NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 63, 5 November 1931, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR

Earthquake Refugees. The fact that there were still Napier residents in Palmerston North who were receiving assistance from the relief depot was mentioned at a meeting of the •Palmerston North Hospital Board. The chairman, Mr. J. K. Hornblow, said he had discussed the matter with the Napier Hospital Board and had been instructed to make it public that these men must go baek to Napier, and that the Napier Board would meet their expenses for the journey. If they refused to return, the Palmerston North Board was to refuse them relief. . Intoxicated Dogs. Trouble began when a brewer's dray crashed into a lamp standard at Wigan, England. Barrels were hurled into the road and the beer flowefi down the gutter. A small fox terrier murmured "Free beer," and sampled the brew. After the first pint it gave a loud yelp of delight, which brought scores of other dogs scampering to the scene. Soon the road was full of dogs all lapping up the beer. The lorry caught fire and the fire brigade arrived, but by the time it had put out the flames the dogs were all well "lit." When the fire engine raced back home the dogs staggered off in pursuit. They rolled over and over in the roa'd, and traffic was held up while they were all rescued by polieemen and passers-by. Cow with Four Calves. It is a very rare .occurrence when a cow gives birth to four calves. Mr. R. deB. Hill, stock inspector, informs the Wairoa Star that a stud Cow belonging to Mr. T. W. G. Tombleson, Tahaenui, had this honour. Unfortunately, one of the quartette survived birth by only an hour. There are very few entries in the records of the department chronicling similar events in New Zealand. Shining Cuckoo. Is the shining cuckoo developing the habit of the nightingale? asks the Auckland Star. A resident of View Road, Mount Eden, who takes a keen interest in native birds, reports that this year the cuckoos have been singing at night. The other night, until after midnight some could be heard. There does not appear to be any special reason for the wakefulness of the birds. Their song, or whistle, was just the ordinary meditative sort of sound that one hears in the daytime; there was nothing,. to indicate that the birds were in distress, or disturbed by any night prowlers such as cats. The inf ormant could offer no explanation of this unsual activity on the part of the little migrants. Terns at Cape Kidnappers. The sea swallows (terns) have returned to the nesting place on the Black Reef at Cape Kidnappers, says the Napier Telegraph. After a lapse of several years, these birds again occupied this site last year. The gannets' nesting ground is now fully occupied, many birds covering the hilltop above the main roolcery. i Gold Bearing Reef. Following closely on the discovery of a promising gold-bearing reef on the Colville side of the Tokatea Range, a further discovery has been made which it is hoped may' give an impetus to the revival of goldmining in the Coromandel district. Messrs. J. Boswell and party, working as tributers in the Four-in-Hand area, have staked a claim, the first crushing from which is stated to have produced an encouraging return. Sensitive Beings. Champion golfers are sensitive beings, says the Christchurch Times, and at Shirley a breathless hush precedes almost every shot. If a motor car travelling past the course goes near a tee no true champion thinks of taking his drive until the noise is well away. Then on the fairways various things are sent to try players about to make their shots. Last Friday a semi-finalist was preparing to play an approach when a hat left its owner's head and began a roll across the fairway in front of the green. The game came to a sudden stop until the wayward hat had reached the other side of the fairway, while the self-conscious owner cowered among the crowd. The "Silence !" and "Stop" notices carried round behind the players are symbolical of the atmosphere that hangs over the big matches at Shirley. Unreasonable By-law. A by-law recently passed by the Invercargill City Council was upset by Mr. E. C. Lewey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court. The magistrate held that, on the merits of the particular circumstances ventilated, the by-law prohibiting any person in premises adjoining, or near, any street, footpath or public place from playing any gramophone or musical instrument so as to cause annoyance to persons in or near such street, footpath or public place, was too wide in its application and encroached on the rights and liberties of the citizens. He decided that the by-law was unreasonable, and that the first prosecution for a breach of its provisions brought against an Invercargill firm must accordingly fail. World Walking Tour. A world-wide walking tour * was commenced on Saturday by Mr. F. S. Dunford, who left Whangarei for Russell. He expects to return to Whangarei from Russell next Saturday, leaving on the following morning for Auckland. From Auckland he will walk through both islands to Invercargill. His next journey will he through Australia. Mr. Dunford was born in Rakaia 42 years ago. He has set out with intention of breaking the world's record of seven years, and expects to complete his tour at the end of six years. He is travelling very light, his equipment weighing only a few pounds. Man's Simple Life. On an outback road of the Pohangina County can be seen to-day a small tent, a rough shelter covered with sacks, and near at hand a primitive cowbail. All are erected on the roadside, the tent being the livipg quarters of a man and the sackcovered structure his car-shed. His six cows graze on the road.