100 years ago — from our archives
Civilising the natives
JUDGING by the reports received by the Commonwealth authorities from the Lieutenantgovernor of Papua, the task of civilising the natives, who are of a most barbaric type, will be long and tedious (says the Melbourne Age). In a recent exploratory tour, Judge Murray discovered a ghastly example of native art, consisting of a stuffed native head, painted in red, with yellow and black stripes. The natives frequenting the upper reaches of the Strickland River were found to be very wild and barbaric. Although armed with bows and arrows, they took fright at the approach of the white men, and fled in terror into the jungle. Further on, however, at the mouth of the Herbert River, they were of a more hostile temperament, and fired at the party. A few shots sufficed to put them to flight. In isolated cases friendly relations were established with the blacks, but the absence of a common language in which to converse with them proved a handicap, and to avoid bloodshed the party continued on its journey. The natives are constantly warring among themselves, and in consequence the population in the middle Strickland district is nomad in character.
Increasing food supplies in UK . . .
In sympathy with the general movement in the Old Country the New Zealanders in England have made a move towards increasing the food supplies. Long ago the advisability of allowing the men in Walton Hospital to cultivate some of the land adjoining was considered, and last summer quite a considerable quantity of kitchen garden produce was raised by the men for their own amusement. This year there is evidence that the quantity will be very much greater. The Hospitality Committee of the New Zealand War Contingent Association appointed Lady Hardwicke, Miss Rees, Mr J. C. N. Grigg, Mr H. GuthrieSmith, and Mr I. W. Raymond to go into the matter, and after several consultations with General Richardson a scheme was brought up and approved. The commanding officer of each unit is to inform headquarters what ground is available for vegetable growing and poultrykeeping, and is to organise the work. General Richardson wishes everything to be done by voluntary work, and therefore there will be no ‘‘fatigues’’. All the produce will belong to the military authorities, and will be used primarily by the New Zealand hospitals and camps.
. . . and in New Zealand
A farmer from the Wanganui district informed a New Zealand Times reporter last week that every effort was being made to carry out the Government’s wishes by putting a greater area of land under the plough, and the work was being made more difficult owing to the scarcity of labour. He stated that on two occasions practically all his farm hands, including ploughmen, had been called up in the ballot, and now the only European ploughman he had been able to secure had been ordered to join the forces. Under the conditions that exist, he says that as far as his district is concerned something will need to be done to retain ploughmen in New Zealand, otherwise there will be a fallingoff instead of an increased output of foodstuffs.
Circular tusk
An interesting sporting trophy was presented to the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society recently by Mr M. Allen, of Kauroo Hill, in the shape of a wild boar’s tusk, measuring 161⁄4 inches in length (says the Oamaru Mail).
The grinder in the upper jaw must have rotted away through age, and the tusk, unhindered in its growth, had grown into so complete a circle that the point had penetrated the flesh of the lower jaw and had grown until it passed the root end and overlapped it by 21⁄2 inches. The tusk forms a complete circle.
Sideline sniping silenced
‘‘Why aren’t you in khaki?’’ shouted a knot of spectators to the referee at intervals during the first half of a football match at Bristol on a recent Saturday between Bristol Rovers and a Royal Flying Corps team.
After blowing his whistle for halftime, the official walked across the field to this group and showed them four gold stripes on his sleeves, and, opening his coat, the D.C.M. and a Russian medal pinned to his waistcoat.
He was Sergeant Holder, of the Gloucestershire Regiment. The inquirers were silent in the second half. — ODT, 30.4.1917.