawkes, was generally whittled down to something like Guy Fox .or just plain Guy by those who were collecting on his behalf. Obviously in extremis and unable to stand upon His feet Mr Guy, we are authoritatively informed' will be accorded tonight cremation obsequies which will be accompanied by various pyrotechnic effects as the iast sad rites are carried out At what hour this takes place depends upon whether the juveniles concerned (for of course, staid adults take no part in these proceedings) have sufficient patience to wait until it is really dark On the beach at Petone and elsewhere around Wellington have been noticed a number of funereal pyres erected for the occasion. Gcdwits on West Coast. In March last great flocks of godwits left the West Coast. These birds have now returned to the Coast, and are nesting m great numbers in •>.- b°d of the Hokitika River, reports thp Hokitika correspondent of the "Grey River Argus." Each nest, comprising a depression in the' sand, lined with sawaust; twigs, and other small pieces of wood, contains three eggs. Scientists have hitherto held that the god-w-its nested and bred only in the northern regions, and that they returned south when the young were able to fly. and, indeed, this is the first tiny it is believed, that godwits have nested here. Evidently these birds are now making the West Coast their main resorts, whereas formerly the vicinity of the Auckland Peninsula and Cap' Farewell used to be their best-known rendezvous in the Dominion. Thf nests are neatly constructed, and th" godwits guard them by a ruse. The long-legged birds, when an intruder comes, drop to the ground on one win° as if injured, and try to induce the iiv truder to follow them away from the nests. Fewer Lambs. Lambing figures for the North Island this year show a considerable falling off both in actual numbers and percentages when compared with th» figures for recent years, according* to estimates compiled by the Department of Agriculture. The estimated average per cent, of lambs for the North Island this season is 83.68, compared with 88.70 per cent, last year and 91 23 per cent, in 1933, and is the lowest since 1930, when the figure was 83.19 per cent. The estimated number of lambs in the North Island this year 's 8,114,361. To this number the Wellington district has contributed 3,253,619, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay 3,243,858, and Auckland 1,616,884. Champagne Standard. "It is difficult to bring the public off the champagne standard down to the level of plain beer," said Mr. J. W Heenan at last night's meeting of the i Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association 3 when referring to the obstacles in the r way of restoring amateur athletics to c the favour the sport once enjoyed in Wellington. "I do not think," "he "c- l marked, "that the importation of over- v seas athletes alone will bring the public back. We had the Canadian school- ' boys, and an English team here last s season, but they did not draw because < we had no one to pit against them " He s urged that everything possible be done to develop local talent, since he be- f licved that until our best men were t not only New Zealand champions but * compared favourably with those' in other parts of the world, public in- t terest would not be reawakened. "What i; we want in Wellington," he concluded v "is another Harry Wilson or a Ran- a dolph Rose." . U

'A Direct Insult.

& "It is a direct insult to the govcrn- £ ing body of athletics in Wellington that the reserves committee of the City Council should have allotted the Se:----c ondary Schools Association the use of the Basin Reserve without reference to the centre, to which body, I undere stand, the secondary schools are affiliated," said Mr. J. W. Heensn, in referring to the restriction placed on the use of the Basin by athletes, at last > night's annual meeting of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre. He conjsidered that the centre should protest .'strongly against the reserves- commitn | tee's action in making any such grant, r i without the application coming through the centre. Taupo Fishing Season. The angling season in .the Taupo and Rotorua districts opened on Friday. The "Wanganui Herald" reports that as a result of heavy, rains during the winter months all the lakes in the district are considerably higher than they have been at the beginning of November for some years. It is'stated that there is no lack either of fish or feed in the lakes. A number of the overseas 8 anglers who regularly visit the district have arrived and others are expected early in the season. Preliminary sales of licences are reported to be very satisfactory. Bishop of Aotearoa. The annual visitation of the Maori pastorates in the Diocese of Auckland is at present being made by Bishop Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, who. arrived in Auckland on Friday evening. After attending the centenary celebrations of the church at IXotorua, Bishop Bennett visited the Hauraki area and conducted confirmations at Thames. He also visited Mangatangi and Mataitai before going to Auckland, states the "New Zealand Herald." On Monday Bishop Bennett went to Rewiti and will continue up the west coast as far as Hapua, the most northerly church of the Church of, England in New Zealand. From there he hopes to go to Spirits' Bay and then return by the east coast. Bishop Bennett carries with him as part of his equipment a moving picture camera, and has bean taking a number of scenes to provide illustrations for a lecture on the present work of the Anglican Church among the Maori people. Already wherever there is electric current available he is showing some of these pictures to the Maoris he visits. Auckland Station. The formation of a lawn at the sides of the tracks from the Auckland railway station to the first bridge on the Parnell line, is at present being undertaken (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The scoria ballast is being replaced by soil, while white sand will be laid down between each set of tracks. When the grass has gained a hold, the effect will be very pleasing, and will add to the attractiveness of the station gardens, which this season have been a mass of bright blooms. The scheme of developing the station concourse and grounds generally with a view to creating an exhibition of native flora of interest to overseas visitors and local residents alike, is also being actively pursued. The entrance hall and station concourse are beginning to assume almost the appearance of a glasshouse. About 60 young native trees and shrubs, of. widely-dif-ferent varieties, many of which are probably little known even to Now Zealanders, have now been .placed in tho concourse, while a dozen hanging baskets of ferns have been suspended down the centre. As the trees become too large for the-tubs, they are planted out in the grounds, where many M healthy specimens of native trees can 1 now be seen. 1 Preserve of Cricket? 1 "My object in coming along here to-' I night," said Mr. J. W. Heenan a life * member of the Wellington Centre of the- New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association at last evening's annual meeting, "is to urge the centre not to relax its efforts to get a fair deal with 3 regard to the use of the Basin Tteserve." l Mr. Heenan said that during his thirty c year^' association with amateur J athletics, the sport had experienced s many vicissitudes, but that whenever ; it was making money for the City , Council there had never been any difiiculty about dates. When the sport went z to Athletic Park some seasons ago the * council did not rest until it had in- * the centre to return to the Basin. So long as the gates were good l everything was all right. He reminded < delegates that the centre had paid £800 for the installation of electric lights at c the Basin Reserve. The City Council c had advanced the money, and in three c meetings the centre had liquidated the c debt. Today the value of the installa- c tion was, because of neglect, much be- I low its original cost. There was noth- c ing, continued Mr. Keenan, in the re- r gulations concerning the Basin regard- l ing its dedication solely as a preserve r for cricket, or any other sport. He was r of the opinion that the ground, should f not be coddled. In the old days it was t free for all. "I strongly lu -ge the * centre, said Mr. Heenan in conclusion c not to weaken in its efforts to get its c fair share of the-only money-making \ l ground in the city." a