NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 2, 2 July 1938, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Albatrosses' Nesting Grounds. The Otago Harbour Board is cooperating with the Otago branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand in taking steps to protect the nesting grounds of albatrosses at Harrington Point, near the Otago Heads, reports "The Post's" Dunedin correspondent. Already the nesting grounds are proving a great attraction. The Otago Heads are said to foe the only place in the world where albatrosses nest so close to human habitation. Building Figures Higher. Building permits issued by the City Council for the first quarter of the financial year (April, May, and June) represent work more than £100,000 higher than for the same quarter last year, the totals being £284,783 for this year and £181,845 for last year. The permits include the contract price for the Exhibition building at Rongotai; but do not take into any account Government building activity or the housing progress at Miramar and Northland. There are at present about one hundred carpenters and others at work on the Exhibition site and that number will be added to substantially during the next few weeks. A Record Entry. The entries received for the twentyfirst annual festival of the Wellington Competitions Society in August constitute a new record for New Zealand. Over 4300 entries have been received, which is an increase of 250 over the record established in 1936. Over 1300 individual competitors from all parts of New Zealand will participate. The [ class entries are as follows: —Vocal, ! 1006; elocution, 1231; instrumental, 231; ! fancy dancing, 1372; national dancing, 403; general, 57. There is a strong entry list in the senior sections. Entries for the Grand Opera Scholarship j number 23. Increases are shown also in many other classes, particularly in the Oratory and debating section. The dancing sections again established re- | cords, with 56 entries in the ballets in costume and the song and dance teams. Honey Season in Canterbury. "The honey season in Canterbury was not quite up to expectations," said Mr. W. J. Fix, Government apiary instructor for Canterbury, on Thursday, reports the "Press." "Nevertheless there were some heavy crops in Mid-Canterbury; but the returns from the southern parts of the province were not quite so good. This was due to the heavy rain experienced in South Canterbury at the height of the summer. Mid-Canterbury had much the same rainfall, but in view of the soil being lighter a good honey flower was obtained. The quality of the honey was up to the usual standard, and some very fine samples have gone through the grade store to supply both the local and export markets. The ruling price this year was very satisfactory, and the majority of producers favoured the present market arrangements." The Forensic Art. With six solicitors holding office on the Auckland City Council, bursts of forensic enthusiasm are occasionally heard in the council chamber, but there was one stage of Thursday night's meeting when the proceedings might well have been mistaken for a judicial hearing, states the "New Zealand Herald." A weighty examination of questions of corroboration of evidence was conducted by one solicitor when the ca.se of an alleged breach by a taxi-driver was under consideration, and, in reply, a colleague pursued an equally legal line. Referring to his "learned friend" and addressing the council as "Your Worship and gentlemen," a third barrister made an eloquent plea on the offender's behalf. The humour of the situation was maintained by the final speaker, who, ali though not a legal practitioner, ventured the observation that the punishment fitted the crime. Old Whaling Ship's Log. The log of a voyage from Sydney to the South Seas made in 1856 by the whaling barque Woodlark has been disi covered among the records of the | Auckland Magistrate's Court, states the "New Zealand Herald." It is not known how the log came to be placed among the records of the Court, but it is possible that it was produced when the ship's company was required to appear in connection with the taking of j the cargo from a brig from Adelaide, I which was wrecked on a reef off Aus- | tralia. The log shows that the voyage | was unsuccessful as far as whaling was concerned, but oil was taken from the wrecked brig. Strained feeling between the natives on board and the white members of the crew is mentioned, one of the natives having been heard three times to threaten the lives of the white men. The last log entry was on June 29, 1856, the first having been made on March 27. Centennial Air Race. A suggestion that an air race round New Zealand should be held as part of | the Centennial celebrations was made at a meeting of the Canterbury Aero Club this week by the president, Mr. R. S. Taylor. Mr. Taylor was dubious whether the suggested exhibition of aircraft types at the Centennial Exhibition would be supported by aircraft manufacturers, but expressed the opinion that if sufficient inducement was offered by way of prizes, it should be possible to arrange a race round the Dominion. He recalled that when an effort had been made to bring the competitors in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race across the Tasman Sea, not a single guarantor could be found towards the suggested prize fund of £5000. However, he considered that the progress made in aviation since that time and the increased interest and enthusiasm would make it a simpler matter to obtain the necessary guarantees for the suggested Centennial race.

Axle Limit Exceeded. Owners of heavy motor vehicles who at all times have the fear that a miscellaneous load may have a greater weight than allowed by the vehicle's licence or the road classification, have been given a new source of worry by a conviction entered in the Magistrate's Court at Paeroa, writes a corresponddent of the " Auckland Star." Although the total weight of his vehicle and load was within the limit prescribed, a defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs because a Transport Department inspector found that one of the three axles of his lorry was carrying a greater weight than allowed by the regulations. The inspector stated that the case was brought as a warning to other transport operators. Historic Maori Meeting Houses. A decision has been reached by the Ngati-wha'.fiue and the Tuhourangi j tribe to rebuild the two historic Arawa j meeting houses, Tamatekapua, at Ohinemutu, and Wahiao, at Whakarewarewa, states the "Auckland Star." The reconstruction, which will probably entail an expenditure of over £3000 on each building, is expected to be commenced at a fairly early date, and it is hoped that the work will ,be completed in time for the official opening to form one of the major Maori celebrations of the commemoration of the New Zealand Centennial in 1940. Of the two existing meeting houses Tamatekapua is by far the oldest, and for the past 74 years has been the scene of many historic gatherings. The original building was erected during 1872 as a memorial to that great ancestor of the trade, Tamatekapua, who. was the captain of the Arawa canoe on its voyage from Hawaiki to New~ Zealand. The Wahiao meeting house was erected about 34 years ago as a memorial to another great ances- ( tor of the Arawa .people, Wahiao, who lived ten generations ago, and was a brother of Hinemoa. The Whakarewarewa Maoris have for some time past been establishing a fund for the eventual rebuilding of their meeting house, and it is understood that the total already approximates £500. Certain other resources are also available. Mid-Island Highways. The widening and formation work on the Waikaremoana highway through the Urewera country is providing employment for approximately 150 men, who are working in gangs at different points along the route. During recent months the work has been concentrated mainly on the section of 17 miles between Te Whaiti and Ruatahuna, and it is expected that the formation and construction work on this section will be completed within a few weeks. On the Ruatahuna-Waikaremoana section of the highway steady progress is also being made, and several miles of widening have been completed. Another large undertaking which is also under the control of the Rotorua district engineer is the widening and reconstruction of the Putaruru-Taupo highway. Since the decision of the Main Highways Board to divert all timber traffic between Oruanui and the surrounding timber milling areas to the railhead at Putaruru, instead of to Rotorua, the traffic along this highway has been very heavy, and with the construction work in progress it has sometimes been difficult to keep the road open for traffic during heavy rain. The majority of the 90 men who were engaged on .the reconstruction of the Rotoma Hill route are now employed widening and improving the highway on the flats on the Rotorua side of the hill. .: .