LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 12, 7 October 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

A Savage Turkey. A vicious turkey gobbler was the cause of Kathleeui Brock, the 19-months-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Brock, of Towai, being admitted to tjie Whangarei Hospital, The child received a wound at the back of tlie head as a result of bemg knocked down and pecked by the turkey when it flew at her. Her condition is not serious. A Church Appeal. In response to an appeal throughout the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand for £6,000 to wipe ofi a standing deticit on its Maori mission funds, a total of £6,124 -has been received. The appeal was officially launched on August 15, and substantial sums are still being received. "Matron Under Anaesthetic." fcilips sometimes occur in the rocordmg ot evidence during Supreme Court proceedings," and occasionally they in-troduce-a touch of humour. *'0n page t'wo we have got the matron under the anaesthetic," said Mr. North, as he perused the notes of evidence given by a medical witness at Auckland. "1 baye cori'ected that," replied Mr. Justice Callan. "I have put the patient under the anaesthetic." Gisborne Sweet Oranges. Ihe best price Gisborne sweet oranges have received on the Dunedin market was secured last week, when ten cases of well-graded Washington navels sold from 13/6 to 16/6 a case in lots rangmg from 125 to 180 to the case. Previous shipments of oranges from Gisborne to Dunedin have not had such a good r&~ cfeption, for they have reaclied that market at a time when there has been too plentiful a supply of imported oranges. Magpies Savage. Magpies in the Wanganui district are not taking any cbances durihg the nesting season this year, and any person walking near a tree where nests are iocated is ,liable to meet tiouble. A young woman walking across Cook's Gardens recehtly was startled when a bird swooped down and pecked viciously at her uncovered head. The uiagpie made a second attack, but was frightened away. An athlete training in Cook's Gardens one evening recently had a similar experjence. Duty of Motorisfs. "It is the duty of motorists to stop immediately they are blinded by headlights, and the sooner they realise this the safer the road will be for cyclists," said Mr. S. Paterson, B.M., in the Hamilton Police Court when a motorist was charged with negligent drivrag. The evidence showed that defendant was momentarily dazzled by the lights of an approaching car, and although he applied his brakes immediately, he did not pull up before he struck a cyclist Parasites For jamaioa. To combat a borer insect, which has been ravaging Oamaican banana crops, iive cases of parasites which have been found efficacious in Malaya have been coilected by the Malayan Agricultural Department and are to be sent through Auckland to Kingston, Jamaica. They will be brought by the Wanganella on October 13 and will be kept in special storage until the departure of the Tainui on November 3. From the banana groves in the centre of Malaya they were taken to Singapore and there transferred to a Dutch steamer for transportation to Sydney. Marewa Motor Camp. A number of the discarded tram carriages belonging to the Napier Borough Council, have been transferred to the Marewa motor camp as huts. These carriages are now to oe altered to allow two parties ot four persons to occupy each carriage. Another tram carriage, which has been ra the tram shed since 1931, has also been taken to the camp site, t where it is being remqdelled on similar lines to the others. Other temporary facilities such as shelters and conveniences are to be installed on this camp site. Maoris' Tribute. A graceful tribute to the memory of the late Mr. H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour Party in New Zealand until 19S3, was paid by the Waiata Maori concert party while on their tour of Australia. Mrs. Holland told how, while ljving with a daughter in Adelaide, she was surprised by a visit by the whole party. They told her that they had learned she was living there, and that they had come to pay their respects in memory of her husbattd, who had died while attending the funeral of their late king. They gave her a private concert during their visit.

