LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 304, 18 August 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Return Visit Dr. E. Marsden, secretary to th'e Department of Scientiflc and Industi'ial Research, who has been on a1 brief visit to Rotorua, hopes to return here in December, when he has arranged to deliver an address to the High Sehool scholars. Orphans Visit Matamata On Tuesday evening fifteen members of the Rotorua Orphans' Club made theij annual visit to Matamata, where they were the guests of their brother Orphans. During the evening a eombined entertainment was held, members of both clubs providing items which were well received by all present. School Vacations. To-morrow afternoon district primary schools and the Rotorua High School will break-up for the second term vacation. Primary schools will be closed for a fortnight and the High School for three weeks. Callous Motorist The callous action of a motorist who ran down a dog in Haupapa Street a few days ago was the caus's of much comment by passers-by. Seriously injuring the animal the motorist complacently threw it' into the watertahle and without further thonght, passed on his way. Colony of Pet Eels. From time to time reports appear of a number of tame eels in a stream at Takaka, Nelson, and they have become known all over New Zealand, but New Plymouth has had for several years a colony of eels with an equal, if not greater, claim to farne, says the Taranaki Herald. They live in a ditch that runs through the hack yard of the section of Mr. W. Smith, a Moturoa fisherman. The ditch' is small, and carries little water, and at first sight appears an nnlikely home for a ' "family" of eels. However, there are more than a few of them there, and all who know of th'eir presenee are careful to do nothing to frighten them. It is about dusk that the eels come. out to feed in a bay that has heen cut in the side of the ditch. The almost nightly performance has now heen going on for two or three years and, on one oecasion, there were over 30 eels in the feeding place, which* is only three or four square feet in area. Earthquake Research The observation of volcanic activity and the recording and study of earthquakes has" been receiving the attention of the Department of Scientifie and Industrial Research. It was necessary, however, explained Dr. E. Marsden, secretary to the department, to a "Morning Post" representative last night, to obtain a comprehensive geological survey of the country. This survey had now been eompleted and provided a foundation upon which further investigation could he made. So far as Rotorua district was concerned he indicated that several small recording sets had heen established (one in charge of Mr. W. G. Harwood, at the High School), and by this means it was hoped to obtain useful infcnration regarding the sequence of earthquakes and, possibly, trace lines of weakness. Good News No more emergency legislation will need to be passed by the Government, according to the Prime Minister. He says that -with an improved econ'omic outlook the present laws will provide all the powers needed to carry through the Government's reconstruction plan.