TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 60, 5 December 1923, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

“A_s long as I am in Parliament,” said the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Miniscer of Internal Affairs, at Raglan, “I am going to see that the people in the back areas of the country get the facilities they richly deserve.” A voice: Keep that- up. (Applause and laughter.,). —“New Zealand Herald.”

Lucerne has a use that might, with advantage, he considered by the Railway Department, which is generally in trouble every dry summer through the conflagrations caused by escaping sparks from the engines. This past week (says the “Press”) .many miles of tlm dry pasture on the railway reserves of the main south line have been burnt, the only break for a very’ long stretch being at Bankside, where the green lucerne on the reserve prevented ignition. There are thousands of acres of land represented on railway reserves, where the rank dry growth is a source of danger to adjoining properties, and it might be a good idea for the Department to arrange with neighbouring farmers who are not cvet burdened with land to take over the reserves for lucerne growing and thereby serve the double purpose of making use of them and ensuring safety to adjoining farms.

Between the hours of midnight and 1 a.m. on Saturday the shops in Queen Street, Masterton, occupied by the Goodrich Tyre Company, Mr. IV. Hedley, Pickering BrotheFs, and Booth Macdonald were broken into, entrance being effected through the back doors. From traces left by tlie thief it is surmised that he was after cash, as only £1 has been missed from one shop. —“Age,” Masterton.

“You never hear an American talk of the bad roads in his country,” said Mr. C. E. Daniell at the last. Masterton Chamber of Commerce meeting. “He generally 'says: “You’ve got a good car there; you’ll do the journey all right.—“Wairarapa Age.”

Speaking on Dominion affairs at the opening of the Raglan Borticultuial Show on Thursday, the lion. R. F. Bollard said the financial position of the country had not for some years been better than it was to-day. He referred (states the Auckland “Star”) to the causes of the past depression over which the Government had -no control, and remarked that the high prices wool and butter-fat were now bringing brought smiles to the faces of the farmers. (Applause.) New Zealand finance was largely controlled by the Old and- if Mr. Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister, was successful in the election now taking place, New Zealand should derive a still greater benefit- in many’ ways than it did to-day. London was our groat market, and though some people considered that we should not be "absolutely dependent on that market—we should try and get new markets in other countries—he considered that the London market we now had for our products should be our first consideration.

Carterton has been deeply agitated over tlJe question, of mixed bathing. The council (state;, an exchange) had an earnest debate on the matter. One councillor said that even' if o ery other town in the world had mixed, bathing he w’ould opposie it, but in spite cf his opposition the council granted the application. “Now that we have allowed mixed bathing,” said the objector, “we must see to it that proper diess is worn.” The chairman pointed out that there was a recognisled costume in other places. As a final safeguard the council decided to swear in the caretaker as a special constable, thereby giving him full power to exercise authority “in “case of trouble.”

Sailors have some strange companions and pets, and it is not unknown for men of the sea also to carry for ulititarian reasons birds and beasts known best to the landsman. The oversea liner Errol, which was in Timaru Harbour recently carried a fully equipped poultry outfit, with about a. dozen fowls of mixed, strains. It was quite an unusual sight to see the feathered inhabitants of the vessel, which were accommodated in the after portion of the ship, hopping all over the dieck picking up food and scratching ami cackling as though they thoroughly enjoyed life afloat. They had their quarters in a neatlyerected deckhouse, well sheltered from extremes of weather and the vagaries or wind and sea.

On Friday evening about six o’clock, when most people wbre thinking of the inner man, a large stingray swimming in the vicinity of the landing steps of the Central wharf, Auckland, decided to havte a bite, and chose the baited hook of Mr. Buck, third mate of the steamer Kaikorai, which was berthed thereabouts. Mr. Buck, using an ordinary small line of good ply, soon recognised that the “biter” was a fish of considerable pfropotrtions. Another officer from the vtessel and several wharf workers went to the assistance of Mr. Buck, and after a fight of two and a half hours (relates the “Star”), the stingray, weighing close on a hundredweighL and measuring 6ft. 6in. from head to tail, and 3ft. 9in. across the flappers, was hauled up—but not with tho lino. The party sunk a coal basket afid heaved him out by the winch-power. ,

A paragraph recently wtent the rounds of the Press with reference to the number of scarecrows to be sefen in the King Country. The trouble is (states tlite Auckland “Star”), that thei;e las been an enormous increase in the number of birds this season; and gardeners have found that blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings, to say nothing of the ever-present sparrow, have bteen doing a great deal more damage than usual. Some of these birds —the blame has not been definitely fixed —have developed a habit of eating the heart out of young lettuce plants, and milling young cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli plants out of the ground. In the Taihape district, especially in areas close to plantations or native bush, the damage done by some of the feathered tribe has been enormous, but the suft’erters have not yet been, able, to state definitely which of the four birds named are responsible. In country districts and in country towns, however, the scarecrows are effectivte against most birds, except the sparrows, which usually regard the subterfuge with a certain amount of contempt, after the first day or two. The most effective remedy against birds of all kinds is two pieces of tin suspended on a cord in such a way that they clash and make a noise in the faintest breeze. The starlings thrushes, and blackbirds, howbver. on account of the war against them having been discontinued in most cases by local bodies, have become almost as cheeky as the sparrows, having had to adapt themselves to practically the same conditions of living. It would seem that all birds eventually adapted themselves to changed conditions, and that they live according to their environment. The best laid plans of men will eventually prove to lx* as ineffective against blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings as they are against the sparrows, which have dovfelopeel such an uncanny sense of danger that it is now very difficult to obtain satisfactory , results by using poisoned wheat, which may have fair results on tho first day of use, but is useless afterwards.

