THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, January 4, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 129, 4 January 1939, Page 2

THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, January 4, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Crops Damaged by Frost. Damage to unprotected crops was caused 'by a. frost at Otane during the •Christmas period. Tomatoes, young potato plants, pumpkins and maize are among the crops affected, while fruit trees have also had their crops diminished. Big Day Sports Ptoting. The big day sports- meeting conducted annually by the Opotiki Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club which will be held on the 21st. inst. should prove an even greater success than those of previous years. Eight teams which comprise some of the best teams in the province will be present and will endeavour toi take the Moody Danner from Gisborne, the present holders. After the success of members of the local club at the Rotorua Club’s meeting: recently, the Opotiki Club feels that its prospects are particularly bright. The club’s usual fortnightly meeting will he held cm Friday night.

Yesterday’s Temperatures. lilue skies were general yesterday throughout the North Island. Temperatures at 9 o’clock were: Auckland 67 degrees, Opotiki 69. East Cape 6b. Gisborne 72. Napier 71. Wellington. 59. Preservation of Scenery. The assistance of the A.A. patrols in its endeavour to ensure the preservation of scenery in New Zealand has been realised by the Department 0 f Lands and Survey, all patrols having recently been made honorary inspectors under the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908." In the past it was learned from the resident patrol. Mr. D. M. M'eGregor, an A.A. officer had no authority to prevent campers or others lighting fires in dangerous localities where it would be possible for the flames to spread and destroy plants and trees of scenic beauty.

Dusty Highways. The. highways north and south of Gisborne are extremely .dusty in sections, according to the A.A. patrol, Mr. J). M. McGregor. Some stretches of the roads have not stood up to the heavy traffic as well as others and are notably corrugated, especially that section between Gisborne and AA'airoa on the Morere route. The unsealed roads throughout the Bay of Plenty are becoming very dusty with the advent of the- summer-like weather. Coastal Highway. According to reports from Gisborne the new coastal highway is becoming increasingly popular with .Poverty Bay residents, although in many instances motorists are not making the complete trip, preferring, to camp at various spots between Gisborne and the nnbridged streams on the Bay ol Plenty side of the range. Everything points to the likelihood that, when the streams are bridged during the year, the coastal rend will be used by the great majority of road-users (luring the holiday period.

Popular Air Travel. Union Airways’ plane service between Gisborne. Napier and Palmerston North lias proved exceptionally popular with travellers this holiday season and 1 large numbers of passengers have been' carried both into and out of Gisborne. The Christmas rush commenced early last week and in. the past 11 days 42G passengers either arrived at or leftf Gisborne. The two days immediately, preceding Christinas Day were the busiest-, there being outward and 39 inward passengers on Eriday and 4G outward and 4-1 inward passengers on Saturday. iEast Coast Railway. "* Although there has been a natural slackening of business during the holiday period, the amount of traffic carried on the Napier-AVairoa section of the East Coast' railway, since the line was reopened for use on Deccmjier G last lias been > exceptionally heavy. A large amount of stock, lias been conveyed from tpe AVairoa end during the past few weeks, and in one period of 14 days alone the total was 3000 tons. Most of the traffic from the Napier end has consisted of empty stock waggons j being sent north to fi 11 the requirements of the service.