Untitled

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16873, 9 February 1929, Page 4

Heavy rain has been reported in the coastal districts of New .South Wales, and iloods are reported. The Lower River rose 30ft. at one point.

In quest of the automobile speed record, Major 'Sengravo lias arrived in America. His racing car, the Golden Arrow, has a rudder to keep it in a straight line if it should leave the ground, and special flanges designed to keep its wheels down, as well as sights to steer by. It has a theoretical speed of 230 miles an hour. The motor consumes 70 gallons of special fuel in an hour.

A start will bo made on Monday with works designed to improve the road on Die Morero hill. The improvement of bonds and a slight easing of grades is to take place on three small sections) which have been presenting the main difficulties to motorists in negotiating that portion of the highway. After the compleiion of the work the grade will still be i steep one, hut the work on the bends' is calculated to make driving much easier.

Large mobs of sheep are still moving on the roads leading to and from Poverty Bay. Several lots arc travelling north to the Bay of Plenty and Waikato. The railway from Taneatua is being freely used by late lots, though most if those despatched early were sent through to Tirau by road. It is estimated that approximately fO per cent, of the Poverty Bav sheep for Waikato areas have- been trucked at Taneatua, the reason for more not being railed being the cost. The main reason for trucking has been a late departure, and an anxiety to have the sheep at their destination by the specified date. Hawke’s Vjiy is' still absorbing largo numbers from this district, while roads from the coast are carrying large mobs heading Gisbornewards, whence they will be going to outside districts.

A party of Justices, of the Peace from Marlborough are to visit Wellington next week. The Justices’ Association is arranging to entertain the visitors while in Wellington. Miss Jean Ureggan, of Te Karaka, her many friends will regret to learn, has returned to hospital ip Gisborne, and underwent an operation during the week.

Four hundred skaters were thrown into the Danube River at a point in Bavaria, when the ico broke suddenly. In spite of the resulting panic no one was drowned.

Because Sir Joseph Duveen, the tamous British art critic, said that a certain painting was not the work of Leonardo da Vinci, he is being sued in New Vork for £IOO,OOO. The picture was taken into court, and Sir Joseph endeavored to explain to the jury that he could tell it was not genuine. The maize market so far as Gisborne is concerned appears to be remaining in a weak state. Some business has been reported, but so far as is known only a little grain changed hands. The price is given as 5s 2d per bushel f. 0.1). for immediate shipment, while further offers have been made at this figure and on a similar condition. A scenic reserve of nine acres, known as Bushy Pbint, near was destroyed by the. It was one of the beauty spots on the Tinopai estate, and was in full view of steamers passing up the Wairoa River. When the alarm was given many Tinopai residents turned out, and, proceeding some two miles along overgrown tracks, arrived just in time to save the pine belts around the orchards.;

A full cargo, but an exceptionally light one, was carried from Lisbon to Sydney by tho steamer Queen Olga, which reached Auckland with raw sugar from Java this week. The lightness of the cargo was due to the fact that it was comprised entirely of cork, being the only full cargo of cork that has been taken to Australia. The vessel’s sugar cargo totals 7200 tons, but when she was fully loaded with cork the weight of that cargo was only 500 tons. The mosquito nuisance, which for some years has been most marked in Napier, has been engaging the. attention of the Napier Borough Council. Tho complaints which were made by the medical superintendent of the Napier Hospital as to the menace that was being caused at that institution ajid also at the McHardy Homo by the pest, impressed the council that something should be done to destroy the larvae.

The Auckland programme for the entertainment of a party of 45 English schoolboys, who will arrive by the lonic, has been cancelled by their advance manager, Mr. Francis Portal, owing to the fact that the vessel will not arrive until midnight on Wednesday, instead of on Monday as had been expected. No other districts will be affected by the late arrival. The boys will leave for Waitomo Caves on Thursday morning, then going on to New Plymouth, Wellington, ami flu South Island as arranged.— L’.A.

