LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 118, 2 May 1936, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Feildlng's Odd Man Out, A situation that is probably unique in the history of census taking in New Zealand has been revealed in the detailed figures made available in respect to the population of Feilding. Ths figures disclose that the sexes are almost evenly balanced, males leading females by the slender margin of one. The respective totals are: Males, 2272; females, 2271. Pens in Stockings. A common but dangerous practice in vogue among school children, particularly primary and secondary boys, is. the placing or sliding of a pen or a lead pencil down the leg of a stocking. At Mahora School yesterday afternoon after dismissal, a Maori bov named Harry Taylor had a pen so placed, and in ordinary running the pen was touched by tho other leg, with tho result that tho nib became embedded in tho flesh below the knee. All efforts to withdraw the nib failed, and the lad had to be icnt to the Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Rr treatment. Early N.Z. Church History. An interesting fact is recalled by the expected visit to New Zealand of the Metropolitan of India and Cevlon and Bishop of Calcutta, Dr. F. Westcott. About 100 years ago the arch-diocese of Calcutta embraced Australia and New Zealand, and Madras, Bombay and Burma, Madras was separated in 1835, Australia and New Zealand in 1836. and Bombay and Burma a little later. It is statted that the diocese of Bishop Selwyn embraced much of the Pacific, and that of the very early Roman Catholic, Bishop Pompallier, it is understood, extended well toward tho Equator, The Census-Man and Cupid. Two of the four Maori census subenumerators in the Waiapu area, district No. 26, had to cover extremely difficult country in delivering the forms, including heavy bush which is absolutely roadless, and the fording of almost unfordable rivers. Between them they received no less than seven offers of marriage, according to a very reliable source. The offers came from enterprising native fathers with eligible daughters. Possibly leap year had something to do with it. From the same source it is understood that romance will cap the journey of one of the subenumerators, and that a native wedding of very wide East Coast interest will -be solemnised within the next month. An Unusual Meteor. A brilliant meteor, which, travelled across the eastern sky in quite a remarkable way and which left, behind it an illumination that lasted for perhaps five minutes, was seen shortly after 3 o’clock this morning by a Hastings resident, who was lying awake on tho sleeping porch of her house. Before she saw the meteor her attention was arrested by a vivid and widespread illumination, as though from a long and enduring flash of lightning, and then came the meteor, which, instead of travelling in an arc as meteors usually do, made a complete loop before it shot away again and disappeared. The trail of light following its passing distinctly showed the course of the loop that the meteor had made. Hastings Citizens' Band. Weather permitting, the Hastings Citizens Band will visit the Hastings Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and play a well-selected programme of items for the benefit of tho inmates of that institution to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon commencing at 2.15 o’clock. The band had to postpone its last effort to attend the hospital, and, given a fln 6 afternoon, the patients may look forward to an enjoyable programme of band music on this occasion. Tho programme will include the following:—Hymn, “Pax Dei”; march, “8.8. and C.F.”; overture, “Poet and Peasant”; cornet solo, “Che Cornet King” (by Bandmaster Macpherson); march, “Reign of Beauty”; hymn, “St. Margaret”; march, “Wharton”; selection, “Songs of Scotland”; fantasia, “Day With the Huntsman”; march, “Warriors Return”; God Save the King.

Tale of a Famous Tree. A tale of a famous tree, the pohutukawa at Cape Reinga, revered of the Maoris, was told by Airs 11. Carr Collett in the course of an address at Auckland. Iho pohutukawa was that on the branches of which, so the Alaoris said, the souls of the dead used to gather, while they contemplated the pluuge into the sea. beneath on their way to the eaves leading to the underworld. For many years the tree grew there and flourished, but after tho wars of Hongi llika, the Ngapuhi chieftain, who brought tho musket to make wars terrible, the weight of souls of the dead ou the branches of the tree was too great, aud the tree died. Iho speaker added that in 1895 Cheesemau, the great New Zealand botanist, visited Cape Reinga, and there ho found all that was left of the pohutukawa, a white stump. It was sufficient, however, to show the basis of the Maori legend. Two De§r with Ono Shot. When a party of three deer shooters, Alessrs P. Massey, of Dargaville, S. Wright, of Karaka, and R. J. Crosbie, of Pukekohe, were stalking Japanese deer in the Raiigitikei district, one of tho members of the party performed an unusual feat in the art of shooting by “killing the proverbial two birds with the one stone.” Air Massey sighted and shot one animal, and then went to collect the carcase. To the amazement of all members of the party, they found another Japanese deer dead, about 7ft. away from the first. Mr Massey had seen only olio deer, and could hardly credit the fact that he had shot two, especially when they were the elusive Japanese deer. An examination of the first deer showed that the bullet had bit behind the shoulder and passed right through the body, striking a bone and splitting at the same time. The two pieces of the bullet had entered the neck and back of the other deer, which bad evidently been standing in the scrub behind its mate, and out of view of the party, with lli« result that ii was also killed.