NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Advantages of Northland

"We have Mr. Savage as a resident of Northland now, and I suppose we can say there are two reasons for it," said Mr. J. O'Connor at a public meeting of Northland residents last night. "The first is to get a little fresh air, and we get that in good measure, and the second is for an abundance of cheap advice." Mr. O'Connor added that as a resident of Northland for 58 years he thought he should welcome Mr. Savage to the district.

Johnsonville State Tenants.

The newly-formed community of State tenants at Johnsonville is to have its own association, the objects of which are non-political, the chief aim being to establish an official channel for voicing the householders' needs and wishes. Some of the most urgent requests are likely to be for street lighting, street naming and numbering, a slot telephone, a post office pillar box, and the removal of the saleyards.

Ancestral Cave,

After a good deal of discussion with borough representatives, the Whakatane Natives have agreed to allow the Borough Council to widen the present road to the Heads Centennial Park by 6ft, a provision being that the toe of the cliff at the entrance to the Cave of Muriwai shall not be touched in the process, states a Whakatane correspondent. The road is narrow at this point, but the Natives said that the cave has a history which is not generally known, and, on Sir Apirana Ngata's advice, they were opposed to any interference with it by blasting in the vicinity. Muriwai, a venerated ancestress of the Ngati Awa tribe of Whakatane, was a sister of Toroa. the captain of Matatua canoe, which landed at Whakatane, and it is said that she lived in this cave, which now bears her name.

In a Hurry to Meet Mr. Semple,

A motorist who was in a hurry to be on time for an interview with the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) during one of his recent visits to Christchurch, has found that in dealing with a Minister of the Crown, discretion is the better part of valour, states the "Star Sun." On Tuesday the motorist was charged with exceeding the 30 m.p.h. speed limit, and there were smiles when he advanced the excuse that he hat been in a hurry to keep his appointment with Mr. Semple. "And now you are keeping an appointment with us," laughed the Magistrate (Mr. E. C. Levvey) as he imposed a fine.

Tree-planting for Centennial

" A recommendation that an extensive policy of three-planting be adopted for the Centennial year was approved by the Wairnakariri River Trust, states the Christchurch "Press." The committee reported that 175,450 trees had been planted on the trust's reserves this season. Mr. H. Holland commented that the committee had been disappointed with the amount of planting this year. There had been adverse circumstances, but the committee was going to "make a bit of a splash and make up for the leeway in the Centennial year." The engineer of the trust (Mr. H. W. Harris) said that the annual total of trees planted had, on occasions been 460.000.

"I Once Caught a Whale."

"You may not believe it, few people will, but I once caught a whale," said Mr. J. Siddells, of Wanganui, recently, commenting on the fact that a whale had been seen near the vessel Westmoreland in the Wanganui roadstead Describing his experience, Mr Siddells said that when in the Police Force at Napier he had been on duty near the wharf in the inner.harbour about midnight. That day three whales had been seen off shore. "I heard a great deal of commotion," Mr. Siddells said, "the water seemed to be foaming a good deal, and I went to investigate One of the whales had drifted in I obtained the assistance of the mate on board the vessel Kiwi, and between us we managed to tie the whale up. It was dead when the tide went out, and we sold the catch for £10."

Australia Looking Elsewhere,

Fish merahants in Dunedin state that there is a possibility of Australia securing some of her supplies of fish elsewhere than from New Zealand. Some months ago fishermen at Stewaft Island were on strike for about eight months, during which time difficulty was experienced in handling fish for export from Bluff to Australia, most of these catches being of blue cod The freezers at Bluff are now full owing to'lack of orders from Australia and it is reported that the fishermen have received orders to cease fishing in the meantime, in spile of the fact that at this time of the year fish are very scarce in the Dominion. Under the circumstances the prospects, for fishermen when fish are more plentiful do not appear very bright.