NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4411, 6 February 1930, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Waipukurau resident had the misfortune recently while sea-bath-ins' to lose his teeth in the sea. A rake was secured in the hope of recovering the- teeth. While engaged in the task a shark was observed, and without hesitation the Waipukurau settler plunged the rake prongs into the shark's head. So effective was the stroke that the shark was dragged up to the beach, despite a great struggle on its part. The shark was sft bin. long.

Recently a korora, or small blue penguin, was found dying on the beach at St. Ilelicr’s Bay. Its 'breast, instead of being pearly white in colour, was stained brown, and upon an examination being made it was found that the stain was due to oil. On the English coast the menace of floating oil to tea, birds became so serious, that steps had to be taken to prevent vessels discharging oil when in coastal waters, says an Auckland paper.

The wages offered by dairy farmers for hoys nowadays arc fairly good as compared with those obtainable in general labouring. A speaker at the Farmers’ Union ■''meeting, at Carterton quoted a case in point. 'Having lost the services .of his employee through illness he '‘advertised for a hoy. The lirst applicant was a likgly looking lad iwho had had a little farming experience and he was engaged. As he left to get his belongings he aski ed what the wages would be and mentioned that he received 30/- per week in a mill. “Well” said the •farmer, “I’ll give you that and hoard you too.” “That’ll do me,” .said the bov, “I had to pay 25/- a .week for board in town.”

“Birds are artists,” said Mr. J. C. Andersen at the teachers’ school at . Now Plymouth. “I have heard ■ the tittle warbler sing this.” He whistled, and ,it was the first few 'bars of “Home Sweet Home.” “And a tui sang this.” It was the first ,‘few bars of “Scenes That Arc Brightest.” Once when he was at Kapiti he had heard a bellbird singing bars of “The Campbells are .Coming.” But this was liable to exaggeration. He had mentioned it once in an address, and the reporter had said that Mr. Andersen had 'heard a bellbird sing “The Campbells are Coming.” The fact was .published during a controversy in a. newspaper at Home. The editor .added: “The .jest, on the authority’s v name is obvious.” “Andersen’s jFairy Tales,” saiid Mr Andersen deprecatingly.

, In conversation, one of the visiting Canadian bowlers remarked that if Rotorua, were in Canada, no town would hold all the people who would come to live in it (says the Wanganui Chronicle). Another remarked that the farmers in New Zealand had no work. In Canada, they had to house their cattle for six months and feed them, the following six months being wholly occupied in growing feed under strenuous conditions. ■> He would recommend young men to see the land ben; and the conditions of farming before starting on the hard life of a tanner in Canada.

A solicitor, who wus examining a Maori witness at the Magistrate’s Court, Carterton, recently, suggested that the witness was married, Maori fashion at a certain date. “Wliat is Maori fashion?” queried the Maori. “Oh well I suppose you lived with your wife before a regular pakeha marriage took ifiaee,” replied the man of law. “That’s wliat the pakeha calls Maori fashion is it,” replied the witness. “Well I’ll tell you what Maori fashion is. It is a marriage arranged by the parents of the bride and bridegroom, and this arrangement is announced to the whole tribe and the couple live together as man and wife. It is an honourable and binding ‘marriage.’ ”

A (New Zealander who is spending a wool cheque in Germany writes to say that one gets whirled about pretty cheaply by taxi in Berlin (states an exchange). He was told that all the taxi drivers with a red 'band round'-th-g] left sleeve could speak French or English. One day he wanted a taxii and went to a stand, selecting a red-band driver.v “Do you speak English?” he asked. “Too right!” said Fritz. “Inhere did you learn it?” “Tarainaki!” said Fritz. “You must have been a long time there,” said the New Zealander. “My word, yes,” 'said Fritz. “Born there?” “Fought in the war?” “My oath!” “With .the German army?” “Not on your .life —with the ’Dinks!” All the 'Berlin cabbies wear uniform again, and most of them war ribbons, but

Fritz from Taranaki isn’t wearing any ribbons. Mentioned, too, that his aged German parents are still in Taranaki.

An unusual motor accident oe (urred in -Bridge Street, Hamilton, at two o’clock on Saturday morning. Mr. William Herman Merrick, herd-tester of Helensville, stopped his car in Bridge Street to wipe some oil off his hands. While his -vehicle was stationary another ear, driven by Mr. Ivan Bruce Carrie, garage attendant, of Hamilton, came from behind and crashed into Mr. Merrick’s car. Mr. Merrick was thrown on to the road, and -Mr. Oarrie’s car passed over him. One wheel went over his left arm and shoulder, but though severely shaken he suffered no serious injury. Mr. Carrie was severely cut about the face by the broken windscreen. The force of the impact threw Mr. Merrick’s car into gear and it was found some distance from the scene of the a’ccident. '