Local and General

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 5 March 1935, Page 4

Local and General

While not claiming to possess pet schnapper. one resident of Kohimarama, is taking a keen interest in a large one which comes close up on the beach opposite his home every day in search of pipis, the fish weaving its tail in thes hallow water. So far the sclinapper’s daily visit has only caused interest, but there is just the possibility that one of these days it may be a contribution to a breakfast table.

Undoubtedly the feature of the “sportsmen’s welcome” to the touring British and Finnish athletes, held in Christchurch, which appealed most to the gathering’s sense of humour was the brief speech made by the champion Finnish high-jumper. Veikka Perasalo. After some persuasion, he got up to speak, and it was announced that his remarks-would be translated. He would speak his native tongue to gratify the curiosity of the assemblage. All arrangements were made, and there was a dead silence while the Finn prepared to speak. He began: “I breeng greetin’s from Feenland. Ladies and shentlcmen.” His audience was convulsed. He then talked Finnish for a few minutes, and ended. —“0.K.,” all with a broad smile. He received a great hearing.

In the Magistrate’s Court in Wellington some time ago a solicitor stated that it was possible to go into any tobacconist’s shop in Wellington and back a horse. The matter was taken up by the Wellington District Retail Tobacconists and Hairdressers’ Association, and further reference was made to it at the annual meeting of the association on Tuesday evening last. The annual report stated that the executive had taken the matter up with the Law Society, with the result that the remark was amended to “almost any shop.” This was done*by way of explanation, but the executive considered that an apology should have been made, and further correspondence ensued. “For some reason quite unaccountable the desired apology has not been made,” the report stated. After discussing Ibc matter at length the members present agreed that the executive had done the right thing in seeking an apology, the explanation given not being sufficient to remove the slur placed on the tobacconists of Wellington generally.

People who have reached the span of three score years and ten and who climb the mountain are not popular with Mr P. Thomson, a member of the Egmont National Park Board, and yesterday, at a meeting of the board, he wanted to impose an age limit. His objection was raised on the grounds that some of these persons might have a heart attack. "Then where would we be?” he asked. Mr Walkley asked whether Mr Thomson thought it. was disparaging to the mountain that such elderly people should be able to climb it. One member of the board suggested that if elderly people were to be stopped there were those who climbed in bare feet to be considered. The discussion closed when Mr G. J. Bayley suggested that all climbers should produce medical certificates, so that there still remains a record to be broken.

Since Constance, Duchess of Westminster, has been staying at the Grand Hotel, -Auckland, she lias been much interested in meeting a number cf “Diggers,” who called to thank her for the attention they received at her own military hospital at Etaples during the war. Among these was the lit., Hon. J. G. Coates, who arrived at Auckland from Wellington on Saturday morning. On Saturday evening, Mr. Coates called upon the Duchess and thanked her for the fine, manner in which she had looked after him when he was a patient in her hospital. Beyond saying that in the war he was “Major Coates,” he refused to inform the Duchess who he was. The Duchess was pleased to hear that he was “getting on very well.” >Shf was more than surprised to learn later that her caller had since the cessation of hostilities risen to the position of Prime Minister of the Dominion, and that he was at present Minister of Finance. The Duchess left yesterday afternoon for Waitomo Caves. She was so pleased with her, visit to Rotorua that she has cancelled her trip to the South Island and is returning to Rotorua from Waitomo to-day.

A sensational traffic accident, one which would have brought joy to the hearts of staunch Prohibitionists, occurred in Dee Street, Invercargill, on a recent evening. A motor-lorry, going south and coming from the direction of the “wet” areas, was near the Spey Street corner when a basketcased receptacle fell from the rear and bounced on the street. The lorrydriver pulled up as quickly as he could but a fast-moving motor-car, swinging around the corner, struck the jar, which exploded with a frothy report, ,scattering eabthenware, wi(ck<invarle, and xxxx over half the street for a length of about thirty yards. The top of the jar, a melancholy trophy, was picked up about forty yards away, and for some time later owners of cars in the vicinity were busy polishing the ear bodies.

“I noticed in the musical programme to which we have just listened, that you have thought it desirable to include an item entitled ‘The English Rose,” said his Excellency (Lord Bledisloe), in replying to the civic farewell at Dunedin on Tuesday evening. “I should in no sense have been hurt- 'or offended if you had. chosen instead ‘The Scottish Thistle,’ as my mother was a full-blooded Scots woman; or ‘Welsh Leek or Daffodil,’ as my wife is a- full-blooded Welsh woman ; or the ever-green emblem of Ireland, as one- branch of my family is Irish; or even the Fleur de Lys of France, as my maternal grandmother was a French woman who could hardly speak a word of English.”

An unenviable night in the open was spent by Oliver Wilton, a young New Plymouth man, who lost his way while descending the Surrey Hill Road track in the Kaitake Ranges on Saturday. He strayed from the correct path, but did not turn back and after a strenuous tramp through bush and blackberry he came upon the Koru stream, which he followed to the pa. The darkness and the destruction of the bridge there by flood waters necessitated his camping tl.ere for the night and he reached the Koru post office soon after 6 a.m. yesterday, in time to adyise friends at New Plymouth of his safety just as a search party was about to set out. Mr Wilton was little the worse for wear yesterday, in spite of a sleepless night in wet clothes, the main damage being caused by blackberry thorns encountered on his progress through the bush.