A splendid save was made by the Gisborne Fire Brigade at 7.30 a.m. to-day, when a fire partly gutted a six-roomed wooden house in Aberdeen road, near Cook street. The residence, which was owned by Mr. A. Aitken, was occupied, by Mr. A. Hamilton. The estimated damage done to tho contents was £75. The rear portion of the building was well ablaze when the brigade arrived, and little time was- lost in attacking the fire from the back, while a lead was taken through the front of the house. It; is understood that the fire originated through a heap of clothes and rubbish becoming ignited from a spark from the washhouse fire. The washhouse and a small shed, which were attached to the main 'building, and the kitchen and diningroom were completely gutted, but tl» four front rooms were not damaged. A large quantity of furniture was removed by the five police. There was no ’nsurance on the contents, but the building w r as covered by £475 with the Alliance Assurance Co. With tick in the coastal districts north of Gisborne, it is not unnatural that Poverty Bay farmers should fear the entry of the parasite into their district. Perhaps such reports have neen transferred from mouth to mouth, and in the process have become garbled lieforo they have gone very far, for there have been occasional rumors of outbreaks of tick in Poverty Bay. So far, however, although such rumors have come under the notice of the Stock Department, it has been found that there has' been no substantiation of tho statements made. It is in a farmer’s own interests to report direct to the department any. outbreak cf tick on cattle owned by him; in fact, penalties are provided if he fails to do so. This is well recognised by Poverty Bay farmers, none of whom has yet, seen fit to communicate with the deoartment on the subject, apparently having no reason to do so. It is authoritatively stated that so far no ticks'have been found in the B area which surrounds Gisborne. ,

When Miss Moiefe was drowned in tile Waiapu River on January 11, it was Waiheke Puha, an elderly native, over 70 years of ago, who found the body of the girl in the deep hole by feeling about for it m the discolored water (writes our To Aravoa correspondent). When lie was unable to bring the body to the surface he, clinging to the body, carried it down the river where it was shallower and where he came to the surface when he was just about to let tile body go. When Mr. George Davidson was drowned at Matakaoa Point last week, it was Waiheke’s grand nephew, Vir. Glnrtie Puha. who gallantly rescued Air. William Gill and who, hv diving, .ound Mr. Davidson’s body and ultimately brought it to the surface. Mr. Waiheko Puha is reckoned to be the ablest boatman on the coast and is held in the highest esteem. His home is at Te \raroa and it was while on a visit- to Waiapu that lie happened to be near the drowning fatality. Mr. Charlie Pufia, his neohew, also lives at le Araroa and is highly respected. He is a returned soldier, and a- well-known footballer. He is between 30 and JO years of age.

The passage of Cook’Strait has been attempted in various ways by men and women swimmers,jand in unusual craft. Some years ago it was accomplished by two brothers in Rob Roy canoes, who (journeyed from Palmerston North by water to Mana Island. Waiting there for ideal conditions, tliev started soon after daylight, and reached Pictou safely, but not altogether to schedule, ns they had expected to find the tide running into Queen Charlotte Sound, but found it flowing out, which delayed their arrival. One of the .brothers later_ paddied and portaged his canoe up the Tcremakau River in Westland, carried it. over the pass between the headwaters of the two rivers, and came down from live Hurunui mouth to Sumner. The Rob Roy canoe is a seaworthy craft, however, compared with that in which Mr. Charles Harwell, of Hamilton, will shortly make the attempt to cross Cook Strait. For many years Mr, Harwell lias made a hobby of cycle tours. Although he is AS years of age, he accomplishes wonderfully long distances with his cycle loaded with a collapsiblo boat with rowlocks and oars. — Wellington Post. /

Permission to remove the license of tho Drury Hotel, which was destroyed by fire recently, to a position on tho Great South road. 500yas. on the Papakura side of the old site, was granted at a meeting of the Licensing Committee at Pukekohe.

Since the inception of the new system of rural finance a substantial volume of business has been transacted by tho board in the Auckland Province, and many small farmers have benefited financially. The first issue of £200,000 debentures has been taken up.

During the past four years the consumption of New Zealand coal by the railways has increased from 23 per cent, to 65 per cent. This year the Railways Department’s aim is to use 80 per cent., and the general manager, Mr. H. H. Sterling, states he thinks this will be accomplished.

Efforts are being, made by the committee of the Turanganui Public Library to enlarge the children’s section, and it is hoped that support will be forthcoming from adult subscribers. The juvenile department will be removed into the large room recently occupied by the museum, and the filling of the new bookshelves will necessitate considerable expense.

