NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 42, 19 February 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The opinion that fishing in New Zealand is not an good as it was 11 years ago was expressed by two Birmingham sportsmen, Messrs. M. R. and H. M. Cartwright. They considered that, although thfj fishing was still very good in the Taupo district, the size of the fish was decreasing. In the South Island the fish ing in the Opihi river was not nearly asi good as it was during their last visit. The rivers had been over-fished, they considered. Witnesses with some instinct for the dramatic sometimes relieve the tedium of court proceedings with gestures and exclamations. During a Supreme Court action at Auckland a witness made free use of his hands to show how a man had been thrown into the air by a motor-car which ran into him, but he did not give a nswers which satisfied defending counsel.’ “Not so much drama and a little more clarity, please,’’ said Mr. Justice Callan, and the case proceeded. Altogether 171,474 copies of Maori Scriptures have been issued since the British and Foreign Bible Society produced its firs ; edition of Scripture extracts in Sydney in 1827. Large numbers of editions have been produced since then, I,he British and Foreign Bible Society being the only meaus of supply of the Maori Bible. In its recent annual report for New Zealand the society states that each copy of the Maori B iblo is sold at a loss of about 10s. Without any desire to enter public life, Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., found himself in Parliament by a mistake, he told businessmen in Christchurch recently. He was in business, specialising in land settlement and native questions, and then found himself elected to Parliament, although his wife declined to vote for him. “I tell my people that I have no pre-emptive right to the Waitomo seat;, and if they know of a younger and better man, I will support him 100 per cent.’’ he said, his sentiments being applauded. “It is rather good handwriting for a Prime Minister," said Mr. E. Earle Vaile, at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Institute and Museum when the authenticity of a signature purporting to be that of Sir Robert Walpole, Prime Minister of England from 1721 to 1742, was under discussion. The signature was on the fly-leaf of a book describing Captain Cook’s voyages, offered to the museum for sale. “There must be exceptions," a member said. The council took advantage of an offer by Mr. Yaile to purchase another copy of the same book. “Businessmen in the House are, in the main, failures," was a statement made by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., to a meeting of commercial men at Christchurch. They had to develop a different mental outlook, they lost their acquisitive sense, and they had to broaden their knowledge on a score of questions, he said. Although their knowledge became wide, it was not deep. Three or four big businessmen had entered the House and ran their own concerns; but his experience in giving public service was that business had to be sacrificed. For 10 yearn he had not earned one guinea in his own office. Many people said the rewa rd for public services was rich, but tho reward came when the servant was dead. In connection with the band contest in Palmersto i North next week, arrangements have been made to fly a flag from the band rotunda in the Square as an indication to the public when inclemency of weather necessitates test pieces set down for the Showgrounds, being transferred to the Opera House. An individual who entered a dwelling house in Annandale avenue, Palmerston North, one evening this week, displayed considerable nerve as the occupants were in an adjacent room. His movements, however, were drowned by the music from a radio. When the burglary was discovered some little time later, it was found that £ll was missing from a drawer and that an entrance had been gained through a casement window that had been left open.