General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 83, 9 April 1934, Page 8

General News

Visit to Russia Not Desired. A remit urging that members should be sent to Russia to investigate the results that have been achieved theje regarding planned economy was submitted to tho annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party. It was urged that that should be done so that the actual facts might be made known to the people of the Dominion. It was stated that it was not possible for the party to do as was desired by the mover of the remit, and it was ultimately decided to refer the matter to the executive to gather all the information possible regarding conditions in Russia at present. Bird Visitors to Garden, In the past two weeks four shining cuckoos and a quail hawk have visited the garden of a Napier residence. The first pair of shining cu'ckoos came about a fortnight ago. the beautiful peacock sheen of their backs and their striped breasts bringing a charming note into the garden. They were followed by a further pair, and later by a quail hawk. The bird has a dullbrown head, much bigger than the common hawk’s, and brown-fawn feathers on its back. A text book dealing with indigenous and migratory birds in New Zealand states that visitations from these two species are rare in Napier. Device to Find Friend. A banner was used for an unusual purpose by a sandwichman nt tho corner of Queen and Shortland Streets, Auckland, on Thursday. It was obviously meant to intimate to some person that another person, named on the board, was to be found at a certain city hotel. Tho sandwichnian was loyally reticent as to the reason for this strange method of communication, but it was subsequently learned that two Wellington friends bound for North Auckland on a shooting trip had failed to make a pre-arranged meeting in the city and one of them had thought of this method of finding his friend among tho passing throngs in Queen Street. Although he waited at his hotel throughout the afternoon the missing friend failed to arrive. Maori Concert for the Shaws. On the evening before their departure from Rotorua, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Shaw attended a private Maori concert given by Guide Rangi in her house at Whakarewarewa. Mr. Shaw had stated that he was not anxious to attend a Maori concert, as he was under tho impression that a great deal of the music given was of Continental origin in a Maori setting. He could be persuaded to attend the concert only by a promise that the first item would be entirely Maori, and that he could leave afterwards if he so desired. However,' both Mr. and Mrs. Sha/ were so interested in the performance that they stayed until the end, Mr. Shaw afterwards chatting with Rangi and making a number of inquiries regarding the native aptitude for music. Mr. Shaw declined, however, to give any impression of the Maori race as he has so far encountered its representatives, remarking that he had not yet seen suffierertt Jltertr tsr views.