Is the Grey Duck Doomed?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21990, 27 June 1933, Page 6

Is the Grey Duck Doomed?

The reported increase of the mallard duck is not" viewed with much satisfaction by some Otago sportsmen, who say that it really means the extinction of the New Zealand grey duck. A Taieri farmer who has watched the habits of the imported mallard for some years, states that it breeds very readily with the grey duck, and that it is the dominating strain in.the result. As a consequence he has found that there are now very few grey ducks on the Taieri Plain, and he believes that one would now have to go to the back country around Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka to find the pure New Zealand bird. He gives it as his considered opinion that in a few years the New Zealand grey duck will be only a name—that it is apparently too late now to try to combat the position brought about by importing the mallard to New Zealand. The Taieri farmer states that he has also known the mallard to breed with the domestic duck.

Railway Station Clock For some time past the local traffic office of the Railways Department has, to assist in the prompt despatch of trains, kept the clock in the tower of the Dunedin Railway Station adjusted so as to show one minute ahead of standard time. This has given rise to several complaints, and in yiew of this, the department has decided that on and after Monday next the clock will indicate the correct standard time.

Waikouaiti River

On account of the set of the current recently, the entrance to the Waikouaiti River has been entirely closed by the sand banking up. This has not occurred for many years past. A new channel has been formed right opposite the residence of Mr W. Taine. Under the existing conditions fishermen are experiencing come difficulty in bringing in their launches.

Public Health i Returns

A case of scarclet fever was discharged from the Dunedin Hospital during the week ended at noon yesterday, one case only remaining in the institution. Fifteen cases of sacrlet fever remained in the Logan Park Hospital, two cases having been admitted and five, discharged during the week.

Dunedin to the Rescue An instance in which the South Island has had to come,to the aid of the North Island is afforded by a letter received by Mr J. H. Peat, who was secretary of the Macandrew Road School Jubilee Committee, from a resident, of Te Puke, near Tauranga. Mr Peat's correspondent is interested in a school jubilee 'which is to be held in Te Puke in the near future, and some time ago he made inquiries in Auckland regarding the manufacture of a number of the button badges which appear to be an indispensable feature of ex-pupils' gatherings. A search all over Auckland, however, revealed the astonishing fact that they could not be procured there, and according to the latest advice received arrangements have been made by the Te Puke resident to have the badges manufactured in Dunedin!

Economic Conditions Improving " If advertising is a reliable trade barometer the economic conditions in Australia are undergoing a gradual but progressive improvement," said Mr Warwick Fairfax, managing director of the Sydney Morning Herald, who (reports our special correspondent) is passing through Auckland by the Niagara on his way to England. Mr Fairfax said the lowest point, in advertising revenue had been reached in 1931. There had been a progressive improvement during the last two years, although the figure was still below that of previous years. American Teachers and Students A party of American teachers and students arrived at Wellington by the Maunganui yesterday from San Francisco, on a visit to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is being made during the summer vacation, and (says a Press Association telegram) is the first of many that will be undertaken by American teachers and students in future. The party consists of Mrs M. Colmar, Misses F. Davies and M. Casey (San Francisco) and Messrs J. F. Colton and F. Merkle, jun. (Flagstaff, Arizona).

Attempt to Refloat Kereru Another attempt to refloat the launch Kereru, which went ashore at Palliser Bay on June 4, was made on Sunday (reports our special correspondent in Wellington, but was unsuccessful owing to the heavy seas, which came up in the course of operations. A party of 15 men went out to Palliser Bay early in the morning and the launch was hauled down to the water, but it was found impossible to make any progress against the surf, which sent the boat' almost to its original position. Accordingly the Kereru was securely anchored, and the party returned to Wellington. It is intended to make another effort to get the boat afloat at the first favourable opportunity. Sold for Firewood

It is reported by a Gj.sborne paper that a vessel formerly well known in the coastal trade, the Tawera, has been sold for firewood. The Tawera, which is now lying on a mudbank in Gisborne Harbour, believed to be one of the fi'Vt petrol-engine vessels built in-Auckland. She was launched in 1896 for Messrs Kennedy and Evans, and on the way down the coast to Gisborne created some excitement among the Maoris, who could not understand the sight of a " puffing ship " which made no smoke. During the Boer War the Tawera was regularly engaged in carrying remounts for transhipment to South Africa. Although of only 52 tons, she was an important link in Gisborne's earlier days, and saw many years' service before finally being scrapped.

Lord Bledisloe's Speeches Preservation of the speeches made m New Zealand by his Excellency the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Bledisloe, was suggested by Mr John Alexander, president of the Overseas League in Auckland, at the opening last week of. the league's new clubrooms. " I saw some day 8 ago," said Mr Alexander, "that steps were'being taken to preserve the speeches which were made at the recent consecration of the Colours. I had just finished reading, or rather rereading, a report of a speech made by his Excellency during the jubilee celebrations of our university. That speech seemed even more cultured' and more charming than the high standard of his Excellency's speeches to which we have become accustomed. His Excellency has taken such an interest in all classes of the community and in the avocations and problems of this little country, that his speeches, if collated" and preserved, would in years to come be of great historic value and a wonderful record of our present times."

Historic Landing Spot The Takapere, or beacon rock, at Maketu, Bay of Plenty, which has been buried in the sand for the last 26 years, has been a source of great interest recently, as it has become uncovered. The rock is immortalised in Maori history, as the Arawa canoe was made fast to it upon the arrival of the canoe to those shores, and a short distance away a large boxthorn bush marks the spot where the canoe was drawn up on the beach and where the Maoris made their first encampment. It is said that at a later period a party of hostle Natives burnt the canoe. The cause of the rock being buried was the bursting of the. banks of the Kaituha River, in 1907, at Otaparia, about a mile and a-half northward, and Uhe river bed silted up and the river changed its course. The rock before this stood in mid-stream at the estuary of the river, and as it was under water at high tide a beacon light had been placed upon it.

