LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1928, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rare and beautiful rhododendrons will, it is hoped, be procured by Mr. T. Horton, superintendent of Pukekura Park, while he is in England. The idea is to extend' the rhododendron dell in the park and the cost will be about £5O. The sum of II 7s has already been subscribed by well-wishers. Light rain fell on certain parts of New Plymouth yesterday, and in the afternoon Fitzroy was favoured by a fairly heavy shower. A drizzle at Waitara in the afternoon was hardly sufficient to settle the dust.

It is reported that an Oamaru resident who followed a somewhat humble occupation, and who has been sought for several years by a firm of solicitors, has been advised that he has become heir to a fortune of several thousands of pounds through the death of a relative (says the Mail). He has been the recipient of many congratulations.

Applicants for work at the New Plymouth branch of the Department of Labour for last week were: Labourers 19, storemen and packers 2, carpenters 2, engine driver, grocer’s assistant, cycle mechanic, flax dresser, telegraphist, ship’s fireman, farm hand, cabinetmaker, butcher’s assistant, one each; total 32.

The past fortnight has brought the yellow tinge to crops , over the Canterbury Plains with great rapidity. In ail parts binders are at work among oats and the earlier wheat. Demand.; for labour are increasing, though co-opcra-tion between farmers, instead of their employing outside labour, has been very popular in the past couple of seasons, and there is little evidence that the system is losing that popularity. “The Huatoki Domain has the makings of a very fine camping ground for motorists,” said Mr. F. H. Archibold, of Auckland, to a News reporter yesterday. Mr. Archibold has been making an extensive motor tour of the North Island, visiting, amongst, other places, Napier, Taupo and Wanganui. “I was warned off New Plymouth by the people down south,” he continued, “and was certainly not impressed by the site at Belt Road.” The Huatoki Domain, however, le f t little to be desired, he concluded.

Visitors to the fernery in Pukekura Park during the past week numbered 30-1, and the admission fees totalled £7 18s 3d or an average of £1 2s 6d a day. It has been open only a week. Speaking at the farewell given him by the Park Board before his departure for England, the superintendent (Mr. T. Horton) said that of the 2400 specimens planted only three had died. This was a remarkable record. He considered the fernery would not only be a wonderful asset that would pay for Eself in time, but that it would provide a few pounds towards the cost of new ferns and maintenance.

When asked at Auckland what had impressed him most on the tour, Dr. Hill, of Kew Gardens, replied that he had seen an extraordinary profusion of flora, and had had an unrivalled opportunity of inspecting some of New Zealand’s famous scenery. He particularly enjoyed the trip through the Otira Gorge, also the trip to the Franz Josef Glacier, where, in the higher country, the endless meadows of Alpine flowers made a superb picture. At Wellington he saw a typical example of rain-forest at Wai-nui-o-mata, and appreciated the efforts that were being made to develop Wilton’s Bush.

Concerning the death of Leslie Plummer, of Kent Road, whose fatal shooting accident was reported in the News yesterday morning, it appears that after tea on Monday evening he took a doubel-barrelled gun to go shooting on his father’s farm. As he had not returned at 9 o’clock, his father, Mr. Anthony Plummer, became anxious and made a seach. He found the body close to a wire fence from 75 to 100 yards from the road. A neighbour notified the police and communicated with Dr. Walker. Detective Meiklejohn, Constables O’Neill and Mitchell went out. Dr. Walker pronounced life extinct and said that death must have been instantaneous. One barrel of the gun had been discharged and caused a wound in the head behind and just below the right ear. The inquest will he opened this morning when evidence of identification will be taken.

The Lower Mangorei school is holding its picnic at the East End reserve, New Plymouth, to-day,

At the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday, Cr. A. E. Cowley drew attention to the danger to traffic on account of the parking of cars on the main road near the Tariki Bowling Green. He suggested that some alteration should be made to minimise the danger. The council resolved to draw the attention of the club to the matter. “When you were in Court before your lawyer stated that you were a returned soldier and made a plea for mercy out of the fact,” said the opposing counsel to a judgment debtor in the Magistrate’s Court at Invercargill last week. “Well, you should remember that the man to whom you owe the money is also a returned soldier.” “If he is,” said the debtor gravely, “he should have more brotherly love than to sue a fellow soldier.” The lawyer joined in the general smile.

