NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 27, 3 February 1939, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Deep-Sea Fishing. A message brought by pigeon from Mayor Island states that Dr. Richard L. Sutton, of Kansas City, has landed a large thresher shark weighing 6101 b. The easterly weather has retarded big-game fishing activities at Mayor Island. Fall Into Heavy Sea. While fishing from a launch off the Poor Knights Islands Mr. Keith Howes, of Whangarei, lost his footing and fell overboard, but he was soon rescued by the other members of the party. There was a heavy sea running at the time and a number of sharks were about, the party catching some of these. Kauri Gum Found. Said to be the first in Taranaki, a piece of kauri gum has been found by the custodian at Burgess Park, NewPlymouth. Mr. F. Dent. It was not known that the tree was bleeding until fern around the base was cleared. The tree, situated behind the kiosk, is approximately 30 years old. Interest in Kikuyu Grass. Considerable interest in the kikuyu grass being used to check the sand drift at Fitzroy was shown by delegates to the park superintendents' conference at New Plymouth. Mr. T. Horton explained that it had been imported on the advice of a South African fotoball team. It was better than maram grass, it grew faster, and stock liked it, he added. “Heaven Too Peaceful." The jocular remark that Mr. W. E. Still (Auckland), employees’ advocate, and Mr. C. G. Wilkin (Christchurch), an assessor for the employers, would agree only in Heaven was made at the hearing of the Dominion freezing workers’ dispute in conciliation council at Wellington on Wednesday. “I don’t want to go to Heaven; it is too peaceful a place for my liking," said Mr. Still, amidst laughter.

Contrast in Spain. Contrasting life in the Spanish seaport of Huelva on a visit made in November with one made two years ago, Captain Ellery, master of the • British steamer Beatus, which arrived , at Auckland on Tuesday from Texas, ■ stated that the civil war had impoverished the people of the town. Huelva, a Nationalist port, was gay I two years ago with cafes and life, but when the Beatus paid a recent visit i to load pyrites ore for the Uni'eri' ; States the strain of war was-seen ini the poor clothing and food of the m-l . habitants. Family's Roving Life. Travelling as passenger on 'hell British tramp steamer Beatus, which I reached Auckland on Tuesday from Texas, are the wife and young son of | the ship's master. Captain Ellery. |, Mrs. Ellery has mace three voyages' with different ships commanded by! her husband since 1930, but her son. Michael, who will be seven vears old this month, is on his first voyage. ' The boy is following family tradition as Captain Ellery was at sea when young with his father. A log hook 1 is being kept for Michael, who has 1 now covered 14,000 miles, including ’ visits to Spain and the United States. ’ A Doorkeeper’s Duties. < Speculation as to the function of a ■ man whom a sergeant of police said he saw standing at the door of a city i hotel on frequent occasions caused a i certain amount of amusement in the : Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Coun- 1

sei for the hotel licensee said the i man s duties were perhaps to keep Mid Vhot eSirable Pe ° ple ' The 1 i j tPat ° n some occasions the man ’ had seen hint coming and had stepped ■ back and pressed a bell. "His job l then was to give a warning of the approach of the police," said counsel ,h , sur l’ riseri counsel should make ) Mr w V Mid - the i Mr. W. R. McKean, with a smile. "It , is not an admission, but just a suc- ’ gestion,” replied counsel. ■ Huge Entries. About 354 individual competitors ; competed at the Caledonian Games Southland. These included 75 axemen and sawyers, 70 professional and i amateur cyclists, 51 dancers, 26 ■ pipers, 32 field athletes, 11 wrestlers, 38 clay bird marksmen and il6 miniature rifle marksmen. There - were also model aeroplane flyers but - no return of these was kept. ' The J competitors came from all parts of the South Island—Christchurch, Timaru. Oamaru. Dunedin and Balclutha. In addition there was one athletic i competitor from Whangarei and two Australian axemen. Cat Mothers Rabbit. Purring happily, and caressing a baby rabbit, a black cat has been the centre of interest to visitors to a North Auckland beach during the past week. The rabbit, when a few hours old. was found by a kindhearted girl, and introduced to the cat. whose family of kittens, like the newcomer, had not opened their eyes. Instead of consuming the little stranger, the mother cat gave it a warm welcome, and in addition to providing it with warmth, has supplied it with nourishment to such effect that the long-eared member of the family is growing rapidly. Just how the idyll will end is intriguing those who have watched developments so far.

Patient Treated by Radin. An interesting experience befell Dr. P. C. Davie, New Plymouth, when he was travelling to England during the early part of last month on the steamer Fordsdale. The master of the Larchbank, which was going from Fiji to Panama, advised the Fordsdale by radio that he had aboard a man who had been ill for four days. Although the vessels were 900 miles apart Dr. Davie received a report which suggested that the man was suffering from appendix trouble. Further inquiries made him decide that it was not. and he advised treatment accordingly. . Both the doctor and the captain of the Larchbank were in communication twice daily afterwards. The patient progressed satisfactorily under Dr. Davies' treatment. Unwatering of .Mine. Such good progress has been made with the unwatering of the flooded Hikurangi coal mine during the past few weeks that it is expected that coal production will recommence before the end of this week. The mine was flooded by a sudden inrush of water early in November. Although at first the efforts of the pumps to cope with the inrush were not very successful better progress has lately been made. Already a number of miners have been re-engaged, and it is hoped that by the end of the week most of the men will be at work in the mine again.