Local & General

Chronicle (Levin), 6 January 1949, Page 4

Local & General

Power Failure When a technical breakdown occurred at Mangahao hydro-electric station yesterday, power in the district was off for nearly an hour. The breakdown occurred between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., and caused some inconvenience in factories and to, housewives preparing the evening meal. Failing Tree Kills Child A child 'received .injuries from which he later died when a tree fell on him at Henderson. He was: Michael Ormrod, aged four, son of Mrs. Muriel Ormrod, of Palmerston North. Wattle trees were being felled on a property on which the child was playing. One struck him, eausing extensive head injuries. Visit to Rua's Stronghold The first east-to-west traverse for 14 years of the mountainous historic Rua track, in 'the Urewera Uountry, to Hinu Puwai Pa, at the i'oot of Maungapohatu, the former stronghold of the Maori prophet Rua, has been accomplished by seven trampers in five and a-haif clays. They were hospitably receivecl by the rangitira, Te Heu Heu Miki. Deluge at Pohangina The exceptionaliy heavy fall of rain on Monday afternoon in the lulls above Pohangina was measured by a rain gauge situated at Te Awa, which was approximately the centre of the deluge. The gauge showed that 3.515in. fell in an hour and a half from 3 p.m. According io local residents this is the heaviest fall in the district since 1936. The gauge, however, was hot in use at that time. It ha§ since been established by the Grasslands Division and the Soil Conservation Council. "Red Sea" Almost one year to a day since it was last seen, a mysterious red patch has reappeared in the sea at New Plymouth,, moving about for over a week without merging with the surrounding green. People who have investigated it have failed to find any foreign matter or evidence that any ship has discharged anything which might have discoloured the water. A theory that the ■ discoloration is the result of a| battle of sea monsters is discount- I ed by the length of time the water i remains red. Ox Eats Cartridge Cases A builock which was slaughtered at the Whangarei Municipal Abattoir on Tuesday should have been an ostrich — in its stomach were found stones, glass and 30 cartridge cases of various calibres. Originally the material weighed about 3 lb. The Purua man from whose farrn the builock was bought was at a loss to understand the phenoinenon, for cattle rarely eat anything other than their normal fcdder. The farmer has no rifle range near his property to explain whence the cartridges came. .Apart from the strange food, the builock was perfectly healthy and of average weight. Poison Weed Killing Trout. Tutu poisoning, usually consid*ered a malady peculiar to livestock, has caused the death of many trout in Taranaki streams, according to the observations of angiers. They blame the weed for the hitherto mysterious increase in fish mortality at this time of, the year. The innocent agent is the bronze beetle, progenitor of the grass grub. In their short swarming season, bronze beetles are ravenous eaters and not verywatchful of their diet. Tutu is not their meat, but they swiftly eaCit and just as swiftly die many fall into streams and are soon gobbled up by trout whiGh in their turn are poisoned too.

( Arnong the passengers on the ! Wanganella from Sydney were six !New Zealand veterinarians who ihave completed their four-year 1 course at Sydney University and a Massey College graduate (Mr. J. B. Paton), who has been studying shearing ~ and wool-store methods in Australia. ; " . t- jaiai Motto' for Christchurch A motto in Engiish being considered "not done," Christchurch j selected for its new coat of arms j the words "Fide condita, fruc'tu ibeata, spe fortis." Freely transi lated, these mean "FoUnded in i faith, rich in the fulfilment there- ! of, strong in the hope for the j future." The motto was considered i ideal by three professors of elasI sics, and "the least horrible" by ; one member when the City Council selected it as the best of three natin mottoes submitted for consideration. Bowlers' Attire The hardy annual of bowlers' attire came up for discussion at a meeting of the Christchurch BoWling Centre, when it was reported that for pennant matches bn Saturdays, some players were turning put in blue suits, in other than white shirts, and generally ignoring the centre ^s ruling on the subject. It was decided to wam players that action might be taken if they did not conform to the decision reached last season — that, as eream or white flannels were hard to get, -play would be permitted in grey flannels and white shirts -only as an alternative to whites. Car Crashes Over Wall Returnihg from a dance in the early hours o'f Tuesday morning, a small motor car driVen by Mr. David Ian Green, aged 21, a motor mechanic, who was accompanied by his brother, Mr.. Russell Green, aged 20, and Mr. Brian Barriball, aged 21, both farm hands, and all residents of Hauraki Plains, left the road and crashed over a protecting'wall on to the rocks below Whakatete Bay, Thames. The' driyer received severe head injuries from which he succumbed later. Mr. Russell Green received abrasions to the head and f ace and minor injuries and Mr. Barriball received a broken leg 'and serious head injuries. \