Why should the farmers of the cast riding of the county have to chase cows twice a day to assist in making a road to the mountain for tourists,” remarked Cr. Jones at the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday. The Park Board was making a tar scaled road inside the reserve but the farmer if he went up there with his wife and family had to pay toll to provide the interest in it, as well as find the money to provide the road to the gate. He was strongly of opinion that all the cost of construction and maintenance of roads to tourist resorts should be found by the Highways Boards. The abnormally low level of water in Lake Brunner, due to the long spell of dry weather, has resulted in the discovery of one of the lake’s treasures, a fine specimen of a greenstone axe (states an exchange). This was found along the shore of the lake on the Inchbonnie side, and near it was a stone used for sharpening an axe. The axe has probably been covered by the waters of Lake Brunner for many years, and its discovery is regarded as further proof that the Maoris passed that way on their journcs to and from the greenstone country, from Canterbury, long before the advent of the pakeha. A night or two ago a hedgehog was secured on the Mangorei Road, New Plymouth. For the past four or five years odd specimens of this curious little creature have been observed in Taranaki, showing that the hedgehog is slowly establishing itself in these parts. It is not easily observed, as it is a night feeder and silent in its movements. It feeds on snails, slugs and worms, and is not averse to bird’s eggs, or even hen egg’’ In captivity it makes an interesting yet and thrives well on a diet of bread and milk. In England the creature is sometimes eaten be- people in the country districts. Indeed the wandering gipsy folk look upon the hedgehog as quite a delicacy. The circular letter for the Mayor of Wellington asking support to the appeal for a national fund for the dependents of the late Lieut. J. R. Moncrieff and Capt. G. Wood evoked a little discussion at the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday. Cr. Crowley remarked that it was a new way of getting a life insurance policy by appealing to the public, adding that he was not in sympathy with the proposal as he considered the flight as a foolhardy undertaking. The chairman considered that it should not be necessary to make an appeal all over the country for two able young women; an appeal in their own district should be sufficient. Cr. Jones considered that people in the district should be given an opportunity of subscribing, and on his motion, seconded by Cr. Corkill, it was decided to open a list, the clerk stating that he was quite prepared to render every assistance.

The silence of the forest was impressive when Dr. Hill, Director of Kew Gardens, accompanied by the Mayor of Auckland and a representative party, visited the kauri bush at the Cascades, Waitakerie, on Monday (says the Auckland Star). The scarcity of New Zealand birds amid what should be the most congenial of surroundings was remarked upon by several members of the party. An occasional wild pigeon—a glimpse of green and white—was seen winging away across a deep ravine, and now and again the clear fluted call of the tui, and the friendly twitter of the pied fantail was heard. Yet in the old days rhe pigeon, the kaka and makomako were all plentiful on the Waitakercs. The kaka is now very scarce, and the makomako, with its glorious bell-like call at dawn and' sunset, appears to have vanished. In the past few years at least two good Australians have made considerable progress. The magpie haunts the fringes of the forest, while the gaudy rosella parrot has become plentiful. The latter has flourished at the expense of the gentle native pigeon. The rosella lives on the berries of the New Zealand forest trees, and thus the outlook for the native birds is not a very hopeful one. A meeting of farmers is to be held in the A. and P. Society’s rooms Hawera to-morrow (Thursday) at 11 a.m., when the provisions of the Rural Credits Act will be explained. See advertisement on page 1. Taranaki teaching probationers who are entering the Dunedin Training College received advice yesterday that the college opens on Tuesday, February 21. Male students liable for military training must lie present for enrolment on Wednesday, February 15. Astonishing new values in every department. Not even those of the opening sale can surpass the bargains now offered. Huge stocks of merchandise have been reserved for the second week’s selling, and are now offered at savings quite as astonishing. Standard high grade stocks are now tiered for immediate and complete disposal. The Hustlers, Drapers, Devon Street.

Quite the most remarkable value in Millinery is to be found at Besley’s, Ltd. Their complete stock of ready-to-wears including all the new shapes, and a large variety of pretty colours, is to be sold at astounding reductions. See their window display, which shows a few of the many bargains. The grand array of sterling bargains at the Melbourne’s Great Summer Sale are romping out. Make a big effort to get at this extraordinary sale. It’s worth while. Large job purchase of towels by our Manager in England, 9d, 1/3, 1/6 each, white and coloured. Wonderful value clearance of all Summer dress materials, usual price 2/11, 3/6 yard, sale price 1/to 1/6 yard. 20 per cent, off all model frocks, etc. Some rare values in drapery are being offered for this week-end by Mesa’s. C. C. Ward, Ltd., the busy Taranaki Drapers, New Plymouth, Eltham, and Hawera. These are just a few of the many lines you can save on if you buy your drapery needs at these busy stores. GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY MADE EASY. Important as the lens of r camera is equally important is. the film. Tins is shown by the good picture secured by even cheap cameras when "RAJAR," the improved film, is used. Sold at the same mice as ordinary film by all dealers. 2.