Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 85, 8 November 1939, Page 4

Local and General

Clansman Due To-day.

The N.S.S. Co. advises that the Clansman left Auckland yesterday and is due to arrive at Whakatane during this afternoon. The Usual Experience. Well-known personality informed an audience on Thursday evening that the fish merchants in Auckland ... "had been ordered to reduce their number from eight to three, or else..." Here he paused for some time. In fact it was a long wait and nothing more. Quite the usual experience with fish. Fine Week-end. Very humid conditions prevailed on Friday and although the atmosphere cleared on Saturday morning, there was a hint or two that rain would rob the community of their Guy Fawkes celebrations. However, the threat passed, and extremely favourable conditions allowed the day to be marked in the usual manner. Sunday was hot but the heat Avas tempered somewhat by a strong breeze from the sea, and this continued on Monday. <

Relation to Whale. "While fishing from the wharf on ; Sunday morning, Mr W. R. Sloane hooked what he probably thought to be a full brother to the whale which was sighted, on Saturday afternoon. His catch proved to be a twenty-pound king fish, a fish of a size rarely hooked near the town. Mr Sloane had had the misfortune to lose a similar iish on Saturday when the gut to which the triple hook was attached proved to be not strong enough. Mr Sloaiie fitted a steel trace for Sunday's effort and the fish found it impossible to bite through this.

J Searchlights on the Cliff. I There was intense activity on the Whakatane front on Saturday night. The sound of the various crackers and whizbangs was not unlike the noise of musketry and at one time a prolonged burst rather suggested a pair of machine guns in action. There was nothing comparable to the heavier noise of artillery but a further note of realism was introduced by the lights of the cars returning from Ohope. As they turned the bend on top of the cliff their headlights pointed skywards and the more powerful were extremely suggestive bf searchlights in operation.

Fishing. Fishing conditions were ideal over the week-end and all boats which weri* on the grounds report fair catches. To-day's Map. Laconic appreciation of the fluid state of modern history has been expressed by a Wellington businessman by the addition of the world to a map of Europe hanging in his olfice. Over the map title, "Map of Europe," he has printed "To-day's."'' 'Plane Over Whalcatane. On Monday afternoon an aeroplane was observed to be circling the town at a great height. Residents were unable to identify the machine, which was visible for half an hour, and the matter was communicated to the P. and T. authorities. Armistice Day. The observance of the customary two minutes' silence on Armistice Day, November 11, from 11 a.m. is officially requested in the Gazette, In which an appeal is made to all citizens and traffic control authorities for a suspension of traffic during that period. Absence of Fires. Usually the ceremony attached to Guy Fawke's night is productive of some damage by fire, because, although the majority of people exercise care in their handling of fireworks and the management of the bonfire which is in most of the back yards, accidents can happen and a sudden change in the wind or a swirl in an air current can lift flame and sparks to places thought perfectly safe. Though Saturday night was breezy there was no damage by fire in the town. Maori Battalion. The military authorities advise that a medical board will be on duty in Whakatane on Saturday, November 11, for the examination , of recruits for the Maori Battalion. The authorities hope that the men will attend the examinations at the j specified time so that there will not be any delay. We would point out 1 to the men concerned that as there c are 45 in this town a rigorous ad- * herence to the<r instructions for re- * porting is necc-ssary to enable the S medical board to work to schedule. C