NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24915, 14 May 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

rpHE fact is imperfectly known that several months ago Mr W. D. F. King, of Gore, was prosecuted under the Animals Protection and Gams Act for rearing in captivity a brood of the New Zealand robin and was fined for this offence, although, as the presiding magistrate, said, there was nothing to show that the birds had been taken as a business proposition or for destruction, while it was probable that, but for enthusiasts, a great many mors birds would be lost than there were.” Nor is it well known that last October, in the middle of the breeding season, the Interna! Affairs Department sent two officers to Gore to confiscate the birds and release them. The cost of this procedure must, Mr L. E. Richdale writes in a brochure concerning the New Zealand robin, have amounted to at least £2O. though a request from Otago for financial assistance to carry out work to preserve the royal albati’oss was ignored by the department. Mr Richdale comments on the fact that Mr King had expressed his willingness to put down a bond of £SOO as a guarantee that he would breed the robins only in an endeavour to preserve the species and for release on vermin-free islands and argues that Mr King was, in fact, rendering an immense service to native birds which, like the robin, are now to be seen in only a few remote places. Illegal Shooting Alleged

The continuance of the illegal practice of shooting protected snore inhabiting.birds is emphasised in a letter from a Motueka resident to the Forest and Bird Protection Society. This correspondent states that such birds as the oyster catcher and pied stilt, though absolutely protected, are frequently shot, while paradise and grey duck meet a similar fate in, season and out of season along the tidal fiats.

Tyres for Ministers’ Cars The position regarding tyres for use on ministers’ motor cars was explained to members of the Auckland Presbytery by the moderator, the Rev. J. D. Smith. He said all ministers and home missionaries had been advised that the situation was so serious that nient of tyres could be granted only to those who would have to abandon a Sunday service if deprived of their cars. Applications on that basis could now be made to the transport officials. “ England’s Greatness ”

“It is really astounding when we consider that the Old Country has been up against it, fighting for her very life, for the last two years, and yet she manages to send us this firstclass fire hose,” said Mr T. M. Charters (chairman of the Christchurch Fire Board), at a meeting of the board, when the receipt of 5750 feet of fire hose was announced. “I consider this a wonderful testimony of England’s greatness, that she should still be able to produce enough hose to supply the colonies' in spite of the huge quantities she has needed to produce for her own protection.” The Wheat Crop

A high yield is expected from last season’s wheat crop, the harvesting or which is now being completed. It is estimated that 258,000 acres were sown in New Zealand, and that the yield will be 8,600,000 bushels, averaging 33 1-3 bushels an acre. The area sown in 1940-41 was 243,197 acres, for a yield of 8,305.865 bushels. The biggest wheat crop yet harvested- in New Zealand was 13,000,000 bushpls from 399,000 acres in 1898-99. and the best yield per acre has been 36.56 bushels in 1927-28. The estimated potato sowings for 194142 are 15,800 acres, but at least 21,000 acres are required to be sown, it is stated, to meet a normal year’s requirements. Army Band’s Mascot The mascot of the New Zealand Base Band in the Middle East is a bullterrier which the band acquired while on tour through Palestine about six months ago. It was then in the possession of an English officer, but the band obtained it when the owner was transferred to a station where dogs were not allowed. Since then “Bull” has made the rounds of hospitals, soldiers’ institutes and clubs and all other places which the band has to visit. These have included church parades, at one of which he disgraced himself by interrupting the; chaplain in the middle of the service.' He was recently accidentally shot while on active service, but was operated on and was quickly on' the road to recovery. J

Transport Service# A warning that the public would have to face further unavoidable inconveniences because of restrictions on petrol and tyre supplies was mentioned bv the vice-president of the New Zealand Motor Omnibus Proprietors’ Association, Mr A. S. Bailey, in a statement at Auckland. Mr Bailey said the tyre position was now being considered by the Land Transport Advisory Council, which included representatives of the Transport and Railway Department?. An Auckland district committee held .its first meeting on Monday, when representatives of road, rail and tramway interests were present. The matters discussed, a report on which will be made to the advisory council on May 18, included possible co-ordination of services, related awards, and a probable “ staggering” of hours of workers in other industries. Tobacco for the Force#

Prices for cigarettes and tobacco purchased under the National Patriotic Fund Board’s postal tobacco service for the New Zealand Forces overseas will not be affected by the recent increase in duties. This was announced by Mr G. A. Hayden, secretary of the board. The cigarettes and tobacco are purchased bynhe board out of bond and are packed on the board’s premises, the parcels being also despatched from there. Tobacconists and other shopkeepers co-operating in the service act as agents for the receipt and forwarding of the orders to Wellington. Over 5000 orders have been dealt with in this way, a large increase in the daily total received having taken place since the service also became available to the New Zealand Forces in the Middle East. It has already been announced that there will be no increases in the prices of cigarettes and tobacco sold in the canteens in New Zealand.

The Liquor Trade “The Prime Minister has not fulfilled the promises he made to me after representations to him about the liquor trade were made by the heads of the Churches,” said the Rev. J. D. Smith, moderator of the Auckland Presbytery, at a meeting of presbytery. “The recent session of Parliament has not passed any amendments to the Licensing Act such as would make possible the proper enforcement of the law,” he said. “All that has been done, as far as we know from the press, is that extra taxation has been put on beer with the idea of lowering the alcoholic content. There has been no reduction in the quantity, nor any Erohibition of the manufacture of eer of stronger content if people care to pay the increased price. No direct action has been taken in regard to these promises, and no action will be taken unless the public shows by its resentment that it thoroughly disapproves of the Government’s inactivity in this matter.”

Barbed Wire Supplies English fanners are no better off in regard to barbed wire than those in New Zealand, according to the latest information received in Gisborne from a prominent manufacturing Arm, and it would seem that in some respects Dominion farmers have had comparatively larger supplies. “ For many months the supply of barbed wire for agricultural purposes was completely banned,” says the advice, “and farmers were left to their own devices to take down less necessary fences and re-erect them as necessity dictated or meet the position as best they could. Some very slight relaxation of the position has been permitted, but it may fairly be said that, in spite of the largely increased area of ploughed land, the farming community has been practically without barbed wire for nearly two years, while the situation in regard to plain fencing wire has been very little better.”