Bird Life The lupines at the St. Kilda beach are, it is pleasing to state, becoming a sanctuary for bird life. A year or two ago one seldom saw birds amongst the lupines. This, no doubt, being due to the fact that stoats and weasels were plentiful, but the dogs which are now taken for exercise along the various walks have evidently frightened these blood-thirsty vermin away. Yesterday morning two beautifully marked chaffinches were noticed flying about the lupines, and they were followed bj> a sprightly fantail. A blackbird and numerous waxeyes were also observed.. The plantation of muricata overlooking Tahuna Park also provides a home for many birds. It raay.be added that the residents on the hill suburbs state that the bellbird (or " moki") is to be seen in much greater numbers than usual this year amongst the trees growing round houses. ' One resident of Upper High street derives much enjoyment from placing small cups of honey in the trees, and watching the bellbirds come down, make a hasty meal, and then fly away again to perch and break into song.

An Early Immigrant's Inquiry The channels through which people sometimes have to search to obtain confirmation of their statements- to pensions officers respecting their ages are often devious, a fact which is illustrated by a letter which recently came into the hands of the Postal department addressed to " The Superintendent of Immigration, Dunedin." Actually such an officer did find a great deal to occupy his time in Dunedin many years ago, but as there is no person in a corresponding position at the present day, the letter was handed to the secretary of the Otago Expansion League (Mr W. B. St'eel). . It. was written by a Scotsman living in Brisbane, who asked whether there was any record of his age in the papers of the ship Wellington by which he arrived in Dunedin in 1875 or 1876. It is a coincidence that the ship and its skipper at the time (Captain Cowan) were both well known to Mr Steel, who recalls that a sister ship, the Dunedin, put to sea and was never heard of again. The letter will be sent to Wellington, where' the immigration records are •kept.

The Kawarau Dam

The gates of the Kawarau dam were closed yesterday afternoon by Mr James Ritchie, of Bannockburn, a director of the Amalgamated Kawarau Gold Mining Company, Ltd. From inquiries made by a Daily Times reporter it was ascertained that the period for which the gates are to remain closed is one week and that it may be even less, the purpose of the company being, to make certain observations that are. necessary in view of the proposed construction of a pew dam further down the river. No application has yet been made to keep the dam closed during the winter, but. it has been suggested that, in any case, the company may be opposed to such a course. The company's engineer, Mr H. Viekerman, of Wellington, is at present on the spot for the purpose of making the necessary investigations.

A Time for Comradeship "If we want to develop and maintain national solidarity," said the . GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, when Bpeaking to the Auckland Overseas League, "we have to be perpetually on our guard to fight any sectional or class separatism within our borders—a separatism that is inimical to national and imperial solidarity. I say this because we are entering a new phase of national organisation, and, as I believe, a new rearrangement of industrial conditions. Personally, I have no fear whatever of any such reorganisation as long as we realise that we are all in the same boat, and that if one part of-the crew goes overboard we are not likely to reach the land; The element of comradeship in deed as well as word is going to be the solution of many of the difficulties that face the world to-day." Spirit of Don Quixote

Mr C. H. Capes, a recent traveller in Spain, who was an t arrival at Lyttelton by the Turakina on Sunday, said that contrary to general belief the Spanish had a great sense of humour. They were also excellent sportsmen—two valuable assets in times of stress. " If we trace the ancestry of the so-called witty Irish, we find the root of their genealogical tree firmly embedded in Spanish soil," he said. The spirit of Don Quixote was still the spirit predominant among all classes in Spain.

Circulation of the Bible The annual report of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the year ended March, 1933, showed that 10,617,470 copies of the Bible and New Testament had.been circulated, an increase of 65,186 over the previous year. This circulation brings the aggregate figures to more than 443,000,000 since the society was formed. During the year 12 new versions of the Bible were added. Four of these were African, six Asiatic, one was American, and one European. New Testaments in three languages were added during the year, two for Africa and one for Borneo. In the British Isles the circulation was 857,000, of which' 415,000 were complete Bibles. A further circulation of English >Scriptures overseas totalled 654,000: The circulation in Europe was 1,694,000, which represents-a slight decrease on the previous year's figures. Russia continued to bar the entrance of the Scriptures. Asia received 6,956,000 copies, of which 4,205,000 were distributed in China, 490.324 in Japan, and 730,000 in Korea. Frozen Pipes Unusual scenes were witnessed in Haumer Springs last week "when the 12-inch water main which serves the village and provides the motive power to the lighting plant froze up, and thawing operations entailed the digging of trenches arid lighting of straw fires round frozen valves and pipes. The chunks of ice beinsr forced through the pipes when the pressure was released sounded like a bombardment. The Queen Mary Hospital staff were employed up to a late hour on Wednesday and had a cold job in getting'the water through, the whole township supply being cut completely off by the' ice blockages. The pipes became blocked with ice again on Friday, and the hospital power house reverted to the Diesel plant.to maintain the power supply. /We have received 5s from " Sympathiser," with a request that it be handed to Mr H. L. Paterson for the benefit of an elderly couple mentioned by him in a statement .in last Saturday's Daily Times. The heart of your car is the Battery. Use a Vickery Battery and ensure efficiency.—Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd., 284/6 Princes street, Phone 13-215 Advt. . „ A. E. Blakeley and W. E Bagley. dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telesraph Office) Telephone 12-359—Advt Wireless Repairs executed at shortest notice.—Barth Electrical Supplies, Ltd., 56 Princes street, Dunedin. —Advt. Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V. Stunner, optician (2 Octagon) thus conserving good vision for old age.Advt.