NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 4, 6 January 1938, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

A New Year Tragedy.

One of the minor tragedies of tin: light flooding which occurred ;it Mokau recently was the loss of a keg of beer, which was washed out to sea in the frothy waters. A local resident, it is understood, had been celebrating hogmanay not wisely but too well, and, on his arrival home with three gallons tucked under his arm, his wife took prompt action to terminate the carousal. She hid the keg in a safe place in the paspalum on the flats—safe, that is, from all but the unexpected rising of the flood waters.

Wanganui Air Service,

A feeder air service between Wanganui and Palmerston North is to be started by Union Airways, Ltd., on January 10. Interim plans were announced recently, but since then there have been one or two alterations made in the times of arrival and departure. The proposed programme now is for the first morning aeroplane from Palmerston North to leave at 10.45 o'clock for Wanganui, where it will arrive at 11.15. A return flight will be made at noon, arriving at Palmerston North at 12 30 p.m. The Wanganui service will connect at Palmerston North with the Napier-Gisborne and Wellington-New Plymouth-Auckland services.

Heavy Incoming: Mails.

Those who were disappointed at the non-receipt of Christmas mail from overseas may possibly get a welcome surprise during the next few days, since two exceptionally heavy English mails are due to arrive shortly. The Waiwera, which left Liverpool on December 6, has brought 1750 bags of mail and 154 parcel receptacles, and on Monday next the Aorangi will bring another large English and American mail. The Wellington portion of the mail off the Waiwera, which reached Auckland last night, is due in Wellington tomorrow. Two Australian mails are due at the end of this week and a further one at the beginning of next.

Many Still Travelling.

Railway and other holiday traffic is still heavy, and crowded express trains and steamers testify to the fact that by no means all those who have been on holiday have as yet returned to work, although perhaps the majority are in the process of doing so if. they have not already. Although returns for the holiday season have not yet been made up, there is not the shadow of doubt that more people have been travelling these holidays than ever before. Traffic in the South Island has been exceptionally heavy, and even the records established at the time of the Dunedin Exhibition have been beaten. It will be some days yet, it is expected, before express trains and steamers revert to anything like their normal complement of passengers.

4001b Wild Pig Shot,

One of the largest wild pigs seen in the Gisborne district was killed at Wharerata last week by four Gisborne sportsmen. This pig had been keenly hunted for about four years, and the hunters were naturally very pleased at their success. The pig was the onlyone shot during the hunt, but the quartet were quite satisfied with their day's work. It was a game fighter and killed one dog and injured two others. The dog that was killed was a valuable animal and had taken part in many hunts. The pig was trapped in a basin, and the slippery nature of the papa rock did not enable the dogs to escape when rushed by the animal. The pig weighed about 4001b and was six feet in length. It was regarded as a menace by farmers in the Wharerata and had been known to kill lambs. The High Commissioner.

Some time before Mr. W. J. Jordan, High Commissioner, left England to settle in New Zealand he worked for the well-known delivery firm of CarterPaterson and Company, London. He was a painter, and it fell to his lot to paint the one thousandth van sent out on the roads by the company. Recently Mr. Jordan was the guest of honour at an informal luncheon given by the directors of the company, and there were present Mr. James Paterson, managing director, the general managers of the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway, the London and j North-Eastern Railway, the Great Western Railway, and the Southern' Railway, and Captain R. G. England, who recently visited New Zealand. Before luncheon Mr. Jordan was led to a window. Outside he saw a one-horse delivery van. On it was painted "One Thousand, William Jordan." It was the van that Mr. Jordan had painted years ago! . i _ u-

Swamp Drainage on West Coast,

"I hope the time will soon come when the whole of the land between Westport and Seddonville will be drained and turned into a huge garden " said the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb), when replying, at Waimangaroa on Tuesday, to a deputation consisting of Messrs. E. Humphries and V. Griffiths, who asked the Minister what was being done about swamp drainage (states a Westport cortespondent). The Minister explained that. arrangements had been made for a survey for drainage purposes of the whole area at a cost of £1000. "Working on a large scale and using modern machinery, we will be able to do more in two or three years than individual farmers could do in 50 years," Mr. Webb added. He said that in cases where one man owned more land than he could farm the Government might acquire a portion of the land to make it available for farming. On the other hand, the Government would not purchase the land at a price that would mean selling it at a price that would not permit profitable working. That was one of the evils of farming in New Zealand.

Midnight Gallop,

The Riccarton-trained racehorse Fiord broke a foreleg in an escapade at Greymouth on Monday night, and when recovered from the Omoto Creek on Tuesday morning was destroyed (states a correspondent). Behind these bare facts lies a story of splendid efforts by men stationed at the Omoto racecourse to save the horse. The work of an apprentice, C. Masters, and the Riccarton ownertrainer Mr. F. Hall was highly commendable. Fiord broke out of a box at the course about midnight, and his stablemate Paper Note, who heard him galloping, also broke out of the paddock and followed him. They galloped down the railway line for half a mile and on to a railway bridge near Kaiata. Here they were found by a search party. Masters, who is an expert at imitating the neigh of a horse, called, and Paper Note came right up to him. Fiord, who was some 20yds on the bridge, turned to gallop back, but when nearly off twisted a front leg between the sleepers and fell about 12ft over a bank and rolled into the creek, where he swam to the other side, some 50yds away. As it was impossible to get the horse out, the party returned to the course, but set out again at daylight on Tuesday morning. Fiord was found standing in the water with only a part of his back showing. Mr. Hall then stripped and swam across and fastened a rope round the horse's neck. After coaxing, Fiord gradually left the water, but one of his front legs was found to be broken in two places, and he was destroyed. Fiord was owned by the estate of the late Mr. W. Gardiner, of Oamaru, and was raced in partnership with Mr. J. B. Pearson, who trained the horse at Riccarton.

Shorts in llm VUy

Attired only in shorl:), four ynulhs created a stir when limy walked up Victoria Avenue, W;uu:miul, during a busy period on Tuesday afternoon. Tin: visitors, for limy were obviously •uicli. slnlcs Hie "Wiiiu'Hiiui Chronicle," alfecled lo lie unmindful of Ihc stares of passers b.v, but Ihc mmmer of .sevenil <if them' belrayed a certain amount of .self-consciousness. Tluil this scanty attire was not new to them whs r> vcnled by thu rich lan which all displayed, and while the youths were criticised for their appearance in public so dressed there were many who sweltered in suits, collars, and tics and secretly envied them. Even shoes were dispensed with by the young men, their feet being bare.

Seaplane Co-opcralcs.

Carried by a rapidly ebbing tide about 200 yards beyond the breakers at Muriwai Beach, North Auckland, on Monday afternoon, a young woman was in considerable danger until rescued by two brothers, Messrs. C. A. and Douglas Bagnall, about half an hour after the alarm had been given (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The Hobsonville air base was informed and a car was sent along the beach for a life-line. Meanwhile Mr. C. A. Bagnall swam out and supported the young woman until his brother came out with a belt attached to the line, which proved about 20 yards too short. He discarded the belt and, after a long struggle with the tide and surf, brought the woman back to the shore, where she quickly recovered. An alarm was then raised that one of the rescuers had not returned, and a seaplane which had arrived from Hobsonville made a thorough search, flying up and down the line of breakers for about half an hour. No sign of a man was seen, and, after the seaplane had returned to the base, one of the flyers came to ihe beach by car to reassure the people there. Mr. Douglas Bagnall, who brought the young woman ashore, is a member of the Maranui Surf Club, Wellington, and formerly belonged to the Mount Eden Swimming Club.