GENERAL NEWS.

Otaki Mail, 2 June 1930, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS.

The first game- of representativeRugby played in-New Zealand was a match between Nelson and Wellington, played at Wellington on September 12th, 1870. ' A net profit of £B,BBB on the year's i operations of the Auckland Transport i Board was disclosed at tho annual meeting of the Board. The gross profit on the tramways service was £193,303 and the loss on the omnibus, service was £18,006, leaving for the combined undertaking, a gross profit of £175,297. The trout fishing season in Taupo and Uotorua will close next Saturday after a season which has been a disappointment to most sportsmen. Reports show that the catches have not been nearly as numerous this season as in past years, and experienced anglers state that it has been one of the poorest seasons for the past 20 years. Very few fish have been in the rivers in the Taupo area. The condition of the fish which have been landed has been good, but they have riot been up to the high standard of last year "There is tame pork and wild pork in here," said a Maori host to the British team at Parikino, near Wan-. ganui, recently, as he shovelled away the clay covering of the native oven. He added that if tho visitors did not care to eat the food cooked on the red hot stones, the pah had' prepared meat, in proper ovens, and those who wished for that only had to ask for it. It was noticeable that few asked for this special privilege, and the general, demand-, was for the pork, carried out from beneath the earth, says an exchange, .i.

The steamer Golden Cross will load 3000 tons of scrapiron at Auckland for America. She ' will be tho second steamer to load scrapiron at Auckland within four months. In February, about 1000 tons were despatched to America on the Union Company's Kairanga. Most of the Kairang'a's cargp was bought,from the Railway Department, and was from. a serai) dump which, had accumulated at Newmarket during a number of years. -There is no sale for scrapiron for use in New Zealand, but in America it is turned into very many uses. .. Mr Herbert Morrison, the Minister for Transwort, told the British Electrical Development Association, at a luncheon held recently, that the industry needed a whole-hearted publicity campaign on a national scale. "It is not much use," he said,"having a good thing to sell unless the world knows about it. Therefore, advertising is one of the essentials of* most branches of modern industry." Let them learn from the publicity * campaigns being conducted by other branches of commerce, and in particular from the first-class publicity and service activities of the great gas iifduEtryfor whose energy and push he had the warmest admiration.

"Here,- sir I". was smartly called from different parts of the building by four aged people present at tho Te Rore (Auckland) school golden jubilee celebrations on. Monday, when the original school roll of fifty years ago was called by the jiresent chairman of the school committee, Mr ~W. J. Allcoek. Tho r.oll comprised, only 21 names, and it is a striking coßirawtary that half a century later ■£out of the then children were pr'esjeMj.to answer,the rpll. Some others' -we're * {accounted for in telegrams or letters of apology for absence from the Te-iinion. Those who personally answered the roll call were Lizzie Higginson, Margaret Chester, Colin Munro and ■" William Chester.

The depredations of the grass grub have been particularly annoying in Christehurch this autumn. The- grub destroys the roots of the grass, whichconsequently dies. ■ The fine grasses in choice lawns seem particularly attractive to; the grub, and hundreds of lawns in Christehurch. city have been ruined. It is quite a common sight in that city to see what were once beautiful lawns completely,; bare in great patches, and in many instances it has been found-necessary to completely re-sow. the whole lawn. This 'destructive, pest has been present in Canterbury for years, but seems to' be getting more troublesome than ever, despite the efforts of scientists and keen gardeners.

The H011...G. W. Forbes states that the recent circular issued to casual . employees of the Post and Telegraph Department in Auckland ;,and stating that absence through iliness would mean dismissal, was the result of a misunderstanding \ and was never issued by the head office. As. it was felt that the present staff .who had' Jiad considerable training should bo' retained as long as possible, additional men were not engaged if the exist; .j ing.staff could be utilised by transfer .' or, / otherwise. Until more material was \ available those' who- voluntarily left the department could not expect to be j re-engaged; but 110 restriction would, be placed on the re-engagement of a mail whose, absence was involuntary. Millions of locusts passed ovct the Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer Port Adelaide, which reached Auckland frcm-LauncestoiKon Monday when, tic vessel was steaming /through the He'd Sea during her recent voyago. from Loudon to Australia. Each insect was about three inches Jong, and they,,were crossing the-Gulf ;from. the Arabian Coast to the Egyptian .side. The locusts were encountered" in the afternoon, and they eontlnuecT to fly in swarms'over, the steamer for about j two hours, yduring >whieh period she j steamed at .about 26'miles. A large ! number of, ; insects fell oii - the" Port Adelaide **3 ; decks, and every, door "had to be keptjiclosedV In spit of the precaution, some, of, the insects entered the quarters pf the officers and crew, 1 1 and one locust was discovered in the; chief room, where. it lad ; eaten a..pot plant. \ - An audacious theft was .perpetrated in Main Street, Post on. oh Thursday evening. Mr "E. 'Alsop, who was looking out of a shop window, saw a man examining an overcoat hanging,,-; qui-: side Mr Mattar's shop .opposite. : The man picked * the coat up, lifted the hanger ont and signalled to a earwhieJi was parked on the opposite side, of theroad.,'. The ear, which contained two, other "■ men, immediately pulled across \ the road and the man ,, on the footpath boarded it,when It .{Bade off at a fast speed, dowii Main Street in-the. direer i tion of PaJmerston Korth. Mr Alsop, however, had been alert enough.;to-take .the number of ihe ear as it sped up ! the street. -The police were iramediatej ly eonimunieated with and have the j matter in hand. The ear which at first l.fliade north, ( wss later seen travelling j in a southerly direction. A green twoj seatcr car, similar to the one in which j "the escape: was made las been ~'jreport'., '., od missingjfrom/Jaihape, The number pistes <lu nut coincide but this conld easily be: accounted for by them Lav £ng been changed since ihe ear vr.w