LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 82, 23 April 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

St. Ceorge's Day To-day. Bank3 and legal offices Avere closed to-day, this being St. George's Day. To-day was also the anniversai'y of the birtk of William Slnakespeare and the death of Rupert Brooke, 28-year-old poet and soldier, who died on April 23, 1915. Town With No Unemployment. The distinction of being the only town in Scotland with no unemployed is claimed by Markinch, in Fife, which has a population of 2000, and also draws its workers from surrounding communities. Markinch is so prosperous that the -iocal Labour Excbange has been closed. Its principal industries are paper-making and whiskyblendiug. _ "Must Have Been Rejects." "All first grade golf balls are X-rayed in order .to find whether the core is properly round and properly centred." said Dr C. D. Costello in an address on radiology to the New Piymouth Rotary Club. "If they are not properly centred and the core not properly round they are supposed to be rejected as they will not fly straight. I am afraid ail the balls I have played with must have been rejects," Dr Costello added. Destruction of Chamofs. "Vandalism born of ignorance" is how Mr T. E. Donne, of London, formerly Trade Oommissioner attaclied to the High Commissioner's Office, describes the unfettered destruction of the chamois in the Southern Alps. Mr Donne was head of the Tourist Department when these animals were onginally imported from Austria. They were a gift of goodwill from the late Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, following the visit of an Austrian warship to these waters. Direot Sailing. The Port Hobart, at present in the Napier roadstead, loading meat and wool for English ports, is to sail directly from Napier for London, being expected to arrive there on May 13. Passbngers leaving with the vessel, via th6 Panama Canal and Halifax, on Saturday, are.— Mrs E. A. Bevin, Welling- . fcon j Mrs J. H. Brown, Wellington j Mr J. D. Calder, Scotland; Mr and Mrs E. M. Cuthbertson, Nelson ; Mr aud Mrs A. J. Kingston, Wanganui; Bishop West-Watson and Miss WestWatson, Christchurch, and Mr T. A White, Waikato. Trout From Blue Lako. The popular belief that the Blue Lake between Rotorua and Lake Tarawera contains no trout or, at least, no trout of any size, has been dispelled by an angler, who this week brought in three exceliently conditioned fish all over 51b. in weight, taken from this lake. Various liberations of trout fry and smelt have been made from time to time, but for some reason the fish did not appear to take as they have done in other lakes. Recently, however, it was reported that large shoals of smelt had been observed around the lake margins, indicating that the fish food, at least, was established. The fish taken had obviously grown fast, and their condition indicated that there was no lack of food.

Napier Coronation Decorations. Massed displays of chrysanthemums along the Marino Parade will represent portion of the decorations to be car-" ried out in -Napier in connection with the Coronation celebrations. The superintendent of borough reserves, Mr O.. Corner, has about 2500 plants approaching maturity. The colonnad« which is part of the soundshell design is to be decorated with foliage, in addition to other parts of the parade between the soundshell and the Tom Parker Fountain. 'Retailers of Napier are to give full co-operation in decorating the town for the occasion. Flags and streamers will be much in evidence, while at night electrieal signs will add their quota of gaiety and brilliance. Migrating Birds. When speaking of hird migration in the course of an address before the Taranaki Council of the Institute of Horticulture, Dr G. Hom© said that when nightingales left England the male birds weut to the eastern. Mediterranean countries and the females to Spain and Morocco. • The males returned first, and taking up their former quarters undertook the "spring-clean-ing" proeess in preparation for the retura. of their inates, to whom they remained faithful, "without," said Dr Home, "any questions as to what may have happeued in tlie interim." The first song of the nightingale Avas reserved by the male as a welcome for his mate. Eruption Reoaiied. . The dedication of the cairn erected ko carry the bell of the old mission church and in memory. of those killed during the Tarawera eruption of 1888 was* performed by Bishop Bennett, at Te Wairoa buried village. For many years as a hoy he acted as bellringer af, the small church. The second unique ceremony was the baptism of the in- " fant daugliter of the daughter of Mr and Mrs Way, Mrs P. Thomason, of Taupiri, who nad been married on tbe spot over 12 months before, and where she herself and also her father before ber had also been christened. Tbc baptismal font Was a handsomely carved kumete, which had been presented to the Way family by one ol' th© natives who resided at Te Mu, prior to the eruption, for the ceremonies.