LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 30, 29 October 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

The Rangitata. The s.s. Rangitata en route from London to New Zealand, arrived at Colon yesterday morning. "Biood Leaves" of Ypres. The 6trange appearance of certarn trees in Sanctuary \Vood, Ypres, was mentioned by IMr F. G. Hall-Jones in an address to the League of Nations Union. jYlr Hall-Jones said that the trenches were still to be seen there, but young trees had grown up among them, and on every leaf there was a blood red spot. "Tkey call them the blood leaves," he said. "The colour is due to chemicals in the soil, but the effect is rather peculiar." Cats Kill Chickens. Two New Plymouth. poultry larniers have lost 100 chickens this season as the result of attacks from cats. Oue farmer's stock was affected to such an extent that he shot three cats, while another iarmer was forced to keep kis chickens locked up. after his poultry had been attacked. lnquiries revealed tbat there had been a total absence of weasels and stoats for five oe sis years, although rats were always a concern to the poultry-keeper, who succeeded in guarding against the pest by laying down eoncrete floors. Poverty Bay Show At the Poverty Bay Show this week seveial Hawke's Bay exhibitors secured awards. In the Shoithom section, Mr D J, Holden, ot Mangateretere, scoopol the pool. In the reserves classes JHrs A. H. Unwin, of Wairoa, was first and second in many oi the ciass es, while a .number of Wairoa competitors were amoug the successfui entranti in the home iuclustries classes. Li tho horse competitions Miss Anu Dickiej oi' Wairoa, was first in the ciass f :-r girl riders, uver 10 and under 13 years. Panel-beaters Busy. A particularly busy time is at prej sent being experieuced in garages in Hastings, especially the body repair departnients. Expert panel-beaters are at a premium in Hastings and it is irnpossible to secure experienced and skill, ed men so that it has been tound neccssarv to treat work strictly in rotation of urgency, During the past month, one garage proprietor said this morning, he had never known so many carowuers wantmg the dents taben out oi their cars. fcionie of the dents were made months and months ago, eveu two years in fact, and owners are now wanting their cars ireshened-up and ready lor the summer months outings. Athletic Resords, * Cougratulations to W. J. Fitzsim111011s and lan Driscoll, upon wiuning two cliainpionships at the Now Zealaud amateur athletic championships meeting were extended by Mr N. A. McKenzief at the annual nieetmg of the Napier Amateur Athletic and Cycling Giub last eveniug. It was a pcri'orinance which the members concerned and the club should be proud of. Driscoll had probably niet the strongest oirposition he had yet encountered but had come out of the test with flying colours. In view of the Ernpire games at Sydney next February he hoped all mcmbirs vvould try and get fit, anfl he hoped to see some of tkeai going across to represent New Zealand. Porpoises as Playmates. An interesting experience bel'ell two youtks in an outrigger canoe off Waikanae beach during the week-end. With sail up they >vere about 150 yards off shore when a school of porjioises joined them, playing round and under them so close that the young fcllows struck out at them with their paddles. Watchers say this lasted nearly half an hour until, both lxappening to lean 6imultaneously over the side opposite to the light metal outrigger, it came out of the water, and the canoe capsized them among the big fisk, both parties probably being equally surprised. It was a cool day and the cauoeists were ciothed. They would have had a diifficult task swimming and pushing their craft ashore with the sail in tlie wa?er but a launch wliich happened to be in the vicinity came to their rescue. Fruit Shortage Predicted. An acute shortage of stone fruit on the local markets this season is predioted by Mr B. G. Goodwin, orchard instructor for the Department of Agriculture in Canterbury. Heavy losses of fruit, said Mr Goodwin, had resulted from outbreaks of fireblight and Icaf-curl, and also from frostg which had affected nearly all the stone-fruit orchards in at Loburn, oue of the most iniportant orchard districts in Canterbury. The greater portion of the fruit had beeu destroyed by frosts, and this would lead to a serious shortage, with consequent higher prices latcr in the season. Leaf^curl had also seriously affected peach and nectarine trees. Tho outbreak of fireblightj said Mr Goodwin,, was not as severe as last season. Since this disease first appeared in Canterbury orchards six years ago, fully eigbt Ihousaud trees had been destroyed and scores had been cut down this season.

Live Stock Embargo. "The Direct lmportation of Live Stock from Great Britain" will be the subject of an address by Mr. C. V. Dayns, district superintendent of the Department of Agriculture, Otago, from 4YA, Dunedin, on Monday next, November 1, at 7.'30 p.m. They Ate 233 Fried Eggs. An Australian, Mr. Graham, was eating a meal in a hotel in Gippsland, Victoria, when two other diners, Mr. J. M. Fisher and Mr, J. Murphy, began to argue about how many eggs they could eat. Mr. Graham challenged them to an egg-eating competition, The owncr of the hotel, Mr. T, Hamill, also ntered. Among them they ate 23.3 iried eggs at one sitting. The finishing order was : Graham 63, Hamill 60, Fisher 59, Murphy 51. CzechoslovaKian Anniversary. Nineteen years ago, on October 18, paat ot the Austio-Hungarian monarchy cjeclared its independence as the Czecnoslovuk Republic, and iU days later, the National Council tqok over the administration of the indepcndent territones. This inauguratiou of the National Council of tlie Czechoslovak Republic was regarded. as tlie day of the Declaration of Independence, and yesterday, October 28, was the 19th. anniversary of that day. Snow on Ranges. The reappearauce oi snow on higher •portions of tbe ranges to the south of Hastings has revived feelings of misgivings among orckardists oi a late viitation of frost and during the past two nights it was necessacy to keep a strict watch on the temperatures througliout the nights. However, though there were sinall frosts, there was no ueeessity for growers to light up the fires and oil-burning fir«-pots, tho severity of the frost being onJy three Uegrees yesterday morning and one degree tlus morning. A continuation of the present warin weather should melt away the snow on tlie ranges- and remove the possibility of any late frost, which, at tlie piesent time, would be disastrous lor the fruit is now at a critical stage. Banking System Praised. "There is a'tendency to-day to blame our banks lor many oi our recent troubles," said tlie chairman, Mr. J. R. Fairburn, at the annual meeting oi the National Building Society, Dunedin. "Feople do not realise that monetary problems were not the cause of but rather were tlie result of the depression, when eomplete lack of confidence infected every body. We should be thaukl'ul that our great system oi' banking and eredit has stood the test of the recent depression days so well. Our banks are well managed, and our credit ^ystem is, in niy opinion, one of the most wonderful struotures of the age. lndeed, the British system is th« envy of all tlio other nations. I trust that tlie people will not peruiit tlie State to liitei l'ere unduly with tho people's savmgs as represented by our eflicieiit system of banking."