LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Selling Bananas Bananas in Wellington will be retailed by weight instead of by the dozen on and after June 1. This decision was reached at a largelyattended meeting of retail fruiterers. It was felt that such an alteration in the selling basis woidd be of benefit both to the public and to the trade. A Wandering Gannet While travelling along the road between Shannon and Levin one night recently one of the caretakers at Mangahao picked up a young gannet in a very exhausted condition. Ho took the bird home and has since been feeding it on raw fish. The bird has now almost recovered and is becoming quite lively Accommodation Problem A party of about 100 farmers who are to arrive in Hamilton on Monday for the winter show are likely to find that no accommodation is available. Possibly the visiting farmers may have to find quarters at Cambridge or Te Awamutu, for practically all hotels are booked up and are refusing numbers of people seeking accommodation at the last moment. Accident Victim's Condition The condition of Patrick Thomas Haresnape, aged 18, of 50 Union Street. City, who was admitted to the Auckland Hospital on Wednesday, was reported last night to be still fairly serious. He suffered concussion and head injuries when the bicycle he was riding was involved in a collision with a motor-car in Britomart Place during a heavy shower of rain on Wednesday morning. Harbour Bridge Plan The advantages of a harbour bridge to the business community of Auckland were stressed to the council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday bv a deputation consisting of Messrs. W. J. Lyon, M.P., and G. W. Hutchison. who represented the Harbour Bridge Committee. The deputation was heard in committee, and the council decided that the matter would be given consideration at a later date. Chinese Bird Shot A gaily pluniaged Chinese mandarin drake was the rare specimen included in the exceptional bag of 175 duck which was obtained by Mr. A. G. Potter's party of seven guns shooting over two days near Port Waikato. The drake, which was brought down by Mr. J. M. Heise, possessed a crest, similar neck markings to a cock pheasant, and a lustrous white breast. Subsequently it was identified by the Auckland War Memorial Museum authorities. Why Birds Follow Ships The reason albatrosses follow ships is not merely to secure scraps of food, but also to take advantage of the air currents made by the ship's movement, by means of which they can glide through the air with outstretched wings, according to Mr. R. A. Falla, curator of the Canterbury Museum, who spoke on bird life to the Christchurch Rotary Club. "It is wrong to say that they do not follow Scottish ships," he added amid laughter, "for even 'Scottish ships must provide free air currents." Single Casualty in Chinese War The Chinese preferred to, settle all their disputes through negotiation, said Dr. T. Z. Koo at a lecture last evening. While he was a railway official in China, his station was surrounded by trenches for six months, during which the sound of firing never ceased. However, there was only one casualty. "The Chinese soldiers," said Dr. Koo, "would place their rifles to their cheeks and then joke with the man next to them while they fired. They were quite content to know that all the time discussions were going on between the officers of the opposing forces." Traffic Disorganised A slight disorganisation of traffic in Queen Street, in the vicinity of Vulcan Lane, was caused shortly after 1.30 yesterday afternoon when a motor-car and a tram collided. The impact was not a severe one and the only damage was a slight denting of a mudguard on the car. As the streets were thronged at the time with crowds who had been watching the university students' procession, a large number of bystanders soon congregated at the scene of the accident. The assistance of a traffic officer was required to make way for cars parked in the area to move out. Coronation Goblets Valuable gold-chased goblets, in the possession of the Dunedin firm of Thomson, Limited, will be used at the official table to toast the King's health at the forthcoming Dunedin Coronation ball. The goblets are only rarely removed from the strongroom of their owners. They possess quite an historical significance. Many years ago they were purchased from Walker and Hall, of Great Britain, and have been Commissioned at several notable functions sinco then. When the present King, then the Duke of York, visited Dunedin in 1926, the goblets were placed on the tables of Fernhill Club, where the distinguished guest was staying.

Crippled Children A proposal recommended by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society that there should be a national day for cripples annually, is being considered by the New Zealand executive, according to the annual report of the Wellington branch. The report also announces that an endeavour will be made during the coming year for a talking picture to be made illustrating tho aims and objects of the movement. "It is hoped that other branches will join in this proposal, and that the film will be available for national propaganda purposes," adds the report. Faithful Service Rewarded

A tribute to long service ungrudg-

ingly given was paid by Mr. J. A. Peacock, chairman of the Northern Roller Milling Company, Limited, when referring in his address to shareholders yesterday to the fact that during the year the company had disposed of its m'agnifieent team of horses, which had been a feature in the city and on the show grounds for many years. "It is more a matter of sentiment than business," said Mr. Peacock. "They had advanced in age, and the hard roads were tolling on them. Homes in tho country have been found, and in their place motors now do the transport. It is with regret that we chronicle the ■passing of these servants of the company."