NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 126, 24 November 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Solar Activity.

While the sun was visible for a few minutes this morning, Mr. G. V. Hudson, of Karori, was able to make the first observation for five days. In that interval signs of marked solar activity have developed. Several important groups of sunspots have come round the eastern limb of the sun, and given clear weather they should be well placed for observation during the current week. Thirty Tons of Whitebait. Over thirty tons of whitebait were taken from the Waikato River during the 1941. season, which ended on November 15. states a Pukekohe correspondent. The quantity distributed fresh to the public is estimated at between seven and eight tons, while the amount canned was in the vicinity of 24 tons. Most of the canning is done by the factory at the riverside, but some of the fish is now canned in Auckland. The small whitebait ran fairly well in the first three months of the season, July, August, and September, but after that it was mostly the bigger variety that was taken. This was still running in good shoals when the season ended. The season is regarded as quite a satisfactory one. Nugget Found in Duck. While preparing a duck for the table, Mrs. L. Dennis, of Whangarei, found a small nugget of gold in the bird, states a Whangarei correspondent. The nugget was noticed by Mrs. Dennis shining among the small pebbles in the gizzard. The duck had been fed by her for some months, but had come originally from the Poroti district. Some years ago gold was found in a dtick at Waimamaku, and on an investigation being made surface gold was found where the bird had been feeding. This led to considerable prospecting in the area, but although small quantities of gold were recovered no large find was made, and prospecting was discontinued. Bees Artificially Fed. Owing to the prolonged wet spell, apiarists on the West Coast have had Ito feed their bees during the past few weeks, an unusual practice at this time of the year, states the "Press." The apiary instructor at Greymouth (Mr. E. Smellie) said that the favourable weather in -the early spring' was instrumental in getting the brood fairly well advanced, and they consumed the surplus stores of honey, together with the nectar gathered early. The bad weather, which then set in and continued for a long period, did not allow of further stores being built up by the bees: Consequently beekeepers had had to feed old honey and even sugar to the bees. Control By the State. Arising from statements made by the Hon. D. G. Sullivan during an address at the annual conference of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, the following telegram has been forwarded to the Prime Minister:—"My members view with concern Mr. Sullivan's statement that the Government proposes to exercise still greater control over the commercial community. Government control of imports alone has already cost New Zealand many thousands of pounds owing to delay in the issuance of import licences and the consequent rise in prices overseas and the loss /of options to purchase. Furthermore, such delays have invariably resulted in goods being sold on other markets, for example, silk hosiery, in which circumstances New Zealand consumers suffer unnecessary and undue hardships. We submit that State control of imports has been the direct cause of many increases in the cost of living, and therefore urge that private enterprise be unfettered, and that with a view to increasing the Dominion's war 1 effort, the man-power at present enj gaged in superfluous State Departments be released to more essential services."