NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1935, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Inglewood Jubilee Celebration. The Inglewood Borough Council last night voted £2O for King George’s jubilee celebrations in May.

Rugby Competitions. The Taranaki Rugby Union senior competition in Taranaki is to start on April 27, the union decided last night. Giant Pumpkins at Waitara.

A pumpkin weighing 1271 b grown by Mr. Muir, Brixton, was sold at the harvest festival sale of the Waitara Salvation Army last night. It was reported, however, that this was by no means the largest pumpkin in the district, one weighing 2001 b having been grown in the locality.

Heavy Rugby Trial Programme. A protest against the heavy programme of trial matches in the second week in June—four games in eight days —was entered by the Taranaki Rugby Union at the annual meeting at Stratford' last night. Delegates characterised the programme as impossible and it was decided to support Wellington’s protest. Fernery and Boat Tickets Increase. There has been an increase in the sale of tickets for admission to the fernery for the year ending March 31, it was reported to the Pukekura Park Committee at a meeting last night. The total number sold was 8859, which represented an increase of 657 tickets and of £l6 8s 6d in revenue. Boat tickets also showed an increase of 720 in number and £2l 10s in revenue. For the year 2610 threepenny and 1750 sixpenny tickets were bought.

Rugby Teams Early in Field. Probably* due to the inspiration of the forthcoming All Black tour of Great Britain, an exceptionally early start had been made with Rugby football this season, said the Hon. J. McLeod at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union at Stratford last night. He could not remember in any previous season seeing so many Taranaki senior teams in the field so early in April. Tea and Cakes Banquet.

The question of the tea and cakes banquet provided for the first junior Taranaki championship finalists at Stratford last year was mentioned at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union at Stratford last night. The reasoq, said the Hon. J. McLeod, was that the secretary overlooked the fact that it was a first junior match, and had arranged the meal because of the union’s policy of keeping under-age players out of hotels. Radio Licenses.

The total number of radio licenses issued or renewed at New Plymouth last year was 2350, compared with 1901 at the end of the financial year’ in 1934 —an increase of more than 23 per cent. It is expected that the number of licenses issued during the coming year will be considerably greater. Taking the town’s population as 18,000, approximately one in eight of New Plymouth people own and operate, a radio set. The figure probably represents the fact that there is a set in every third: house in the town.

“Her Money’s Worth.” Three times over the radio at Christchurch last Saturday evening came the police inquiry for information as to the whereabouts of an 11-year-old girl who had been missing from her home since 1 p.m. Then at 11.30 came the reassuring message that she had returned' home. “She had been having her money’s worth at a city theatre,” said the announcer. “She had been there from 1 o’clock until just before 11.”

Whitebait Spawning. Eels in the lower reaches of Hart’s Creek were, if not in clover at the week-end, at least in cress, according to two anglers who visited that stream, says the Christchurch Sun. The adult inanga or whitebait are now running up the stream from Lake Ellesmere and could be seen in their thousands spawning among the cress-stems near the banks of the stream. The eels were lying comfortably at ease below the cress and sinister sucking noises indicated that they were making the most of unexpectedly increased food-supply.

Misguided Enterprise. The Wanganui Children’s Court had a novel case to deal with recently. It was one of a youth who had sold furniture in his parents’ home during their absence on a holiday. The parents returned unexpectedly to find the house practically empty, the furniture having been disposed of to a dealer. It was the intention of the youth to take a holiday at Auckland, and he was caught boarding the train at Marton.

Long-tailed Cuckoos at Kaitala. During the past few years numbers of long-tailed cuckoos have been seen during March on Mr. H. S. Matthews’ property at Kaitaia. This year the birds have been very tame, allowing people to come within a few feet of them. The cuckoos stay for only a few weeks before continuing their migration north. Mr. Matthews states that in the early days of the mission station numbers of these birds were seen, but for about the 40 years from the ’eighties on they disappeared, to reappear again about 12 years ago.

Not Wanted Aboard. It is no uncommon, thing for Lyttelton yaefitsmen to find,. when heaving in the anchor at Diamond Harbour or Ripa Island, that much exertion is needed to bring it to the surface, and it is found to be festooned with a length of old mooring chain or to have picked up an ancient and barnacle-encrusted anchor lost by some other vessels long years before. Mr. K. Beaumont, a member of the crew of the launch Dorothy, thought he had made a catch of a similar nature at Ripa Island! wheh the “pick” seemed very reluctant to leave the bottom. Finally it came clear and was brought to the surface, but there it was allowed to hang, for the baleful eyes of a large octopus, with tentacles as thick as a man’s arm wrapped lovingly round the anchor, met the surprised gaze of Mr. Beaumont. Efforts—from a safe distance—were made to kill the creature, but finally it dropped away and sank to the bottom.