FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 10

FIFTY YEARS AGO

FROM ‘STAR' FILES Captain Fairchild’s evidence, given before the Public Petitions Committee, in reference to the destruction of sea birds in the outlying islands of the colony, contains some items of interest, lie s'aid that birds are being destroyed promiscuously on the Maccjuarie Islands for their skins and oil, irrespective of considerations as to breeding time there. They will be exterminated in about five years, after which the destroyers could turn their attention to tho various islands near New Zealand. As to the fur seal, it had almost disappeared from the outlying islands, poachers knowing that they could only be prevented by the New Zealand Government sending a special vessel to watch them. The only place where fur seals are now numerous is on an island off Westport, where any poachers would ho detected from the Cape Foulwind Lighthouse and the town of,Westport. There the seals are breeding very fast, and Captain Fairchild counted 54 last February. Ho does not think that it would be of any use removing the animals to restock D’Urville or other inlands- as had been suggested, because they would be most likely to return to their old habitation and could not be kept anywhere near the haunts of man. It seems there .are about 20 men employed in destroying birds and in sloping their oil. During the last year there were SO shipping casualties on the Now Zealand coast, including 12 total 1 wrecks. Twenty-five lives were lost. The Rugby match played between Southland and Otago at Invercargill yesterday resulted in an unexpected victory for the southern team by 4 points to 0. Kkensteen and N. Murphy scored for Southland, and Rodgers placed a goal from one of the kicks. There is little change in tho shipping strike in Australia and New Zealand, but it is believed that the end is not far off. ft * * * On account of the shipping strike and the firm not being able to got its orders delivered coastwise, Messrs Speight and Co., of the City Brewery, gave all their employees a treat to-day in the shape of a day’s shooting in tho country, and also supplied tho 'men with an abundance of eatables and drink. ft ft ft ft The following are the residts of the voting for the vacancies in the two wards of the City Council; —South Ward, Hugh Gourley 360, John Lunu 159; Beil 'Ward, Abraham Solomon 665, John Neil 145. The Corate de Paris holds a letter' from General Boulanger offering to restore him ns a monarch on, condition that a dukedom is conferred on him with an income of £B,OOO. 1 ft ft * ft A fracas occurred in the lobby of Drury Lane Theatre in London last night, when Mr J. M. Whistler, the well-known artist, thrashed' Mr Moore, editor of the ‘ Hawk,’ with a light cane. ♦ ft ft ft Sir James Hector estimates that there is in tho 19 coalfields in this colony a store of 444.000,000 tons of coal.