NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 59, 10 March 1936, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Ragwort Parasites. ' , Means of raising a fund of from £100 to £150 with which to enable the Cawthron Institute to procure sufficient. ragwort seed-flies from England to liberate in ; ragwort-infested districts in New Zealand were discussed at a meeting of the Waikato executive of the Farmers' Union on Friday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). It was stated that the institute had the organisation and facilities in England to. secure the large supply of flies necessary for New Zealand, and that from £100 to £150 was all that was required to enable the experiment for the extermination of ragwort to be carried out on a large scale. The bigger the supply of the parasite the bigger the chance of obtaining probable control of the weed. After suggestions for a local appeal to the dairy companies and farmers were discussed, Messrs. S. N. Ziman and C. J. Pierce were appointed to interview the Minister of !Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) in Hamilton and to ask that the Government provide the funds required. . . Search for Oil. Samples of oil and gas from the Dargaville-Paparoa district are to. be brought to the surface as soon as possible and forwarded to the Department of Scientific, and Industrial Research for analysis and report, stated the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) when a deputation waited upon him last week asking for assistance in investigating the possibilities of the area. No difficulty will be experienced in obtaining samples, as more than twenty bores, sunk by an experienced well-borer in the district, have proved positively that oil is present. During the boring of one shallow well nearly a gallon of oil was collected, while in another location, after boring 100 ft, a strike of gas blew water about 30ft into the air. However, as the geologist who made the investigations emphasised, the presence of- oil in commercial quantities depended not on the- Surface conditions but on the structure of the country. In the Darga-ville-Paparoa district it had been proved that the correct structure was present. Relic of Early Days. A relic of the early Maori days in the Feilding district was unearthed last month on the farm of Mr. W. E. Hills at Makino, writes the Palmerston North correspondent of "The Post." On an area which he had often ploughed he came across a stone adze or toki. It was in perfect condition, possessing at smooth finish to a keen edge and was an excellent representation of Maori workmanship. The adze, it would appear, belonged to a member of the roving tribes which often journeyed across the country from the district of the Ngati Apa to that of the Rangitane. Wheat Sheaves on Seashore. Sheaves of wheat have been washed up on the Kaikoura beaches during the last week (states the "Press"). Many sheaves are on the beach at South Bay, and also on the other side of the Kaikoura peninsula, near the wharves. The sheaves are intact and are tied with the original twine. It is thought that they have been taken up the coast, probably a distance of 100 miles, by the sea currents, and are part of the debris from the recent floods in Canterbury. Women "On the Air." Women are doing a large amount of | broadcasting in Australia, according to Mrs. Julia Rapke, of Melbourne, who is at present in Christchurch during a tour of the Dominion (states the "Press"). At all 'the radio stations throughout the-Commonwealth, prominent women are delivering broadcast addresses on practically every subject from health to book review; she said. In some cases the large newspapers, which control wireless stations, were engaging women to give talks of general interest on such subjects as international relations. "Hurled Through Province." "It is impossible to tell you a fraction of the interesting history of this district owing to the speed with which overseas visitors are hurled through the province," said Mr. John Houston at the conclusion of an address to the British Empire Farmers' party at Turu-turu-Mokai, Taranaki. The visitors were transported to the redoubt after lunch, where" they were welcomed by Mr. Houston, who had with him Messrs. M. R. Jones, Panenui Hauranga, H. Tamaka, I. Tumararoa, and Pokau Ngahina. On this spot, so closely associated with early Maori history, Mr. Houston briefly recounted the story of the coming of the Maori to Taranaki, and afterwards acted as guide on a. tour oil the redoubt,

Cricket Hard Hit. The "Wellington Cricket Association has been hit severely by the weather this season, and there is certain to be a considerable loss on the season's working. It is usual for the Wellington Cricket Umpires' Association to apply for a grant from the local controlling body, but the umpires, recognising that the . Cricket Association has had a hard time of it financially this season, have decided to make no request for a grant. At last night's meeting of the Cricket Association's management committee appreciation was expressed of the action of the umpires. Calliope Dock Extension. Preparations for the extension of Calliope Dock, Auckland, are' being carried out by the contractor, Mr. W. Williamson, of Christchurch, and the necessary excavation work will probably be commenced at the end of this week (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The extension, which is being made to accommodate the two large new cruisers, H.M.S. Leander and HMS. Achilles, that will shortly replace H.M.S. Dunedin and H.M.S. Diomede on the New Zealand naval station, will involve the excavation of about 1800 cubic yards of sandstone and concrete at the head of the dock. The work is to be completed within four months. Nonagenarian's Tennis Interest. Although 91 years of age, Mr. J. Parsons/ a son of an old