LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23233, 30 December 1938, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Swamp FireThe glow and smoke from an extensive swamp fire near Pirongia attracted the interest of many Hamilton residents last night. No houses or farming lands were endangered. Small Shark Speared While spearing for flounder at Portland, Mr. J. S. Tudehope, of Whangarei, caught with his spear, in water about knee-deep, a 3ft. shark, which he landed with the help of a companion. Telephone Interruption Telephone connection between Invcrcargill and Bluff was interrupted for several hours one evening this week as a result of a motor-car striking a power pole on tho Bluff road. The pole was smashed and the overhead telephone wires were broken. Stewart Island Popultr Stewart Island was a popular holiday resort during the Christmas week-end. A largo number of holiday-makers from all parts of the Dominion visited Half Moon Bay. The motor-vessel Tajnatea made two trips on Saturday, sailing from Bluff in tho morning and again in tho lato afternoon. A number travelled to tho island on Christmas Day. Mosqulto-proof Bed A rarity in the way of camping equipment was observed at the Rotorua municipal motor camp this week. It was a completely mosquito-proof bed, which was covered over by a tent-like piece of canvas with large ventilation apertures covered by netting at each end. Apparently the sleeper crawled in through one end and secured the flap against invasion from the outside. Mixed His Streets Unfamiliaritv with the Rotorua streets led a visiting motorist to create a problem for the Rotorua police this week when lie returned to the place where he thought he had parked his car and found it missing. He immediately reported his loss to tho police, who proceeded to make inquiries, when it was found that tho car had been actually parked in a different street and was still where it had been left. Campers at Hamilton With the finer weather now being experienced many parties of liolidaymakers are taking advantage of the facilities provided by the Hamilton Borough Council» at the municipal camping ground in the town. Set on tho river bank at the southern end of Hamilton, the ground makes a splendid camping area and more than 20 tents are at present erected there. Several caravans arc to be seen also at the camping ground. Cherries Brought by Air The second consignment of cherries for Auckland to bo carried across Cook Strait from Blenheim to Wellington in a specially-chartered aeroplane arrived in Auckland by express yesterday morning and were sold at the City Markets, where they met with a good demand. Tho first consignment to travel part of tho way by air reached Auckland last week and the experiment proved so successful that the firm which chartered the aeroplano decided to bring tho second load of cherries, numbering 100 cases, by tho same method.

More Drivers' Licences Testing officers of the Auckland City Council traffic department have been kept busy this week issuing drivers' licences to an unexpectedly large number of applicants. Tho total for tho past two days was in the vicinity of 100, and as about half of them required to be tested, two officers were detailed for the work. Some of the applicants were merely renewing licences to enable them legally to drive hired or borrowed cars, but a substantial proportion comprised new drivers recently in possession of their first car. Oreating National Asset "Money spent upon tho development of recreation grounds is undoubtedly creating a national asset," stated tho Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, when referring last evening to the expectation that when the Government's national sports organisation functioned next year, there would be renewed demands for sports and other areas. Tho Minister said he never had hesitated to supply all the labour needed for such purposes, since he considered that every town and city should have a wealth of open spaces for the people. Trolley Bus Tralflc No fewer than 23,578 passengers were carried by tho Farmers' Trading Company's trolley buses last Friday, tho long shopping day preceding Christmas. The general manager of tho Auckland Transport Board, Mr. A. E. Ford, said that on tho day in question the buses were running for 11 hours. Tho total number of passengers was about equally divided between tho trip from tho foot of Wyndham Street to tho company's premises in Hobson Street and the return trip by Hobson, Victoria and Queen Streets. A large proportion of those, who used the service were visitors from the country and elsewhere, who were eager to try a ride in tlie new vehicles. Telegraph and Telephone Business A substantial advance in every branch of telegraphic and telephone business was recorded by the Post Office in November as compared with tho same month last year. Telephone exchange connections reached a total of 154.363, a rise of 716 for the month, and bringing the total increase for 12 months to 9741. Telegraphic business shared in the month's activity, the 417,713 messages handled representing an increase of 21,050 on November, 1937. Telephone toll messages now regularly exceed 1,250,000 a month. Tho November total was 1,297,723, or 88,177 more than in that month last year. Tho uso of tho telephone to overseas points also showed expansion during tho month, with 137 outward calls and 161 received. Pine Trees Dying

I'ino trees in South Canterbury are being affected with a blight which, in tho Mackenzie County especially, is gradually killing off whole plantations 12 years old and more. Tho infection has been investigated by of tho Forestry Department, and because tho top shoot is tho first affected, has been called "terminal hypertrophy," and is said to follo\v frost or other climatic damage. Tho leading shoot dies and the diseaso slowly spreads through the whole trqo. There are many hundreds of acres of piuus insignis trees in South Canterbury, and if tho disease spreads it would bo difficult to estimate the total loss. The Mackenzie County Council has largo areas planted in pin us insignis, and the blight has mado an appearance in the plantation at Burke's Pass, 13 miles from Fairlie.