NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mutton Bird Season The mutton bird season in Whakatane opened last week-end, when *approx innately 120 Maoris visited Whale Island and raided the birds' nesting ground. It is estimated that some 6000 birds were taken. The yield is considered one of the best for many years. Hare on Racecourse. Considerable amusement was caused at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday when, just before the start of a race, a hare ran the length of the straight in front of the members’ stand. The animal was cornered between a brush hurdle and the fence, where a number of spectators were standing, and, after running back for some distance, broke away from the course and disappeared among the lines of parked cars to the north of the members’ stand. Snow Kills Grass Grub. “The snow cleaned up the porina—the subterranean grass grub—which comes up above the ground to feed at night, but the New Zealand grass grub is still at large,” said Mr. A. Stuart, agricultural instructor, at the annual meeting of the Winton Experimental and Demonstration Farm Committee. “The New Zealand grub,” he said, “can almost stand freezing and then come to life again. After feeding on the grass roots in October and November this grub hatches out into a brown beetle which flies at dusk. In itself it can also be a pest and can practically clean up turnip crops if it catches them at the seedling stage.” Four All Blacks Passed Fit Of the Maoris who presented themselves for medical examination in the centres of North Auckland on Friday, 15 passed as fit. Owing to dental defects a number were classed as temporarily unfit. Included in the hi men were four Maori All Blacks, C. White, B. Wordley, P. Matene and W. Cooper. The men examined had been recommended by the elders of the Ngapuhi tribe as officers and noncommissioned officers. A number of the men were over the age limit, but the Maoris consider that some of the leaders of the tribe should be with the force and representations to this end have been made to the military authorities. No Tax on Subsidised Pay Assistance and encouragement to those employers who are subsidising the military pay of employees serving with the military forces has been given in an amendment to the Land and Income Tax Act which was passed by Parliament last session. Ooerating with respect to the tax for the year of assessment commencing on Aoril 1, 1940, section 4 specifies that in calculating the assessable income of any employer, the commissioner of taxes may allow as a deduction any sums paid by an employer by way of wages, salary or allowance in respect of any period after an employee has been called up for naval, military or air service, whether within New Zealand or elsewhere. No deduction, however, will be allowed under this section in excess of the rates payable to the employee at the time when he was called up, or in excess of £4 a week, whichever is the lesser. Spread Remittances for Imports Caustic criticism of the Reserve Bank’s scheme of spread remittances for payment of imports in contained in a letter received by an Auckland firm from a large English export firm. It wrote that it seemed difficult to understand when the British Government had purchased New Zealand surpluses of wool, butter, meat and other commodities, why the Dominion Government should have any doubt of the sterling it would have available in the early part of next year, after paying interest on loans. The New Zealand Minister of Finance would sooner or later have to realise it would be impossible to continue the shipping of goods from Britain to the Dominion and sending drafts forward for collection. If New Zealand importers, having received the necessary import license, continued to have remittances to the United Kingdom held up for long periods, one-way traffic would soon come to an end. Breacli of Contract Case Judgment for the plaintiff for £3 and for the defendant for a similar amount on a counter-claim were allowed yesterday in the Magistrate’s Court by Mr. A. C. Coleman, S.M., in a breach of contract case. George Blavier Piesse (Mr. J. D. Kinder) sued James Leicester McGregor (Mr. A. P. Blair) for arrears of interest amounting to £2O in connection with unpaid purchase money on a house and £3 on an additional building. McGregor counter-claimed for £96 on the allegation that the house was not complete and an agreement that Piesse was going to finish the building. Mr Blair contended that the building was incomplete at the time of the purchase and that there was an ora* agreement concerning that matter, Mr. Kinder holding that no such agreement had been made. The witnesses called on the counter-claim were James Hay McGregor and George Smith, and for the plaintiff, George Blavier Piesse, Harvey Johns, Peter Gordon and Christopher Gisborne Piesse.