Shearing at Mr; R. Judd’s shed at Ihuraua one day last week, four shearers put through 840 sheep, averaging 210 per man (says the Wairarapa Times”). The “ringer, a South Island native, tallied 245.

“Haven’t you bought a gig lately, asked a solicitor m the Court of a man who said he was too poor to pay liis debts. No, wasi the reply. “But you bought a gig from xj r ' “I’ve bought nothing, was the retort. “I’ve only got the loan of it until I can pay for i.. Auckland “Star.” »

The growing of pears in the AS airarapa for profit has proved a fajlur ®’ and many orchardists are rooting mature trees (states the Age ). Mr W A. Tate, of Giteytowm who has seven acres planted in pears, informed the “Age” that he intends cutting out all the trees next season.

It is said (states -the Yaipa Post”) that the works staff of a certain municipality that has lately been preparing for a streets improvement loan was engaged in portion of the borough that is not at present favoured with a bitumen thoroughfare. A theodolite was in, use for finding levels etc., when the workmen’s labours tier? briefly interrupted by a lady burgess inquiring, “Do you take photos of houses?”

That the Christmas spirit is in the air is exemplified by the following story of a Wanganui l ad di e (says the “Herald”). He had brought his little trolley made from a benzine box and a pair of pram wheels, dad On the side was chalked Ihe (his mother’s name), and (the house 'phone ?TW” he said, “do you think if I to buy mother a present.

An eel, measuring five feet in leiiSh by 18 inches around the body, aid weighing about 301 b was jagged hr two railwaymen m the yyaipoua River behind the Masterton butter factory (stye the “Wairarapa Age”). When opened up, it was found to con tain a fair-sized trout.

Some little time ago (relates the Wanganui “Chronicle’ ) a public employee picked up a purse containing a considerable sum of money and other valuables, including a document disclosing the name of the owner of the purse He decided to await the appearance of an advertisement notifying the loss before making it known that the purse and its contents were in safe keeping. He waited for a couple of weeks, and then, no advertisement having appeared, he communicated with the person whom he assumed to be the owner of the purse. His assumption proved correct, for the aforesaid person promptly called, collected the cash, arid' explained that a sublime confidence in the scrupulous honesty of mankind in general and the citizens of Wanganui in particular accounted for the non-appearance of any public notification of the loss. As a mark of gratitude for the return of the purse and its substantial monetary contents—the best part of £2o—the contents of a small bottle of cream were generously bestowed upon the finder of the purse, who, however, was requested to kindly return the bottle. “Well, you see,” he says, when speaking of the incident, “the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that a person with a faith like that was wise not to advertise. Besides, you couldn’t very well expect anyone to advertise a reward like that, now could you?”

It becomes obvious when one goes to Australia that this Dominion is not sufficiently advertised.” said! Mr. P. Garrity on his return from Australia. “The people over there have very peculiar ideas about New Zealand, and will never be educated to its true postion unless it is advertised more, for one hears nothing about it while there.” —“Manawatu Daily Times.”

Careful attention is necessary /to make potatoes grow vigorously, but sometimes the closest attention may be misplaced. A resident of Devon Street West, New Plymouth, had a nice crop of potatoes—three rows 20 yards long—until somebody attended to them for him the other night; and now he has no-ne. By morning all had been carefully dug up and taken away. Hie man next door had a similar experience with cabbage and cauliflower. half a dozen of each being spirited away. Flower gardens, too, are suffering. The people who do these things must expected to he exceedingly unpopular when, thev are found out. Also (remarks the “Taranaki Herald”) they are liable to the penalty for theft.

The number of wool-laden Iprries that are going through Waipukurau at present is very large (says the Napier “Daily Telegraph”). The golden fleece appears to be coming in for the market much earlier than usual.

The disease which affected the wheat crops in the Oanraru district last year is reported to have reappeared this season (says the “Mail”). The yellow appearance that denoted the disease is manifest in many places and is apparently distinguishable from the effects of drought or the north-west winds. The loss last year from this cause was appreciable, but so- far as can be learned the disease has not, up to the present made itself very pronounced. It is further reported that as a result of the drying winds a number of wheat crops are showing signs of wilting.

A gentleman who'. returned recently from a trip abroadl told a “Manawatu Times” representative that ope bad feature he found in England was the betting craze. Thev all bet over there —the men, women, and even the children. One found people scanning the newspapers to see whether their horses had won or lost. After this information had been gleaned no more attention was paid to the papers. If it was not for the betting habit a number, of the papers that cater for the racing sport would go out of existence.

The farmers’ position will be very serious if the present weather conditions continue much longer, said Mr. J. Trotter at Saturday’s meeting of the Timaru Farmers’ Union. The ground, he continued, was very dry, and a creek in his property which he had never seen diy before did not have n drop of water in it—the bottom, in fact, was full of cracks.

Counsel for accused in a case before the Nelson Supreme Court on Wednesday, in his address, to the. jury, said (reports the “Evening Mail”) that a person could go and buy anything on credit and sell it again and not commit a crime. His Honour (smilingly): “I would not advire the jury to risk that .tf I wore yea;*