NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1953, 18 March 1919, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Early dippers at Ocean Beaeli on Sunday morning witnessed-an unusual .spectacle in these parts, says the Bluff Press. Thousands and hundreds of thousands of mutton birds were engaged in a raid on a shoal of sardines or some other small fish that were close inshore. The* birds moved over their prey with the density of bees that are swarming, and literally fought with each other for possession of the surface of the water. After gorging themselves for upwards of an hour or so a leader flew seawards, followed by a procession so regular and symmetrical that it must have extended itself into a line thirty or forty miles long by the time the last bird left the shore.

According to Mr J. Reed, secretary of the Timber Workers’ Union, who has just returned from an organising tour of the country districts the township of Raetihi, which, was swept by tire last year, is now practically back to normal. There is but little evidence of the recent disaster, Many of (lie mills- that were destroyed have been built, and other mills have come into existence. Sir Reed stated that there is evidence that the timber industry on the Main Trunk line is approaching a boom. The mills would probably absorb a great number of men, and so relieve, to some extent, the unemployment difficulty. The closing down of llaxmills would release about 700 men, and it would seem that considerable difficulty will be experienced in placing these.

According to the Rev. IT. J. Fletcher, Presbyterian Maori missionary in Taupo, who spoke at the Presbyterian General Assembly, .the Treaty of Waitangi- was, in some matters, treated as a mere “scrap of paper.” In support of his contention he stated that the introduction of (rout into the lake had re-t suited in the trout eating native fish, Avhich provided the Maoris with food. When (he Maoris turned round and start,ed to Caleb and eat trout the Government stepped in and told the Maoris (hat they must no( take trout unless they'had a license. The lake belonged 1 to the Maoris, and the Government could not show that it had any claim to it, yet the unfortunate Maoris had been prosecuted. They believed, Mr Fletcher added, that the Government should cease the prosecutions, and the question as to the ownership of the lake should be settled once and for all, Mr Fletcher also mentioned the ease of a Native reserve, on which there is valuable milling timber, Avhich (he Government avus purchasing' from the Natives for 7s Gd to 15s per acre, Avhile a miller avlio approached the Government for the right to cut timber off 200 acres of State land had been asked for £22,000, He urged members of the Assembly to assist (he work of the Church by endeavouring to get these causes of complaint among the Maoris removed.