pioneer family of Wanganui, and now a resident of Barcelona, retains a keen interest in tennis which was exemplified by him recently in his visit to Wanganui. Mr. Parsons was one of the most enthusiastic spectators at the Wanganui courts on Saturday, when the annual contest between Taranaki and Wanganui was played. He has presented to the Wanganui Association two attractive cups for competition in the men's doubles at the annual tournament. These trophies will remain the property of the association. In a letter accompanying his gift Mr. Parsons wrote: "I make this presentation with the thought of establishing a lasting memorial to my; father ' and also in gratitude of the many acts of kindness I have personally' received from the tennis players in Wanganui, not only on this occasion, but also during my previous visits to this charming and hospitable city." "100 Per Cent. British." Speaking at a social gathering held in Wanganui for the party of British farmer visitors, Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, said that New Zealand was entering into a new scheme as, for the first time, a Labour Government had been elected to power. During the past few weeks he had been associated with members of the Government in discussing farmers' problems, and he could j assure those present that the Government was 100 per cent. British, and would worthily uphold the traditions and dignity of past administrations. A Stinging Pest. New Zealand is practically free from poison-inflicting pests, the katipo spider being aboutthe only one of any moment. Recently, however, a poisonous insect has made its presence felt in the vicinity of Wellington. Although the victims have not been able to give a clear description of, the pest it would seem that, in general appearance, it resembles a small house 'fly. During the'past month at least six people in the''neighbourhood of Seatoun have been affected, in each case the symptoms being the same. The sting is followed by a rapid swelling of the part' afflicted—usually a limb—and there is a certain amount of discoloration, generally of a reddish tint. In the case of one man, who was stung on the right hand, the whole arm swelled alarmingly, and a lump appeared in the armpit. There does not seem to be much pain as a result of the sting, which, after a time, yields to treatment consisting chiefly of hot fomentations. Although several of the victims have had to seek medical aid, doctors have not been able to identify the cause of the poisonous action. A Moral for Purchasers. A moral for purchasers at church fetes was drawn from the present political situation by Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., when opening the garden party in Christchurch in aid of the Colombo Street Baptist Church funds at "Thorrington" on Saturday afternoon, "states "The Press." He recommended that visitors should spend their money freely because, with the policy of the new Government and the general improvement of conditions, there would be more money coming to them. "You may wish to know something of what will happen after the twenty-fifth of this month," he said; "I attended the caucus meeting and they told me I must not tell you anything about it. For those who take an interest in the affairs of the country I will say, that the Prime Minister went to the country on 12 points. The first of these —the sharing of salaries—will be put into operation bn the first of next month. . When the other ll points are put on the statute book, New Zealand will be a more- comfortable place than it is at present. The 12 points will be put on the statute book during the next three years. I have been asked to say something about the financial policy of the new Government," said Mr. Howard, "but if I did," he added with a smile, "you would all go to the savings bank and draw out your money. But you imist admit that everything points to better times I ahead. Wool and meat have gone up in price, and better times for the farmer mean better times for all. You can therefore spend your money, knowing that more is coming in." A Matter' of Scores. An' investigation of the positi6n arising from the failure to take into account some "extras" in tallying up a team's score in an important second grade match last Saturday is to be made by the Wellington Cricket Association's management committee. The discovery of the omission and the extent to which the "extras," which were byes, were recorded in "The Post" yesterday. The match was between Technical College Old Boys and Institute Old Boys, and it was in Technicals second innings that both 1 score books showed a total of 183, without taking into the reckoning a number of byes. Institute had batted under the impression that 183 was the correct total, and they had made what were considered to be sufficient runs to win the match before stumps were drawn. In asking for an inquiry, the Technical College Old Boys' Club also raised the question of the time of starting the last over, it being claimed that the over was begun after the town clock had struck 6.30. On this matter the committee ruled that the umpire's watch governed the time. So far as the scores were concerned, it was decided to have the score books inspected and to call the captains of the teams before the committee. Speedy Journey from Opotiki. A very speedy journey by mqtor-car from Opotiki to Wellington was made on Sunday by Messrs. M. O. Kidd, J. Harriman, and W. J. Scott (of the "East Coast Guardian"). Leaving Opotiki at 5.35 a.m., the party 'travelled via Rotorua, Taupo, and Taihape, and arrived at Wellington at 6 p.m. The weather was cold and showery, with a head wind a good deal of the way. The roads showed signs of wear owing to the recent heavy rain. Taihape was left at 1.45 p.m., and the journey from there was completed in 4£ hours. The total travelling time was about lOi hours,