LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20926, 4 January 1938, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Ship Strikes Whale When en route to Auckland from Panama last week, the Federal Line steamer Cornwall struck a large whale with her bow. The whale, which was apparently rising to the surface, was not seen until the Cornwall was near it. As it swam across the ship’s track the Cornwall altered course in an attempt to avoid it, but the whale was struck and forced under the steamer. When it rose to the surface it was seen to be severely injured. The Axeman at Home One woman looked with gloomy eye on the performances in the bushcraft section at the Tuatape sports on Saturday. As champion axemen made the chips fly and their axes ring- as they cut through massive logs in seconds, she remarked: “Yes, they make a fine sight, but I bet none of them cuts the firewood at home.” Her observation was confirmed by one prominent axeman, who remarked that he would not cut kindling wood for £lOO. Left Holding the Baby A baby in arms was the centre of an amusing incident at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting at Epsom last week. Early in the afternoon it was left by its mother with a stewardess to be nursed ostensibly for a few minutes. More than an hour later it remained unclaimed. It was not until an appeal was broadcast through the public address system that the mother returned to the grandstand and took charge of her child from its patient nurse.

Thief Caught in the Act People are often at a loss to explain the uncanny disappearance of various belongings, but a Te Karaka resident recently caught the thief in the act (says the "Gisborne Times”). At dusk a weasel was noticed crossing the lawn and by the time the householder was able to procure his gun the weasel was leaving the fowlhouse with a cockerel in his mouth. The animal was immediately shot, but had it got away undetected the owner would still be looking for the thief of probably all his fowls. Introduction of Rabbits After praising the work of the early settlers of Southland at the unveiling of the memorial to Captain John Howell at Riverton, the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) passed some remarks about acts that were not entirely beneficial. He remarked that the rabbits had first been introduced into New Zealand near Riverton. “I remember that my father paid 10 shillings for the first pair of rabbits liberated in his locality,” he said. “He thought they would do well there. And they did,” he added.

New Kiwi at Hatcheries

Found wandering in the fern country in the Mohaka river district a young kiwi has found a home at the Greenmeadows game farm until its future is determined. Obviously only several hours old when it was found the kiwi chick weighed only six ounces when it was taken to the hatcheries, and in its three weeks’ domicile there it has put on another six or seven ounces in weight and is growing rapidly. While it is a resident at the hatcheries it is receiving every care and attenton possible, and in the meantime the Department of Internal Affairs has been communicated with to determine the future of the popular little guest. Rating on Unimproved Values Rating on unimproved values in New Zealand continues to be the system most generally in vogue in the boroughs, according to the latest official survey, but in the counties and town districts almost 50 per cent of the authorities levy their rates on the capital value of property. Among boroughs the unimproved value system is in force in 80 districts, capital rating in 18 and the annual value system in 26. It is stated that the number of local bodies rating on the unimproved value during 1935-36 was 43 per cent of the total, but on a population basis the figures reveal that 59 per cent of the people of the Dominion were in districts rated in this way. Gum-diggers Busy Large quantities of kauri gum are being shipped away from North Auckland, and practically the whole population of Te Hapua is now earning a good living by gum-digging. The market continues steady and good wages can be earned. Gum-washing plants are also being installed, two being near Parengarenga, and these will greatly increase the output, as some of the swamps contain very rich deposits. What was considered a worked-out area recently produced £lOOO worth of chips gum from one acre, and there are hundreds of acres of equal value in the district. Now that the lower grades of gum are commercially marketable it would seem that there will be as much gum worked out in the future as has been in the past, and the next 50 years will not see the end. Unwelcome Help The intrusion of two visiting firemen was responsible for upsetting the efficiency of the Hastings Fire Brigade during its attendance at a fire in the town. When the alarm was sounded these men, quite unknown to the regular firemen, rushed into the Fire Station, seized the nearest available uniforms and helmets, and went to the fire. The men mingled with the fire-fighters, and their intrusion was not noticed for some time. It is stated that they were a definite hindrance and, until their removal, tended to upset the efficiency of the brigade rather than improve it. “I pulled the uniform off one man and ordered him out of the vicinity, said the superintendent (Mr R. Henderson), when commenting upon the intrusion of the two men. Mr Henderson added that he understood both men had had some experience of fire-fighting in other parts of New Zealand.