NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3701, 8 October 1927, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Sittings of the House of Representatives on Monday nights are to continue for the remainder‘of the session. In the eight months ended 31st August, there arrived in New Zealand 8,258 immigrants, who had in-

timated their intention to take up permanent residence in the Dominion. The countries from which they principally came were: England and Wales 4,000; Scotland, 2,256; Ireland, 704; Australia, 470. During the same period, 3 Chinese and 21 Indians arrived, and 22 Chinese left. The tourists who came numbered 5,629. A judgment debtor appearing before the Napier Magistrate’s Court stated that his occupation was that of a “holder-up” on the railway. This caused Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., to remark: “Goodness gracious, that is a significant term. You are not the man responsible foral! the delays we ' have on the trains, are you?” Amid further laughter the .debtor denied responsibility for this burden of wrongdoing.

An interesting Maori legend attaches to Kirikopuni, the settlement on the headwaters of the Northern Wairoa River, near the new railway bridge, which was opened on Saturday. Kirikopuni is Maori for “giant eel,” and the place was so named after a giant fish caught three years ago. According to their legend it fed an entire tribe. Hon. C. J. Carrington, M.L.C., was told by Mr.. Tau Henare, M.P.j how the capture of the eel gave great satisfaction to the tribe, and the Maori member added that he hoped Kirikopuni would now give equal satisfaction to the pakeha.

It has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the owners of several of America’s best racing stables, according to reliable authority, that 10 per cent, of the racehorses of the country suffer from poor vision. Many of the animals thus affected have been fitted with spe-tac-les attached to their blinkers, with the result that their owners declare they have run faster and more consistently. Tests of the eyesight are made by the use of a powerful light directed at the thoroughbred’s eyes. Many horses with impaired eyesight wore spectacles for the first time at the races at Saratoga, New York.

Every normal boy goes into raplures over a real live rabbit in a box. Yet rabbit keeping in New Zealand is very much undeveloped (says a northern paper). Except as something- to shoot at in the wild state, a rabbit is regarded by the community as useless. But you can make £3 a week from the wool clips of 200 Angora rabbits. Why not do it. An Angora rabbit yields during a year (in several clippings) about half a pound of wool, worth in Britain about £1 14/- per lb. for first grade lots. That is-nearly a living wage from 200 rabbits. As rabbits live largely on green food, hay, and roots, which can easily he grown on a farmlet, the cost of maintenance is chiefly represented ‘by purchased bran or grain. Rabbit wool is spun into yarn for making delicate fabrics for infants and women, scarves, jumpers, dresses, gloves, socks, caps and the indi-s----penable Dr. Jim hat.