LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 275, 2 September 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) announced that as from today overseas freight rates on xsew Zealand honey would be reduced irom £/6 for 40 cuoic feet space to £4O. ihe neight rate on honey was now the lowest instead of the highest of the lour Pacific countries stuuied, said the Minister, and he was more than pleased with the result.

Instancing a “classic” example ol brain injury, Dr. C. S. Williams (riving evidence in the Supreme Louit at Palmerston North recently, stated that formerly a man was a regular attender at church, a Sunday school teacher, and a model of righteous living. Following upon a blow on the head, he became a confirmed diunkaicl and criminal finishing up his days m gaol. Witness said it was possible tor a blight and cheerful poison, after receiving brain injury, to become dull, stupid, and uninteresting.

The first formal steps toward the formation of a public company to manage the Centennial Exhibition were taken at a meeting of the Citizens’ Committee (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington). Subsequently the Mayor (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) stated that all the principal points had been arranged, and. the necessary documents would be completed, the company formed and application made for registration within the next few days. The actual capital to be subscribed would be £150,000 which, together with subsidies promised by the Government (£75,000), will be sufficient to cover the cost of the launching project. Mr Hislop was definite that Rongotai would be the sito of the exhibition

“Valuers are enjoined not to strain after high values, not to accept special prices paid for land in exceptional circumstances, but to determine the value neither above nor below the fair selling value in view of the many and diverse purposes for which thei values are . used.” This statement is contained in the section relating to valuations in the latest issue of the Local Authorities’ Handbook. it is added : “'Land containing or supposed to contain oil, coal or other mineral deposit is valued as for the surface use only.” In New Zealand the increased value attaching to any piece of land which is due to the successful working of other lands in the district, or to State or local body expenditure on public works, or to the general prosperity and development of the country, forms part of the ‘unimproved value.’ Any increased value which arises from improvements made by the individual possessor is not included in this figure.”

A sparrow has discovered a bountiful feeding ground in the radiators of cars parked in Gladstone road, Gisborne. On several successive days it has been observed travelling from car to car picking out of the radiators the insects that have become caught in the small openings between the radiator cores. it goes thoroughly over the front of a radiator, and when disturbed flies along to a nearby car.

“To have plum trees in blossom in May is rather unusual,” writes a correspondent of an Auckland paper, “but to pick ripe plums in the month of August, even for the Auckland province, must surely constitute a record. During the week past 1 have eaten juicy plums of the cherry or Christmas plum variety picked straight from a tree on the property of Mr C. B. Pye, of Hot Water Beach, Whenuakite. This same tree bore a good crop of fruit last December, and showed a good percentage of blossoms in May.”

That it was nearly time the country had some institution to which could be „aut men who faded to pay maintenance moneys due their wives and children, so that they could be mqde to work for wages, which could go towards the support of their dependents, was the opinion expressed by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M. in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court, when he had before him a husband who was considerably in arrears with his payments. Mr Stout considered the man had not been trying to help his wife, the evidence showing that he had continuous work for six months.

Support for the principle of building up the youth of the Dominion by placing physical training on a national basis was given by the Council cf the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last night (says a Wellington Press Association telegram). The matter was raised by a remit from the Oamaru Boxing Association to be presented at the annual conference of the New Zealand Boxing Association this week. The remit urges on the Government the necessity for developing a national system of scientific physical education which would provide the soundest basis for defence training, and that an investigator be sent abroad to study methods of physical education.

“There is undoubtedly oil of some description under Wanganui,” stated a southern schoolmaster, interested in ctivnung, alter making tests with a rod around Mosston and other areas. He is tne fourth diviner to make such a statement in agreement with opinions previously expressed. Recently, however, Dr. J. Henderson (.director of Geographical Survey), made a confidential report to the Mayor (Mr W. J. lingers) in which he held out little hope of oil being found in payable quantities. The visitor said he had been shown what was undoubtedly vegetable oil at Mosston, and that it was just possible there was a good deal of it under the surface. “This may or may not bo what the rod indicated,” he said. There was only one way to find out, and that was by drilling.

A fingerprint and an axe-print apparently have a common attribute in that they can be essentially personal. At least, that is implied by evidence given during the hearing of a case in the Pukekohe Police Court in which a charge of theft called for identification of strainer posts by a bushman. He had cut them, but had not seen them again for several months. He was quite certain of their identity. “But how could you tell?” asked the magistrate, Mr P. H. 'Levien. “I can tell posts i have cut anywhere until they start to deteriorate,” was the reply. Constable H. J. Olsen endorsed the witness’ statement. A bushman could always tell his own axework, he said, and added that ho had done a good deal of work in the bush and was well aware of this. “I can recognise posts I have cut myself just as you can recognise your own handwriting,” said the witness to Mr Levien.

