NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 45, 27 June 1929, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES FROM ALC PART*

THE DOMINION DAY BY DAY. '■^tffj.vv.s'H...-. HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE. LONG RAILWAY SERVICE. A record of long and continuous service© 0 f which any body of officials may be proud is possessed by the eight North Island railway. ticket inspectors who met the Auckland District Superintendent (Mr E. Casey) in conference this week. Their joint service totals over 300 years—an average per head of 371 years..

PRESERVATION OF ROADS. Recently Mr A. M.. Samuel, M.P. wrote to. the Minister of Public Works pointing out the desirability of completing formed roads at the earliest possible moment by means of metalling. He mentioned the fact that a tremendous amount of money is wasted* annually through these mfonetalled Toads slipping down hiUsidtes and generally falling to pieces as a result of being unmetalled. The Minister has replied 'that he; will be pleased to give the whole question early and careful consideration, and will communicate further with Mr Samuel as early as possible.

TRANSLATION WANTED. A Mount Albert resident, says the Auckland "Star" wants "to know the meaning of the proposed new name for his road, which is to be known as "Wairaka Avenue" Tinder the City Council's new scheme foir renaming a number of streets- and roads in the suburbs in oTder to db away with duplication. One meaning of wairaka gest "tangle-foot", but that is quite unpoetic pakeha wouldl at once suggest "tngle-foot," but that is quite a different thing. Of course, the idea at the back of the head of the person who picked the .Maori name was to honour Wairaka, the ancestress after whom Mount Albert was called, its native name being Owairaka, or "the place of Wairaka."

"SILENT LANGUAGE OF NEW ZEALAND." "It is regrettable that wei cannot interpret the silent language of New Zealand," • remarked Mr L. W. Parore, who represented Maori claimants in a case before l the Native Land Court at Auckland (states the "New Zealand Herald"). ' "Every mountain has its name derived from the* old Maori history. Every valley and every river has its rtame, andf if only we of the present generation knew; the key to that silent language it would give us a history of the reimote past. We would know the customs and traditions and Maori folk-lore. We would have revealed to u s the sacred laws of the. past."

DUCKS AND EELS. Remarking upon the shortage of teal duck in the Wanganui district of recent yeairs a sportsman attributed their disappearance very largely to attacks made by eels. His contention was borne out to some extent by a happe.nirtg on Mr. (J. Risk's property at Ohura last week. A tame duck was noticed with its head beneath the water and' its body in an attitude as though the bird was struggling to. get loose |from soma grip below. Investigation! proved] that a large, eel had swallowed the bird's head, and duck and captor l were fighting hard. An axe severed the eel, but too late to save the duck's life.. Okoia farmers report the loss of many young ducks as the result of eels. Quite recently a ha"ffgrown bird was discovered with both feet severed.