LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21949, 5 November 1934, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tame Deer at Show Caught as a youngster in the high country at the back of Api ti. a tame red deer which had been brought up on the bottle ivas an interesting exhibit at the Manawatu Spring Show last week. The animal is three years old. Repairing Tasman Cable After carrying out repairs to the Tasmania-Melbourne cable in Bass Strait, the cable steamer Recorder is now in the Tasman Sea repairing the Sydney-Auckland cable, the New Zealand end of which she transferred from Wellington to Muriwai Beach m April, 1932. The date of the vessel's return to Auckland is uncertain. Presentation to Museum A presentation which will form an important addition to the sculpture section of the Auckland War Memorial Museum is that of a terra eotta panel by George Tinworth. given jointly by tiie Royal Doulton Potteries, of London, and Mr. John Shorter, of Sydney. The panel is entitled "A Jewess Leaving Her Egyptian Lover at the Kxodus and is a typical piece of Victorian work. Hawk Drops its Prey While proceeding along Rangitikei Tine near Kauwhata last Tuesday, a motorist saw two magpies chasinc a hawk. The hawk slowly lost speed, as it was hampered by the food it was carrying. When the magpies caught up to it, the hawk opened its claws, and two fully-grown rats fell to the ground. The rats had apparently only been recent lv caught, and still showed >jgns of life.

Sunday Cricket in Queen Street Once the home of miniature golf and, since then, a park, the vacant, space at the corner of Queen and Myers Streets, near the Town Hall, has found a new usage. Between the occasional trees and ferns, small boys

from neighbouring streets have prepared a cricket pitch. A game was in progress last evening, and the fences of the park were lined by several dozen interested spectators.

Example from Auckland People in C'hristchurch were inclined to smile at the parochial spirit shown by the Auckland people, said Mr. C. I. Aschmnn, when speaking last week at a conference of local bodies called to consider ways of financing the Canterbury Museum. That parochial spirit, he added, showed itself in fine action as well as words and in Auckland a rate had been struck for the museum that brought in £-5700 from local bodies each vear.

Pohutukawas in Bloom Several large pohutukawa trees aro rpported already to be in full bloom at Thompson's Point. aiheke Island. This is somewhat earlier than usual, although a few trees in various parts of the province commenced to bloom at about the same time last year. Ihe majority of the trees last year, however. did not begin flowering until toward the end of November. The blooms last season were the best for some years. A few weeks ago some pohutukawa trees were reported to be in bloom on the Coromandel coast. Ignorance ol Racing

"I note that your conference is very close to 'National ' said the Rev. ,)'. K. Archer, when welcoming delegates to the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce in Christchurch last week. Delegates stared aghast at such ignorance of the racing calendar, and the slip was not allowed to go unnoticed. "That was last August." said a delegate. Quite unperturbed by his mistake. Mr. Archer explained that he knew nothing whatever of racing, but that even he could not help knowing that some sort of racing fixture was scheduled in Christchurch.

Guy Fawkes Commemoration The gunpowder piot. in which Guy Fawkes had sinister designs against Parliament which won him perpetual fame, will be celebrated by the youth of Auckland to-day and this evening with a suitable accompaniment of fireworks. "While juvenile seekers of funds for the celebration have been common in the city during the past week, and there have been good sales of firer>;lenthusiasm once attending the f' 1 n-vance has noticeably declined in recent years, and the large-scale bonfires customary in other generations appear to be almost a thing of

ihe past

Abandoned Railway Line

Further evidence of the progressive dismantling and removal of the construction camp gear at tl.e railheads of the South Island Main Trunk railway was provided last week when a motor-lorry laden with sections of portable hutments passed through Blenheim. The huts are in demand as seaside baches and farm whares. One resident. noting the contents of the lorry, remarked that it did not suggest much hope for the continuation of the line. "Oh, I don't know," observed his companion, optimistically. "They sold the last of the old hutments at Wharanui only three months before they recommenced work the last time." Gift to Lord Bledisloe An Ohinemtitu carver is at present engaged in preparing a large carved "kumote" or casket which the Arawa confederation of tribes proposes to present to the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, before his departure from New Zealand. The casket is intended as: a container for the film of the Waitangi • celebrations, and the measurements have been designed accordingly, inside "ill be fitted a spool to carry the film, while it is also intended to paint representations of the kowhai ;iii<l manuka blossoms on the inside of the casket. It is hoped that an opportunity will present itself to make the presentation to His Excellency personally.

Panama's National Day The national day of the Republic of Panama fell on Saturday, and, in honour of the occasion, members ol the Consular Corps at Auckland called oil Senor Simon Quiros y Quiros, who took up the position of Consul for Panama early in the present year. Fi ags were flown from (he various consulates. On November 3, I'JOM, Panama finally broke away from tin-* Republic of Colombia. She had twice previously seceded, but had subsequently rejoined the Republic. Dissatisfaction with the arrangements being made by Colombia for the construction of the Panama Canal was immediate cause of the rupture of relations. The declaration of independence was followed, 15 days later, by n treatv between Panama and the United States, ceding the Canal Zone for a payment of 10,000.000 dollars and 2-50.000 dollars annual rental.