General News

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21409, 27 February 1935, Page 10

General News

* Land Successfully Reclaimed The growth of the marram grass planted at the Bottle Lake Reserve to bind the sand behind the foredune is proving very satisfactory, according to Mr M. J. Barnett, superintendent of reserves, who visited the area yesterday. The fascines, composed of stakes made of pine thinnings from the reserve and manuka from Chaneys were erected along the foreshore two years ago for a distance of two and a half miles. Since then the sand has piled up on both sides, forming the foredune, and the land thus reclaimed is well protected from further deposits of sand. The dune is almost sufficiently formed for the erection of another tier of fascines. With the growth of the marram the shifting of the sand will be checked and the land made ready for tree planting. Most of the trees planted on the reserve are pinus radiata; pinus laricio, however, is also grown, and in low lying parts which will not support other trees pinus ponderosa has been found very successful.

Damage to Rowan Trees Evidence of the unexplained disease which is causing considerable damage among rowan or mountain ash trees was found in the garfm at Messrs Borthwick and Sons' freezing works during the judging of the factory gardens competition, which was continued yesterday. The manager, Mr F. S. Smail, said that a oranch of one of the affected trees had been sent to the Cawthron Institute. but that it had been found impossible te> obtain a satisfactory diagnosis of the trouble. Mr M. J. Barnett, one of the judges, said that many trees were being affected, though the rowan was never at any time a long-lived tree.

Help of Newspapers "We live by the newspapers, we could not live without them," declared the conductor of the Christchurch Harmonic Society, Mr Victor C. Peters, at the annual meeting of the society last evening. "Every business man in the world knows that he cannot make a success of his business without advertising," continued Mr Peters. "If you do not believe it, try writing out, say, 30,000 circulars. The newspapers help us in two ways—with the advertising space and with the report. The second night of our concerts is always the big night, because of the newspaper reports, although, fortunately, the critics are outspoken if they do not like our singing. We owe a lot to the newspapers; they can put us out of existence, or they can help us, and they have chosen to help us. The newspapers are our best friends." Bequest to Auckland Hospital The Auckland Hospital will benefit under the will of Mr Joseph Butler, formerly manager of the Kauri Timber Company, Ltd. The board has been advised that it is to receive a bequest of £SOO and that it has been given an interest in part of the residue of the estate, which will bring a further £IOOO. The board has recorded its appreciation of the gift, but so far no decision has been made as to how the money will be ex-

ponded. The Right Time The accuracy of the time recorded by the Christchurch Post Office clock was called into question by Mr 11. T. Armstrong in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Armstrong was urging the Government to allow B stations to broadcast advertisements. He said that a Christchurch B station had been in the habit of announcing the time as Petersen's time. This had been stopped, however, on the ground that it was advertising. The Prime Minister: Was the time always right? Mr Armstrong: If the station had wished to give the wrong time, it should have consulted the Christchurch Post Ollice clock. I think this must have been a device to give Christchurch people the right time. —Parliamentary Reporter. Tribute to New Zealand Youth "New Zealand children have a wonderful heritage. What would we not give in England for your surf, your sunshine, and the freedom to enjoy it?" said Mr J. C. Fishenden, formerly chairman of the Royal Lifesaving Society of London, when interviewed in Palmerston North the other day. "I consider the few Zealand boys and girls abnormally advanced in their physical development," said Mr Fishenden. "It is due to nothing more or less than their being given the freedom of the beaches, the beautiful water, openair life, and element of risk in the surf at an age when our youth in England is developing into weedy boys and girls 14 to 18 years of age. It is no wonder that the children in this country are so sturdily built." Water Polo in the Street During the height of the rain on Friday, the inhabitants of New Plymouth were cheered up by the sight of a dozen or so bronzed life-savers, in swimming costume, engaged in a fast and furious game of all-in water polo in the four feet of water which covered the lower part of Devon street. The "ball" was a pumpkin washed out of a fruiterer's and pressed into service by an enthusiastic member of the Lyall Bay Surf Club. Praise for Publicity Enthusiastic praise for the publicity being given to New Zealand as a tourist resort was expressed last week by Viscount Chaplin, who with Viscountess Chaplin arrived by the Mariposa on a holiday visit to the Dominion. Both the High Commissioner for the Dominion in London and the officers of the Government Tourist Department, stated Viscount Chaplin, had done everything in

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