News of the Day

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 6

News of the Day

Collision Causes Hold-up. A collision between two cars returning to Kaikohe from the National Party ball at Kerikeri, caused a road blockage which held up traffic for two hours. The passengers escaped injury, but both vehicles were badly knocked about. * * • * Northland Weather. Although heavy rain fell throughout Northland last week, flooding was restricted to a few districts and little or no damage was done except for liberal silt deposits. At WhangaI rei, the fall for the seven days, ended Saturday was 3.58 inches, the heaviest fall—l.lo inch—occurring on Tuesday. Greatest inundation w*as at Kaikohe, where 3.51 inches were recorded in the space of 24 hours. * * ♦ * Zealandia at Opua Overdue by several days, the Shaw Savill and Albion motor ship Zealandia from Nelson dropped anchor off Russell Point on Thursday morning after experiencing heavy weather along the coast. The Zealandic was expected to berth at Opua wharf on Friday morning, when the loading of frozen meat and general cargo will commence. She is to leave for Auckland on Saturday. • * * • Refresher Military Course Arangements are in hand for the regular military forces in New Zealand to attend a„ refresher course at Waiouru, 25 miles north of Taihape, some time this year. Owing to the nature of the surrounding country, the site chosen is particularly suited for tactical manoeuvres, and for the handling of motor transport. Further additions to the mobile transport equipment are expected to be made before the course begins. Among the new equipment will probably be a number of machine-gun carriers. »:*. * * * Unknown Northland. Another to bear witness to the general lack of knowledge of Northland—its location, climate, extent and potentialities— is Mr. J. R. H. Cooksey, travelling commisioner for Boy Scouts and who is visiting Whangarei. There is held I a general belief that it is madness to < think of visiting Northland during the | winter, he says, the old legends regard- | ing the lack or roads etc. still possess- j ing their old time potency. Mr. Cooksey j expressed astonishment at the stage oi | development already reached in the 1 province and predicts a splendid future j for Northland. 1 ♦** * j See (she Indians, Rugby Park, j Whangarei, August 17, 2 p.m, 815 .

Marsden Electoral Roll. The Marsden general roll, which I has just been printed, contains 10,739 L names. The general roll in 1931 con- | tained 10,900 names and the supple- , mentary roll brought the total ub to : 11,458. In 1935 the general roll numbered 10.014 and the supplementary roll brought the total up to 12,242, . Rail Services to Schedule. i All rail services to and from'Wha- > ngarei have resumed normal schedule ■ and are running to time. The Auck- . land-Whangarei road transport ser- [ vices are also running to time, and the . only main connecting route where i trouble is likely to be met is on-the ; Whangarei-Dargaville highway. Fiood- . ing has badly affected this road, and a detour is necessary. However, ’bus services are running well to tirhe, despite the handicap. Aerial Armada of Gulls. , A flight of many thousands of sea j birds winging their way oyer the ’ Mairtown area, attracted the interest . of many Whangarei people just be- ’ fore dusk last evening. Silhouetted . against the bush clad slopes of Parahaki, the gulls made a most impressive spectacle as they passed in orderly formation. From the time the squadron leaders appeared until the rearguard passed, 10 minutes elapsed. * is * * An Odd Visitor. White sparrows are not uncommon sights. A black one, however, is a rarity to Whangarei, and when one such appeared on a tree ih rear of business premises in the town yesterday it attracted considerable attention. Apparently the sparrow does not allow colour to affect his social relations, for the odd black one flew about and fed with the others as though he were of normal tint. , The bird was pitch black, with not even the slightest hint of any of the intermediate shades which usually characterise the specie. W** ♦ ■ Organ Recital —Presbyterian Church —Tuesday evening next. Great musical treat. 287