NEWS OF THE BAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11685, 24 November 1923, Page 4

NEWS OF THE BAY

In consequence of the good prices ruling in London for New Zealand butter, which is equal to Is 7id f.o.b. Auckland, factories advanced the quotation to local consumers one penny pei pound. This means, Is XOd per lb retail for superfine, Is 9d for first grade and Is 8d for second grade.

Afforestation work at Oroua Downs is greatly hindered by the depredations of rabbits, and when young trees are planted the State Forest Service officers protect them by miniature palisades of flax sticks and stakes. The Forestry Department men spread poison on a fairly extensive scale, but the furred pests still come in thousands from adjacent properties and find ideal cover in. the loose sand dunes. A noticeable feature is the great proportion of black rabbits.

The Frankton-Auckland train, when approaching Huntly station, collided with a horse and cart driven by a boy named Roberts. Tlie cart was smashed. The horse received slight injury. The hoy • was out of the trap at tlie time* holding the horse, and Was uninjured. \ Roberts was approaching the crossing when lie noticed the incoming of the train, and turned the hoise round, getting out to hold the latter, which backed on to the line, and the cart was struck before the train could be pulled up.

In connection with tlie representations that have been made to Home authorities .in an endeavour to arrange for a-visit to the southern paits of the Dominion of the British naval squadron which is shortly to come to New Zealand, the following telegram to the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr H. L. Tapley) from Mr Downie Steiwart, who is at present in Auckland, is an indication that the negotiations have home fruit: “Am now able, to inform you that advice has been reoeived from the Admiralty that H.M.S. Dunedin will i irit Dunedin, and another light cruiser will visit .Bluff.”

The “Fiji Times and Herald,” in a leading article, commenting on the geld find at Yanawai, says: “There is .little doubt now of the truth of the belief that payable gold exists in JFiji, and the find. is going to be officially reported on by a New Zealand expert. Tlie Yanawai ‘find’ has been accomplished in spite of every opposition which apathy, active antagonism, and self-interest have been able to create. We urge that the colony he not asked to pay for visiting experts, unless these gentlemen are given a full opportunity to prove whether we have payable minerals or not. Fiji wants to know the truth, and it’s time we had it.”

The interest some country school teachers take in their pupils was shown by a conversation which took place in a railway carriage south of Frankton recently between two farmers’ wives who were - discussing the merits of the respective lady teachers in tlieir localities. One remarked that their teacher had become so interested in her boy pupils that she had learnt tlie rules offootball, so that she could act as referee for them when they played football, and had acquitted herself well at the job. “Oh, that’s nothing,’’ said the Other,.“our lady teacher lias learnt all the rules of .boxing, so that rhe could teach the boys how to box and make them proficient in the art- of selfdefence.”

In view of'the fact that the person responsible for the death of Mrs Oates, of Aramoho, has not been discovered, Mr Veitch, M.P., wrote to the Minister for Justice urging that the reward for his capture he increased to £IOOO. The following reply has been received by Mr Veitch from the Minister for Justice: “In reply to your letter relative to the reward of £260 offered for information leading to the conviction of the person who murdered Mrs Oates recently, I beg to inform you that the matter of increasing the amount of the reward will be carefully considered. In the meantime, the residents of Wanganui can rest assured that no efforts will be spared to bring the offence home to the guilty person.*’

Mr J. Hislop, Under-Secretary to the Department of Internal Affair? wrote to the Canterbury Acclimatk. on Society, stating that the High Commissioner in Lofidon had enquired as to ■whether nutria, or coypu, from South America, could be introduced into New Zealand, Mr Teschemaker, of Canterbury, wishing to present the society with some of these animals, which, he thought, would do well in the Ellesmere district “From enquiry regarding this animal,” Mr Hislop stated, “it appears that it belongs to the same order as the rabbit and the rat, but is about the size of a 'beaver, and lives on the banks of rivers and lakes, feeding on leaves, roots, seeds, aquatic Slants, etc. It makes burrows in the anks of streams, three to four feet long. In view of the report received, it has been decided that permission to introduce the animals cannot be granted.”

The recent discovery by the engineers of the Public Works Department, of a new route for the railway to Hawke’s Bay, which will bring the rail-heads at Taneatua and Tongolo (Hawke’s Bay) quite 100 miles nearer to each other, without any expenditure for construction, is creating considerable interest. A trial survey has been carried out southward from Taneatua, up the Waimana river to the saddle, about eight or ten miles north-east of Lake Waikaremoana, the grade obtained being well within the limit required for a trunk railway, through country which proved easier than was expected. So far the principal drawback to this route is the necessity for a mile of tunnel at the saddle, but further exploration may find a way to avoid this. Several parties of surveyors aro at work on both sides of the saddle, and a few weeks should bring in the news that a connection has been made with the formation railway line at the Ruakituri river, near Wairoa.

