NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 126, 31 May 1938, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Real Anniversary.

Sunday was a real anniversary for the Rev. D. C. Bates, who-conducted the memorial service held by Wellington South African War veterans to comrtiemorate Vereeniging Day. Mr. Bates, who wast a ChaplainColonel to the force?,' was at Vereeniging when peace was made, and conducted the service celebrating peace on the following Sunday. Centennial, at Petone. . The whole of the Hutt. Valley should be included in the centennial celebrations at Petone, said the Mayor (Mr. G. London) at the meeting of x the Petone Borough Council last evening. Old residents throughout the valley had a claim to be included. He suggested that a committee should be formed to interest bodies throughout the valley. If the council undertook the celebrations independently it would be courting failure. The council decided to get in touch with other local bodies. Birds Deceived. The- spring-like weather enjoyed in Wellington during recent weeks has been the subject of favourable comment by many people and has caused unexpected growth in some gardens. It has also deceived some birds into [thinking spring has arrived. In one | suburb two starlings have been observed busy with straw and feathers, [ and keepers of caged birds have found I eggs in some cages. One canary fan-! cler who has removed several eggs from one cage to prevent the hen bird from nesting now considers that the instinct of the birds may have forecast a mild winter suitable for the rearing of chicks. Pies and Coffee for Petone? Should the good people of Petone be allowed to enjoy the luxury of hot pies ahd coffee from a pie-cart at an hour when all good people are supposed to be in bed? This was one of the hot topics of discussion at lftst night's meeting of the Petone Borough Council, an application having been received from two men in Chrlstchurch to open an electric pie and coffee stall. An assurance was given that there! would be no liquor in or. about the stall as the applicants were "t.j abstainers." Councillor J, C, Burns said that ratepayers in Petone, were , struggling with refreshment shops. "It I is all right to have pie-cacts in the city, where people, go. home at all hours,) I "but in a respectable borough like Petone they should all be at home byi the time the pie-cart arrives," he said,. Councillor J. Cumming and others did not agree with .Councillor Burns's re- 1 marks, and it was decided to ask the i works committee to report on the application. \ v.,, Fowlhouies and the Bylaws. During recent inspections it was found that several' fowlhouses erected in backyards did not comply with the borough, bylajvs, particularly regarding air space,' stated the inspector (Mr, G. A. Booth) in his" report to the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening. Before a fowlhouse could'be built on a section 2000 square feet of space free from any erection was required and the fowlhouses were not to be erected within 20 feet of any dwelling, three feet from a boundary fence, and six feet from I a street. Persons keeping fowls under conditions that did not comply with the requirements could expect a notice requesting the bylaw to be observed. In reply to a comi plaint by Councillor'J. Cumming about the state of one fowlhouse, the inspector said that there was nothing in the bylaws restricting the number of fowls that could be kept on one section. Imported Strawberry Plants. Interesting experiments to test the possibilities of overseas varieties of strawberries under Auckland conditions are being carried out at the Government's new plant research station at Mount Albert, states the "Auckland Star." , During the past 12 months strawberry plants have been imported from Australia, America, England, and Germany, and have been planted alongside the local commercial varieties. Most vigorous in appearance of all the plants are those from Germany, which have multiplied -with surprising rapidity. ■ Half a dozen plants which arrived in January have since produced sufficient runners for a row 100 yards long. The local varieties; by contrast, are very slow growing. Some of the Australian plants, which the Department has been trying out for several years, have borne fruit of good quality and quantity at the Palmerston North station, and are expected to do equally well in Auckland. It is, however, too early yet to form an estimate of the comparative commercial value of the i various varieties, as strawberry culti- ! vation is the most uncertain of all soft fruits. Previous efforts have been made to introduce overseas plants in Auckland, but the results have been generally disappointing. Under field conditions plants which were healthy and disease free in the nurseries have been susceptible to foot rot and rust, and the growers have been compelled to rely on the established varieties, of which commercially the Captain Cook is today regarded as the most satisfactory.

Stork Migration. While in Denmai-k, said the president of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society (Mr. L. O. H. Tripp), at its annual meeting last night, he had been shown a stork's rest on a chimney, said to be the northernmost known. Storks were marked in Denmark and Germany, and when they migrated to Africa people there had been asked to notify those in the northern countries. One had been, found as far south as Lake Tanganyika. To Have a. Spell. Dunedin's first Labour Mayor (the Rev. E. T, Cox), who failed to gain the support of the electors for his third term in office at the recent municipal elections, does not intend seeking Parliamentary honours this year. In conversation with a Christehurch "StarSun" reporter, Mr. Cox said he wanted to have a spell from politics, "It is a strenuous job electioneering," he said. Mr. Cox unsuccessfully contested the Clutha seat on the last occasion. Horses in Warfare. "The day of the horse is not over, in spite of what they may say," said Colonel P. H. Bell, Officer Commanding the Southern Military District, speaking at the annual reunion of the Veterans' Association at Christchurch, reports the "Press." Recently, he said, when defence schemes had been carried out in certain parts of New Zealand, someone had said: "I wish we had a regiment of cavalry." "There are parts of New Zealand where you can't use motor vehicles—you must have horses," he added. Saturday Morning; Meetings. An objection to a meeting of the works committee on Saturday morning was made by Councillor J. Cumming at the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening. He said that although some councillors had the advantage of the 40-hour week he did not and he asked for his name to be. removed from the committee. Councillor A. M. Macfarlane pointed out that in deference to Mr. Cumming the committee had refrained from electing a chairman. He and other councillors asked Mr. Cumming to reconsider his decision. The Town Clerk (Mr. H. Firth) said that the meeting was called urgently in view of the necessity for framing the estimates. It was not likely that future meetings would be held on Saturday mornings.