NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27081, 16 May 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Heavy Frost in Dunedin After lighter frosts earlier in the week, Dunedin experienced its heaviest snap of the season on Friday night, when the recording was 11 degrees. The result of the frost was felt throughout the day, for, although there was a bright sun for more than seven hours, temperatures remained low. Eight degrees were recorded on Saturday night, and once again the following day was one of low temperatures. Heavy coatings of frost were visible on the roads, and pools of water were frozen over with ice. Final Wool Sale To-day The fifth and .final wool sale of the 1948-49 season in Dunedin will be held to-day in the Burns Hall, Burlington street, beginning at 2 p.m. The total offering of 16,545 bales includes 13,433 bales of new greasy and 3112 of ,slock wool.

Attitude to Crime “Too much consideration Is being, given fb the perpetrators of crime and too little given the victims,” said the Dominion president of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers, Mrs J. R. Haldane, speaking at a rally in Ashburton last week.

Centennial Symbol A symbol for the Canterbury centennial was approved by the Publicity Committee on Friday. It has a large cog bisected by an ear of wheat, with the figures 1850 and 1950 on either side. In one quarter is a ram’s head. The inscription is Canterbury, New Zealand, Centennial.

Service Badges Service emblems for traffic employees of the Auckland Transport Board are now being issiied. A decision to issue the emblems was reached by the board some months ago. Worn on the unifoi’ms, they take the form of a star for 20 years’ t service and a bar or stripe, each of which denotes five years’ service.

Display of Fungi At present on display in the Southland Museum is a'collection of named fungi from the Invercargill area. Puffballs. mushrooms, saffron-caps, pennybuns or boletus, scarlet and blue secotium and an interesting specimen <pf foetid .fungus are included in this group. The aseroe is a good example of insect action on the fungi. The relations existing between insects and fungi offer problems of great interest, and autumn and early winter, when humus is forming, is the season best suited for a fungi forage.

One-legged Kiwi Dead “ Pegleg Pete.” the one-legged kiwi at the Greenmeadows, Hawke’s Bay, game farm, is dead. “ Pete ” was claimed to be the first kiwi to fly. He was taken by air from Taranaki and appeared to Make a good recovery after several months of careful attention by the curator at the farm, Mr F. D. Robson. The kiwi became prominent in the news as a result of Mr Robson’s efforts to fit him with an artificial limb. “Pete” collapsed and died after eating a hearty meal of worms. Homer Beacon Tested The first operational test of the aircraft homer beacon at Ohura has been held by the technicians who installed the equipment. Although they were satisfied with the test, the frequency has yet to be checked by the Makara radio, Wellington, to ensure that it is within 0.1 per cent, of the correct allocation. The stand-by plant is still awaited and protective fences have to be erected. Once that work has been completed a further test, which may last for’a week or longer, will be held before the beacon is declared operational by the Air Department. Taieri Roads Disgust with the condition of the roads between Wingatui and the airport. and Mosgiel and the airport was expressed by many of the motorists who were at the air display at Taieri yesterday afternoon. “ The roads were bad enough for the display a couple of weeks ago, but they were 20 times worse to-day,” said one motorist. “ You would think it would have been possible to run a grader over them when so much traffic was expected.” Badly pitted with chains of small potholes, the roads are also starting to show the first winter frost corrugations. Who Wins? “The race between the Church on the one hand and school, sport; recrea-, tion, pictures, dances, holidays, music, elocution, and dancing on the other hand, is shared in the lives of our children and young people. I am not sure which side wins,” said the vicar of St. Barnabas Church, Roseneath, Wellington, the Rev. E. M. McLevie, in his annual report. “Nevertheless,” he said, “in spite of the difficulties and constant disappointment of some of the club work, there are many bright spots, and I believe the religion of many, of our young people is very real.”

Ornithological Discovery Muttonbirds in their millions are a sight often seen from the coast as they fly over the sea. To thousands of people they are recognisable in a cooked state, but to one Invercargill resident the appearance of a large muttonbird is something he will never forget. He was cycling past Rugby Park when he saw a bird—a bird strange to his knowledge of ornithology—pressed up against the fence. It sat flat like a duck, had a head which resembled that of a sparrow, and a beak which was larger than that of a parrot, and hooked. A notornis! He caught it, took it home, and was cardful not to let the news of its capture spread. His optimism was short-Jiyed, however, when he showed it to some of his friends. Could they identify it? Yes. It was a muttonbird.