Bay of Plenty Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 31st., 1932. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10830, 31 March 1932, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 31st., 1932. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Interest has again been revived in the Palmer goldfields, Queensland, which between 40 and 50 years ago was worked by 40,000 Chinese. According to Mr B. Dunstan, a former Chief Government geologist, there is a likelihood of the field again becoming a but to what extent remains to be shown by those who are undertaking its development under modern conditions of mining, and under „ favourable conditions granted by* the' present Queensland Government, Mr Dunstan considers that the Palmer field is undoubtedly rich, and the neglect of It for so many years by mining people is incomprehensible.

That the Indian minah is deserving of protection in the Dominion as it perches upon the backs of cattle and sheep and removes lice, ticks and other parasites, was an opinion expressed at the monthly meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society. Mr J. Graham, of Hastings, wrote stating that the Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Society, of which he was a member, offered a prize, presented by the Fruitgrowers’ Association, for the largest collection of blackbirds, thrushes and mirtahs' eggs. He thought it was a. serious mistake to encourage the stamping out of the minah, which accounted for numbers of insects. It was decided to write to the Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Society asking them to remove minahs’ eggs from the competition, as these birds did valuable work in keeping down lice and other parasites from sheep and cattle.

There are 30 men prospecting for gold in the vicinity of Hokitika. This absorbs £36 weekly, and leaves little for the employment of married men under the No. 5 scheme.

The failure of Canada to keep up with New Zealand a.nd Denmark In improving her dairy herds was impressed upon the annual convention of the Dairymen’s Association of Eastern Ontario by Dr J. A. Ruddick, the Dominion dairy commission. He said that Canadian dairymen placed too much emphasis on exaggerated claims of the natural advantages in New Zealand while failing to improve their own herds.

A meeting of the Te Puke subcentre of the Royal Life-Saving Society was Jr eld during the week-end and it was decided that the Auckland head centre be approached to arrange' for the holding of an Auckland provincial 7-men team championship at The Mount, Tauranga, between Christmas and New Year, in conjunction with a swimming carnival, which will be arranged.

There is something very strange, remarks the Southland Daily News, in the fact that the people of New Zealand —the country which produces some of the finest cheese in the world—consumes per head of the population about one-third of the cheese which British people do where probably less than 2 per cent, of the population are interested in its manufacture. Cheap meat in New Zealand may have much to do with this, also lack of knowledge of the value of cheese as a food. A “cheese week” might help to stimulate local demand, and would undoubtedly have the support of the Dairy Board. The News suggests the holding of a “cheese week” at the Winter Show time.

“We do not want our girls to grow up with the belief that the only kind of needle that is useful is the one that fits the gramophone,” said a school committeeman at Te Awamutu. when consideration was being given to the subject of instruction in sewing at the schools.

Deer are said to be swarming on the hills of Ashburton County, and one stalker who was out recently stated that there was enough venison on the ranges, and close to farms, to feed an army. . A party of four stalkers in one day brought down five deer, in a herd of eight which they found on one hill face. Another stalker shot 16 deer in one day.

A narrow escape from what might have been a serious accident to the ocapants of a. car driven by Mrs Shaw of Tauranga was experienced at AJienree yesterday. The car, which v.as being driven at a moderate speed, skidded on the loose metal and turned completely over on its roof. A remarkable feature of the accident was that with the exception of the right hand head lamp no glass was broken. The body of the car was strained and the mudguard crushed in. Fortunately the occupants escaped without injury. The car was brought in under its own power to Tauranga.

The Chairman of Directors of the New Zealand Co-opera,tive Pig Marketing Association will address a meeting in the Foresters’ Hall at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday next, April », The meeting is an important one and no doubt there will be a large attendance of farmers.

The Valuer-General notifies that the revised district valuation roll for Mount Maunganui Town District will be open for public inspection at the Board’s office. Tauranga, from April 1 to 30, 1932. Objections to valuations must be lodged not later than April 30.

A deadly enemy of the grass grub is the common black beetle, a native of New Zealand. At a recent meeting of the Otago Council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Mr 11. Bennett, of North-East Valley, gave an interesting demonstration of a bet tie attacking a grub. A beetle over an inch long was placed in a tin with a pair of grubs, and it quickly seized one in its sharp “pincers.” In a very short time the grub was practically severed and its inside extracted. It is usual for the beetle to burrow beneath the ground before devcur'oi' ho grub.

Excursionists who visited Peel Forest recently were taken into the bush on the Demiiston station and shown a totara tree which is reputed to be about 1500 years old and the second oldest totara in New Zealand (states the Christchurch Sun). The tree is 26ft. In circumference four feet from the base, and the roots stretch over the ground for dozens of yards. The age of the tree was brough homo to the party when the guide pointed out-, that the tree was already 700 years old when the Magna Charta was signed!

“I fail to see how any parent in the back country can be expected to milk a cow with one hand and teach a child with the other,” said Mr L. E. Vernazoni at a meeting of chairmen of school committees in Christchurch the other evening, when, discussing the Economy Commission’s recommendation that grade O schools should be closed and the children should be taught by correspondence. “These parents pay their share of taxation just as do those in larger cities. Why then, should they in particuar be penalised?”