Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 99, 11 December 1939, Page 4

Local and General

Witness Congratulated. "I would like to congratulate the witness who was a passenger in the car on the manner in which he gave his evidence," said Mr A. Coleman, S.M., on Wednesday, after hearing a charge of negligent driving brought against John. Andrew Baird. It Is not everyone who, under the circumstances, could present his evidence in the same way." No Honours List. It has been officially announced from Government House that the customary honours list will not be published at the New Year. It is the intention, however, that the list to

be published on the (lay appointed for the official celebration of His Majesty's birthday in the United Kingdom, which next year is Thursday, June 13. shall be of somewhat greater length than usual. The Christmas Spirit. Two of the iner unloading the Clansman on Friday were display ing exuberance. Perhaps it was the beautifully sunny day; it might have been pay day: or the Christmas spirit ruled. The men had a hand truck and on their return to the ship's side from the outer doors of the wharf sheds their passage was obstructed by a motor lorry. One stamped the ground heavily in an attempt at a haka and the other yapped like n dog. Ships and Their Colour. British merchant ships which were painted a sombre grey immediately after the war broke out (states the "Dominion") are now being repainted in their former bright colours. An Australian naval authority told a recent interviewer that the Admiralty had not given any instructions for ships to be painted grey. Shipping companies had acted on their own initiative at the outbreak of the war the shipping companies agreed almost unanimously that their ships would have a greater chance of dodging enemy shells and torpedoes if they were painted gre3 r , which, it is claim ed, Avould be hard to distinguish at sea from a distance. It has been found, however, that the enemy has been able to recognise British ships from a long distance because of the uniform grey paint. By the change back to the normal bright colours, it is hoped that the enemy will not have such an easy task in distinguishing British ships, and that a submarine, before bring a torpedo, would have to come close enough, and pedhaps appeur on the surface, to fire a "shot, to ascertain the nationality of the ship it has under observation. '

The Name We Know. A speaker at a luncheon in Christchurch gave some examples of the humour attaching to the selection of Maori names lor houses. These are some of them: Wharekuri, a dog kennel; waerenga, soup; waiwere, hot water; kumera, potato; whakatane, give me a husband; ohinetaki, the place of one daughter. A frequent sign of ignorance was the gate bearing the name haeremai or naumai (welcome), with "Beware of the Dog" underneath! And just look at what lie has for Whakatane! Sea and Air. Both in the Government Court and in the British Pavilion at the Centennial Exhibilion there are exhibits which trace the history of aviation and of shipping. The quaint machines in which men first tempted fortune in the air are like children's drawings, full of energy and imagination, put dangerous as practical models. The British Court exhibits the history of shipping from the coracle to the Queen Mary, not omitting the historic Dunedin which first took frozen meat from New Zealand to England. A series of charming paintings in the' Navy Department's exhibit in the Government Court shows the historic ships that have visited New Zealand waters from Tasman's cockle-shells to H.M.S. Philomel of happy memory. "Serge Me!" Even the commanding officer laughed. He had to. The reply Avas so apt and so quick. It Avas the rule in this camp that the men should change their working denims for serge uniforms AAiien they went into mess. On this eA-ening every man had changed into serge except one, and there he sat somewhat conspicuously. So conspicuous Avas he Avhen the commanding officer came in for his usual meal-time round, he immediately noticed the one soldier who had erred. "Where's your serge?" he asked. Then it AA 7 as that the officer and indeed the Avhol'e mess laughed, for the soldier as quick as light made his classic reply, "Serge me, sir." Giants —Old and New. "One is ahvays being told of the giants of the old days—of the stalAvarts from the Wairarapa Avho used to be in the fifteen, and one is told that the physique of the present-day boy does not compare Avitli the old days," said Mr W. A. Armour, prin- j cipal of the Wellington Boys' College, at an old boys' function. But facts seemed to belie these assertions he said. At present there Avere in the college 14 boys 6ft tall or over, the tallest being 6ft 2%in. in height, and 14 boys Aveighed 12 stone or more, the heaviest being 15 stone 81b in w.eight, and four others being 13 stone. I

Novel Advertising. Two figures, advertising the Poro Poro school concert, paraded the Strand on Fi-.day evening in a truly wonderful garb. They had taken the precaution to mask their faces and the crowd of, small boys taking so much interest never satisfied in their desire to learn the identities. Clansman in Port. The N.S.S. Go's auxiliary vessel Clansman arrived on Thursday with a general cargo aggregating 230 tons. For the return trip, begun on Saturday- afternoon, she carried one of the largest consignments of cheese that has left this port for some time, 191 crates being loaded. In addition there were .>/4'2 boxes ))f butter in the hold and benzine drum.? also were carried. Out of season. Although it is commonly believed that because of its altitude, Rotorua is a month or six weeks behind other parts of the Bay of Plenty as far as the seasons are concerned, at least one seasonal delicacy has appeared in the district earlier than usual. While not plentiful, mushrooms have been gathered i n several places at Ngongotaha in the last few days. Residents of the district state that it is extremely rare for mushrooms to be gathered there at this time of the year. Bare Facts. Capering gleefully in front of the traffic to the Heads last Friday, two chocolate coloured imps without a stitch to shield their nakedness caused something of a diversion to the motorists. The infants had evidently taken a dip in the rock pool immediately below the road and defied convention by dashing on to the road where they joined in deriding the passing cars and cheered at the - smiling passengers More Fancy Dress. A splendid -example of what it means to advertise was seen in the town on Saturday morning. An an'Cient 'baby' car had its good points stressed in white all over it. The car possessed the name of "Galloping Gertie" and, :«mong other things, was said to be upholstered in moquette. Investigation proved that the moquette was a piece of curtain material draped inaitistically over the bare steel rim of one of the front seats.