TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 96, 18 January 1924, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

How careless people are (remarks the “Taranaki Herald”). On Monday a lady, with a violin case under her arm, was boarding ono of the Westown trams. The lady was on the top step fumbling for her money and on the step below was another lady. The first person, evidently not thinking, gave her violin case a' push under her arm, the case striking the person below with such force that it broke her glasses. Fortunately no serious damage was done, but had a little care been exercised the accident would not have occurred.

As a result of the rains there is a phenomenal growth of grass throughout the Hamilton district, and the root crops particularly are bennting (says thb “Waikato Times’’). Farmnrs are assured of a splendid autumn, with prospects of abundance, of feed for the winter. The Cambridge Cooperative Daily Company’s main Hautapu factory shows a considerable increase in production.

One old Wanganui resident spoke to tlw “Chronicle” the other day regarding the erosion taking place, along the coast, particularly in the vicinity of Kai Jwi, He said that many years a'to a similar inroad was made, but nras followed by the beaches making up again, and so protecting the clitrs. There had been similar experiences along the Taranaki coast south of Cape Egmont. He said the matter was an interesting one, and appeared t-o indicate periodic alterations of the currents in the strait.

“Some of these local bodies would issue a certificate to a man if he was blind!" said Mr. Wyvern Vilson, S.M.. in the Christchurch Magistrate s Court when (relates an exchange), he convicted and fined ’a man, So years ot age, 20s. and costs for cutting a corner in a motor-car. The defendant s counsel had described him as an old man, slightly deaf, but the possessor of a certificate of ability to drive issued to him by a certain local body, andl it was then that His Worship made the above remark.

“Do you mean to say that a railway employee who went on duty drunk would hold, his position for r asked a lawyer of a witness in a maintenance case heard before Mr. Wyvern Wilson,’ S.M., at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on Monday (says the “Press"). “Wei!, it all depends what his duty is.” What do you mean by that?” “Well, an enginedriver who goes on duty about three or four o’clock in the morning mightn t be seen.” “Isn’t there some one> in charge who. would see him? On I Well, there’s a lot seen, but not noticed!”

If a statement made by a wharf labourer proceeded against on a Pigment summons before Mr. W . ftleldruin, S.M., at the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court on Monday reflected conditions generally among those who face the “stand,” the. watersiders have experienced hard times this year, (savs the “Star”). From October to Christmas, he stated, he earned £8 65., and since New Year had made 4s. 4d. He added that he had a family of seven to support. “I can’t thake an order!" said the Magistrate.

Some residents of a certain street in Mount Eden, Auckland, recently received a severe shock to their faith in human nature (says the aid”). A young woman, apparently in a state of distress, knocked at the doors of three houses at two o'clock one morning and asked for the loan of a small quantity of brandy or whisky, as her mother wns seriously ill. In two instances a full flask of the required liquor was given, with th© assurance that it would be returned next day. It is. perhaps, unnecessary to add that neither the woman nor the whisky have been seen since.

Some advice to employers of labour, offered by an American entrepreneur, received hearty approval when quoted’by Mr. C. Rhodes to members of the Auckland Rota-iy Club on Monday (says the “Herald”). Men valued a word of praise for work well done, declared the speaker, yet there were some employers who uttered the words: “Well done! only when they were ordering a plate ot beef steak. A little praise such as “Well, that is not half a bad ]ob, was often nearly as welcome as the day’s wages. “When employers go through their works on a visit of inspection,” said. Mr. Rhodes, let them keep a critical eye for the good and the bad, but when they find good work, for goodness’ sake let them say so.”

“A lot of people believe their member has to be of the right political colour before their district can benefit from Government grants,” said the Minister of Public Works at Mangakahia. “There .is no such thing as political favours with me. I try to take the national viewpoint, and to allocate public moneys according to the merits of the case, and apart from any political consideration whatever. I have not sufficient money to do all I could wish, but I am doing my best with what is available, attempting to allocate it fairly and to get just as good value as is possible.” —“New Zealand Herald."

“The caves are really wonderful; in fact, your Big Three (Waitomo Caves, Mokaii Biver, and Mt. Egmont) were easily thb most glorious things, we saw,” runs portion of a letter received by Mr. Gordon Fraser (chairman of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion 1/eague) from a Wellington motorist who recently made a tour embracing Napier, Gisborne, Motu, Opotiki, Whakatane, Rotorua, Hamilton, Waitomo, Mokau and Mt. Egmont (says the “Taranaki Herald”). On the subject of bridging the. Mokau, the writer said: “Get a bridge over the river. I don’t mind mud and rough roads, but I do dislike risking a good car over that ferry at low tide. To get on the landing board on the Awakino side we had to jump over a foot, and it seemed to be only a matter of luck that we landed on the ferry safely."

Bitumen is a very fine thing for road surfacing, but it is very much more than a nuisance in any other direction (says the Nelson “Evening Mail"). One of the County Council staff engaged in the work on tho Stoke Road had an experience tho other day that gave his friends a good deal of merriment. Sitting down on a chair for a few’minutes on his return home lie found, himself a firm fixture there. The only way movement could be secured was by taking the chair with him. This proved awkward, and no doubt the individual concerned would have divested himself of his clothing had this been possible. As it was, the garment in question had to be completely sacrificed, the portion adhering to the chair remaining there. Rain or fine the bitumen appears to have wonderful adhesive powers. Others also have had rather curious experiences. When legs have been crossed during luncheon adjournments or at other such times, they have become joined fast together, much to the embarrassmont of tlie awuers.

