NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3900, 29 January 1929, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Some 2500 new motor-cars are (delivered to owners every week for the whole country in Britain, about one-fifth of these going to London.

The population of Great Britain land Ireland at the end of last year was estimated at 48,393,000; an increase of 205,000 on the previous year.

As much as £5,000,000 is divided at the Christmas share-out every year among the members of the “clubs” and saving societies in Britain.

Allan Lamb was placed on probation for two years at Invercargill yesterday for assaulting Ro•bcrt Edward Biding with a hedge slasher;. The injuries inflicted were comparatively slight. • The banana palms in the Christchurch winter garden are flourishing under Conditions in which they live, but their fruit this year, a cluster’of young bananas, looks pinched and undergrown. It does not seem as if it will reach maturity; ■■ Last week’s Gazette announces an open season in the Wellington /Aeieliimatisation District for the taking and killing of red deer, stags and hinds, and iSambur deer, stags and hinds, from March 28 to May 31, subject to certain conditions. There is'-a limit of three stags of not less than 10 points each, but the number of hinds is unlimited. When the Lyttelton tunnel was drilled two upward shafts were put in, near, each portal, running up the hill. Whether they were intended for ventilation, or some other purpose, is unknown, but they were closed when the tunnel was finished. Recently one of them caused considerable trouble.. The bottom of it had not been properly sealed; the shaft got some water in it,, and then began to act as a drainage sump for the hills, with 'with the result that water poured into the tunnel, baddy damaging some of the briskwork of the lining. The shaft had to be reopened and properly sealed, and a large number of bricks had to be renewed.

“I must congratulate the Dominion on its recently established Department -of Scientific Research, which brings Neiw Zealand in line with the most advanced countries of -the World said Dr. Johannes .Schmidt, chief of the Dana research mission. “I feel sure that this neyv Department will receive the public and political support necessary to enable it to carry on its work to successful and beneficial ends. We have reached that stage of development, when scientific work lias to he organised on professional lines and on a permanent basis for which established institutions with staffs in touch with progress .in all parts of the world are essential.”

Although not so generally known as the far-famed gannet rookery at Cape Kidnappers the nesting place of terns in the inner Napier harbour is one of the most interesting ’sights in the district, and, being within easy distance of the town, is attaining a great popularity, The rookery is situated on a small island. Hundreds of the birds are now on the island, with chick's of varying ages in profusion. Several of the nests still have eggs in thorn but the majority of the birds are '.now hatched. The full-grown birds ■are pure white but the chicks have a pretty speckled feathering Which they later shed. A -visit to the island in now a popular trip by visitors to Westsihore. To endure the agony of having a big shark hook, which formed part of a gaff, penetrating the fleshy part of the heel, and waiting while two companions tiled off either end of the book in an attempt to extract it, finally removing the stump with the aid of a pair of pincers, was the experience of Mr. E. P. Parvarno, of Gisborne, last week. He was cycling home with a companion, and, on dismounting, caught the gaff in the fleshy part (of his foot. The big hook had to he .filed away to remove tire handle of the gaff, and ..then a pair of pincers had to be used with considerable force to extract the other portion of the hook. After treatment by a chemist, Mr. Parvarno was able to go home.