NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Large Flight of Bitterns. In spite 'of the attention of flyfishermen and others who find its feathers particularly suitable for making trout flies, the native bittern, or matuku, is apparently not decreasing in numbers in the Rotorua district. A resident recently reported that in a large patch of raupo he put up no fewer than 44 bitterns, the largest number he remembered having seen together in an extensive experience of wild life. In other parts of the district also reports indicate that the numbers of these birds are increasing. Loss of the Tasmania. Today is the anniversary of the wreck of the Huddart, Parker steamer Tasmania near Table Cape, Mahia Peninsula, in 1897, with the loss of eleven lives. The Tasmania, a steamer of 2252 tons register, was employed in the Sydney-New Zealand trade, and at the time was bound from Auckland to Gisborne, but owing to the high sea the captain decided to proceed to Napier instead. The ship was given full speed, the weather at the time being very dirty and. thick. .Shortly before 11 p.m. the ship grounded. All aboard took to the boats, and owing to capsizes during the journey to the shore eleven persons were drowned. Hope Unfulfilled. ' The possibility of obtaining a supply of artesian water from the grounds of the Wellington Hospital was investigated by the building and property committee of the Hospital Board, which was advised that there-was.; little . if any prospect of getting such'a supply.At last night's meeting, of the board it was "decided to take no further action. Favourable Reaction. "While in London I had communications from-people in various parts of Great Britain expressing their deep interest in what the New Zealand Government is doing," said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. ,J. Savage) in an interview last night.. "Most of the reactions were favourable to the legislation we have passed, and many of these favourable remarks came from influential quarters." Nature's Streamlines. The tuna, found extensively in Californian and to a less degree in New Zealand waters, was a perfect example of streamlining in.Nature, said Mr. A. W. B. Powell, assistant director of the War Memorial Museum, when discussing the possibilities of tuna fishing on a commercial scale in New Zealand (states the "New Zealand Herald").. The body was almost completely rounded, and the fins fitted so tightly into' slots that they had to be''prised out with, a knife. The mouth and eyes were also specially designed so as to offer no resistance to the water. At the base of the tail were two narrow ridges, which divided the flow of water before it passed to the propeller-like tail. Heavier Locomotives for West Coast. . Heavier locomotives weighing approximately 97 tons are to be used on the Midland line, next month, replacing the 87.-ton A.B. type at present in use on the run to the West Coast (states the "Christchurch Star-Sun"). The new locomotives have been constructed at the Hillside railway workshops, Dunedin, and they are undergoing trials before . being brought to Canterbury. They will not be run beyond Springfield at the outset, as the remaining section of the line has not been strengthened sufficiently to accommodate their added weight. It is.intended that later on the X locomotive, weighing 142 tons, will be used on the run between Canterbury and the West Coast. This is the heaviest type in use on the New Zealand railways, and the line is.being strengthened to enable them to be employed, but it is expected'that it will'be fully two years before this work is finished. The use of the heavier type of locomotive on the line has been rendered necessary by the. growth of the goods traffic in the past few years. Last year the volume ■of traffic from the West Coast to ' Canterbury totalled 724,889 tons, an increase/of 133,434 tons over the previous year. Wild Tig Menace. As a temporary measure, pending the full investigation of the position, the Government has decided to pay one shilling per head for all wild pigs destroyed in certain parts of the North Island during the next four monthsAugust, September, October, November —in accordance with a scheme-that has been formulated to relieve settlers in outlying districts from the ravages of these animals. In making this announcement last evening, the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. L. Martin) said that settlers in outlying districts, particularly in portions of Taranaki, Wellington, and Lower Auckland, in the early spring months suffered severe stock losses through the deiDredations of wild pigs. In order that some relief might be afforded, Cabinet had decided to grant a subsidy of Is per pig killed in the counties of Kawhia, Otorohanga, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Ohura, Whangamomona, Stratford, Patea, Waitotara, Wanganui, Kaitieke, and Waimarino. On representation being made by county councils, extension of the scheme would be considered. "It will be necessary for settlers to produce to the collecting officer of the Department of Agriculture the snouts and tails of the pigs killed, accompanied by a certificate indicating that they were from genuine wild pigs," said the Minister. "Further information in'regard to procedure will be given on application to the local inspector for- the district." : Sunday Island Settlers. The four dissatisfied settlers who appealed to be taken off Sunday (Raoul) Island were shipped by the Maui Pomare on Wednesday, according lo advice received by the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones) from Mr. J. E. Anderson, engineer-in-charge of the survey party now on the island. Mr. Jones said the radio message from Mr. Anderson stated that the Maui Pomare called at Raoul Island at about 3.50 p.m. on Wednesday and left at about 8.30 p.m. for Lyttelton. Loose stores and a dog were landed at Fishing Rock. Two casks and radio material were also landed with a new 21foot surf-boat on the beach. The remainder of the casks and- a raft of timber and corrugated iron were moored to a buoy anchor outside the surf. The Maui Pomare was unable to get a line ashore through the light falling, and was unable to wait until the following morning. If the weather held it should be possible to land these the next day (Thursday). In a later message received by Mr-. Jones last night Mr. Anderson advised that all the stores moored overnight to the buoyed anchor had been successfully brought through the surf to the shore yesterday morning. Mr. Jones explained that the shore party would be engaged for about a week in packing stores and building a permanent camp, and the indications were that they would be able to make themselves reasonably comfortable.

Opossum Trapping. The opossum trapping season in the Rotorua acclimatisation district is at present in progress, but reports indicate that trappers are not enjoying particularly good conditions. Not a groat many licences have been issued, the majority of them being for the Waikaremoaiia district, where the animals are not being taken as freely as in previous years. During the past two seasons the price of opossum skins has been lower than usual and this has affected the ■ number of licences taken out. The season commences at the beginning of July and ends on August 31. Where Shall the Nurse Live? > . Decision, on the vexed question of where the Paraparaumu-Paekakariki district nurse shall live is to be mads by the general purposes committee of the Wellington Hospital Board on Monday, the committee having been given power to act in the matter by the board last night. When the board decided to combine ' the two districts the Paekakariki nurse was sent to Eastbourne and though no . decision was made by the board as to whether the nurse for the combined area should live at one place or the other she has been residing at Paraparaumu. Paekakariki residents have complained that as medical attention is available otherwise at Paraparaumu and not at Paekakariki, the nurse should live in the latter place. '