NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Seven sheep belonging to Mr. E. Corrie, Rahotu, were killed ■ recently by worrying dogs.

M. Donnelly, half-back of the first fifteen of the New Plymouth Boys High School and well known as a Hawke Cup cricketer, suffered a broken collarbone in practising football this week. He will be unable to play football for at least six weeks.

A small dairy farm situated on Turangi Road, Motunui, with bungalow and outbuildings, was bought in by the mortgagee when it was offered for sale yesterday by Newton King Ltd., acting under instructions from the Registrar of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth on the Mortgagee’s application in exercise of powers of sale under mortgage. “What about an official opening of the dismantling?” asked Mr. Sheat humorously at yesterday’s meeting of the Opunake Harbour Board when the dismantling of the wharf was under discussion. “Are you going to draw the first pile? he asked the chairman. “We had better ask the Prime Minister to do it,” added Mr. Julian.

“Will there be no policemen under the Socialistic state, sir?” asked a debater at New Plymouth last night,, challenging a questioner with socialistic leanings who had characterised the army and police force as instruments of the pernicious system of Capitalism. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, sir,” replied the questioner, in high excitement, ‘ There will always be offshoots of the Capitalistic state who require restraint, sir! While motor-cycling in the Waitui district on Friday morning Mr. V. Devereux, Inglewood, collided with a car and received a broken ankle. Medical attention was called and later he was admitted to the New Plymouth Hospital. Mr. Devereux was one of Inglewood s Rugby football forwards and. will be greatly missed by the club in senior matches, as he could probably be called the leader of the forwards.

Slipping when helping to carry a 13cwt. vat at the Rahotu dairy factory on Wednesday, Mr. E. Bensley was pinned under the vat. His legs saved him from having the whole weight on his body. He was admitted to the New Plymouth Hospital for observation. Details regarding the extent of Mr., Bensley’s injuries were not available last night, but a reporter was told ’ his condition was satisfactory.

A Grafton resident with an exotic taste in pets is lamenting the loss of the family favourite, a Chinese turtle, which inhabited a tank in his garden. During the week-end, apparently, “some person or persons unknown” fished the turtle out of the water and made off with it. Unfortunately, Eustace the turtle, belonging to an order very low in the scale of intelligence, is too “dumb,” mentally and vocally, even to answer to his own name, and cannot be expected to find his way home again, as the more ordinary household pets do even when they change hands legally. Amateur status, as applied to growers of gladioli, was discussed for some time at a meeting of the New Zealand Gladiolus Society at Christchurch, when alterations to the rules were being considered. A British definition was that professionals were those who . sold garden produce other than gladioli; but this was regarded as too rigid for New Zealand, as many members sold the surplus stock from their gardens. Again, the employment of professional assistance was said to debar an exhibitor from the amateur classes. The final definition decided on was that “an amateur is an exhibitor who does not exhibit the products he sells.”

Continual deterioration of the asphalt surface on the Waitotara hill is being caused by seepage from springs which have not yet been located despite repeated efforts made. Tiled drains have been laid, and drains at the side of the road have been deepened to no avail. The seepage continues, resulting in repairs having to be effected from time to time. On Monday Mr. T. Dix, engineer to the Waitotara County Council, visited the hill accompanied by a water diviner, who traced water running underneath the road but was unable to locate it. Borings have been made from time to time from eight to nine feet deep, but no water has been tapped. Similar trouble was experienced at one time on the top of the hill, but it was located and the flow of water stopped. The habits of the warble fly that punctures the hides of cattle was under discussion at New Plymouth yesterday. The subject was referred by a reporter to Mr. F. W. Sutton, inspector of stock, who explained that there were none of the flies in New Zealand, but that imported animals sometimes brought the grubs. The eggs were laid in the country of origin and took six to 12 months to develop. For this reason imported cattle were kept under close observation after they came out of quarantine. It was the custom of officers of the Agricultural Department to inspect such animals once a fortnight to watch for the boil-like protuberances that denoted the presence of grubs under the hide. As soon as the grub had developed sufficiently the officers removed it from the hide and destroyed it. “Any nunfber of grubs are found,” said Mr. Sutton, “but there are none of their flies in New Zealand, for great care is taken to see that they are not allowed to reach that stage. He added that he had seen the grubs 12 months after the importation of the beast concerned. Climatic conditions in New Zealand were rather against the pest.

The idea of linking up the Sounds district and the West Coast by motor road, thereby completing a round-the-island tourist route, has the unqualified approval of the Minister of Finance (Mr. J. G. Coates), but the Minister believes that the desirability is one thing and the practicability another. Discussing this project, Mr. Coates said that he could not imagine anything more attractive, for New Zealanders as well as for overseas visitors, than a route such as that suggested; but the necessary work must be considered in relation to its cost and to other works in New Zealand. “Personally,” said Mr. Coates, “I think that as soon as finances permit and as long as the work is looked on in its proper relation to other works in the country, bridges should be constructed on the road as far as Karangarua. There is an interesting and beautiful run from Weheka to Bruce Bay; the native fauna is remarkably interesting, and the mountains and seascapes provide some lovely views. Moreover, there are some very good settlers in the district who are practically locked in through the summer months when the rivers are high.” But the road right through the Haast would present some peculiar difficulties, for instance, at a place called Slippery Face, where the engineers would have to cope with a moving hillside. The completion of the road was certainly most desirable, but whether it was practicable or not was another matter.

James Devery was ordered to pay J. Birmingham (Mr. R. J. Brokenshire) £3 16s lOd forth with, in default four days’ imprisonment, by Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth. The names of the parties were in error transposed in the report of the case.

It is announced in the advertising columns that Mr. H. H. James, of Hastings, will deliver a Bible lecture in the Y.W. C.A. Hall, Powderham Street, New Plymouth. to-night at 8 o'clock. The subject will be “The Certainty of Coming War.. Armageddon—and After.” A cordial invitation is extended to all.*