Local and General

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 29 March 1935, Page 6

Local and General

A lire at the residence of Constable E. Townsend, Eltham, this week destroyed the wash-house. The fire brigade, on its arrival directed its attention to saving the large number of cases of fruit stored in a room next to the wash-house. The interior of the building -was badly damaged. “If politics might be called in any sense a ‘dirty game’,” said Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., speaking at the W.E.A., Auckland, on Tuesday night, “it would be largely due to the growth of the modern party system. My experience has* been that there have been times in my political career when there has been an undercurrent of ‘dirt’ permeating the whole structure, which is nauseating. But. that does not necessarily imply that politics is a dirty game.” It might become so, he added, and that depended to an extent on the players and the spectators. The growth of the modern party system, he felt, had prevented co-oper-ation in things outside the sphere and politics. Members were called to vote and .speak against their own moral beliefs. Later he referred to the party system as an illogical excrescence on the face of the Parliamentary system. A recent cable message referring to the 30 miles an hour speed rule in England said that the police had been nicknamed “gangsters.” Why this should be so was a mystery. " But a broadcast Empire news summary from London cleared the matter up, for the word should have been “gongsters.” It appears that if a motorist on the English roads exceeds the limit the traffic policeman strikes a gong while he pursues the offender. The announcer said, incidentally, that the traffic came into London in a steady stream and the motorist simply had to keep in line and keep going. This bears out what visitors from Home tell us about motoring conditions there. Indeed, so much of the pleasure has been taken out of motoring by the crowded roads that many people are returning to the trains.

Mr. J. Taaffe, of Kaitaia, relates interesting happenings during fishing on Monday, at the north reef, Whangaroa, when he secured a swordfish weighing 2541 b, and a mako shark weighing 2141 b. He lost a large mako, which had charged the boat on a rush that was narrowly avoided by the launchman. The mako, after being hooked, leaped clear of the surface and then at a great speed doubled back and fouled the line and hit it off above the balloon float. The launchman sighted the balloon travelling along the surface and gave chase. He recovered it and hastily joined the line again. The angler experienced a splendid fight for some minutes. The joint then proved unequal to the strain find the line again parted and the fish was lost.

“It must he a long time since this gentleman was young,” said the Mayor of Mount Albert, Mr R. Ferner, at a meeting of the council, when a letter was received from a ratepayer complaining of the noise caused by children playing in the streets. The letter set out a series of incidents, with kites landing on his roof and in his hedge, and said that in addition children played rounders, cricket, football and other games in the street all day in the holidays and also after school. “The noise is deafening,” the writer added. “I have told the children they must not enter my place in search of balls, but I think it is the duty of the council to look into the matter.” It was deckled to reply that the complaint had been referred to the traffic inspector.

The date of the South Taranaki Returned Soldiers’ Association Poppy Day appeal is this year fixed for Thursday, April IS. The Mayor, Mr .T. E. Campbell, is assisting the association in launching this year’s appeal.

A crowd of over 300 people at the port of New Plymouth yesterday morning to farewell H.M.A.S. Vendetta was evidence that in her short stay of two and a half days the warship’s crew had made themselves popular. The Vendetta sailed at 11.30 a.m. Half an hour before sailing her decks were a scene of great activity. Long life-lines were rigged on each side of the main deck and the slippery steel decks were covered with footpajths Of coir matting, while a seaman coated exposed brass-work with grease to preserve it from salt stains. Civic and military authorities, who had made a last visit aboard to farewell the officers, stepped, off on the wharf at 11.25 and five minutes later the ship had cast off and was moving out to sea.

A burglar entered the premises of Webster Bros., auctioneers, and the New Plymouth Sash and Door Coy., Ltd., but no money was discovered, and apart from the breaking of three .panes ,of glass .and a pair of, scissors the,loss was nil. Entrance was gained to Webster Bros.’. premises by the breaking of a fairly large pane of glass, but as the fii-st attempt was unsuccessful a second pane was broken, this time the hole being large enough to permit the passage of a body. At the New Plymouth Sash and Door Company’s office entrance was gained by breaking a casement window facing into the timber yard, and loosening the catch. The office was not disturbed, but the cash drawer was forced open with scissors which were broken into several pneces. The drawer was empty and the safe untouched.

There is not a true sailor in any part of the world who would wilfully kill an albatross, largest and most romantic of all birds. Since the earliest times, when galleys and sailing ships set out from the Old World to the open ocean, ' sailors have attributed supernatural powers to the mystic white bird that flies alone over the seven seas. The terrible consequences of .killing an albatross are graphically told by Coleridge in his poem “The Ancient Mariner.” So, when the trans-Tasman yacht Ngataki accidentally fouled an albatross that was flying low the crew prepared for the worst. “It was an amazing thing,” remarked the owner, Mr John Wray. “We had perfect weather until we struck the albatross, and, I believe, killed it. Immediately afterwards the weather changed for the worse and we experienced head winds for the remainder of the three weeks’ voyage to New Zealand.”

At the February meeting of the Christchurch City Council, Cr. A. E. Armstrong asked what steps w-ere being taken to prevent the anomaly that he said existed in several cases ■where council employees ■who were in receipt of good wages and regular employment also had their wives engaged in regular employment other than household duties. This question was then referred to the By-Laws, Finance and Departmental Committee. The committee reported that it had circularised all members of the staff to the effect that attention had been drawn to this matter and that in view of the larger number of unemployed, it had been decided that in cases of married employees on the staff having husbands or wives, as the case might be, in occupation also, he or she must relinquish his or her position within one month from date. It "was further decided that should there be any extenuating circumstances in any particular case, the employee concerned could make repre-' sentations to the committee, in which case careful consideration would be given.

The Marine Department has written to the Whangarei Harbour Board for information bearing on the question of sea-water pollution by oil discharged by ships. The secretary of the board, Mr W. M. Fraser, said it was vital to the protection of native and sea birds that the sea water should not be polluted by oil. "It is not generally known,” he said, "that sea birds are necessary for our sea fish. Large droves of sea birds hover over areas where fish are, and these fish come to the surface and the birds take the sea vermin off the fish, thereby keeping them healthy. Large numbers of birds are killed as a result of sea-water pollution by oil discharged by ships. Apart from the cruelty in killing birds, it is necessary that the birds be preserved in the interests of our large fish.” He added that there was no pollution from oil in the Whangarei Harbour.

The New Plymouth Hetailers’ Association members were given a demonstration last night of an improved system of community lighting the borough council proposes to instal. The footpaths between Currie and Brougham Streets were flooded by an evenly diffused light from a long string of circular lamps, 20 feet apart and 8 feet 6 inches above the footpath. Apart from providing adequate light for pedestrians, the new lamps, although burning the same amount of power as those already in use, lit the shop windows and generally brightened the street. A glance up the hill past Currie Street gave ample evidence of the gloomy nature of the present lighting system. Lamps at irregular intervals gave but poor ser- I vice, while here and there well nigh complete darkness reigned. With the J lamps ranged at regular intervals it isimpossible under the new system to have patches of blackness.

HUNTINGTON’S. ’Phone 2118. This season wo have once again achieved another triumph for autumn woollies—jumpers, cardigans, coatees, frocks—rich glowing colours and brand new stitches. Never before such marvellous value and such an array of styles. Jumpers are priced from 8/11, cardigans from 13/6, coatees from 17/6, and wool frocks from 22/6. —Advt.