News in Brief

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20626, 29 May 1935, Page 6

News in Brief

Maoris and European Clothing. “ The adoption of European clothing by the Maoris was a gradual process not without its ludicrous side in the fondness for the top hat and uniform of any sort,” remarked Bishop Williams in addressing the Wellington Philosophical Society. “As recently as 1906 I met in the street at Hutt a Maori gentleman, clad solely in a knitted cap, a shirt and a shawl worn kiltwise, who was looking at suburban sections with a view to increasing his investments in real estate.” Assembling New Aeroplanes. The assembling of four Vickers Vildebeest bomber aeroplanes for the New Zealand Air Force, which arrived from England last month is being undertaken at the Hobsonville Air Base. It is expected that the first official tests will take place shortly. The work is being supervised by Mr H. S. Beedle and Mr W. K. Walker, experts attached to the firms of Vickers (Aviation), Limited, and the Bristol Aeroplane Company respectively. Mr Beedle expects to leave for Christchurch in about a month to assemble a number of Vildebeest machines here. Shooting Out the Lights. Further details of the damage done to lights at -Korokoro Pomain were received by the Petone Borough Council at its meeting this week (says the “Post”). The engineer and general manager of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, Mr E. F. Hollands, wrote stating that lead slugs had been fired at the lights. Two lights had the glass broken away, and where the glass had not been broken the filaments had had sufficient jar to break them. The filaments of the street lamps were very frail and brittle, and a sudden jar would cause them to snap. A slug had been picked up. The lights had been put in order. Indians and Maoris. The visiting Indian hockey team are in* tensely interested in the Maori race and they were greatly pleased when they were informed that the Maoris of Kaiwhaiki, Wanganui, were preparing a real Maori welcome for them. The members of the team were fascinated with the haka and poi dances they witnessed on the East Coast and they had an equally interesting time at Kaiwhaiki pa. An open-air concert, including the poi dances, hakas and action songs was put on. After the concert many of the Indians practised the art of swinging the poi balls, but they were not as expert as they are with the' stick and ball at hockey. The melodies of the Maori songs also appealed very strongly, and the x-isitors -joined in with the performers.