Tourist AND Traveller

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1516, 15 May 1919, Page 38

Tourist AND Traveller

HERE AND THERE.

His Excellency the Governor-G'en-eral had a day’s shooting in the Waiwera district last Thursday securing 12 brace of quail.

Dr. Young, of Invercargill, has left en route to Europe.

Major H. Peacock has been appointed A.Q.M.G. of the Auckland province.

Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P., has been elected patron of the Hawke’s Bay Referees’ Association.

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Riddiford, Wellington, are passengers by the Makura for America.

Mr. R. A. Ewing, of Dunedin, is leaving on a visit to the United States by the Makura.

Mr. Jesse Steer has been elected chairman of the Greymouth Harbour Board for the fifth year in succession.

Mr. Frank Cameron has been appointed to take up the work of organiser of the Hawke’s Bay branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

Mr. E. H. Hiley, late General Manager of Railways, will leave New Zealand for the Old Country by the Remuera on June 5 next.

Captain F. Jelley, of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Wellington staff, left by the Hororata on a six months’ holiday to recruit his health.

Mrs. A. W. Rutherford and Miss Emily Rutherford (Canterbury) are leaving Auckland by the Makura for America.

Mr. Bryce Tweedie has been elected president of the Napier branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association for the ensuing year.

Lieutenant-Colonel O’Neill, D. 5.0., C.M.G., has returned to Dunedin, after four and a-half year’s war service.

Mr. Malcolm Fraser, the Government Statistician, is about to proceed to England to attend the Imperial Statisticians’ Conference.

Mr. George Towns, ex-champion sculler of the world, has recently been laid up in Sydney with an attack of bronchitis.

Mr. Frank Bridges, Napier’s crack swimmer, was farewelled at the municipal baths by the members of the Napier Swimming Club, and presented with a set of military hair brushes.

Mr. J. A. Redpath, of J. A. Redpath and Sons, Wellington and Christchurch, is about to leave on a trip to Europe. The Canterbury Bowling Club, of which he is president, has made him a presentation.

At the annual meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, Mr. E. F. Stead pointed out that the snowstorm last winter had killed most of the fantails and tom-tits, but he hoped that after a few fine seasons they would increase again. He appealed to members to ask their children to do their best to protect these birds.

Since the opening of the season there have been an unusually large number of sportsmen in quest of feathered game throughout Central Otago. Some fine bags are recorded, one of the best being that obtained by a small party in the Poolburn Gorge—72 grey ducks in two days. The Lakes district has been well patronised, and the sport there is reported to have been good. It seems that the ducks are more plentiful than they have been for years.

Mr. and Mrs. William Elliot, of Mountain Road, Epsom, are sailing for England by the Corinthic.

Mr. and Mrs. Cockburn-Hood (Masterton) intend leaving shortly on a visit to Canada.

Sportsmen in the Wellington district complain of the prevalence of inferior and malformed heads among the deer in the thermal district. It is considered that rigorous culling, such as is adopted with South Island herds, is necessary.

Mr. Robert Bell, managing director of the “Lyttelton Times” Company, Ltd., who has been in indifferent health for the last four months, leaves for America in the Moana, which is due to sail about the end of May. He will be accompanied on his trip to America by his youngest son, Mr. Charles Bell.

At the Anzac Day entertainment in Wellington, Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Powles, C.M.G., D. 5.0., paid a great tribute to the horsemastership of the colonial troops. He said that in South Africa they had been told that they were very good riders, but they did not know how to take care of the horses. But now they were horse masters. During his experience he has seen Indian cavalry, French cavalry, and all other mounted troops, but none of.them had held out like the New Zealand troops. The Yeomanry had to retire, and the Indian cavalry had to drop out to rest, and reorganise, but the New Zealanders fought right through without a spell.

An interesting discussion took place at the meeting of the Dunedin Acclimatisation Society as the result of a letter received from the Minister of Marine stating that prohibition of worm fishing in trout streams was under consideration by the Government. Some speakers pointed out that worm fishing was the cause of the deterioration of fishing all over the world; while others contended that if it were prohibited it would mean that the society would lose fully 25 per cent, of fishing licenses. There was plenty of worm fishing, others said, but the true sportsman still used the fly or the minnow. The chairman suggested that they should set apart one stream for fly fishing only, as was done in parts of the North Island and in privately-owned streams in Scotland. A motion that the society should support the abolishing of worm fishing was lost by a substantial majority.

At the annual meeting of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, several members expressed their disgust at the manner in which some so-called sportsmen were ■ shooting hinds, when their licenses only permit shooting of two stags; and it was decided to bring about a prosecution for such a breach of the Gaming Act at the earliest opportunity. Regarding pheasants it was stated that a limited number of mature birds have been liberated so far this season, but many more are ordered and will be distributed round the district during August and September. Deer have considerably increased, and good heads are being obtained.