Tho wages agreement with employees of the AVellingtori Gas Co. has been extended for a period of three years. “Relations with all classes of workers were of the most harmonious character,” said the chairman, Sir Harold Beauchamp, at the annual meeting. “The wages paid for the past year amounted to £97;000.”

A definition of its proposed policy in regard to the rebuilding of the Market reserve, commonly known as the Criterion block, was made at the last'meeting of the Napier City Council, k being indicated that the council proposed te erect a building of two storeys over that part of the block not including the hotel, and offer leases by tender lor the various units. Notice of motion was" given, however, to amend the. decision to include a three-storeyed building. With the return of the Minister of Public Works to Wellington an early decision is expected as to whether the regulation requiring red reflectors to be fitted to motor vehicles is to be enforced. During the last few days the department has been preparing the necessary reports to be placed before the Minister, and ,tlio decision will then rest with. the Hon. Ig. A. Ransom.

A piece of the original ribbon. 60 years old, that was used when the first train went through the Lyttelton tunnel has been sent by, Mr. Clarkson, of Linwood, through Mr. Climie, to the manager of the New Zealand Railways. It is probable that the bid piece will be attached to the ribbon that will be used at the ceremony wheri the first electric train passed' through the tunnel. When .the electric service between Christchurch and Lyttelton commences on February 15, passengers will find that the time taken in transit between the city and the port has been reduced by four minutes in some cases and three minutes in others. In order to keep these trains running to time-table, people will have to board and leave the teams rapidly, for a minute’s delay at a sta,tion would seriously affect maintenance of the time-table.

Although exact figures could not be quoted, it was stated at the last meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union that the profit on the past season agnounted to approximately £I4OO. Club gates showed an increase on the previous year, which was itself a record, but returns from representative matches were somewhat lower than previously, no doubt owing to the fact ,that fewer games had been played. From the financial point of view, however, the season had been a fairly good one.

Speaking at a electing of the Wellington district poultry producers, Mr. Bailee (Paraparaumb) stated that if the duty were removed from Australian w r hcat it would enable the North

Island poultry producer to stabilise prices and to provide fresher eggs. At the present time the producer held on to his eggs in the hope df a rise in price, wjth the result that when the eggs reached the consumer they were in poor condition. This would mean that the consumer would have more confidenjo in his purchases of eggs, and would as a result consume far more.

As some doubts have been expressed as to whether Wellington Harbor — from the wharves to Day's Bay—has ever been swum, inquiry was made by a Dominion representative. ‘ It' was ascertained that as far as is known the seven-mile swim has only been accomplished on one occasion, and that .vas by “Tiny” Freyl)Crg. reported ;his week to have been appointed to, • he command of the Manchester Regiment. He performed this feat on a Sunday in February, 10U, shimming from the Queen's Wharf to Day’s Bay wharf in a little over three hours. It

was this gallant officer and groat swim-

mer who accomplished a great deed of valour when he swam a Jong distance at night-time to ignite certain

flares on the shore of Gallipoli in

order to deceive the enemy on a momentous occasion.

, A tent campaign conducted by the United Churches at the civic square "*■ in Auckland continues to meet with \ considerable success. This is the fourth year the campaign has been held. The mission is interdenominational, and is under the auspices of a number of churches, the most prominent being the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Congregational Churches. Addresses are given by leaders of the different 'denominations.' Last week the services were conducted by the Bev. Joseph W. Kemp; this week Mr. Andrew Johnson is in charge, while during the concluding week the Kov. Lionel B. Fletcher will be the preacher. The campaign is designed to reach thoso totally disin-' terested in religion, but at the same time is largely attended by members of the congregations of the different churches. It is thought that the meeting of these people of differing religious views in one common service cannot fail ro result in benefit to all.

I]i the past drivers of motor vehicles have been warned of the existence of a school by the wayside by means of a red triangle above the word “school” attached to a telegraph post, or some such convenient point of vantage, fifty yards or so on either side of the school, an injunction that was in places emphasised by the instruction to “slow down”* or “go slowly.” This device is being done away with. Under the new regulations, the red triangle—which is quite distinctive and arresting from a distance—is being dispensed with, and in its place is to be exhibited simply the word “school” in black letters six inches in depth on an enamel plate of bright yellow, two foet square. There is no injunction to slow down—simply the one word, which evidently the Public Works Department con- ’ siders is all that is necessary to warn the motoring public that a school is being approached.— Dominion,