LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Hastings Flag. The Hastings Borough Council was advised last evening by the County Borough of Hastings (England) that the New Zealand senior flag had been won by Hastings Girls’ Central School with an attendance percentage of 97.7, and that the junior flag was again won by the All Saints Junior Mixed School with a percentage of 96.7. Formal Objection. “This is purely a formal objection and will be dealt with by the borough solicitors,’’ said the Mayor, Mr G. A. Maddison, at the meeting of the Hastings Borough Council last evening when advice was received from the Public Trustee that a formal objection had been lodged against the proposed taking of a section of land lor the purposes of a civic square. New Speed Limit.

On the recommendation of the borough traffic inspector, Mr A. C. Crawford, the Hastings Borough Council decided last evening to erect signboards showing the maximum speed limit of 30 m.p.h. on each of the four boundaries leading into Hastings. As pointed out by Mr Crawford, these signs would also indicate the borough boundaries and would be a great help to the travelling public. Belated Passenger. When the 8.30 bus left the Marine Parade, Napier, last night, a taxi with a single passenger, apparently wishirg to board the bus, set out in pursuit of it. With the horn sounding noisily, the taxi pursued the bus for about 100 yards along the Parade before the sound of the horn attracted the bus driver’s attention and the belated passenger was able to change vehicles. Theatre Seats Mutilated. The mutilation of three seats in the stalls ot the Municipal Theatre last Saturday evening was reported to the Hastings Borough Council last evening. It was stated that one seat appeared to have been cut and the other two badly torn. The necessary repairs had been carried out. The Mayor, Mr G. A. Maddison, described the action as “despicable,” for it seemed that someone had used a knife deliberately to cut one of the seats.

The Shining Cuckoo. Although the Pining cuckoo has not been reported as having made its appearance in Auckland this year after its long flight from overseas, Mrs. H. H. Asher, of Port Jackson, Cape Colville, states that she heard the characteristic song of the bird on Tuesday morning and saw the first of the birds to arrive in the bush. Shining cuckoos were seen and heard m Auckland suburban gardens about the middle of August last year. Visibility of Planets. In the evening twilight, about 6 o’clock, the planets Mercury and Venus are prominently visible at present. Last night they were at equal heights above the western horizon, Venus being the brighter of tho two and lying on the right-hand side. The proximity of the two planets affords an opportunity for identifying Mercury, generally so faint and close to the sun as to remain hidden from observation by the unaided ey« Radio in School. The installation of electric radio and gramophone equipment in tho Assembly Hall at the Hastings High School is now in progress, and from the preliminary tests that have been made there is every reason to expect that it will provide a very high standard of efficiency in performance and prove a wonderful acquisition to the school. The set is a 10-valve one and it is equipped with two 12-inch loud speakers. ‘ Political Wager Refused.

An enthusiastic Labour supporter created endless amusement at Mr. F. W. Doidge's political meeting at Penrose. He kept moving from one part of the hall to another and maintained verbal exchanges with the candidate. The climax arrived when he flourished two £1 notes, and marching up to the platform, offered to make a wager with Mr. Doidge that he would not win the Manukau seat. The candidate laughingly declined the invitation “to cover the notes.” Drunk On Sustenance, “He is at present on sustenance pay and he was rather lucky that he was only charged with common drunkenness,” said Sergeant R. G. Wade at the Hastings Police Court this morning, when a middle-aged man appeared before Mr. A. J. C. Runciman, J.P., on a charge of being found drnnk. The police officer said that the n»in was a statutory first offender, though he had been frequently before the Court in the past on similar charges “I hope you won’t come here again,” said tho Bench, when convicting and discharging the defendant Kiwi in the Kawekas. Two members of the Heretaunga Tramping Club, Messrs. C. Higgs, of Hastings, and D. Williams, of Clive, had the unusual experience recently of fondling a live kiwi which they had found in the Kaweka ranges. They wore engaged in building the hut that the club is establishing for the convenience of its members in tho Kawekas, and the bird came into their camp and" no difficulty was experienced in capturing it. After a few photographic snaps bad been taken of the men handling the kiwi, it was allowed its liberty again and moved oft' quite unconcerned into the bush. Considering that the ranges are favourite grounds for shooting parties, the presence of a kiwi in that locality came as a big surprise.