LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 14, 1 February 1937, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

Bitterns Muitipiying. Bitterns are reported to be increasing in various swamp areas inland from Wanganui. Tbese birds, which can be readily recognised by size and by tbeir slow, metbodical fligbt, are protected. In tbe distance tbey resemble _ liarrier hawks, hut are larger, and tbeir fligbt is slower. "Haves and Have-nots." "Our policy," said the Minister of Lands, tlie iHon. F. Langstone, t0 farmers on the Kaitaia swamp area, "is to take a little bit more each year ofl tbe man who has, to give a little bit more to the man wbo bas not." Tbe Minister's remark followed an assurance tbat the Government was out to hclp tbe man on tbe land. Malicious Fire Aiarms. Tbe action taken by tbe Wellington Fire Board in adopting a system for cbecking all fire aiarms received by teleplione, in an elfort to reduce tbe nuniber of false aiarms received was tbe subject of comment by a Hastings brigadesman tliis morning. Altliough Hastings does not receive many false aiarms, it was pointed out, inconvenience and espenditure was incurrpd by such calls, and, witb a volunteer brigade, theseri calls were a source of annoyance. The question will probablv be raised at tbe next meeting of the Hastings Fire Board. Rayol Show for Hamilton. The Waikato Agricultural and ^astoi'al Society' s grounds at Claudelands, Hamilton, will be tbe venue of tbe Boyal Show in 1938, according to a resolution confinned by the Northern District Council of sbow associations in Auckland. It was stated tbat tbe proposal had met with considerable support in tbe Waikato and tbere was an indication of a large increase in membersbip. Municinal Radio Sets. A proposal that radio receiving sets should be installed in the pu'bbc halls attacbed to tbe city and suburban libraries for the benefit of the citizens was made to tbe Auckland Council by the Hon. T. Bloodwortb, M.L.C. He said that by tbls means subscribers to tbe libraries would be able to take advautage of tbe cultural developments as outlined by tbe director of broadcastfng, Professor J. Shelley. Tbe suggestion was referred to tbe li'brary committee for a report. Maoris and Prime Minister. Questions on Maori housing, health, education and political organisation matters to be put before the Prime Minister, the Bt. Hon. M. J. Savage, on his fortbcoming visit to Taranaki were prepared at a large meeting of Maoris at Hawera receatly. Representatives from all Taranaki tribes wero present, Tupito Maruera (Patea), being chairman, and a memorandum on tbe matters discussed was prepared for forwarding to Mr Savage to enable him to formulat© his replies before his visit is made. It is expected that the Primo Minister will agree to meet an asseinbly of Taranaki Maoris probably at Waitara. □ealing with Disputes. Addtessing the rnen employed on the railway deviation works at Fordell, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, stated that he had created a proper channel through which disputes could be handled. Tbere was no need for stop-work meetings on tbe job and the men had to bear that in mind. "And there is no need for you to go to the Arbitration Court and ask the Judge for anything," he declared. "I'll be the judge, and I will imagine that I am in my dungarees and on the job.'v The Minister added, however, that he hoped he would have no complaints to deal witb and that they would be settled through the proper channel long before they reached him. Fixing of Milk Price. While the scheme for the rationalisation of milk distribution and fixation of prices in Christchurch is under consideration by a committee of the City Council, dairymen met last week to "report progi'ess" and to discuss possible steps to raise the price of milk in the meantime. Though no action was taken, suggestions were made that the price to vendors should be raised to lOd a gallon on February 1, and that the Christchurch Dairymen' s Association should appoint a. paid organiser to approach members and request them to sign a paper undertaking to charge a fixed price for milk. Whales in Harbour. To add to the excitement of last week's regratta at Auckland, several whales ' made their appearance in the harbour. They were observed at different times during the afternoon, and wer© stated to have made their way from Rangitoto Channel up the harbour, being .seen last off the Western wharf. A Devonport resident who was watehing the yacht races through binoculars about 3.30 p.m. saw oue of tbe huge mammals between North Head and Bean Rock, heading towards the Tamaki Yacht Club's beadquartei's. The whale, be said, looked as though he was being molested, because repeatedly it would lift its huge tail into ihe air and thrash the water to foam. A number of people saw a small school, Up to four in number. The size of each was variously estimated at between 30ft and 50ft.

Pubiicity for Author. The pubiicity given at New ZJealand House, London, to the book written by Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P., "The Hunted," is the subject of adverse comment by a New Zealander writing at London. Stating that the greater paii; of one window on the Strand was jn December devoted to advertising the book, he observes that while he had not read ity be could not belp feeling that the Doininion would have 'been better served by displayjng some more valuable product. Regimentai Band Conoert. The First Hawke's Bay Regimentai Band (Napier Citizens') gave another of their popular programmes in the Bouud Shell, Marine Parade, last evening. The weather .was fine and there was a very larg© attendance on the Parade, attd the excellent programme presented was greatly enjoyed. A cob lection was taken up in aid of the band funds. Autumn Show. The scHedule of the Hawke's Bay autumn show will shortly be sent out. Fruitgrowers will no doubt he glad to note that notwithstanding the serious setback the industry has received this season and the possibility of a poverty of entries in some sections, the whole of the usually very comprehensive fruit classes have been retained. This will give those growers who are in a position to do so an opportunity of showing the qualitv of Hawke's Bay fruit and thus enable the province to maintain its high reputation in that respect. Railway Excursion, Quite a large number of ©xcursionists took advantage of the special excursion yesterday from Feilding, Palmerston North and surroundings stations. The train arrived at- Napier just after noon and the excursionists immediately took' advantage of the bus trips to points of interest or wended their way t0 the Marine Parade and the centre of the town. The weather was beautifully fine, and the visitors found their stay all too short to enable them to see all of the many attractive sights of the town. Cameras clicked freely in all directions. many of the visitors taking away pictorial souvenirs of their visit. The train lefjb at 5 p.m. on tho retfirn journey. Canterbury Irrigfttion. "From surveys made jn Canterbury up to the present it has been found that 400,000 acres of land could be economicaily irrigated," said Mr T. G. Beck( resident engineer to the Public Works Department at Temuka, in discussing the progress of irrigaticna schemes in Canterbury with a reporter. "In Canterbury, so far, coilstruction work js in hand for an area of 43,000 acres, and water is at present available for about 10,000 acres," Mr. Beck continued. "If tbe proposed Downlanus scbeme were decided on, there would be a further 118,000 acres invovled, but this was a stock and domestic water supply scheme — not an irrigation scheme." Of the schemes in band, he said, the Redcliff scheme, whicb was now completed, had cost £24,000, t'/Le Levels scheme1' would cost on completion, jS59,QOO, and the Ash-burton-Lyndhurst scheme £136,000..