LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Swimming Record Broken. Competing in the 50 yards junior girls' backstroke trial, at Invercargill yesterday, Miss Westerby set up a record of 36 4-ssec., eclipsing the New Zealand record, which was 37 2-ssec. Alteration to Show Class.

The attention of exhibitors is drawn to an error in class 218 of the Masterton Show schedule. The class should read, for horses not trained. In the schedule the word ‘-not” is omitted. Brought Back by Lorry.

The Wairarapa Aero Club’s Moth machine which made a forced landing at Makara on Thursday morning was brought back to Masterton yesterday by motor lorry. Mr D. Stewart, who was piloting the machine, made the landing after losing his way in a thick fog while flying from Blenheim to Masterton. One of the aeroplane's wings was slightly damaged. Parcels to South China.

The Director-General of the Post Office has been advised from Hong Kong that, owing to the disturbed conditions in South China, the parcel post services are temporarily suspended for the provinces of Kweichow, Anhui, Hunan, Hupeh. Shansi, Shensi, Kiangsi, Honan, Kansu? Kwangsi and Kwangtung, with the exception of the ports of Swatow and Amoy. Parcels cannot therefore be forwarded except to Swatow and Amoy until further advice is received that the services in South China can be resumed. Bright Sunsets Expected.

If past experience is a guide, the advance guard of the smoke from the Australian bush fires will be drifting over New Zealand very soon, and aj series of brilliant sunsets may be looked for if the other conditions are favourable. The most frequent cause of brilliant sunsets is dust carried by high air currents from Ausralia, but this factor has not been greatly in evidence in recent years. Smoke, however, also “improves” the sunset by cutting off some of the light waves, emphasising the reds, oranges and yellows. To Dunedin by Air. Mr W. A. C. Pullar, of Masterton, left the Hood Aerodrome this morning en route to Dunedin where he will take part this afternoon in the invitation mile race in which V. P. Boot (Canterbury), G. Backhouse (Australia) and T. Allen (Dunedin) will also compete. Mr Pullar flew to Wellington in the ZKADL machine piloted by Mr F. R. Bodie, later leaving by the service plane for Dunedin. Mr J. A. Kirkcaldie left the Hood Aerodrome yesterday afternoon with a passenger for Tauranga in a Miles Whitney Straight machine. V. P. Boot to visit Australia.

V. P. Boot, the Canterbury athlete, has accepted an invitation from the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association to compete in the State championships in Sydney on February 4 and 11. It is proposed that he shall also compete at a night fixture on the Hurstville Oval on February 7, and at a meeting in Newcastle on February 18. Boot will run at the New South Wales championship meeting as a New Zealander. He has been granted leave of absence to make the trip to Australia.

Money That Disappeared. Between £3O and £4O was reported to be missing from, the Hot Dog Cafeteria, Farish Street, Wellington, early last night. The proprietor, Mr A. Alexdos, said he took the money, which represented the day’s takings, from his cash register intending to • put it in his safe in the basement. He carried the money into the basement, where some men were having a meal, but was called away before he could put it in the safe. He placed the money near the safe but on his return found the money was missing. Albatross on Farm.

The strangest visitor ever to appear in Pahiatua, an albatross, landed on the farm of Mr D. O’Brien, Mangamutu, on Thursday afternoon, and, though somewhat unfriendly at first, it is now making itself perfectly at home and is on cordial terms with the numerous people who have been to see it. Where it has come from nobody knows, but apparently it had flown a great distance, for it was exhausted when it was brought down by the gale which was blowing at the time. In spite of that, however, it made a good landing on the lawn at the back of Mr O’Brien’s house, and was not injured in any way. Yachting Championship.

With three of five races for the New Zealand Idle Along championship completed at Nelson yesterday, Rose Marie (Bay of Plenty) is leading with 16 points; Tornado (Wellington) has 12, Mayfair (Nelson) 11, Vagabond (Marlborough) 9, and Marita (Canterbury) 7. Though Tornado handsomely won the resail of the second event yesterday, she was disqualfied on technicality for not being in the water and sailing when the flags were raised, following the warning gun, five minutes before the start. The committee decided to adopt the judge’s report, giving the placings: Rose Marie 1, Vagabond 2, Mayfair 3. Tornado led all the way in the afternoon race. Fossilized Seal Skull.

A fossilised seal skull that is probably about 1,000,000 years old has been sent to the Auckland War Memorial Museum for identification. It was recently discovered in a cliff face at Ohope Beach, Whakatane, 20 feet from the top. Apart from being possibly slightly larger than the skull of the seal species which are still known in New Zealand waters, the skull is identified as distinct from extant series mainly by the different arrangement of the teeth. Mr A. W. B. Powell, of the museum, stated that the head apparently belonged to an extinct species, allied to the existing southern fur seal which is still found on the coast of the South Island. So far as is known, it is only the second discovery of its type in New Zealand. Gates on Public Road. Surprise at finding that on the public road from Marlinborough to the coast there were no 'fewer than 16 gates across the road was expressed by Mr Stuart Wilson, Wellington, on his return from a three weeks’ holiday spent on a cattle station on the east coast. ’’One can imagine the inconvenience and annoyance caused to travellers down this road to have to get out of their cars and open and shut these gates 16 times in the course of 25 miles,” he said. “The county council seems to charge more than double what it should when it removes a gate and erects a cattle stop, as it has done in two or three instances. The farmers complain that the cattle stops that have been erected are not satisfactory, and. to remedy the position it is my intention to petition Parliament on their behalf.’’