Mr. H. S. Russell and Mr. W. McBride, who recently returned from a deer-stalking expedition at the head of Lake Hawea, report having enjoyed some excellent sport, their bag including a handsome 14 pointer, and a very good head of 15 points. They found the deer very unsettled and not too plentiful. Np other good heads besides those secured were seen. Both stalkers filled their respective licenses. They were on Cameron’s block, a high and rough one which has not been thoroughly shot over for about five years. Feed was plentiful and the deer were in good condition, though the heads were lighter than in normal years.

It is stated in Napier, in connection with the shooting season, that ducks are fairly plentiful but are keeping to the sanctuaries where they cannot be shot. Pheasants are not much in evidence. Very average bags are recorded in most cases, but one or two parties have had good fortune. A party of two near Hastings got 66 in the first two days of the season. A party of 'five visited the Waipukurau lake and got 90 birds in three days, while another. party of about half a dozen got 81 birds in the Petane district. Seventeen for one gun was the record for Waipukurau.

An incident of unresented familiarity on the part of a defendant recently caused amusement in the Adelaide Police Court (S.A.) When a young man was ordered to pay 17s. 6d. for the maintenance of his two children, the magistrate, in a charitable mood, remarked, “To help you, I’ll not make any order against you for costs.” The defendant: “Thank you, old boy.” The magistrate, as defendant left the court, remarked, “I know he didn’t intend to be rude.”

Mrs. Kate Guazzini, who is now in Sydney, in speaking of her experience of the influenza scourge in South Africa six months ago, said that the coloured troops on the transport Gina Slav, from London, arrived with illness aboard, and as they were not quarantined they spread the infection soon after they landed. Mrs. Guazzini nursed at the General Hospital in Johannesburg for six weeks, and then she became infected herself. “I was kept alive on brandy and milk for six weeks,” she said. “That, with quinine and hot lemon drinks, were found to be the only effective remedies. Lemons were so scarce they cost Is. 6d. each, and all the hospitals bought up as many as possible.”

A rare catch was made by a Sydney resident, Mr. G. Cathcart, whilst recently fishing with a rod for blackfish at North Bondi, when he hooked and landed an albino black-fish weighing about l%lb. Instances of albinism among this variety of one of Australia’s most prolific fish are rare. Instead of being a pure or creamy white, as so many albinos are in other branches of zoology, this specimen’ was of golden colour. It was taken to the Sydney Museum, and will be added to the fine collection of fishes

there. Mr. Cathcart says he has often seen this golden-coloured fish among the black-fish shoals at North Bondi, and he wonders whether it was one of a distinct family. One nearly completely golden-coloured was caught near the Boot at Bondi.

The-Minister of Marine is advising acclimatisation societies that the a question of prohibiting worm 'fishing in all trout rivers is under consideration, but before coming to a decision he has asked for an opinion from societies on the matter. Ashburton anglers, according to the “Guardian,” express their intention to oppose strongly any steps the Department might take with the object of prohibiting worm 'fishing, so far, at least, as the Ashburton district is concerned.

Mr. Bernard Capes, the well-known novelist, died in England recently. “The Bake of Wine,” published 20 years ago, was his first book. Though his style is somewhat artificial, it achieves the author’s evident purpose of suggesting an atmosphere removed from the things of every day.

A deputation from the executive of the Labour Party recently waited on the Australian Premier at Adelaide (S.A.) and requested an amendment of the crimnal code with a view to the abolition of capital punishment. The Premier said that he still believed in capital punishment. The Government intended to reintroduce the bill next session to provide for the punishment that would fit the crime. Capital punishment was a vindication of the law, “Thou shalt do no murder.”

Mr. R. W. Dalton, British Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, in the course of an interview at Wolverhampton, said that a feature of the New Zealand market was that Americans supplied attractive showcards with their goods, thus constituting a factor worthy of beingtaken into serious consideration. By far the greater proportion of the hardware trade in New Zealand was British, yet the goods shown in shop 4? windows were largely American, simply because the articles were more attractive in appearance. The New Zealand market generally had grown very prosperous since the war, and a great increase in the buying power of the country might be expected during the next couple of years. * * ♦ ♦ It is interesting to note to what a considerable degree war work —taken up as a matter of patriotic duty—is providing our young women with careers, says the “Daily Mail.” Many of the girls who learnt to drive military motor cars are seeking' this sort of employment in civil life. Large numbers of land girls have decided to become small holders, and, very properly, they are to be given equal opportunities with men for taking up land under the Government Settlement Scheme. Women who helped in military canteens have developed a culinary talent for which they are finding lucrative civil employment; others have discovered an organising ability which henceforth will be applied to the control of an important branch of some catering establishment.