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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19692, 26 July 1938, Page 4

Mails dispatched for the United Kingdom from Gisborne on June 24, per the s.s. Mariposa, via San Pedro, arrived in London on July 23.

A total of ,91in. of rain was recorded in Wairoa for the 48 hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday, ,87in. being registered on Sunday morning. The total rainfall for the month to date is 11.87 in. Rain has fallen on 15 days so far this month, this being the longest period of wet weather experienced in Wairoa for some time. —Special. Reference to the fact that “pirate" radio operators continued to occupy much attention from officers of the Post and Telegraph Department was made, in the Auckland Police Court. Twenty-two persons were charged with operating radio sets without a license, and in every case a conviction was entered by Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M. Fines ranging to £2 were imposed. The freezing season •in Gisborne has not quite concluded, and du r ing the present month the Kaiti works has been killing cattle and a few sheep. Operations continued on a small scale this week for both cattle and sheep, but the final mobs to arrive should be dealt with during the next few days. A decline in killings occurred this season, and this position is general throughout the North Island. Hawke’s Bay killing's are expected to be lower by about 120,000 sheep and lambs compared with the previous period -. Tire.. Mayor. Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., gave his approval yesterday in an interview with members of the executive ’ of the Gisborne ThirtyThousand Club for the inclusion of a section of the Waikanae Beacli in the scheme to provide 'a waterfront drive for Gisborne. The strip of land would measure approximaely one mile in length, extending from the leading lights, or 'beacons, to the abattoirs, and would be about 2£ chains wide. This scheme is in addition to the improvement work which is being done at the southern end of the beach, and the club hopes to carry out some treenlanting on the new area before the „eason ends. “Our finances have never looked back since we established the system i>i direct giving,” said Canon A. F. Hall at the annual meeting of parishioners in Holy Trinity Church last evening. Referring to this, the churchwarden’s report stated that the satisfactory position of the finances of the parish had been materially contributed to by -the generous response of parishioners on thanksgiving Sunday, December 5. The report added that two years ago it was resolved that all methods of raising funds for church purposes, other than by direct giving, should be abandoned and that a certain Sunday in each year should be set aside as thanksgiving Sunday. The vestry felt that this step had been fully justified by the results. It was decided to observe another thanksgiving Sunday during the ensuing year on a date to be fixed by the vestry. Arrangements for the visit of the Te Aute College representative Rugby team to Gisborne before the end of the season were referred to the fixtures and finance committees when the matter was discussed last evening at the weekly meeting of the management committee of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union. Mr. G. J. Jcune said that preliminary arrangements had been made by Mr. T. French while he was in Wanganui. The headmaster of the college had been appreciative of a tentative offer made by Mr. French. The chairman, Mr. G. H. Sceats, said he understood the team was playing attractive football and was considered to be the best team the college had placed in the field since pre-war days. A short discussion followed on a suitable team to oppose the visitors if the tour was arranged. A junior representative team with a few lightweight seniors included and a Poverty Bay Maori team were mentioned. The matter was deferred pending the reports of the two sub-committees.

The existence of poisonous reptiles in Trinidad led to the introduction of the mongoose from India, in an effort to eradicate the snakes. The mongoose, finding birds and domestic poultry better fare and easier to catch, fell under a ban, and a bounty was offered for tails. The wily negroes of the busli captured and bred the mongoose, and many an adult animal, minus his tail, was found to be still serviceable for breeding. The authorities discovered that this breeding was going on, and withdrew the bounty, deciding to leave the solution of the matter to Nature. In telling this story to yesterday’s luncheon of the Gisborne Rotary Club, Mr. Hobart La Mar, drilling superintendent of the New Zealand Petroleum Company, .stated that when he left Trinidad, the mongoose was flourishing, the birds were still singing in the trees, and the snakes likewise held their own under conditions which had prevailed for centuries before the white man attempted their extermination.