Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 23552, 16 April 1940, Page 6

Broad smiles appeared on the faces of members of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union when, during last night’s meeting, a well-known citizen walked in and proceeded to hang his coat and hat behind the door with “ Pardon me, gentlemen, for being late, I got in the wrong room.” in tne wrong room this time,” he was informed, and as he went on his way he remarked that it was “ the third wrong room ” he had been in that night. He was looking for the Pipe Band meeting. A large wild boar, estimated to weigh 3501 b, was recently killed in the foothills of the Rangitoto Ranges, in the Northern King Country. The boar over a period of years had cost _ sheep farmers hundreds of pounds owing to his depredations among newly-born lambs. He had been shunted without success many times. The bronze statue of a Maori chief, modelled by an. Auckland sculptor, Mr R. O. Gross, which is to form part of the monument to the Maori rape on the summit of One .Tree Hill, is expected to arrive from England shortly, as the trustees of Sir John Logan Campbell have received advice that it was expected the statue would be finished last month. The statue is_7ft 6in high, and presents a Maori chief dressed in a mat, with a huia feather in his hair, and holding a mere.

“ The public in general has very little idea of the true status of the hedgehog as a pest,” said Mr M. A. Rawlins at the annual meeting of the North Waxrarapa sub-committee of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society in Masterton. “If the public really understood the full nature of the hedgehogs’ depredations and their effects upon bird life little compunction would be felt in destroying them,” he added. A member stated that a bounty of 3d a snout was being paid on hedgehogs.

A tame magpie astray is a welcome visitor around Papanui, where lawns are badly- infested this season with grass grub (says the Christchurch ‘Star-Sun’). Judging by the speed with which- the bird probes patches of withered grass, it can dispose quite easily of a grub a second, and its appetite seems to be insatiable. After it has been busy for an hour or so on a lawn the grub population must be considerably diminished.

A political flavour was introduced into the land-clearing demonstration at Papatotara on Saturday by the Hon. P. C. Webb when ire suggested to the crowd that the Hon. Adam Hamilton and the Hon. R. Semple should each take charge of one of the giant bulldozers, and have a contest on which he would make a book and lay the odds. Both of them rode on machines during the day, and Mr Semple showed his skill at the controls at one stage. At the end of the demonstration Mr T. L. Macdonald, M.P., . congratulated the Minister on his versatility in using a bulldozer in Southland that day and a shovel and wheelbarrow in Christchurch a few weeks ago. The‘.existence of “two-up” schools in some of the, gangs in the No. «13 scheme was revealed by the Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Labour, in an address at Invercargill on Saturday nigjxt. “ Unfortunately we have had the typo of men who have not given service,” he said. “We have found ‘ two-up ’ schools, and in one case the gang had a wireless set on the job listening to thoraces. But we soon put an end to all that. The man who refuses to give of his best is a traitor to the Government and to the country,” be added. A Dunedin business man tells, with a chuckle, of the receipt towards the end of last month of what he considers to be the most ingenious excuse for delayed payment of an account that has ever come under his notice. The cheque was due on March 30, but it did not come to hand. A day or two later, however, a note was received from the debtor, who wrote: “ I had the cheque ready for you, but. out of respect for the memory of the late Prime Minister, I am leaving it over until after the funeral.” This kind of moratorium was a hew one on the Dunedin man, and as the full amount has not yet been received, he is thinking of writing something out of disrespect for the poor memory of the debtor. Fire caused by painters burning off old paint damaged an unoccupied wooden dwelling of four rooms in Anderson’s Bay road yesterday afternoon. Damage by fire was confined to one room, but water and smoke affected two more. The Central Fire Brigade was notified at 2.53.

There were no cases set down for hearing in the Police Court to-day. With the replacement of the waterfall at Woodhaugh Gardens with a concrete weir to do away with the deep pool in the 'Leith at that point which was responsible for a distressing double fatality just over a year ago, it would seem that the city council has solved one major problem and created one of a minor nature. At a certain time of the year trout experience an uncontrollable urge to journey upstream, and they are finding an almost insuperable obstacle in the high, smooth curve of the weir. For some days now they have been, making energetic, if futile, attempts to reach the waters above, and have provided an absorbing spectacle for onlookers. Time after time trout, from little ones of Sin or 6in to fish considerably bigger, hurl themselves out of the water to land half-way up the concrete face and be flicked back. It would seem that some provision for this problem was made by the council, for at the Gardens side of the fall is a narrow space between the rock and the concrete apron which ■ would probably afford foot (or fin) hold for the fish, but it would be interesting to see whether the trout are sufficiently intelligent to. discover for themselves the only way to the upper waters. In the meantime an interesting spectacle is provided.

Under the will of the late Charles Kent, who died at Dunedin on January 24, the Public Trustee is appointed executor and trustee. The will bequeaths one-sixth of the estate to the Church of England, Tapanui, and onesixth of the estate to the Presbyterian Church, Tapanui.

A special Centenary resolution was moved by Dr J. Gumming and adopted by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland in session this morning. The Synod desired' to render thanks to Almighty God for having privileged the church of which it formed part to celebrate the centenary of its foundation, the resolution stated. The Synod expressed its humble and hearty acknowledgments to Him Who had guided and shaped its history so that the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand from small beginnings had grown and extended itself, and had contributed in many ways to man’s highest well-being. It is notified that messages in ABO sixth edition code may now be accepted for the Union of South Africa.

Stamp collectors and others interested in philately were present in numbers at the Dominion Museum (states an Association message), when the New Zealand Centennial and ninth Australasian Philatelic Exhibition was declared open by the patron of ~ the Philatelic Society of New Zealand, the GovernorGeneral (Lord Galway), who presented the society’s silver cup for the best collection of New Zealand stamps to Mr J. W. Grant.

Disciplinary action lias been taken by the dairy companies supplying milk to certain suburban dairies, and in future milk will be supplied to these subagents only in bulk. The reason given is the haphazard method followed by some retailers in ensuring return of bottles from the consumers. Non-return of bottles puts the companies to a serious loss, and it has been felt that some steps must be taken to remedy the situation, consequently milk in bottles will not be supplied to certain quarters in which the trouble has been most noted. There is no question of treating householders the same way, but there is some laxity in returning bottles even by everyday users, and the companies request, particularly in view of the present circumstances, that customers will make a point of leaving bottles on the doorstep each morning for the roundsman to collect. There is no shortage of bottles—they- are now being made in Auckland—and the steps taken have not been introduced because of a shortage, but at the_ same time the poss,iblity of shortages in the future cannot be altogether ignored.'

The small administrative block at the Nelson A. and P. show grounds, used by the association and by the jockey and trotting clubs, was destroyed by fire early this morning. The building had been in use yesterday in connection with the Nelson races.—Press Association.

In the Supreme Court, Wellington, Mr Justice Johnston sentenced Gustave Victor Hill (55), a painter and 'decorator, to six years’ imprisonment on charges of indecency.—Press Association.

The launch which had a shot fired across its bows by the coastal battery at Auckland early yesterday because it failed to report to the examination ship, on entering Rangitoto Channel, was engaged in towing logs. Colonel Weir, officer commanding the district, said to-day that the shot fired was a plug shell, which was a solid missile without a fuse. The launch stopped immediately and remained _ anchored until daylight.—Press Association.

The, Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of altered running of 8.56 a.m. Dunedin-Oamaru train on Friday, April 19.

“ Will you buy a poppy to wear on Anzac Day? ” will be the appeal by many hundreds of helpers when the public will be asked to buy the poppy red on Friday next. The Returned Soldiers’ Association is confident that the appeal will meet with a very ready response by one and all.