LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20419, 22 November 1929, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The land carriages for the Defence De r partment's Fairey 3F amphibian planes were brought, to Auckland by the steamer Mahia, which arrived on Wednesday evening. The machines will now be fitted to operate from either land or water.

As a general rule pohutukawa trees come into bloom shortly before Christ mas, but two specimens on Cheltenham Beach have been flowering for the past month. These two trees are growing within a few feet of each other and are still covered with their crimson flowers. These trees have been known for years past to start flowering about Labour Day. '

Advice has beon received by the Board of Managers of the Seddon Memorial Technical College that the Minister of Education is not willing to give authority to the board to conduct correspondence courses. In refusing the board 8 request the Minister stated that private institutions already provided for such courses and the particular equipment at the college could not be used for the purpose.

A blue shark 7ft. in length was washed on to the beach outside the New Plymouth municipal baths on Monday. It is. thought that the shark, which was bruised, had been hurt on the reef and stranded as the tide wont out.

There was a sudden end to gunnery practice from Fort Cautley yesterday morning. Twelve rounds were fired by the two guns in action, but the sighting was a little 100 accurate and tho last of these shots struck the target, a fourloot oil drum moored in Rangitoto Channel, and left the gunners with no mark at which to fire. / A group of five rounds was fired from one gun, and adjustments made on it while the second gun was firing. Two more shots from the first gun saw the practice brought to an early close. It is the object of the gunners to get as close as possible to a small target, but a direct hit is most unusual.

Lake Tarawera appears to be a paradise for anglers this season, says the Rotorua Chronicle. Among other successful parties, Messrs. R. G. Ewing, A. Baker and A. F. Rush landed no fewer than 38 beauties at the last week-end. They were a very even lot, running from 4£lb. to 61b. in weight. Tho catch was obtained by trolling.

The Akarana Maori Association has received a reply to its protest against the proposed granting of a licence for the Chateau, National Park, from the ActingPrime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes. He states that the Government had received no official application for a licence. Tho association also received a letter from the Maniopoto Maori Council confirming tho recent protest.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony in Napier, the Governor-General playfully referred to the interest Lady Alice Fergusson takes in natural history, geography and histoiy. His Excellency said that all they had tried to do in New Zealand was to become acquainted with all classes of the community and endeavour to understand their aims and aspirations and to interest themselves in things that interested the people. He remarked that they travelled all the inhabited parts of New Zealand in an endeavour to meet all the people. " I must say that Her Excellency has done far more than I in that direction," the Governor-General went on with a smile, " for she has even visited the barren rocks around the coast which arc inhabited mostly by lizards and centipedes, and has gone into the depths of the forest and on to the heights of the mountains. I must admit that Her Excellency has done more than I to get to know the flora and fauna of the country and understand the geography and history of the place."

"Is this a Communist settlement?" asked Mr. J. H. Salmon in the Wanganui Court the other day, of a solicitor who was questioning a native inhabitant of Ratana with a view to ascertaining whether the Maori could liquidate a debt. It was stated that, like others, the native worked for Ratana and received nothing over and above his keep. " All I can say is that he is a fool,".said the magistrate. "He should be paid for his labour, and if ho is not paid, I am nofc going to allow him to defeat his creditors." An order was made for the payment of the debt by instalments, the magistrate remarking, as a parting shot, that the debtor could "get it'out of Ratana."

Workmen engaged in excavation work at Wellington College had a fortunate escape from serious injury on Monday afternoon, when a barrel containing detonators and dynamite exploded. Heavy wind blew cinders from a rubbish fire into a shed, which caught alight, and a bucket brigade which was quickly formed failed to control the fire. Suddenly a barrel containing the detonators and dynaA mite exploded, wrecking the shed. Although five or six men were standing a few yards from the shed, all escaped injury, with the exception of one, whose face and ear were lacerated by a piece of flying timber. The force of the explosion broke some panes of glass in th 6 East school and in the Memorial Hall.

Early sheep shearing has commenced in North Canterbury. Flocks which have come in from the high country show big shortages which have been caused by the snowstorms in the early season. The full extent of the losses, says the Timaru Herald, cannot bo ascertained until all flpcks have been counted, but preliminary musters indicate that the total will be substantial.

Success appears to be attending the introduction of tho cinnabar moth to Taranaki with thtj object of destroying ragwort. Last year eggs of the moth were distributed on several Taranaki farms infested with the noxious weed. To-day millions-of eggs can be seen 6n tho leaves of ragwort plants throughout the district. Eggs have been distributed on a property on the Parihaka block in the hope that the moth will spread in that area and help farmers to cope with the ragwort menace.

The whitebait industry on the west> coast of the South Island this* season has been one of tho busiest on record. In tho Hokitika district excellent returns have been obtained, while fishing further south has produced phenomenal returns. It is staled that upwards of 1000 tins have been despatched from South Westland. Christchurch- market has been well supplied, while in Wellington there was also a payable '-Semand. In addition, the Hokitika district canning factories were well supplied.,