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Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 48

Cargo was discharged on Friday afternoon at Port Chalmers from the steamer Port Napier, on which there was an outbreak of fire during the voyage from London to New Zealand. The cargo removed from Nos. 4 and 5 holds was waterstained, but that from Nos. 2 and 3. hatches appeared to be undamaged.

Mr Justice MacGregor has granted probate of the undermentioned estates:— Mary Sheriff, of Port Chalmers, widow (Mr K. G. Roy); Janet Sinclair, of Dunedin, widow (Mr A. C. Hanlon); John Sim, of Dunedin, municipal officer (Mr F. G. Duncan); Charles Meggett, of Clinton, carrier (Mr J. T. Walter); George Nelson, of Oamaru, labourer (Mr W. G. Grave); Joseph Wansbone, of Oamaru, retired farmer (Mr W. G. Grave); and James Armstrong, of Dunedin, salesman (Mr J. C. Stephens). Letters of administration have been granted in the cases of Alexander Gow, .of Woodside, farmer (Mr F. B. Adams); John Robert Becker, of Oturehua, coal mine proprietor (Mr J- I. Fraser); Jane Battrick, of Balclutha, widow (Mr G. J. Kelly); and Walter Albert Buddicom, of Fairfield, farmer (Mr E. Aslin). Under the new regulations which provide that all motor car owners shall have red reflectors attached to the rear of their cars, two motorists will shortly be charged with failing to attach the required reflectors. As the Otago Motor Club does not approve of the regulations, it has decided to send forword the following remit to the annual meeting of the South Island Motor Union in Christchurch on September 28—“ That the Government be urged to cancel the regulations referring to red reflectors on motor cars, this club considering the addition of red reflectors a useless waste of money, and one which does not in any conceivable manner provide a greater or practical measure of safety for users of the roads.”

Following on recent arbitration proceedings between the owner of a farm in the Rai Valley (Nelson), and the manager of the farm, three bailiffs were sent out to eject the manager, who had refused to abide by the decision of the arbitration tribunal. It is stated (says the Nelson correspondent of the Dominion) that while this was being done a party of men, armed with cudgels, arrived at the farmhouse, obviously to take the part of the manager, and attacked the bailiffs, who were considerably mauled in the ensuing mix-up. It is also stated that a police constable, who accompanied the bailiffs, was also attacked. At about midnight the intruding men at last obeyed the constable’s orders to leave the premises. “ Buy a Badge and don’t be Badgered.” When Squadron-Leader Kingsford-Smith flew from Sydney to Christchurch he brought with him in the Southern Cross four flags which were sent by the Sydney Hospital authorities —the Royal Air Force flag, the Union Jack, the Australian, and the New Zealand flags—to be raffled in New Zealand. The proceeds of the effort, which has been sanctioned by the Minister of Internal Affairs, will be divided between the Sydney, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland Hospitals in the proportion of one-half to Sydney and one-half to the Dominion. On the return of the Southern Cross to Australia, four similar flags will be taken, and these will be raffled in Sydney. In this case, also, the proceeds will be devoted to the five hospitals. These flags will doubtless be much sought after as mementoes, and will be greatly valued by those who are fortunate enough to secure them. In their choice of fruit, bellbirds and tuis are said to have a delicate taste, which runs eagerly to grapes. With this knowledge in mind, the caretaker at the sanctuary for native birds on Little Barrier Island (Mr Nelson) is keeping a watchful eye on the large crop of grapes which will soon commence to ripen. Last year the birds found the grapes early, and Mrs Nelson hit on a novel plan to checkmate their encroachments. She filled two cake tins with the previous year’s jelly and some fruit pulp, setting them out on the paths around the vines. In a few minutes tuis and bellbirds were round the tins in scores, and so busy feeding were they that the tuis forgot their traditional enmity against the bellbirds and did not attempt to chase them away. The next day the numbers greatly increased, and by the end of the week Mr Nelson began to think that both species had entirely forsaken the bush and come to the house. By this touch of feminine ingenuity the caretaker’s family were ensured a good supply of fresh grapes and an ample store of jelly for the winter months.

The only living link with Captain Cook is a tortoise, which once belonged to the famous navigator, and now, at the age of 156, is the pride of Nukualofa, the seat of government in Tonga. When Captain Cook visited Nukualofa on one of his voyages he left a young tortoise with the king as a souvenir (says an exchange). King and captain are long since dead, but the tortoise is still ambling round—“going strong” after 156 years of life. It is so sacred to the Tongans that when it wanders away from the Queen’s palace no one is permitted to” molest it, and it must be politely shown the way home. Sir Thomas Henley, who recently returned to. Australia from the Islands,' saw the tortoise, and posed for his picture with it. A farmer in Southern Taranaki recently celebrated his seventy-sixth birthday by moving into a new four-roomed house after many years in the old home where he had reared a large family. He told an Auckland acquaintance (says the Star) that it was just 50 years since he landed in New Zealand. He had 49 grandchildren—one for every year he had lived in the country—and he could look back over a strenuous but happy life. After all these years, he said, it was strange to go back to a small house, not much different from the one in which he had started his life in the colonies. The chief differences were a porcelain bath and the electric hot-water cistern. The world had indeed progressed.

