Bay of Plenty Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 9th, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVII, Issue 10147, 9 August 1929, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 9th, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

A farewell was tendered by a number of friends to Mrs F. H. S. Ibbetson last night. During the evening Mr F. McLaughlin referred to the regret felt at the approaching departure of Mr and Mr s Ibbotson for Dunedin and extended to them best wishes for good health and prosperity in their new sphere. He presented Mrs Ibbetson with a pair of motoring glove a a s a token of esteem from her local friends. The function closed with the singing -of ' ‘Auld Lang Syne” and “For They arc Jolly Good Fellows.”

The foundation stone of the new Diocesan offices and schoolroom in St. John’s Cathedral grounds, Napier, now in course of erection, was laid on the Ist inst. by His Lordship the Bishop of Waiapu, Dr W. W. Sedgwick, in the presence of a number of clergy of the diocese and parishioners.

At last week-end 36 whales had been captured by Mr J. Perano’s party, Tory Channel, but the other day yielded two more, making the total so far this season 38 (states the Malborough Express). Operations will cease in about three weeks or a month, and 17 whales are needed to equal fast season’s exceptional record of 55.

Some time ago a consignment of partridges from England was liberated in the Matamata district, and hopes were held that the birds would thrive and multiply. They have spread far outside the area where they were freed, but so far there is no indication that they have multiplied to any gx’eat extent. Occasionally a few partridges have been seen near Matamata, but settlers who know the district believe that the breeding partridges have -a poor chance against stoats, weasels, hawks, and other enemies.

A large property deal has just been completed in Napier, Mr T. A. Heath, the licensee of the Provincial Hotel, purchasing the freehold of the hotel property from Mrs M. Gleeson, of Auckland, for £25,000.

A party of Thames residents who visited Mercury Bay during the week-end had the pleasure of seeing one of the most rare of New Zealand birds, a kotuku, or white cane,, (says the Thames Star), This bird has been a familar sight for some time in the Mercury Bay harbour and is very tame. It is to be hoped that efforts will be'made by the residents to protect it, since there are few still surviving. The kotuku was particularly prized by the Maoris and have been gradually disappearing.

The president of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce, Mr B. C. Bennett, in opening his English correspondence the other day found an enclosure with a communication from Messrs Ben tails, the wellknown manufacturers of agricultural implements, which very much interested him. The enclosure was a replica, in much reduced size, of a poster issued by the Empire Marketing Board and displayed in Messrs Bontalls’ works. The text of the poster reads as follows: “A contract for* New Zealand is now in hand at these works. Question: How can you help to secure further contracts from New Zealand 1 Answer, By buying, and getting your wife to buy, the produce New Zealand is sending us. Buy New Zealand butter and cheese, lamb (Canterbury), honey (Imperial Bee), apples (March to July).

The Department of Agriculture in New Soutli Wales is making preparations for the settlement of 554.000 acres of land, which will bo made available under the Wyangala dam water conservation scheme. The estimated cost of a dam on the Lachlan is £1,352,000.

The Government Meteorologist wired to-day: The indications are for moderate southerly winds. There is a prospect of fair to cloudy weather. Cool temperatures. The barometer has a falling’ tendency. Seas and tides moderate.

Recently, a notification was published that the Imperial Government were issuing Memorial Plaques and Scrolls, together with a letter from His Majesty, on account of those members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who have died since being discharged from the Forces, provided' the death took place on or beiore August 31, 1928, and that it was the result, of war service. The Government has now received a despatch stating that the Memorial plaque factory will be closed so soon as tlie outstanding demands have been dealt with. In the circumstances, the Defence Department is forwarding to the United Kingdom a final list of applications, and this will include all those received by the Department on or before August 2G; therefore the relatives of the deceased soldiers should not delay communicating with Base Records Office, Wellington, relative to their claim to receive Memorials. Subsequent to August 2(5, all applications of this kind will be declined, and the relatives of ex-soldierg will not have cause to blame the New Zealand Defence Department if their neglect means to them the loss of the beautiful Memorials. There is a wonderful budget of attractive illustrations in this week’s issue of the New Zealand Sporting and Dramatic Review. The most important event of the week, the visit of the French cruiser Tourville to Auckland, is ■ shown in a delightful series of the officers' visit to Rotorua. The centre pages are gay with summer scenes from overseas; open air baptisms in London, England v. South Africa cricket test, Richmond horse show, ad aquatic contests. The prize-winners at the Wellington Kennel Club’s Exhibition make up a pleasing page of interest to dog lovers, and another page that will prove of absorbing interest to boxers shows the Auckland Provincial amateur boxing champions. The Royal Ascot racing carnival makes a delightful page of lawn fashions, and equally charming is a page of spring fashions. Football is represented in animated pages devoted to the British and French naval teams at Soccer and a series of the Auckland v. Waikato Rugby rep. match at Eden Park. The big Scout rally at Wellington is the subject of a page of happy Scout incidents. The “Review” is on sale at all booksellers and stationers.*