NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 287, 5 December 1939, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

J,arge Eel ( aught. f While fishing from the Waioeka Bridge at Opotiki, two girls hooked an eel which was so large that they were unable to handle it. The line was taken over by a young man. who landed it after a struggle. The eel weighed 261 b., oeing sft. 3in. in length, “Drive a Man Crazy.” During the hearing of a case in the Christchurch Supreme Court, Mr. K. W. Walton was discussing various factors which might prev on a man’s nervous condition. “I should imagine that mooning around the home, doing his wife's housework, is more likely to drive a man crazy than anything else, ’ said Mr. Justice Northcroft. Grading of Teachers. The system of grading teachers as it operates in New Zealand is as good as any in the world.” said Mr. T. A. Morland (senior inspector of schools in Otago) at the quarterly meeting of the Otago School Committees’ Association. Visitors frcm overseas have on various occasions had some very critical and synical things to say about the system, but so far none of them has put forward any suggestion or idea to surpass it.' Divorce Deluge. In five hours in the Supreme Court al Auckland last Tuesday two judges Mr. Justice Smith and Mr. Justice Fair, disposed of 82 petitions for divorce and restitution of conjugal rights. In recent sessions there nave been many busy days when undefended divorce cases have been dealt with, but Tuesday’s tally established a record for a one-day sitting in Auckland. Mr. Justice Herdman hoids the record tor a single day. by one judge, when he disposed of 60 cases. Clever Schoolgirl.

An eight-year-old Papakura school- | girl, Patricia Thorpe, made an un- I usually line showing in the recent annual examinations at the local public ' school. A pupil in Standard I, she was ! awarded 100 marks each for arithme- i tic, geography, drawing and handwork. In the other subjects, she gained 95 marks for composition. 92 for spelling, 90 for writing, 84 for grammar. 83 lor lecitatiow, and 80 for mental arithmetic, giving an average of 92.4. She was placed first in a class of 54 children. Seaweed Harvest. The stiff north-easterly wind which prevailed in Auckland last week brought with it the usual harvest of seaweed to litter the beaches. At this time of the year, however, the weed is not allowed to remain long above high-water level, there to attract millions of flies, for it is in much demand by gardeners. From every beach near Auckland men with sacks can be seen busily engaged “reaping the harvest.” The seaweed makes a good manure when dug into the garden, and is supposed to oe particularly good lor tomatoes, tending to make mem blight free. Auckland's Milk Consumption. The daily consumption of milk in Auckland is now approaching 20,000 gallons, and in the live years the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council has been operating the annual increase has been an average of about 250,000 gallons, 't he 1939 figure is 1,403,711 gallons in excess of tnat for the council’s first year, 1934. The increase* has not been wholly due to the free issue of milk to schools or to the greater popularity of milk bars, because in 1935-36 the increase was 500,000 gallons. Turkey-Katsing. Turkey-raising is becoming more popular in the Dominion, according to the latest statistics, which show' a total of 86,102 birds, or 7.85 per cent, more than at the last census in 1924. Auckland, with 45,388, has more than half the total, with Canterbury away down the list with 6871 turkeys. Ashburton county is Canterbury’s turkey centre, with a total of 1490 birds.

i Smiles in Court. An original explanation, which made the Court laugh, was given by one defendant who appeared in the Christchurch Magistrate s Court on a charge of proceeding against an automatic signal. The defendant said he had been talking to his wife, and had moved on to the crossing before he noticed the i ed light. It was then too late to stop, | but, he added, he had pulled up at the next corner. Laughing, Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., said that the excuse was original, and he would accordingly impose only a 10s fine. Footballers Should Box. Every footballer should learn to box, said the Rev. E. L. B. Gribble, vicar ot Okato and honorary instructor to the Coastal Boxing Cluo. at the club’s annual dinner. Football was a game which was inclined to make a man bad-tempered, whereas boxing tended to make a man gooa-tempered, and that would be reiiected in his* play. The only time that he had ever oeen inclined to lose his head was when playing football, and he had seen instances of that m Taranaki football. Kilts for Scottish Regiments. ■ The chairman of the St. Andrew's Day concert held in the Wellington Town Hall last week. Mr. J. G. ivlacKenzie, made one of the briefest speeches on record when introducing the Maytr, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, as the speaker of the evening. He said, ’ 1 have much pleasure in announcing that the kilts for the New Zealand Scottish have at last been ordered from the Old Country, and we expect they wili be here in a few months' I time.” The announcement was receivjed Wjith great applause.

New Church Year. The First Sunday of Advent, which I fell last Sunday, marked the Beginning [of a new ecclesiastical year, according to the calendar of the Anglican I Church. Advent is a penitential season, in which Christians are expected Ito prepare themselves spiritually for ■ the second coming of Christ. It extends juntil Christmas and is marked in most l churches by the removal of the green I nangmgs which have been in place I since Trinity Sunday, a period of nearby six months, and the substitution of | others coloured violet. Whisky Imports. A reference to New Zealand's importation last year of £413,000 worth ot w hisky was made by the Rev. A. H. Nordmeycr, M.P., in an address at Invercargill, and it caused some amusement. A man in the audience promptly jcalled out: "We could do without it,” and the speaker agreed with him. “Why not encourage the manufacture of it here?” asked another interjector, and Mr. Nordmeyer replied: “It is manufactured to a minor extent here, but my friend suggests a legitimate < trade and not the illegitimate trade ‘ with which Invercargillites are familiar.