Rooks Seek Walnuts.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 8

Rooks Seek Walnuts.

Rooks, once making a familiar sightand sound when clouds of them used to fly over Christchurch at dusk, are rarer now, hut in the last few weeks some have been attracted to the suburbs for the walnuts which are loose on the trees and lying on the ground. A Beagle Hunt. The first beagle hunt ever hold in South Canterbury took place on Monday, and proved most successful, in spite of the fact that there was an abundance of hares, resulting in the hounds repeatedly being confused by fresh scents. The event was the outcome of arrangements made by the Timaru Harrier Club with Mr J. W. McKcrgour, master of the Maranui Foot Beagles. Progress At Aerodrome. The work of transferring the false work from No. 1 hangar to No. 2 hangar at the Ohakea defence aerodrome has been completed after some weeks of steady work and the pouring of the first section of the roof for the second hangar will be commenced in a day or two. Meanwhile the sowing of a large area of the flying field lias been done and the laying of drains and levelling of the eastern end is now under way. Trees on the section where Mr F. Bailey’s house stands are now being removed.—Ohakea correspondent. Amateur Blondin.

A performance reminiscent of the acts of the famous Blondin, hut for an amateur somewhat foolhardy, horrified pedestrians on the Hamilton railway bridge at about 5 p.m. on Saturday. A young man climbed over'the handrail and proceeded to make his way, somewhat precariously, along the outer edge of the railway track. A false step would have precipitated him into the Waikato River, but after safely negotiating a considerable distance of the bridge he was persuaded by friends to give up his dangerous performance.

j Mosquitoes at Auokland

Though the Dominion is within little more than a fortnight- of the -shortest day, mosquitoes are still prevalent in some sections of Auckland city and suburbs, and, though sluggish and easily caught, they continue to bo a source of annoyance to many sleepers. Centennial Tree-Planting. A request was made by Mr S. Freeman (Dominion organiser), to the annual meeting ol' \\ellington Council of Young 1' armors’ Clubs, yesterday, that endeavours he made to co-operate in the Centennial tree-planting scheme. Jt was decided that a sub-committee consisting of Messrs F. AY. Barnett, F. E. -Sherwood, C. J. Hamblyn, 11. M. Linklatcr (Manawatu) and L. Fciernbend (Southern Hawke’s Bay) be set up to investigate the details of the scheme and forward reports and recommendations to the organising secretary. Language Problems. Considerable entertainment and embarrassment—has been caused the organisers of the Boy -Scout Centennial jamboree hv their correspondence from abroad, much of it written in languages with which few New Zealanders are familiar. A letter in Spanish from Chile was comparatively easily deciphered, but, bidding an _ interpreter, the organisers were baffled by a letter from White Russian scouts in their national script and tongue. After considerable deliberation, they decided to write a polite letter, saying they were very sorry the White Russians could not see their way to attend the jamboree. It seemed the answer most likely to bo right. Electrical Examinations. In the electrical wiremen’s written examinations, which were conducted in March of this year, only 44 of the 199 candidates who sat passed, which is approximately 22 per cent. In the practical section 73 out of 141 candidates passed. The Cable Makers’ Association’s gold medal for the highest marks in the practical section was awarded to G. R. Colling, of Palmerston North, who gained 91 marks out of a possible 100. Palmerston North electrical wiremen who passed the practical part are: G. R. Colling, A. R. Fowles, and G. D. Stewart. Tn the electrical servicemen’s examination, R. O. Thomas (Palmerston North) passed in the written part, and 15. B. Borham, the practical part. Sheep-Worrying Menace. “Worrying of sheep by dogs is causing considerable concern among the tanners of my district,” said Air R G. Montgomery (Northern Hawke’s Bay), at the annual meeting yesterday of the Wellington Council of Young Farmers’ Chibs. This had cost the farmers much, and he moved that the council send a remit to the New Zealand Federation urging that it appeal to the Government to have the Act relating to worrying of sheep by dogs revised and amended, because a dog which was known to he a sheep-wor-rier could not he destroyed unless it was caught in the act. He would like to see the matter taken to the Minister of Agriculture. Mr E. W. Barnett (chairman) considered that it. was a question that deserved urgent attention, and the motion was passed. Cadets in Uniform. The action of the president (Mr W. IT. Caiman) in writing to the Wanganui Technical College Board of Managers protesting at the refusal of tho principal of the college to parade the college cadets in uniform as. a colour party on An/.ac Day, was unanimously endorsed by tho annual meeting of the Wanganui Returned Soldiers’ Association. Air C. C. Brownie, who is also a member of the college Board of Alanagers, said that in future the question of whether tho cadets would parade in uniform would not he left to the principal, but the hoard would invite the boys, who are volunteers, to do so, leaving the decision to the hoys and their parents. Abandoned Tours. Several delegates to the annual meeting of the Wellington District Council of Young tanners, yesterday,’' expressed indignation at having made arrangements for tours of young farmers in their districts only to he informed that they had been abandoned, Air AV. G. Brownlie (Northern Hawke’s Bay) stated . that no fewer than four tours of his district had been cancelled at the last moment. A remit, sponsored by Air H. AI. Linklater, that in future no district be asked to make arrangements for touring parties until it is definite that the party will bo actually touring and tho number travelling is reasonably assured, was carried. Another resolution passed was that attempts be made to foster contacts between touring parties and local club members.