NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 106, 31 October 1942, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Ergot Collection.

Schools in the Wanganui Education Board district collected one-tenth of the total of ergot collected by schools in the Dominion in the early part of the present year, states the "Wanganui Herald." This fact was mentioned at the Wanganui Education Board meeting, when it. was stated that 84 schools in the Wanganui district had collected 1711b 9£oz of ergot. Heading the list of schools was Rangiotu, which collected 141b 13oz. Marton District High was next with 131b 7oz, followed by Kopane with 111b loz. Six other schools collected 51b and over. The schools concerned are to receive letters of appreciation from the board.

Marketing of Butter.

The Internal Marketing Division's distribution of butter on the local market was defended by the Minister of Marketing (Mr. Barclay) last night. He said that when the division was established its first task was to place the marketing of butter on a rational and organised basis. In order to eliminate the uncertainty of returns to the dairy factory, the price of local market butter was directly related to the guaranteed price, and a method was adopted which ensured that the return to the dairy factory for butter sold locally was approximately near to that sold for export, thus substantially eliminating the necessity for individual factories to struggle one with another on the local market. The division had been able to make a substantial economy in the cost of wholesale distribution. It had also ensured that only the best butter was sold, and that it was sold true to grade. This had been largely responsible for an increase in the consumption of butter of over 4,000,000 pounds in three years. The division had also stabilised the price of butter at Is 6d a pound throughout the whole of the war period, and had entirely eliminated the speculator. The Minister claimed that these facts showed clearly that the division had justified its existence.

"Sign of the Takahe."

Negotiations for the purchase of the "Sign of the Takahe," the unusual hostelry on the Port Hills, by the Christchurch City Council have been completed with the legal representatives of the first mortgagee, an English investor, states the "Press." The City Council has now only to obtain Ministerial approval to its proposal to pay off the purchase price by instalments over a period of four years. The mortgagee has agreed to take possession of the property in satisfaction of the mortgage of £4000 and accrued interest, amounting to approximately £500, and sell it to the council for the total of those amounts. Announcing this, the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. E. H. Andrews) said negotiations had involved consultation with the English investor by cablegram, but agreement had now been reached. The council was to take the property over unencumbered and would pay off the purchase price by annual instalments of £1000. The council some time ago obtained permission to protect the "Sign of the Takahe" from further damage, and has boarded up doors and windows.

Godwits and Lighthouse,

The godwits have now arrived in full force on Farewell Spit, writes Mr. N. McKinna, who. is a lighthousekeeper there, states the "Nelson Evening Mail." "One night recently I was coming off watch at midnight," he says, "when I saw one of the most unusual sights one could imagine. It was blowing a south-east gale with almost a record tide and a thick rain. At first I could only hear the wind roaring through the girders and stairs, but j when I got away a few yards I heard godwits flying above me and on all sides.' I looked towards the light and it seemed almost uncanny to see them streaming through the beams of light from the tower. They flashed by like this for half an hour or more. Next night the weather was as bad and the birds kept circling round the light. Three of them broke their wings against the glass as they swept past too close. I have noticed that the godwits swoop sideways into ».the glass whereas most of the other birds dive straight towards the light. The best sight of all is to be seen when the godwits are preparing to leave. Regularly, for about a fortnight, they do some great trial flights high up in the air. Then some day or night they de-_ part, winging northwards in a long column. The godwit is a wise bird; he can tell, better than most people, just when the tide will turn. I have watched their flocks moving from one feeding place to another as the tide comes in."