His Excellency the Governor-General (Admiral Viscount Jellicoe) is to lay the foundation stone of the new Masonic temple, Wellington terrace, on Friday morning next. I Wild ducks abound in the marshes of the Puki Puki lagoon, Oroua Downs. | Through being unmolested they are so j tame as not to take wing when a horseman approaches them within a ! chain or so. > | “The green flag will never convey to the public the imminence of danger conveyer! by the red flag,” remarked Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, when ha was speaking on the railway crossing signalman's flags. The settlement of Ohiwa, nine miles from Opotiki, was the scene of a tragedy recently. An, aboriginal native named Kipa Nina had got into trouble which necessitated police investigation. Kipa apparently was afraid,"and hanged himself. At a meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, details were received of a debt contracted by a country school committee, and it transpired that it was in connection with a school picnic (states the “Chronicle”). The board declined to assist in the liquidation. A record on the part of the Wanganui Education Department war. mentioned at the board meeting. On October 35th the hoard applied for a grant for grounds for Maxwelltown school, and on November 2nd a reply came back that the request had been acceded to. Ten miles of lupins on the sandy wastes near Himatangi fill the air with sweet perfume, and furnish the bees with stores of honey. An Australian visitor, whose business was the extraction of vegetable oils on a large scale, secured a quantity of lupin seed for experiment. It is notified in the “Gazette” that two pieces of land, of a total area of three acres, have been taken by the Public Works Department for the development of the_ Mangahao waterpower. The land js at Mangamaire, near Pahiatua, and is to be used for the erection of a sub-station. “I understand we are sending £7,000,000 each year to America for motor-cars,” said Mr D. B. Jones at the meeting of the threshing-mill owners, at Christchurch. It would be more creditable to New Zealand if she supported more heartily the country who buys her wool and meat, who supported her at all times, and bore the brunt of the dark days of tho Great War—our Mother Country, Britain. There is still a good deal of unemployment among returned soldiers, even though a number are still engaged on work for the Heath qpte County Council (says a Christchurch Exchange). The position will, however, be relieved during the next week or so when the Post and Telegraph Department hopes to be able to take the whole of the unemployed soldiers and engage them on the work of placing the over-head wires underground. The supply of dental nursjes trained by tho Health Department ' has been exhausted, and this information has been the only result lately of appeals from country school committees. It was decided at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board that it be suggested to the department that it make arrangements for dentists in private practice to visit the outlying districts in view of the urgency of the matter. An interesting souvenir of their visit to Auckland was received by the delegates to the annual conference of the Associate Chambers of Commerce now sitting in Auckland. At the conclusion of tho afternoon session each of the delegates received a copy of the official municipal handbook and the handsomely illustrated history of Auckland as the gift of the Mayov. The gathering expressed its appreciation of this thoughtful action on the part of Mr Guneon. A meeting of the. creditors of Edward Beckman, builder, of Rona Bay, was held yesterday morning, the Official Assignee (Mr S. Tansley) presiding. The debtor, who was stated to bo working up country, did not put in an appearance, nor had he put in the necessary statement of his affairs. On the suggestion of the Official Assignee, ft was decided to adjourn the meeting for a fortnight or so in order that be might make arrangements to ensure the attendance of the debtor. Big towns, like “big” people, are often the result of a lucky destiny. How Morrinsville just missed becoming a city is told by an old railroad surveyor (says an exchange). It appears that when the Auckland-Rotorua line reached Ngaruawahia it. was proposed to deflect it in a south-easterly direction round the edge of the Piako swamp to Morrinsville. This would have obviated the building of two large bridges over the Waikato, and taking the railway down the east side of the river instead of sig-sagging across it. A fierce controversy raged about the matter at the time, and eventually Hamilton influence won. Had it not been so Morrinsville would have been a great junotion town instead of Hamilton. It is customary after the Christchurch 1 Carnival week for many stories to be current of handsome winnings and pitiable losses made by racegoers, many of which are written off as decidedly fictitious. One, however, is vouched for and that is the win of a skipper of one of the Union Company’s coastal vessels. The mariner took a day ashore on the Cup Day and although not supposed to he a “horsey” man had a “flutter” on the big race. He took a big risk some people considered in plumping a cool hundred on Rouen, reckoned to be a rank outsider, but as soon as the race was run and the figures hoisted, the gallant skipper collected his “divy,” tendered his resignation as a servant of the Union S.S. Co., and tripped to his homo in Australia with a wad of notes numbering well into four figures. “There are 97 New Zealand soldiers .buried in the Broekenhnrst parish churchyard, and it has been suggested that many of their relatives might like to contribute to a church bells memorial fund,” stated a letter received by the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association. It was written by Mrs C. Salvey, the president of a ladies’ committee which is caring for the graves of New Zealanders at Brookenhuret. The fund is for the restoring of three old church bells and for the banging of three new ones. The alterations are estimated to cost £4OO. The letter expressed the hope that one of the new bells would be dedicated to the memory of the New Zealand soldiers, and suitably inscribed. The secretary of the R.S.A., Mr W. E. Leadley, was asked to receive any subscriptions to the fund and forward themi to England.