NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1925, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

The obligation of a motorist to obtain a certificate of ability was laid down bv Mr Wyvein Wilson. S.M., recently (says the “Lyttelton Times”). " It is no excuse for a motorist to say .bis convenience did not suit to have cm examination,” lie said. “ Merely making an application for one is not sufficient protection.”

An enthusiastic young color, Master Chester Burt, secured a .monster “catch’’ (says the Ibiliiatua “liorald”) j when lie booked from the Mangatninoka River an eel weighing 23Mb. The eel measured I feet -H inches in length, and it look two boys to land him.

A Public Works Officer showed a Wanganui “Chronicle” representative la sample of bib of lead punctured at various points as the result of attack by a grub. The holes were similar to those of the borer in white pine" timber.

“Riflemen, to he good shots, must lie of necessity clean living men, and yt is for this reason, if not for others, that the community in any town should support a rifle club.”—Mr W. M. Luxl'ord at a Wanganui farewell gathering.—Wanganui “ Chronicle.”

As an illustration of the speed at which some of the New Zealand trains are run. an incident which occurred last week is of interest (says the Napier "Telegraph”). A Maori .passenger on the last train from Napier to Waipawa alighted at Te 1-1 auke, and as the train moved out of the station, remembered that he had left a parcel behind him. lie rushed across to his home, caught a horse, overtook the train at Opapa, and secured his parcel.

According to the Riverton correspondent of the “ Southland 'Times,” the scarcity of mutton birds in Foveaux Strait al this time of the year is causing the mutton-birders to think a had season will follow. Feed is plentiful along tile coast, and the absence of the birds is a mystery. A catch of blue cod in the middle of Foveaux Strait last week were full of whitebait, and sardines are also plentiful at sea, hut there are no birds to drive them ashore. The law does not always recognise the little services of friendship (remarks the “Lyttelton Times”). A mo-tor-cyclist, who was giving a passenger a ride on the carrier of his machine, passed a. policeman, and, in order that hi,s friend would not have his number taken hy the officer for pillion riding, the passenger kindly placed liis hat over the number plate. Mr Wy vein Wilson, 5.. M., fined him l()s for himlorliiig a constable in the execution of his dutv.

As the result of a discussion that had taken place, an Auckland resident returned home the other day from a meeting of the Farmers’ Union, sworn to render assistance to eradicate noxious weeds from the district (says the “Star"). Imagine hi.s surprise when he discovered that his wife had decor,lied the dinner table with a vivid yellow flower —ragwort. Tl appears that Ihc couple had removed recently and Hie only, (lower obtainable in the undeveloped garden was ragwort. In her ignorance as to the variety of the attractive flower- and incidentally her womanly love of colour-- the voting wife ill all innocence had i»(iiok<-d the flowers in order to make I lie "little nest” a little more cosy.

Passengers for the north by the second express one night last week witnessed a strange phenomenon shortly after leaving Tiniarn (says an exchange) . As the train was passing the Wa.shdyke Lagoon scores of si range dark, wavering columns, many feet in height, and as thick as a. man's anil, and looking like miniature water spouts appeared on both sides of the train. On account of the speed it was some time before passengers became aware that the columns were composed of millions of sandflies, and about the same tune the engine ran into and dispersed several of the columns, which broke over the train and floated in thousands through the open windows, to the great discomfort of the occupants.

Many miles inland from \\ avorlev (says the Paten “press”) there lives a, man and his wife. Though a track runs past their house, it is I ri’quently many months before anyone, other than a- member oT tbe family, passes along it. But one day a stranger did come, and as be approached the bouse be was observed from the verandah by a little chap between two and three years old. lie was tremendously excited at bis discovery. and rushed to bis mother exclaiming: “Mummy! Mummy! Sometiling like daddy is coming r.long the road." His father was the only man he could remember.

11l the One Tree Hill dislri't there is :i ratepayer with a grievance (staLes till' Auckland ‘'Star")wish to congratulate 11 1 0 Hoad Hoard on (lie nidi ness of its stall.” lie wrote to the hoard. “While my furniture was being unloaded .at the door. I had a rot|iiesl, certainly most polite, Imt a request, to cut the hedges. As soon ns T could I complied with the demand. You now threaten lo cut oil' the water supply if an account for 10s., owed hy the previous owners of the house, s not paid!” The writer added that lie did not see that he was responsible. hut had handed the matter over to Ids solicitors to see if they could not complete the matter.

A country resident had a. remarkable experience recently with regard to the insect known as the “borer” (says the 'Wanganui “Herald”!. Finding that the. insect was in the piano, the lady of the house opened the front of the instrument and placed a tin of varnish stain on some newspaper inside '.lie piano. The powerful fumes from the varnish resulted in some hundreds of grubs falling from the woodwork on to The paper. These were immediately swept up and consigned to the flames. Kerosene applied with an oil-can to the infected parts of the piano resulted m Ihe destruction of the remainder of the grubs.