LOCAL & GENERAL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12750, 4 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

The Monowai sailed from Sydney for Wellington yesterday afternoon. —P.A.

A camping accident that is by no means uncommon—tripping over a tent rojic—resulted in a well-known Auckland barrister, Mr. F. L. G. West, of 22, Clonbern road, Remuera, losing the sight of bis right eye on Tuesday. Mr. West was holidaying with friends at the motor camp atLong Bay. Tripping over a guy rope, he fell, and his eye was pierced by a. tent peg.

The last three full days of work and play for the seventh Dominion Esperanto congress has ended. The session was the annual meeting of the New Zealand section of tho Universale Esperanto Asocio, conducted entirely in Esperanto. Tho afternoon was devoted to a lecture session of fou?, quarter-hour; talks on subjects illustrating the applicability of the language. On the previous evening two plays were, presented by the Wanganui club, translated into Esperanto, not only as an entertainment, b-ut as a demonstration of how the languagec an be used f-or social purposes.—Press Assn.

The profusion of bloom on cabbage trees this summer has been freely commented upon, end not a few people have asserted this to be a sign of a dry summer ahead. “This is quite an erroneous idea,” said Mr. C. S. Longuet, of Invercargill, when questioned by a reporter. “It is allegedly founded on Maori lore, but the Maoris would never be guilty of such a mistake. Cabbage trees do not bloom every year. They miss one year in two or three. Such a wealth 6f bloom as is seen this year indicates that the past summer was hot. It is the same with flax and other plants. The three kowhais in my garden bloomed more. profusely this season than ever before, and a native red beech was covered, with crimson flowers for' the first time. But there is nothing prophetic about such blooming; it is retrospective, due to the warmth of the previous summer/’

Sir James Hutchison, one of the new Knights, has been editor of the Otago Daily Times since 1909. Born in Wanganui in 1867, he was educated at Wellington College and Otago University. He followed in his father’s footsteps when he turned liis attention to journalism at the conclusion of his university education and joined the reporting staff of the old “Evening Herald”. Three years later, in 1888 ; , lie, transferred 'to the. “Otago Daily Times’’ on which paper he was -destined to climb to the top rung- He has attended tw-o Empire Press Union conferences, one in Canada in 1920 and the other in England in 1930. He withdrew from various educational and cultural activities in Dunedin on elevation to the position of editor, but he con T tinued to' show a keen interest in Rugby football. He was one of the founders of the Poneke Football Club in Wellington and was president of tho Otago Rugby Union for four years.

A most unusual pet for Southland, a tortoise, is owned by little le Berne J3oyd, of Boon street, Invercargill. Brought as a present to heV by Captain Williams, of the guano trader Molisement, this land tortoise was born about half a century ago in the Seychelles, but it is taking very kindly to its now home, 7,000 miles away from its parents, brothers and sisters. Lettuces, gr£en peas and sweet peas, if it can get them, are favourite items on its menu, and; in very few days it was content to feed out of the hand of its proud owner. It is about 15 inches in length, nine inches in width and seven inches

high. Its shell is most attractively mrfrked, and almost completely encases its bocty. Its hind legs resemble those of an elephant, hut its front legs are more crab-like. In top gear it can attain a speed of two miles an hour.