LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 1 May 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Cat's Ordeal To be accidentally locked m a cabin trunk without food or .water for 10 days was the experience of Peter, a tabby cat belonging to Mrs. P. C. Firth, a resident of Epsom, Auckland. Except for having lost 21b in weight, the animal did not appear • to be adversely affected when released. Influenza in Samoa The outbreak of influenza m Samoa was well under controi, said the Parliamentary UnderSecretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. A. G. Osborne, last. night, No medical or nufsing assistance or drugs were required, he said. A cable message from Apia, pubiished yesteraay, said that an epidemic had been raging for two weeks. Killing of Opossttms "From May 1, 1947, there will no longer be any necessity to obtain a licence or permit for the taking or killing of opossums at any cime of the year," said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, yesterday. Mr. Parry said that- it i was still neeessary ■ for the consent of ' the occupier of the land concerned to bb ,!obtained. The new regulations also provided ; that, in addition to. other meth1 ods by which these animals had been taken, they might now be shot. Outsize in Troutl 1 O'ne of the jbiggest catchqs of large fish for ' seVeral years and the record for the season, was taken in Lake Tarawera during the last five day$ when Major.C. F. Gordon, of Rotorua, caught 14 fish aggregating 192 Ib. The largest, a jack rainbow trout, turned the scales at 175 lbs and the smallest weighed lQi lbs. Lake Tarawera has always had a reputation for outside fish but it is very seldom that ^o many are : landed in one continuous period of angling. Three Children Iiijured While Mr. W. R. McNab, school- . teacher, of Pohangina, was driv- , ing school children home in his car yesterday afternoon, he was involved in a callision with a lorry belonging to the ManawatuOroua Power Boara on Zig-Zag hill. Three of the children, June Turner, aged 10 .years, Doreen Hyde, aged 7 years and Htigh Hili, aged 8 years, suffered severe lacerations to the head and had to be taken to Feilding for medical attention and in the case of one of the children, retention in hospital for further observation. To Visit Britain The High Commissioner for the United Kmgdom, Sir Patrick Duff , and Lady Duff will leave Wellington in the Rangitata for a visit to Britain. They expect to be back in a few mpnths' time. In Sir Fatrick Diiff's absen'ce Mr. Norman Costar, official secretary in the office of the High Commissioner, will be acting-High Commissioner for the United Kingdom. In accordance with normal United King'dom regulations, it is usual for High Commissioners for the United Kingdom to have a period at home in Britain about the mid-term of their tour of duty overseas. American Prices There has been a marked reces-' sion in prices of goods, though not in those .of services, in the United States recentiy, said Mr. R. G. Watkins, of Auckland, when he arrived by East Indian clipper after a business trip to the •United States. He said reductions had followed an appeal by President Truman and also reflected the reluctance of the general public to eontinue paying increasingly high prices. The reductions. var-ied from about 10 to 20 per cent., Mr. Watkins said, but, according to New Zealand standards prices were> still high. A decent meal cost up to three dollars, and for J a dollar one could obtain only a very ordinary meal worth eighteenpence in New Zea'land.