LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21400, 26 January 1933, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Maori Graves Disturbed Exception is being taken by tlio Maoris of Wharehoo at the action of curio-hun-ters in digging up graves at the Oruarangi pa cemetery, Lower "Wharehoo, states tho Herald's Thames correspondent. The Maoris regard this as sacrilege and intend to take action to prevent the desecration of the resting place of their ancestors.

Fall Down Manhole As a result of a fall down a 30ft. manhole yesterday morning, an employee of tho West field freezing works, Mr. Thomas Henry Steel, aged 45, married, of 9 Panmuro Road, suffered concussion, head injuries and other abrasions. lie was conveyed to tho Auckland Hospital by a St. Jolm ambulance, but his condition last evening was not serious. The accident occurred while Mr. Steel was walking backward. He overbalanced and fell to the bottom of the hole.

Wellington's Breakfast What may aplly be described as Wellington's breakfast was recently loaded at Blenheim on to the scow Echo. Tho shipment incidentally gives a good idea of Marlborough's productiveness in two lines of tho fanning industry. The shipment comprised 80 pigs and somo 3500 dozen eggs, representing a nico sum of money for tho producers. This is the largest shipment of pigs from Blenheim for somo littlo time, and illustrates the advantage local pig-raisers aro beginning to take of the practically unlimited market for baconers and porkers in Wellington.

Last-Minute Dash for Train As the limited express was drawing out of the station last evening, two intending passengers, both men carrying their own luggage, appeared on the platform running at their best speed to catch the train. The first one was quite successful, in spite of the hindrance of a swinging golf-bag. The second man, however, reached the last carriage with the loss of somo of his personal belongings, as his suitcase swung open and scattered a few of the contents along the platform. Fortunately, his wife, who had come to seo him off, retrieved the articles after tho express had left. Accident Victims' Condition

Slight improvement has taken place in the condition of Mr. C. R. J. Miller, tram conductor, who suffered head injuries when ho fell from his tram in Manukau Road, nearly a fortnight ago. He has not yet regained consciousness, however, and is still serious. The condition of Mr. James Arkhurst, aged 20, of Pukckohe, who was knocked down by a motor-lorry while riding a bicycle at Takanini at the beginning of last week, also has improved. He is semi-con-scious and liis condition is still serious. Both men are patients at tho Auckland Hospital.

Boys Seeking Farm Positions An opinion that there were more boys seeking farm positions at present than there were beforo Christmas was expressed by Mr. IST. G. Gribble, president of the Auckland Boys' Employment Committee, yesterday. Mr. Gribble stated that difficulty was experienced until recently in finding boys in sufficient numbers to fill the positions awaiting them. Most likely as a result of the close of the school year, and tho consequent additional number of boys placed on the labour market, there were now more applications for positions, but it was to be noted that tho number of farmers with vacancies had not increased.

"Dumb Dogs" in Christchurch "In any church where there is a good choir, as there is liore, when the choir is absent on holiday the people stay away," said Archbishop Julius in the Christchurch Cathedral last Sunday. "They seem never to have heard the Eng3ish church liturgy before and to be quite incapable of joining in it themselves. They cannot answer the responses, they cannot sing, they cannot speak up without a choir to help them—they are a set of dumb dogs. So, you see, you boys have come to our help to-day." Tho veteran prelate was speaking to the Young Australia League's Boys' Band, which held a church parade at the cathedral. Literature from Trains

For many years a notico has been placed in New Zealand railway carriages advising that spare books and newspapers may be banded to the guard for distribution to mental hospitals. Inquiries have revealed, states Mr. L. 0. Hooker, of Hawera. that no record has been found of any papers or books having reached the institutions from such a source. Recently Mr. Hooker discussed (lie matter with the acting-general manager of railways, who has given his support to a special collection effort on trains in the Wellington district. Parcels are, to be made up and forwarded to tho Porirua Hospital each day, and a record of all papers and books received will be kept at the institution. Damage by Lightning

Electric power wires snapped as a result of lightning last Friday night striking a huße macrocarpa trco near Lhristchtireh which was used as a pole. In the early hours of Saturday morning a young man went out to bring in tho cows. As he walked from the house he noticed some electric light wires lying on the ground, between tho house and tho dairy, and it was then bo saw that the tree had been split down the middle, half of it lyi"K on the ground. This was not the half which had been used as a polo, but the movement caused by tho lightning must have snapped the wires. No ouo had been that way sinco nine o'clock on Friday night and, as luck would have- it, the lirst one to go past made tho trip iu daylight, discovering tho wires.

Characteristics of the Tui Further evidence that the tui is not a timid bird comes from Mr. T. 0. Kirkpatrick, of Surfdale. "For some years," he writes, "these birds have paid all too short visits to the trees on my property. However, this year a pair took up their abode and reared four young ones, and it was very interesting to see tho parent birds teaching their offspring to fly. Ono of them would swoop downhill to a tree followed by a young one, then back to the nesting place. It has been a. great treat to my wife and myself to listen to the glorious notes of these birds. They aro not so timid as they aro mado out to be, because they alight on the trees and shrubs quite close to the house. Their notes ring out at the first sign of dawn, and once when the moon was at tho full they were heard frequently during the night." Another correspondent, Mrs. A. G. 8011, of Gordonton, mentions that in Nelson recently sho saw a pair of tuis drinking honey from an Abutilon tree that, grew over a glassed-in verandah on which she and others were having afternoon tea.