NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1938, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES

VARIOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST Trail of Chops. Despite the persistent shouts of pedestrians, a Christchurch cyclist pedalled unconcernedly up Chester Street on a recent night, leaving a trail of mutton chops behind him. The cyclist was laden with parcels. The chops had worked loose and one by one had dropped out as he pedalled along. He must have gone fifty yards before he realised that the shouts were directed at him. Eight chops lay at intervals along the road. Earthquake Relic. An interesting relic of the Napier earthquake of 1931 was discovered by Mr C. O. Morse, who was defeated in the Mayoral election at Napier, and was engaged in cleaning up his official drawer prior to vacating office. He came across a scrap of paper torn from a writing pad on which were the words: “Official. Free pass anywhere. W. G. Wohlmann, Commissioner of Police.” Mr Morse informed a reporter that after the earthquake he had been actively engaged in assisting in the re-establishment of the town and the organisation of relief. In the course of this work he had had to visit many areas which had been closed and as a result had often been held up by police patrols. A conversation with the Commissioner of Police (Mr Wohlmann) had found a solution —the free pass, anywhere, pasted to the windscreen of his car had been scribbled out hastily on a page torn from a writing pad. Mr Morse added that a flag made from a pair of turkey red bathing trunks and marked “official” had also been attached to the car as part of the official badge. Crop of Grammas. An unusual crop which has been grown by Mr A. D. Turner in South Taranaki is a plot of 50 Australian grammas or “New South Wales pumpkins.” The gramma has the appearance of a marrow except that it is similar to a horseshoe in shape, but its taste is like a dish of apples and peaches cooked together. Wild White Duck. A white wild duck was noticed on Mr Gregor McLeod’s lake in the Kaukatea Valley, Taranaki, on the opening day of the shooting season. Mr McLeod states that some five or six years ago he noticed a bird similarly feathered, but the suggestion made then was that it was a tame duck amongst the wild ones. This year he made a closer examination, and the white bird flew away as strongly as the rest. Conscience Money. The following amounts, forwarded by persons unknown as conscience-money to the New Zealand Government, are acknowledged in the New Zealand Gazette: —3d and £4 to the Post and Telegraph Department, 6d and Is to the Railways Department, £1 5s and 10s to the Treasury, £1 10s to the Pensions Department, 2d to the... Customs Department, £5 10s to the Land and Income Tax Department.

Basis of Astrology. British meteorologists have had a troublous time of late with sun-spots, electric storms, the Aurora Borealis, and everyone blaming them for the bitterly cold Easter, but the unkindest cut of all has been dealt them by a barrister who addressed the conference of astrologers at Harrogate. The basis of astrology, he said, was fortune-telling, and according to the laws against heretics and witchcraft those casting horoscopes were liable to be prosecuted for indulging in witchcraft. “I am also of the opinion,” he added ominously, “that such prosecutions could also be taken against people who give weather forecasts.”

“One-eyed” Town. Of alleged partisanship in New Zealand Rugby crowds, Mr J. E. Sacks (a South African newspaperman) reports in his book that he noticed only one flagrant instance; that was at Timaru. “I have noticed,” he writes, “in overseas newspapers a suggestion that at times the crowds in New Zealand adopted a most unsporting attitude towards Springbok performances. However, this suggestion is most unfair to the exceptionally enthusiastic sporting public of that Dominion, and certainly not warranted by the facts. In the whole tour of New Zealand Timaru was the only ‘one-eyed’ town encountered; here the crowd’s attitude was most unreasonably partisan. But everywhere else the Springbok triumphs were most generously acclaimed, and sincere tributes were paid officially and unofficially to the attractive football which they played.”

Praise for Forbury Track. The fast times recorded at the Forbury Park Trotting Club's winter meeting are a tribute to the officials of the Forbury Park Trotting Club, who (says the ‘'Christchurch StarSun") went to a great deal of trouble to find the right class of clay to make a safe, firm, and fast track. Only half the width has been reconditioned, but the thoroughness of the job was manifested at the recent meeting, where the footing was fast and safe. To appreciate fully the value of the clay selected, one had only to examine the imprints of the horses’ feet on the portion that has been reconditioned and the outside part. On the inside there was just a clear imprint of the shoe, whereas on the outside the soil cupped up three inches. For a horse's feet to suffer what amounts to slipping back three inches at every stride not only retards speed but is dangerous, for when a horse is tiring and under a severe drive it is apt to lose its balance and fall. It is the intention of the Forbury Club to recondition the outside portion in the same manner as it has done the inside, When

that is completed Forbury will possess the fastest and safest trotting track in the Dominion.

Southland Beech Popular. Southland beech has held favour in many trades in New South Wales for a number of years, and although it is now meeting competition from several other timbers, its prospects are good for the next few years. That opinion was expressed by Mr G. D. Cadden, Sydney representative of the Co-op-erative Beech Company of Southland, Ltd., in an interview with a “Southland Times” reporter. Trades and industries in Sydney find many uses for Southland beech, according to Mr Cadden. It has been used successfully for several years for motor-body building, turnery, brushware and furniture, but its use in some trades is now becoming restricted. Modern methods of motor-vehicle manufacture were responsible for beech being replaced by steel in the construction of chassis, Mr Cadden said, and the company had to find other markets where the Southland timber could profitably be employed.

Fivepenny Cheque. A New Plymouth firm recently received a cheque for fivepence. Threepence had been spent on stamp duties and postage of the cheque, which, now framed, hangs on the wall of the company that received it.

Barbed Wire No Shelter. The necessity for some suitable shelter being provided by farmers for bobby calves while they are waiting at the farmer’s gates to be picked up by the motor-lorries was stressed by a member at the annual meeting of the Okato branch of the Farmers’ Union. Barbed wire fences, he said, provided no shelter. Members pointed out that it would be difficult to know where to draw the line. It was considered the position could be well safeguarded by the S.P.C.A., and it was decided to bring the matter before the Farmers’ Union’s representative on that body. Golfer Loses Cltib in Rough.

Weather , conditions for the North Auckland golf championship at Whangarei were very unfavourable and one player took 15 strokes for the 17th hole. Another presented a problem to the tournament officials when he lost his club playing on the 18th green. The wet club slipped through the player’s numbed fingers and landed in the rough. All efforts to locate the club proved fruitless.