Shortly after the Waitangi celebrations the then Governor-General Viscount Bledisloe, presented to Mr H. Tai Mitchell a quantity of seed from manuka growing near the historic residency building on the Waitangi estate, reports the Auckland “Star’s” Rotorua correspondent. Mr Mitchell had the seed planted at the Native Department’s forestry at Rotorua, and the trees have now reached a stage where they are suitable for transplanting. In commemoration of Viscount Bledisloe and also one of the best-known of the Arawa historical legends, Mr Mitchell recently took eight of the young trees to Bledisloe Bark at Maketu, where they were planted. The figure eight in this particular case had a definite significance, as the trees were taken to represent the “Eight Hearts of the Arawa”—-the symbolical name by which the eight children of Rangitihi, original progenitor of the Arawa tribe, are commonly known. Photographs were taken of the young trees lit the nursery and also of the site of the planting at Bledisloe Park, and these are being forwarded to Viscount Bledisloo at Lydney Park by Mr Mitchell. Bledisloe Park, where the Eight Hearts of the Arawa have been planted is an area of land which was given to the Government by the Arawa Trust Board as a recreation reserve and named in honour of Viscount Bledisloe.

Admirably staged and perfectly received by radio listeners in New Zealand, a two-way conversation was held last night between Station 2YA, Wellington, and’ the Union Steam Ship Company’s new vessel Awatea, which is at present “somewhere in the Pacific” on her voyage out to the Dominion to enter the Australian-New Zealand service. The conversation, which was rebroadeast by the other national stations, was introduced by an electrical recording of a. descriptive nature representing scenes on boan. the vessel immediately prior toi her departure from Glasgow. As soon as the connection was made with the ship the wireless operator on board gave the Awatea’s position as latitude 41.39 S., longitude 172.52 W., and the station announcer and Captain Davey then exchanged greetings. The captain stated that good fortune had favoured the voyage, and that everything had gone according to schedule. After passing through, the Panama Canal they had experienced an electrical storm of exceptional severity, but the remainder of the voyage had been uneventful. Three boilers were being used—only half the vessel’s power, and her behaviour had far excelled all expectations. They expected to arrive at Wellington at 8 a.m. to-mor-row. After Captain Davey had described the various safetj' devices with which the Awatea is fitted, the chief engineer, the chief steward, and the wireless operator spoke of their different departments, the broadcast concluding when the captain announced that the conversation had been a very novel and welcome break in the journey.

“Perhaps tho greatest tragedy in New Zealand’s history was the omission of the Legislature to frame laws early enough to save many of our forests from destruction. Even to-day we cannot realise the problems that will arise in the future from that omission,” remarked Mr J. H. Luxfgrd S.M., speaking on “The Legal Machine,” at a luncheon of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association,

The secretary of the Wellington Employers’ Association (Mr Mountjoy), stated to-day that the building trade opposes tho Government establishing joinery factories in connection with the housing scheme. The New Zealand Federated Builders’ Association is combining with the Timber Merchants’ Association in representations to the Government opposing State competition with private enterprise in the way proposed (says a Press Association message from Wellintgon).

Although no definite date has been fixed for the by-election for the Manukau seat, made necessary by the resignation of Mr W. J. Jordan (Govt.) to take over the office of High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, the poll is likely to be held toward the end of this month. A statement on these lines was mad© by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) in an interview at* Wellington last evening. The actual resignation of Mr Jordan as member for Manukau was communicated to the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Mr Speaker. As a result the necessary preliminaries to the holding of the byelection will be put in train immediately.

The pleasure of the Jugoslav community in New Zealand at the selection by King Edward of the Dalmatian coast upon which to spend his holiday has been expressed by Mr J. M. Totich, Royal Jugoslav Consul for New Zealand. “It is only natural that our people here should display such great interest in his Majesty’s holiday,” said Mr Totich, “for nearly all the Jugoslavs in the Dominion came from the Dalmatian coastal districts. Consequently we feel highly honoured by his Majesty’s choosing to spend his first, holiday since his accession iai our homeland waters. Our people here have closely followed the cabled news of his Majesty’s progress, but we are eagerly awaiting the homeland newspapers, which will give us full reports of the great interest which has been taken by the Royal family. Government and people of Jugoslavia in their Royal guest.”