An Oparau settler, Mr- Walter Handley, was missed from his home on Sunday. On a search being made by his sons and some neighbours his body was recovered from a deep pool in the Oparau River. Mr. Handley came originally from Wanganui (sajj, the “Auckland Star”). He was m good circumstances, and highly respected in the district.

Reference was made to the question of married teachers at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board on Wednesday, the following resolution being read from the Manurewa School Committee“ This committee is pi opinion that, except in exceptional circumstances, when a lady teacher is married it is in the best interests of the children that she should resign from the service. Further, we are of opinion that the Education Board should have a definite policy governing such cases.” The board decided to refer the matter to the Department, with an endorsement in its avour.

Who among the residents of Te Awamutu and neighbourhood have seen a hawk’s nest? (asks the Yaipa. “Post”). Even small youngsters have observed hawks soaring in the blue sky, but, judging by comments at a recent meeting of a local body, tne actual discovery of a hawk s nest is a rarity. Most people appear to be pt opinion that hawks build their nests in trees, but the evidence goes to show that they prefer a clump of rank growth in the heart of a swamp, une gentleman who has done a lot ot travelling over swamp country for a score or more of years recently found a resin the Roto-o-rangi swamp. Another settler who has lived in this district for thirty years or more states that he has only found one hawk s nest, and that was right in the heart of the Roto-o-rangi swamp, when that area was much more extensive than it is at present.

“Kauris are one of the most primitive types of conifers te be found any ' where in eaid Professor Thomson, of Toronton University, prior to his departure by the Niagara from Auckland on Wednesday , last - ~ had come to New Zealand with the object of examining them at first hand, and was much impressed with the quality and variety of nheir wood. As yet he did not know what could be done in the way of acclimatising them in Canada, but some investigations would lie made along that line. It ’s verv probable that kauris are the stcck from which the other conifers have descended,” concluded the professor.

Speaking at a meeting cf the Canterbury Committee of the British Empire Exhibition on Monday (savs the “Press"), Mr. W. H. Nicholson said that a great deal of misunderstanding existed iii Britain regarding living conditions in New Zealand. When he was ’returning to New Zealand after his last trip to England there were three young immigrants on board. They had revolvers, bowie knives, and rifles in their possession, and they asked permission to be allowed to sleep on deck in order to get used to the rough conditions under which they expected to live amongst the Natives of New Zealand. Mr. Nicholson added that even to-day many erroneous impressions were prevalent in the Old Country as to the conditions of life in New Zealand. He asserted that this was due largely to the class of pictures eent . Home. They depicted Maori chiefs in war paint brandishing a mere and a white man looking across a river at them. “That sort of thing is sixty years old,” Mr. Nicholson said. ,

It is only on very rare occasions that a New Zealander is. afforded some insight into the religious rites of a Mahommedan race, but such an opportunity afforded an interested group on No, 1 Wharf in the Timaru Harbour last'Sunday afternoon (says the local “Post").. The s.s. Nuddea, which has been, in port for some days, carries an engine-room crew of Mohammedans, and periodically a sheep is killed by them ally. As the knife is slowly drawn across the animal’s throat, a prayer is offered up to the “Prophet,” all the participators in the ceremony turning to the east, facing towards Mecca. The function on Sunday drew a large crowd of strollers on the waterfront to the ship, and spectators watched the proceedings, which were carried out with high religious fervour, with a respect seldom seen outside a big church. The fact that the .-unset was crimson and purple, with a background of heavy black clouds, made the scene all tho more impressive, and gave an “atmosphere” to the ceremony never obtained by an Eastern movie drama. Any writer in search of “local colour” for an Oriental story, if there bo such in Timaru, had the whole thing at his finger-tips on Sunday. The function took place on tho after-hatoh of the vessel and lasted for about three-quarters of an hour.

A representative of tho Department of Agriculture, speaking to an “Otago Daily Times” reporter, op Monday, stated that, he had made a tour of the wheat districts in the northern parts of tho island. Almost all tho wheat round Ashburton and further north had been cut, and the yield, he said, would go rathfer lower than was expected on account of the grain becoming scorched, which forced the ripening and gave it no opportunity of filling out. Methven growers had also been forced to reap, as the Winds had been battering tht crops about. On tho lighter land the yield was not expected to bo more than twenty-five bushels or so to the aero, but there were some rather good crops in the Ellesmere district, where practically all the winter sown crop was cut. The spring-sown crop, was poor. Oat crops were short and light. They had to be cut in a hurry on account of sudden ripening, and the men had been working on them day and night. Barley was light and brittle, and a great deal had been cut.

A representative of the Departmen of Agriculture, speaking to an “Otago Daily Times” reporter, stated that, ha had made a tour of the wheat districts in the northern parts of the island. Almost all the wheat around Ashburton and further north had been cut, and the yield, he said, would go rather lower than was expected on account of the gram becoming scorched, which, forced the ripening and gavo it no opportunity of filling out. Methven growers had also been forced to reap, as the winds had been battering the crops about. On the lighter land the yield was not expected to be more than 25 bushels or so to the acre, but there were some rather good crops in the Ellesmere district, where practically all the winter sown crop was cut. '.The spring-sown crop was poor. Oat crops were snort and light. They had to be* cut in a hurry "on account of sudden ripening, and the mon had been working on them day mid night. Barley was light and brittle, and a great deal had been i cute