The location here will be Tahuna Park, at 3.30 on Saturday, when Mr J. W. H. Scotland (pilot) will give a flight in the air with his Caudron biplane.
Watching the evolutions is stated to be one of the most fascinating events of a lifetime, and the onlookers are held spellbound from the time the machine rises from the ground to its return to the point of departure.
This being the first event of its kind, a large attendance is expected.
• With the continuation of warm weather the grain crops in the Clinton district are ripening apace.
A considerable amount is already in stook, and with another week of fine weather harvesting operations should be fairly general.
In the rest of Clutha, as well as in Bruce, most of the crops are in stook, or the binders are busy in the fields.
The best oaten crops which our Balclutha correspondent has seen in South Otago this season are in the Catlins district, where the prolonged early rains did not have such a deteriorating effect on the growth as elsewhere.
A good heavy downpour is wanted everywhere just now for the turnip crops, and for the grass.
Blight is very apparent among many of the potato crops.
• Australia's first transcontinental railway is advancing apace.
Sixty miles of formation have been completed at the West Australia end of the line, and nearly 50 miles at the South Australian end.
The rails are following the formation quickly, and about 31,000 tons of rails and 340,000 sleepers are in store at convenient points.
The amount of money expended on the line up to the end of the year was nearly 900,000.
The State and Federal Governments are watching a little anxiously to see what amount of settlement will follow the line, and present indications are said to justify a hope that large areas will be taken up in new districts as soon as train services are established.
The constructors have been unexpectedly successful in finding water with artesian bores, particularly on the West Australian side.
The prosperity of the railway will depend upon the through traffic when Perth is connected with Adelaide, four or five years hence, but any trade that can be secured along the route will be very welcome to the authorities.
• AUCKLAND: In spite of the fact that the literary test is required by the Customs officials before Hindus are allowed into this country, there are a number in Auckland who are unable to speak a word of English, according to Mr Lindsay (traffic inspector), who states that frequently Hindus call at his office regarding fruit licenses, and it was necessary for them to have an interpreter before they could make known their wishes.
''In some cases,'' said Mr Lindsay, ''Hindus have come to this office and I have asked them to show their licenses, but they did not understand. In my opinion, they are as bad, and sometimes worse, than Chinamen in their ignorance of English. How they manage to pass the Customs I cannot understand. They will also show me licenses which do not belong to them, but are owned by other Hindus who give the temporary use of them.''
Inquiry at the Customs Office, Labour Department, and Shipping Office yesterday failed to elicit the number of Hindus resident in Auckland. - ODT, 25.2.1914.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
