LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“I have had ten dogs run over and killed by motorists at Ngahauranga in tho last ten years,” said a drover while giving, evidence in a by-law case in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court the other day.

Tho trappers engaged in trapping opossums in the Mt. Egmont National Park have met with unpleasant climatic conditions up to this week, but have done fairly well as far as skins are concerned, tho average takings being up to last year’s. A feature of their operations has been the number of rats and weasels caught. For the past months 1306 marsupials were caught in the traps, 700 rats and 54 weasels. In the opinion of ‘the rangers the native bird life in the reserve will benefit as a result of the destruction of the latter vermin.

A large polecat was killed the other morning on the property of Mr. E. 11. Hardy,-on the Awakino Road, Te Kuiti (says the local paper). The animal, which measured over 14 inches long, had been seen at one of the tower windows a few nights ago, having probably been chased there by a cat. It was seen again by Mr. Hardy, who threw a stick at it and killed it. "Luckily, polecats are not numerous in this part of the country, a-3 their depredations among fowls and even among young lambs are very extensive.

Remarking upon the shortage of teal duck in the Wanganui district of recent years, a sportsman attributed their disappearance very largely to attacks made by eels. His contention is borne out, to some extent, by a happening 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 some grip dowu below. Investigation proved that a large eel had swallowed the bird’s head, and duck and captor 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 half-grown bird was discovered in the Kaukatea stream with both feel severed.

Nothing else in New Zealand has interested many of the Emden’s cadets so much as their experiences in Rotorua and Wairakei last week-end (says the Auckland Star). They were fascinated, as many others have been, by the thermal phenomena, and they found keen delight in their contact with the Maoris. In watching t-he screening of a Maori film they were deeply impressed by the symbolical dances and tribal ceremonial, and latei' they found that the Maori girls of Rotorua are equally proficient in modern dancing Many of the cadets will, bear 'home souvenirs of Rotorua, but the interest of some of them goes further. One Auckland family, on asking a cadet to play what he liked on the piano, was astonished when his first choice was a Maori song, which he played and sang from memory.

A well-preserved stone axe of Maori origin was dug up in a garden in St. Aubyn Street, New Plymouth, on .Thursday. In the days when New Plymouth was first settled there was a hill similar in size to Marsland Hill on the land now occupied by the railway station, j»art of Egmont, Brougham, King, St. Aubyn Streets and adjacent property. This was a famous old pa of the Maoris and was known as “Puke Ariki.” Later it was known as Mount Elliot, and in tho days of the surf boats a flagstaff was erected on the hill to direct shipping operations. The stone axe was found on a property situated on the slopes of the old pa. It is an ordinary grey local river stone, six and a-half inches long by about two and a-half inches wide. The edge is not chipped, and the implement is in perfect condition. To the natives it was known as a “pakohi” or “toki,” and used for chipping out canoes and other wood, work of the ancient days.

Charged. with obtaining £6 from J. M. Turnbull by means of a valueless Cheque at Opuriake on April 19, George Herbert Whitfield was remanded yesterday to appear at New Plymouth on Wednesday. Whitfield was arrested at Woodville on June 26. Sergeant McGregor said other charges would probably be laid. No bail was applied for.

June will be a memorable month throughout the Dominion on account of earthquakes and tornadoes, but in Rangi.tikei it leaves another impression —it was the wettest month in the history of the district. The rainfall totalled 8.43 in., compared with the average of 3.83 in. In Turakina the fall also constituted a record for any one month, the total being 7.63 in. The previous heaviest fall was in June, 1924, the total then being 7.52 in.

The ancient cannon used by Kamiti’s warriors in bis last stand against the British at Ruapekapcka in 1844, has been secured for the Auckland Museum. Kamiti’s pa was situated about 11 miles from Kawakawa township, in a south-easterly direction. In one side of the cannon is a dent, which is believed to have been caused by a shot from tne opposing artillery. In 1882 someone who evidently had little regard for historic associations saw fit to fire a charge from the cannon, with the result that a large piece of the barrel was blown off. Fortunately' the fragment was preserved.

