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Evening Star, Issue 22542, 9 January 1937, Page 12

A thunderstorm of unusual severityand singular intensity passed over the Omarama and Ahurin country the other day, damaging in its wake many fences, and causing numerous streams in the district to flood their banks. The thunder while it lasted was intense, and the deluge was so great that it brought down a huge slip on the Otematata Saddle. In the opinion of residents nothing like it has been experienced in these parts in the last 10 years. The postal authorities advise that the Fordsdale, which reached Auckland from England yesterday, has 34 bags of English mail for Dunedin. The mail will reach the local office on Monday morning. A Press Association telegram states that regulations under the Public Revenues Act and the Justices of the Peace Act empower the Minister of Justice to authorise a scale of payments to witnesses, which may be exceeded in any case where he considers that exceptional circumstances render such a course desirable. Another regulation empowers the Minister to allow larger fees than those provided for the making of post mortem examinations.

White butterflies are to be seen in large numbers in all parts of the North Otago district this season, and at the present time are beginning to ravage root crops. That the pest is definitely established in this part of Otago is proved by the numbers seen in Oamaru gardens; but it is in the country that the butterflies are making their presence felt most, and farmers are becoming apprehensive lest they destroy the best of the winter fodder! Some are employing boys to collect and destroy the butterflies at id per kill. Needless to say, many youths have earned quite considerable sums in this way. The Maunganui left Sydney on Thursday with 18 bags of Australian mail and 25 pax-cel receptacles for Dunedin, also the London air mail of December 23. The.air portion should be to hand on Monday afternoon, and the remainder on Tuesday evening. ,

A specimen of albacore, a member of the tuna fish family, which is rare in New Zealand waters but is one of the best-known food fishes in other parts of the world, was caught near Mayor Island, Tauranga, and attracted much attention when it was exhibited in Auckland yesterday. It was caught by Mr P. M‘Kee, of Auckland, from a fishing boat with a spinner trolling behind the boat. The spinner (says a Press Association telegram) was painted grey, and had a hapuka hook attached to it. Mr M‘Kee considers that this is the only kind of spinner on which the albacore is likely to be caught. This is the first fish brought to Auckland under a prize scheme instituted by Messrs Sandford’s Ltd. for the development of tuna fishing in New Zealand waters.

Regulations issued last night (says, a Press Association telegram from Wellington) prohibit the use of birdlime for the capturing of birds, and prohibit any person from possessing or selling birdlime. The penalty for a breach is fixed at £5 for a first offence, £lO for a second, and £2O for any subsequent offence.

An organ recital will he given by tbe city organist (Dr V. E. Galway) in the Town Hall to-morrow evening at 8.15. A special attraction will be the appearance, by courtesy of the National Broadcasting Service, of Miss Sybil Phillips, who will be beard in four numbers, three‘of which are old English songs, and the fourth Mendelssohn’s ever-popular ‘ On Wings of Song.’ The organ items include ‘Epilogue’ (Willan). Prelude to ‘ Hansel and Gretel ’ (Humperdinck), ‘ Nocturne in G Major ’ (Chopin), ‘ Tuba Tune 1 (Cocker), an ana from Bach’s Matthew Passion, some Irish airs, and the brilliant Rakockzy march by Berlioz. There will be no charge for admission. A high percentage of telephone subscribers in relation to population and a thriving business on the telephone toll circuits / prove that New Zealanders have the telephone habit. It is not restricted to their own country, for greater use is now being made of the overseas radio telephone service. Stimulated by the usual Christmas and New Year concession in rates, the ■radio telephone business increased by nearly 60 per cent, during the recent holiday period, when the overseas radio calls from December 23 till January 3 were as follows: —To London 24; from London 7; to Australia 27; from Australia 28; total 86, compared with 54 during the same period last year. The largest increase in businses was between New Zealand and Australia, while, in addition, the radio circuit carried five broadcasts in connection with the Aus-tralia-England test cricket match ■ and the radio channel to and from the Awatea in the Tasman" was also busy.

The second section of the Royal Naval Volunteers embarked on H.M:S. Wakakura at 1 p.m. tq-day. The section comprises one leading seaman, one able seaman 1 , and 14 O.S. The officers going out are Lieutenant-commander R. : x. Roberts and Lieutenant A. A. Bell. The Wakakura was to sail at 4 p.m. for Bluff, where gunnery exercises, combined with seamanship evolutions', will be carried out. ,She returns next Friday, and the third section will embark on her. next Saturday.

Two malicious false alarms were received by the City Fire Brigade late last night. The calls were at 11.16 to the corner of Glen avenue and Crosby street, and only 20 minutes later to the corner of Glen avenue and Maryhill terrace.-

The enormous activity of the motor market is evident from the number of importations. In the last week or so nearly 2,000 new cars have been landed in . Now Zealand. At Auckland'last week 500 American cars and the same number of English cars were landed. A few days later 900 wore - landed at Wellington. Most dealers admit (says the ‘ Press ’) that saturation point seems to he very near, but they think the tightening of traffic regulations and,the regular inspection of all motor vehicles will ease the position. They are looking for the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) to carry out his oftrepeated threat to “ clear the roads of junk.” Substantial increases in wages are provided for in the proposed new agreement between the New_ Zealand Waterside Workers’ Federation and the employers of waterside labour, which is now being placed before the unions, at the various ports for ratification or otherwise., Tne ordinary hourly rate has been increased from 2s 4d to 2s Bd, and extra payments for special classes of cargo, such as meat, phosphate, sulphur, and other cargo classed as dirty or dangerous, range from 3d .to Is an hour. All Saturday work is classed as overtime, the payment being 3s 4d an hour for work from 8 a.m. till noon, and 6s 4d an hour, with a minimum of three hours for work between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., plus any extra payments due for special cargo as already mentioned.