Boat progress smooth sailing

Miss Marjorie Soper, of the J. C. Williamson's ''Within the Law'' company in Mr S. R. Stedman's...
Miss Marjorie Soper, of the J. C. Williamson's ''Within the Law'' company in Mr S. R. Stedman's Clement Bayard, which she drove whilst in Dunedin. - Otago Witness, 3.6.1914.
In proposing the toast of ''The Otago Harbour Board'' at the Yacht Club's social last evening, Commodore Hanlon warmly commended the board on having so far progressed with the construction of the new boat harbour near the Cement Works.

Speaking from painful experience, he said boat-owners had for years been subjected to intermittent spells of anxiety whenever a heavy gale raged in the Upper Harbour owing to the risk of their boats dragging their moorings, or being smashed in collision with other boats that had dragged their anchors.

The Commodore said it was no uncommon experience for a boat-owner to receive an urgent telephone message stating that his boat was drifting into danger, but on arrival at the waterside one look at the fierce rolling waves was usually sufficient to deter anyone from attempting to risk his life in order to save his boat.

Thanks to the action of the Harbour Board, the members of the Yacht Club would ere long be relieved of all anxiety, as he understood that the long-waited-for boat harbour would be completed within a few months.

- An amusing, but unpleasant, experience happened to a well-known Waimahaka resident. Having arranged to be away for a few days with his wife and family (says the Southland Times correspondent), he made his house secure, as he thought.

A large pig (just about ready to kill) was let out of its stye, so that it could forage of itself in the garden.

On his return some three days later he was surprised to find the pig anxiously waiting for him in the front room. With his two front feet on the window sill, he was peering out between the curtains, ready to welcome his master's return.

The pig must have forced open the door, and then closed it again, and during his stay amused himself by chewing the bottom out of a couch, eating half a bag of flour, half a bag of sugar, sundry door mats, linoleum, etc. It is needless to say that the pig had a warm reception on his owner's return.

- Speaking as a member of a deputation which interviewed the Hon. H. D. Bell at Wellington (says the Dominion), Sir Walter Buchanan said that a modern difficulty attending the advent of the motor car was the threatened depletion of the country's horse stock.

''I venture to affirm, with no chance of disproof,'' he continued, ''that the country racing clubs, even the small country clubs, being composed of men who live on the land and are breeders of horses, will act as a corrective as far as may be, and will do more than the endowment that has been given to the large racing centres to preserve our horse stock.

"It should be in the minds of the Legislature and of the Government that this may be a very important point in delaying the depletion of our horse stock. I venture to say that this is a broad question very well worthy of the consideration of the Government.''

- The operations of the Otago Acclimatisation Association in the destruction of hawks appear to be meeting with a large amount of success.

Since the association decided to purchase hawks' feet at 3d per pair, close on 12,000 birds have been accounted for to the society, which has been called upon to disburse about 150 as remuneration to the bird-destroyers.

It should be pointed out that the society is paying 3d per pair of feet - not per ''head'', as it has been found far cleaner to handle the birds' feet than their heads, the latter, in cases where they have to be sent a distance, generally coming to hand in an advanced stage of putrefaction.

- ODT, 20.6.1914.

Add a Comment