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Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1930, Page 9

A suggestion that bees in Auckland are being "doped” in’ seeking nectar from poppies is not regarded seriously by local apiarists, states the Star. It is said that if poppies were .grown in New Zealand to the same extent as they are in France it would be possible for the opium in the flowers to affect the insects, although even then it is not considered likely that the industry would be seriously affected. One apiar* ist mentioned that on one. occasion he had seen several bees on a poppy acting in a very strange manner; as if under the influence of a drug, but he was not prepared to say that the unusual behaviour of the insects was brought about by the effects of opium. The so-called Iceland poppy, now among the most popular of table flowers, was not, he said, likely to affect the bees in any way, and there was not likelihood that its sale would be prohibited? A suggestion that teachers should be compensated for time spent in doing extra-cural work led to diversity of opinion at the annual conference of the Technical School Teachers’ Aseo ciation at ’Wellington. Mr. G. M. Keys (Christchurch) related the story of an artist who was sketching a house one afternoon. A painter, with pot and brush, suddenly appeared at a window, and called; “Hey, mate! The five o’clock whistle’s gone; I thought you might not have heard it.” While it was admitted that "teachers who did work outside the ordinary school wero entitled to come pecuniary consideration, it was pointed out that other teachers also had to do additional work, and the remit was diopped-