The question •whether an outside association could conduct a ballot among parents for the introduction into a school of the Nelson system of. Bible reading was raised at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board. The Dargaville School Committee notified that the Ministers’ Association had issued voting papers to parents, and that the ballot had been favourable. Mr. S. B. Sims said that it was not usual for an outside association to take a ballot. This was usually a work for the school committee. It was stated that the committee must have approved the ballot or the result would not have been forwarded. It was decided to authorise instruction.

In addition to the cruiser Emden,' there were three other German-built vessels at Auckland last week, but they were all flying the British flag (reports the New Zealand Herald). The Union Company's steamer Wairuila. which, came out of dock, shortly before the Emden arrived, was formerly the German -steamer Polescar', nnd i-s named after the company’s original ’ Wiaruna, which was sunk at the Kermadees by the raider. Wolf. At Prince’s wharf was the Union Company’s steamer Waikouaiti, formerly, the German steamer Irmgard. The third vessel was the Federal Line steamer Cumberland. She was the Wendland, and was built in Germany in 1919, the Wairuna and VVaikouaitl being constructed in 1914. The three vessels were handed to the Allies after the war.

Several people who take an interest in their dreams keep a pcncß and paper at their bedside (says a wiiter in the London Evening News). One of them stated to the writer that he had a dream recently which he was too sleepy to record. He repeated the details to himself, and thought he would remember them in the morning, but next morning the baseless fabric. had quite melted. A few. nights later another dream came to the man, whereupon he resolutely conquered -his sleepiness, and wrote.down a page full, of the details. When he awakened in the morning he forgot.the.dream itseli, but remembered that he had written it. lie reached for the paper—and. found only a blank sheet. It had all been a dream within a dream.

Possibly the person who told the world that “love is blind”, had in mind a newly-married couple who have their home at Pakowhai, near Napier. They were married last week, and left then new home on an extended honeymoon tour. On Wednesday evening several Pakowhai residents noticed that the electric lights in the house were burning, despite the fact that the place was supposed to be untenanted. All doors and windows were locked, so that there was no way of forcing ah entry. All day Thursday the lights again burned brightly, and further efforts on the part of neighbours to extinguish them were fruitless. The lights were still, going stronglv on Friday and the question exercising the minds of the neighbours was whether it would be cheaper to get the Power Board authorities to make a special trip to Pakowhai and cut off the current from outside or leave the lights going and the young couple to face the bill on their return.

A photograph of the highest chimney in the world, a hollow shaft of reinforced concrete 570 feet high, was ex-, hibited at a recent meeting of the Canterbury Builders’ Association by the president (Mr. W. P. Glue). This chimney was built for the Oriental Compressol Company, of Japan, which has the contract for the construction of a smelter plant at Saganoseki. The design was’ approved by ’the Imperial University of Tokio. At the bottom the outside diameter of the chimney is forty-two feet eight inches, while at the top it is twenty-six feet three inches inside diameter. The shell. is twenty-nine inches and a-half thick at the bottom and seven ' inches thick' at the top. The huge stack rests on. a truncated' cone of concrete ninety" five feet in diameter at the base, fortytwo feet in diameter at the top and seventeen feet high at the edge, concaved to seven feet thick at the centre. The foundation contains-2711 cubic feet of concrete, while the reinforcement required for footing and chimney weighed 530 tons, An extensive system of lightning rod protection is provided at the top and at an elevation of -four hundred feet above the base. The chimney was built by the Weber Chimney Company, of Chicago. It stands on a hill two thousand feet high. ’

To-day should be a red letter day in the Okato district, as it will mark the occasion of the landing in the district of the first aeroplane. Captain MacGregor, who is well known in the Taranaki district as an intrepid pilot, will land on Mr. J. J. Carey’s property, Kaihihi Road, and will give exhibitions of stunt flying as well as taking passenger flights. There should be a large attendance, especially as the admission fees, as well as the proceeds from the various side-shows, all go to the Hcmpton. Hall fund.

The Hustlers’ sale which is now in full swing are now offering, bargains at prices far lower than cost. ' Grasp your opportunity by securing some of these snips for yourself, and benefit by our loss. The Melbourne’s-great winter sale commences this morning, the doors opening punctually at 9 o’clock. This event is marked by astounding bargains in all departments and the public readily knowing the worth of these sales will no doubt be early on the epot to share in the good things offering.