The town of Inglewood was plunged into darkness on Wednesday morning, when a “ joyriding" party in a commandeered car knocked over an electric light pole on the main New Plymouth-Ingle-wood road. The high-tension wires, carrying 6000 volts, were broken down when the closed-in seven-seater car, belonging to Campbell’s Motors, Ltd., left the road at 1 a.m., near the junction of Kent road, and demolished a post. How the occupants escaped electrocution is a mystery. When the repair gang of 12 men from New Plymouth arrived on the scene at 1.30 a.m. there was no trace of the occupants of the car, which had been removed without authority the previous evening from outside Mr Campbell'shome in New Plymouth. It was then probably taken to Inglewood or further, and it was on the return journey that the accident occurred. Not long after the electricians located the trouble the line to Inglewood was isolated, and the current was again transmitted, with the result that the residents of that town suffered little, if any, inconvenience. It was not possible to make similar arrangements for farming consumers on the Kent and Albert roads, however. The lines running in those directions were severely damaged, and repairs were not completed until 8 a.m. In the meantime farmers in the locality who depend on electrical power for their plants had to adopt other methods for their morning milking. The car that caused the trouble was much less damaged than might have been expected in the circumstances. The radiator, the right-hand headlight, and other parts in front were badly smashed. When it was towed to New Plymouth later signs of structural strain were discovered.

“ A charming people, but spoiled by generations of comparative idleness,” was the impression gained by Mr T. Todd, a Timaru visitor, through contact with the Norfolk Islanders. The founders of the colony, transported to Norfolk Island in 1856, found the land cleared, buildings erected, and the soil capable of producing ample foodstuffs without too great an effort on the part of the occupiers. There was no incentive to labour, for tentative efforts to develop an export trade were discouraging, and in any case the islanders had all they needed. For two generations the colony lived in the Lap of Nature, a life ideal from one point of view, but ruinous in the long run. Today their lands were not worked as they deserved to be, and the islanders were in danger of becoming beggared Their principal facility was in the handling of small boats, and at this they were unexcelled. having developed the art of whale • chasing, which they regarded more as a sport than as an industry. A school teacher’s action in resigning her position after giving only a week’s notice was criticised adversely by the Wanganui Education Board last week (says the Herald). The secretary stated that the teacher had been written to, pointing out that she was required to give a month’s notice, but she replied that she had received an appointment with a business firm, which made it expedient that she should be released from her engagement with the board. She had accordingly gone and left the board “in the lurch.” A member asked whether the teacher’s contract could be enforced, and it was stated that the department would probably cancel the teacher’s certificate.

Mr O. W. Anderson, chairman of the Canterbury Horticultural Society, announced at a meeting on Thursday evening that the National Daffodil Society of New Zealand has allotted its 1929 show to Christchurch. He said that at the Canterbury Society's spring show next year, therefore, daffodil growers from all over New Zealand would be represented. A special attraction at that show would be the first competition for the British Daffodil Growers’ Cup, presented to New Zealand by daffodil growers in England for English-raised daffodils grown in New Zealand. The cup is on the way from England.

Our Auckland correspondent states that the coming deep sea fishing season promises to be a record one, and already a number of distinguished visitors from overseas have written making their reservations at Russell. Mr Zane Grey advises that he will arrive in New Zealand from Tahiti on December 20. Included in his expedition will be that wellknown fisherman, Captain Mitchell.

The fate of the Australian waterside workers’ strike is claiming the close attention of every shipping firm in New Zealand. At least one oversea vessel now in Dominion waters has. been affected by the strike. The ship concerned is the Cambridge, a unit of the Federal Line. The vessel arrived at Port Chalmers on September 13 from Liverpool, via northern ports. Her Home cargo having been discharged early last week, the ship was ready to sail for an Australian port to commence loading for the United Kingdom, but in view of the waterside trouble on the other side of the Tasman, the Wellington office of the Federal Company deemed it inadvisable to send the Cambridge to sea. In consequence the ship is still occupying an idle berth at Port Chalmers. The new motor ship Coptic, which has occupied a berth-- at the Victoria wharf for over a week, sailed on Saturday direct for Townsville (Queensland). The Coptic will load at Australian ports

At a meeting of the Auckland University College Council the other night, a proposal came from the Professorial Board that ■ proportion of the lectures in subjects for the arts course should be held in the daytime (says the Star). It was suggested that the daytime and evening lectures should be changed about front year to year. Some apprehension was expressed lest the plan might be detrimental to part-time students, and it was agreed to await a further report on the subject.