NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 41, 27 September 1928, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES ALL FARTS*

THE DOMINION DAY By DAY. HERB, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE Gisborne Exports. Asked for a description of his native town, a Gisborne Maori schoolboy wrote the following; “Gisborne is a seaport situated, on the Tauranganni River, and 1 exports boxers, runners and cyclists.’’ XXX Maori Land. Maoris of the North Island still own a total of 4,083,057 acres of land, according to the report of the Native Department, submitted to Parliament recently (reports an exchange). During the past year 70,739 passed out of the hands of the Natives, leaving the Native holdings as represented above. Of the 4,000,000 odd acres still controlled by the Maori tribes, a considerable proportion is in European occupation tinder 1 leases. Daring last year 11,028 acres in tho Thirawhiti district were leased by the Native owners, and 624 acres’ were sold. This district, by the way, topped the list of land districts in. the matter .of mortgages registered during the year, for 7569 acres were mortgaged by Native owners during the year, the' nearest figure being that of Jkaroa, with 1017 acres. ssx Destruction of Eels, “Having noticed in a sporting magazine that your society had had marvellous results •in the work of clearing the rivers of eels, would you be kind enough to let my society know the method you adopt in taking these pests,” stated! a letter received at the last meeting of the Southland Acclimatisation Society from the secretary of the Nelson Society (reports the Times). “For several years thig society has been paying 6d per lb for eels ove 6lb, but the result is not satisfactory'- ’as* els. the number taken,” he continued. Some amusement was expressed on the letter being read, a member suggesting that if it were made public a number of catchers would leave for Nelson. Tt was decided! to send a trap to the society. sxx To» Many Returns. According to a .Canterbury settler the farmer spends a good proportion of his time filling in returns or the Government StatisticianV’ ffep,. rts an exchange). At a mtk s thi^bf"the Canterbury Agricultural' and' Pastoral Associations last week,' Mr. J.,; Deans said that farmers had lately been asked to supply a schedule, of paid to labourers. “It is too mwph to think that' farmers can be' filling in these returns all the tame,” said Mr. ( Deans. “Thig. information is already supplied in another return,, so why duplicate it? First we have sheep returns, then wheat returns, land returns, arid if we are lucky en-

ought to have anything left after that, we have t® supply income tax returns.” Tiie association decided to register its objection to th<£ynew return suggested. t-viva* x x s A New Potato District. A new source of potato supplies bas apparently been discovered, ,1c Mahia Bay, Marlborough, sending to Wellington; last week several tons of new potatoes, which realised £2B a ton at auction. Hitherto most of Wellington’s supplies have come from the Auckland district, but it appears evident (says the Evening Post) that the Sounds district is going to be an active competitor for the Wellington market in the future. Several parts of the Marlborough Sounds district are growing other early vegetables, and it is probable that a steady trade 'will bo maintained in this direction, particularly in the early part of the season. Te Mahia Bay hitherto been considered more of a tourist resort than anything else. XXX commercialised Sport. ‘‘You w ill want to know my impressions of New Zealand,” said the Hev. Hector M‘Lean, of the United Church of Canada, speaking at the Christchurch Presbytery. “Well, I find it a land where every prospect } pleases.” The laughter of the members of the Presbytery was an indication that they knew the conclusion of the quotation. “You know, continued the Canadian visitoi, feel like the Apostle Paul at Athens. His spirit was sore within him w to be saw the city given over to idolatry, The situation is bad enough, m Canada, the Lord knows, but it is my * impression honestly (it doesn't make any difference to me) that Nqv. Zta land is given over body and soul t 0 commercialised sport. Now, 1 w*i Jieve in clean and legitimate £P OI >■, but when sport becomes an oosessiou and an over-ruling passion, God he.p ns and God help the country. It i* ; time to call a halt and time to do something.” ■ ;