Restoration of Maps. In Bpite of being mildewed with age, and damaged by silver fishi, seven old navigation maps of the world, printed in 1710, the property of the Napier Art Gallery, were recently restored to perfect condition by Mr. H. Newriob, custodian of the Serjeant Gallery, Wanganui. The maps should now last another century. Mr. Newrick is the only man in New Zealand qukJified to undertake work of this nature. Recently he restored a number of steel engravings belpnging to the Governor General, Lord Galway. They wero later exhibited in the National Gallery. Wellington. «

A Pensloner's Hoard. Workers in the Rotorua Public Hospital laundry made an unusual and unexpected discovery when a parcel of elothes was sent in to be washed, reports a correspondent. On gpiiig through the garments before placiug them in water, an employee was astonislied to find a roll of bank notes in a well-hidden place. The undoiug of the bundle revealed a, sum of £349, every note being of an old denomination, the oldest one issued in 1905. Inquiries were made, and it was later revealed that the elothes were the property of an elderly woman who had recently been admitted to the institution. The patient was an old-age penIsioner, and generally believed to be i» poor circujnstancqB.

£arly Strawberfies. The first sttawbemes oi tlie season appe&red at the Auckland City Marketa yesterday, the consignment comprising two chips fronf a Birkdale grower. The fruit realised 3/- a chip. These berries are unusually early. Lessons in Civios. Senior pupils of the Vogeltown school visited the courthouse at New Plymouth last week jn charge of Mr G. H. Davey, headmaster. Mr L. - W. LouisSon, registrar of the Supreme court, explained the procedure at the opening of a session, including the swearing-in of a witness. After an explanation of Magistrate's Court procedure the children remained for a time to listen to business in the Police Court. Maori and Pakeha. "They are like bables," said the> Ltt. Rev. C. A, Clierrington, Bishop of Waikato, when speaking of the Maoris to confirmation candidates in dt. Mary's Ghurch, New Plymouth, and urging the lmportance of ahvays showing the world a good example by Christian behaviour. The Maoris, he confcinued, had known European civilisation oniy 80 or3 90 years, wbereas pakehas had a background of 2,000 years. It was therefore very iraportant that they should show the natives. every consideratioU and encouragement and treat them like the equala they were in the sight of God. "Every time we behave badly We send them down instead of up." said the bishop. Electricity and Cas. Strict impartiality is being observed by the State Housing Department in the installation of electricity and gas in the homes being jbuilt by the department. Of the houses being built in Napier and Hastings half will be equippetl with gas cooking — stoves and heaters, and the other half with electrical stoves. This policy is. being followed in all towns where ti. e cost of gas and electricity is equal. ln- some tbwns electricity is relatively much more costly.than gas for heatihg purposes, and in these towns the department' s Bpecitications provide for the installation of gas equipinent. In Invercargill gas is being installed hi all the houses whereas in Levin electricity will be the pnncipal heating and cooking medium. Tasman Record. An interesting aspect of the Awatea's record Tasman crossing was'mentioned by an Auckland business man. Within the Comparatively short space of ten years, he said, the time occupied by the voyage in trans-Tasman steamshdps had been reduced by one-third. This was a very important factor in improving trade ani social relationship between New Zealand and Australia j of even more importance than the amazing development of air traffic, because of the subsidiary factors of safety and regularity in transit. "It is astonishing," he said, "to reflect that the average qrossing time had heen reduced from three days in 1927 to approximately two in 1937, and that the reduction had been accompanied by no loss in safety and comfort." How Far Does He Fall? If a man falls from a standing position on the plane of his feet and hits his head, how far does he, or his head, fall? This is not a riddle, but a point which arose in the Arbitration Court at Auckland during the hearing of a compensation claim. According to the Workers' Compensation Act, a- person must be doing work where there is a possibility of a fall of 12 feet before a claim can be brought. In this case there was argument of fact as to how far plaintiff might have fallen. Plaintic was standing on a ladder when he fell with it, breaking his thigh. Mr. Schramm, who appeared for plaintiff, submitted that it did not matter which part of the man fell the 12ft. ; tliat the entire length of the man did not have to be 12 feet above the ground; and tliat as long as part of him was, then he had satisfied the provision of the Act apd had fallen 12 feet. His Honour, Mr. Justice O'Regan said he would like some authority on that, but unfortunatcly tliere was no authority.