LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 68, 7 April 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Rugby League Season. Tbe 1937 playing season of the Hawke's Bay Rugby League is expecto(l to commence witbin a fortnigbt. It is not at present definitely known if tbere will be any new senior teams taking the field for the competition, hut it seems likely that all those represented in last season* b championship series will he again competing. Disputo Gontinues. Water siders at Gisborne still refuse to work the Napier motor vessel Koau, which has now been delayed at Gisborne v. aitmg to discharge general carij;o for several days. The dispute concorniug the vorking of the crew of the vessel with the watersiders in loading operations has not reached any stage of settlement, H.M.A.S. Swan for Napier. The sloop H.M.A.S. Swan, attached to the squadron of the Royal Australian Navy, at present in New Zealand water s. is expected at Napier to-mor-row. although definite advice of her mevements has not yet been received. The Swan separated from the squadron after manoeuvres in the Tasman Sea, and steamed to New Plymouth, while the other vessels proceeded to Wellington. Skating season Opens. Napier' s skating season opened unofficiaily last night, when about 20 skaters made their appearance on the concrete area in front of the semd-circular bay ' on the Marine Parade- Not for many months has there been so large a number of skaters there at the same time, and their manoeuvres attracted the attention of many people taking the night air along the foreshore. The Napier Citizens' Band provided appropriate music. Hospitai Board's By-Laws. If the Hawke's Bay Hospitai Board decides next Monday to alter one of its by-laws relating to voting, so that in certain instances a "bare majority" of the votes of members present may be effective instead of a 75 per cent. majority, it will be necessary for the board to submit its decision to the Health Department. The Minister of Health will then give consideration to the proposal and will approve of it if he thinks lit. Notice of motion to amend the voting by-law has been given to the Hospitai Board by Mr O. Duff, of Hastings. Apples For Export. The size and fiavour of apples grown m New Zealand, particularly those of the Cox's Orange Pippin variety5 formed the subject of enthusiastic comment by an English visitor, who himself owns large apple ol'chards in Gloucestershire. "I did not know that the Cox's Orange Pippin could grow to SUch a size and still retain a perfect fiavour," he. said- "I am told that only the smailer sizes are used for export, owing to the fact that most English purchasers expect at least four apples to |Jie pound. However, I am certain that a inarket could be developed for the largjer aizes as well." No New Teams. Nine senior grade Rugby teams have entered for the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's 1937 competitions, this number oeing the same as were included in the championship series last season. On Saturday, the following senior teams Will be ready to take the field for the beginning of the competitions: M.B.O.B., Hastings, Hastings H.S.O.B., M.A.O., Havelock North, Celtic, Pirates, Napier H.S.O.B. and Technical.The four Napier clubs have entered teams for all grades, while additional nominations in lower grades are from the Napier Boys' High School and Esk Yiew. Deep-Sea Angler Alarmed. Deep-sea iish, particularly sharks, command a lot of respect froxn those who have to handle them at close quarters. and it is not without trepidation that anglers assist in the final stages of their capture. One of the boatmen at Russell relates a storv of an unexpected happening when an overeeas angler had practically captured a tbresher. The fisli . was threshing the water with its huge, scythe-like tail, while the boatman was trying to reach the trace and draw the catch Up to the boat. To his chagrin the angler becarne so alarmed that he threw the rod overboard. and the tish went away with many pounds wdrth of gear. New Zealand Beef Quallty. "I would rather see New Zealand devoting more attention to the production of dairy produce than attempting to export beef to Britain," observed Sir Herbert Matthews, a prominent British agriculturist, who is visiting New Zealand. He said the Dominion's beef was not as good as that which was raised in Britain, and ke considered that the herds which he had noticed in the fields of the North Island were, .perhaps, not equal to those he had seen on an earlier visit ten or twelve .years ago. However, the Dominion's lamb was a very fine type, and he would not agree with any handicap being placed upon it by any policy which might be followed in Britain.

Adjustment Commission. A session of the Hawke's Bay Adjustment Commission was held in Napier to-day. Business before the commission will occupy a month at Napier and Hastings. National Dancing Success. Miss Rita Smith, of Napier, was sucoessful in gaining Beven firsts, four seconds and thi-ee third prizes in the iancy and national danoing sections at tlie recent New Plymouth competitions festival. Amhulance's Night Journey. Driving for eight hours during the night, an Auckland St. John Ambulanc© undertook a journey of 190 xniles from Castor Bay, Takapuna, to Hamilton, to convey to the Waikato Hospitai Mr Hockin, father of Dr M. M. Hockin, medical superintendent of the Waikato Hospitai. The ambulance left Auckland at 10 p.m. on Saturday and arrived in Hamilton about 2.30 a.m. on Sunday and Mr Hockin was operated upon almost immediately. Intoxicated Drivers. "It should be known by everyone — and no doubt it is by the vast majority of people — that anyone who has not enough sense to keep sober while he is in charge of a car is guilty of an offence which the Court and the Legislature is reg&rding with increasing disfavour," said the Magistrate, Mr RM. Watson, S.M. at Palmerston North, when dealing with a case in which a car driver pleaded gnilty to a charge of being intoxicated while in charge Of a car. Two-way Telephony. Direct two-way telephony was used for the first time in the military history of New Zealand at the New Plymouth airport on Sunday last between an aeroplane and a motorcycle unit. The exercises, which were carried out in connection with the pilots' Easter Canip, were followed with interest and received the higheet commendation from military officers. A five-metre telephony trans-receiver installed in the aeroplane, which flew above the airport, established contact with a similar reoeiver attached to a motorcycle. Reception was perfectly clear, and the motorcycle platoon carried out manoeuvres at the command of the aeroplane. Bishop Nevcr Lonely. "My peregrinations through the diocese have led to the discovery on my part pf the most fundamental difference between the life of a bishop and that of a country vicar," writes the Bishop oi' Wellington, Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland, jn the Church Chronicle. "A bishop does not have enough loneliness ; a country vicar has far too much of it. I can find no remedy for the bishop' s ailment, but I am glad that something can be done to ameliorate the lot of th© vicar, who very seldom ' sees a brother priest and has very fleeting and infrequent opportunities for that Spiritual fellowship which is so vital to the maintenance of spiritual efficiency."