LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1926, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Plymouth Cycle Club’s run to the Oakura Beach to have been held yesterday was postponed indefinitely owing to the unpleasant weather. The Post Office announces that mails which left Auckland on October 26 per Niagara, via Vancouver, arrived in London on November 26.

The opening run of the Taranaki Automobile Association from New Plymouth to Tariki, which was to have been held yesterday, was postponed until the first fine Sunday, in view of the dismal weather reported from Inglewood. The first of the annual church services instituted for past and present boys of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School was conducted by the Rev. E. H. Strong at St. Mary’s Church yesterday. The attendance was large and the service was Considered to be a decided success. The lessons were read by two old boys, Messrs. C. H. Strombom and S. F. Fookes, while the singing was led by the school choir. Cold and boisterous weather prevailed throughout North Taranaki during the week-end. On Saturday a fall of snow was to be seen on the mountain and the Pouakai ranges, while in New Plymouth and the neighbouring towns occasional cold showers and hail interferred with sport. Yesterday afternoon the weather improved but a cold wind from the mountain made conditions unpleasant. An indication of what the farmer cau do in the rearing and careful feeding of prime young beef for local consumption is given by the killing of prize animals at Westfield last week. The two first prize two-year-old fat steers at the Royal Show were purchased by R. and W. Hellaby, Limited, for £l3 15s each and were killed at their abattoirs. They weighed 80Cib. and 7751 b respectively. The Hawera Highland Pipe Band journeyed to New Plymouth yesterday when, with the New Plymouth Pipe Band, a massed church parade was held in the morning at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. In the afternoon the bands marched from the Post Office to Pukekura Park, where, under Drum-Major Weir, a recital was given. Although the cold weather somewhat affected the attendance, the items and marching were much appreciated. A collection in aid of the band funds realised about £lO.

A new menace in the shape of mediumsized octopi has been threatening fishermen at the Manakau Heads during the past week. Several octopi were caught on schnapper lines inside the heads and the other day a fisherman had a particularly exciting experience. Having thrown out his line from the South Head in the hope of catching a shark, he hooked a octopus with 4ft. tentacles. On reaching the surface the octopus ejected a black fluid and after a violent struggle succeeded in slipping back into the wate’