LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

I Death From Injury j The death occurred in the Auckland J Hospital yesterday of Mrs. Ellen Jeffs, i aged 88, of 39 Church Street, Onehunga. She was admitted on August 11, i suffering from an injury to the hip. Early Strawberries An unusually early picking of strawberries is expected from an area in the Tamaki district, where some fruit are already half-ripe. Strawberries were gathered from this garden about the middle of October last year. Lambs Killed by Stoats During the past week more than 60 lambs on a Hawke's Bay farm have been killed, apparently by stoats or weasels. A pack of rabbit dogs has been made use of in an endeavour to locate the stoats, but so far without success. On the same property last year many lambs were lost as the result of attacks by seagulls. Commencement of Shearing Many sheepfarmers have already commenced shearing operations in earn- i est. Yesterday, on a farm in the Pukekohe district, a start was made with the shearing of the dry sheep, a draft of 250 wethers and hogget ewes being received at the shed. The fleeces were well grown and the sheep in excellent condition. Fall on Steps Concussion was suffered by Mrs. Rowena Morgan, of 15 Mason's Avenue, Heme Bay, when she slipped on the steps of the General Post Office, Queen Street, yesterday afternoon. The injured woman was taken to the Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulance. Her condition was reported to be fairly serious last night. A Veteran Traveller The fact that he had been " on the road " 49 years ago was referred fro by Mr. A. J. Entrican, deputy-mayor of Auckland, at the celebrations of the commercial travellers in the Town Hall concert chamber last night. This record, however, was easily eclipsed by that of Mr. L. W. McGlashan, who was stated to have started as a traveller 55 years ago and is still engaged in the same work. Sneak Thieves' Actions Sneak thieves have made depredations on the Takapuna Surf Life-saving Club's premises at The Strand, Takapuna. In addition to stealing timber used for rafts and beach carnivals, which was stowed under tho clubhouse, the thieves have taken boards off the end of tho housing for the surf patrol boat, and even removed the wooden steps at the back door of the shed. Henderson Loan Conversion A scheme for the conversion of its New Zealand-domiciled loans aggregating £43,050 has been approved by the Henderson Town Board. The date of conversion has been fixed as November 1, and it is proposed to issue new securities bearing interest of not more than 4i per cent. Provision is made for the annual redemption of the new securities over a period of 34J years from the date of conversion. Strenuous Hockey Tour "Although we have to play 19 matches in less than five weeks, the social side of the tour is proving more strenuous than the actual playing," said the manager of the touring Australian hockey team, Mr. W. Rothwell, on arrival in Auckland yesterday. "Most matches are followed by a dinner and a dance, and while in Christchurch we were entertained by both the Canterbury and New Zealand Associations." Tameness of Native Birds An example of the tanieness of native birds, if unmolested in suburban gardens, was given recently at Mission Bay. On going into her garden a resident narrowly avoided stepping on a grey warbler, or riro-riro, which was gathering spent blooms from a bush beside the verandah steps, apparently for tho nest, which hangs from a near by clump of bamboo. The bird was not much perturbed, however, and returned almost immediately for more blooms. Token System for Milk A token system for consumers of milk has lately been considered by the distribution committee of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council. The method would entail the receipt of tokens or coupons for a cash payment, and the tokens could subsequently be nsed for production for the purchase of supplies. The chairman of the committee, Mr. I. J. Goldstine, reported yesterday to the council that to introduce the system at the present time would be a very costly matter. It was decided that no action should be taken in the meantime. Somme Offensive Anniversary It is 18 years ago to-day sinco the New Zealand Division entered tho offensive on the Somme, and over a period of 23 days successfully encountered the best German troops in several battles. The gains in that attack were greater than in any single operation since the offensive was launched on July 1, and they were not exceeded in 1916. At tho Somme, tho New Zealand Division gained its first Victoria Cross in France. The winner was Sergeant D. F. Brown, of the 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment, but the award was a posthumous one, Sergeant Brown being killed while he was sniping tho retreating enemy. Transfer of Firearms "I think that the regulations governing the transfer of arms should bo printed on the back of the licences," said Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, when a young defendant was charged with failing to register the transfer of a rifle. "Most of the offences of this nature that come before me aro caused through ignorance, but they put the police to a great deal of trouble, and the country to much expense, in efforts to traco the whereabouts of tho firearms. If full directions were printed on the licences the number of offences would lie minimised, 1 think." The defendant was fined ss, with 10s costs. Control of Ragwort Approximately 500 tons of sodium chlorate were used for the control of ragwort during the season 1933-34, according to the report of the Department of Agriculture. In spite of this and the fact that the Unemployment Board's No. 11 scheme had been mado available, there appeared to have been little headway made in the control of this noxious weed. Many individual farms had been cleared and kept clear, but there were many others that were worse than they were in the previous year. Other noxious weeds, particularly blackberry, gorse, broom and Californian thistle, were still very much in evidence in different parts pf the Dominion.