GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 19 October 1937, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

Tree Planting' on Farms Urging farmers generally to adopt a sympathetic attitude toward tree planting, Mr James Wylie, president, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Metropolitan Agricultural and Pastoral Society, drew attention to the recent appeals by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the " n. W. E, Parry, in the matiter of forestry development. “It is in ! the best interests of farming that trees should be planted,” said Mr Wylie, “and I think farmers would be well advised to plant belts of trees whenever possible on their properties.” More Strawberries Slightly increased quantities of strawberries were marketed at the Auckland City Markets last week end, although the total supply was still small, only about half a dozen crates coming forward. The fruit met with a good demand and sold at from 2s to 3s a chip as compared with 2s Gd to 2s 9d a chip earlier in the week. Rare Variety of Rata A specimen of a rare variety of rata blossom, pink in colour, has been acquired by Miss Lucy Cranwell, botanist on the staff of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Miss Cranwell told the “Herald” that the blooms were particularly bright in colour, nnd made a fine picture growing on the hills to the east of Huntly. Cook Strait Whaling New Zealand’s whaling industry, part of which used to be carried on at Whangamumu, just south of Cape Breet, is now confined to the Marlborough Sounds. According to the annual report of the Marine Department, the total catch for 1936-37 was 69 humpback whales, which yielded 280 tons of oil, valued at £4760. The quantity of bonedust and fertiliser obtained from the carcases was returned as nil. Railway Servants The question of widows’ pensions for superannuated railway servants and various points raised by the application of the 40-hour week, together with particular reference to holidays, were among the major matters discussed at the annual meeting of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association held at Wellington last week, representations subsequently being made to the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, by a deputation from the association. In connection with widows’ pensions, it was pointed out that at present there was no such provision for the service. The Minister was urged to bring the service into line in this matter with the existing provisions regarding the Public Service and teachers’ superannuation funds. The Minister gave a sympathetic hearing to the deputation and promised to give the requests early consideration. Whitebait Yield A warning that active measures are needed to arrest the decline in yields of whitebait throughout the Dominion is given by the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr A. E. Hefferd. in his annual report, just presented to Parliament. Discussing the catches obtained in 1936, Mr Hefford says it is impossible to obtain comprehensive information under present conditions, but it appears to be correct to say that in most places the season was the worst on record. Of a total estimated catch of 1888 cwt, valued at nearly £IB,OOO. the Waikato river accounted for 1029 cwt. The catch there in 1935 was estimated at 804 cwt, but it is to be noted that Waikato whitebait include a large proportion of young smelts, or “silveries.” estimated in 1936 at 60 per cent The opinion was expressed by a resident observer that the small run of, manga, or true whitebait, in the spring of 1936, was due to an abnormal flood in February, which left a heavy deposit of silt on the herbage of the river banks at the time when the spawn would be lying there. In most other places, and particularly on the West Coast of the South Island, the prevalence of wet weather and continual floods were generally regarded as responsible for the greatly reduced catches, but there was little doubt that in several rivers the quantities of fish running were well below the average. Saturday Holiday The New Zealand movement toward a whole holiday on Snturday was warmly commended by an American visitor, Mr Maxwell McMaster, of New York, in an interview ■ in Auckland. Mr McMaster said that the free Saturday was still a long way off in America, but believed it would come in time. New York business and professional oflices closed at noon, but Saturday was still firmly established as the chief shopping day of the week, and vast numbers of people worked all day. This lessened the recreational value of Sunday and caused great congestion of holiday traffic. Considering the long distances to the seaside and open country, two clear days at the week-end would be of immense benefit to New Yorkers. Feed Flavours in Cream A perplexing problem to Waikato dairy companies, the question of feed flavours in cream, will be the subject of research at the reorganised Ruakura Farm of Instruction. Investigations were first carried out in the Morrinsviile district and supplemented by experiments at. the Dairy Research Institute at Massey College. Luxuriant clover growth has been shown to be one of the main causes of flavour and a small dairy farm has now been laid out at Ruakura to investigate pasture management methods to control this tendency at critical periods of the year. Further trials on feeding and rationing of cows will be commenced during the present season. Died Without Wills. Several pages of the latest issue of the Gazette, devoted to lists of estates for administration, are of special interest as showing the high proportion of New Zealand residents who die without having made preparation for the disposal of their estate. Nearly a fourth of the total number of estates accepted by the Public Trust Office in September came under this category, 43 persons of 182 dying intestate. Men were apparently more forgetful of their responsibilities than women, because 28 of them died intestate compared with 15 women. One minor was in the list.

Lenders Not Interested. Although a year has elapsed since the ratepayers of Morrinsvilte approved of the raising of a loan of £IO,OOO for intensive improvements to streets, lootpaths and the recreation ground, the council has not yet been able to raise any money at 3J per cent, the rate stipulated by the Local Government Loans Board. “I think we should take the matter further with the Government,” said the Mayor, Mr W. T. Osborne, at a meeting of the council. “We advised the Government some time ago that we have tried to raise a loan from all the public lending institutions without success. Now we have applied to a private financial firm, which has tried to arrange a loan from its clients. We cannot get money at 31 per cent.” Chinese in New Zealand. The work of Chinese settlers in New Zealand in the early days was mentioned by several speakers at a public meeting held in Christchurch to raise funds for medical aid for Chinese refugees (reports “The Press”). One speaker, Mr G. Alley, said that it could justly be claimed that the Chinese had done much valuable work, and he cited the case of a Chinese in Taranaki, Mr Chew Chong, who was still acclaimed in that province as one of the founders of its present prosperity. That man had built up, in an otherwise lean year for farmers, a prosperous trade in the expert of edible fungin from Taranaki to China, and, more than that, had begun the first proper butter factory in the province at Eltham. His idea had been to make the butter in New Zealand and ship it home, and in many ways he had almost been the founder of the dairy export trade. Sacred Concert on Sunday A recital of sacred music, organ and vocal, will be given at the School of Music next Sunday evening at 8.30, the object of the recital being to forward the proposal to establish a suitable memorial to the work of Mr Robert Parker, C.M.G., who for a period of nearly 70 years gave his best' endeavours in the cause of music in this Dominion. At the recital to be given on Sunday a special setting of Arthur Sullivan’s song. “The Lost Chord,” will be rendered with choral obligato and organ and pianoforte accompaniment. The organ numbers will include Preludes by Chopin and Bach, selections by Handel, and excerpts from the Organ Suites of Plumpton and Holloway. No charge will be made for admission, but a collection will be made for the purpose indicated. Export of Eels. A proposal to export eels caught in Southland rivers to England and the Continent was made by Mr E. H. Ball at a meeting of the council of .the Southland Acclimatisation Society. Mr Ball said that there was a splendid market in England and Germany for a certain type of eel from a half-pound weight up to a pound and a half. “Small eels realise up to lOd a pound and can be sent Home for 4d a pound,” said Mr Ball. “I would like to have a hundredweight of eels sent to Bluff to be canned. If the society is not interested in them a private company would be. There is a keen demand for canned eels as well.” “If you can get a commercial man interested we will do our part in providing the eels,” said the chairman, Mr S. M. Macalister. The discussion arose from the council’s inquiries into means of eradicating eels from Southland rivers.