TOWN AND COUNTRY
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES
■ To be able to gather ripe plums in June is rare, and a tribute to the productivity of Wanganui soil. The other day (states the “Chronicle”) a Gonville resident picked eight" ripe plums from a tree, the fruit being a second crop.
“If they increase the speed of their horses by three miles an hour, I shall agree to granting the request,” stated Councillor J. A. McLeavey at a meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council when (states the “Wanganui Times”) an application of the borough carters for an increase in wages was being considered.
A rather unusual circumstance is reported in that a West Plains resident obtained about a pint of whitebait from the Oreti River a few days ago (states the “Southland Times”). Some fair-sized shoals proceeded up the river, before the necessary whitebait net was procured from a farmer’s residence.
“On race days and other occasions, such as football matches and the like, a spirit of emulation arises among motorists that is a direct menace to the public,” said Mr. S. L. P. Free. S.M., in a. motor collision case at Masterton, “I cannot express myself too strongly on the subject,” he added.—Exchange.
During May, the building permits issued bv the Palmerston North Borough Council approximated in value £20,975 and the fees collected totalled £B2 10s. The value of permits was made nn as under (states the “Daily Times”). Private dwellings', £14.545; alterations and additions, £1727: other buildings, £1723; business premises, £2980.
Fifteen years ago (remarks an exchange, reminiscently), the labour of plumbers was worth only Is. an hour. Strange as it may seem now an account, dated 1909 which a New Plymouth resident came across the other day, contained an item “Labour, 4} hours, 4s. 6d.” , ‘ Mr. A. J. "Roberts, a New Zealander, mentioned in the cables recently as having been associated with Mr. Grindell Matthews (inventor of the Matthews’ rav), was formerly a resident of Patea, says the “Patea Press.” He was at one time employed by the Patea Borough' Council as electrical engineer.
The largest cargo yet brought by water oarrino-o to Hamilton has just been distributed to various portions of the district 'states the “Waikato Times.”) It consisted of general produce, and was shipped at Dunedin, Timaru/Lyttelton, and Wellington by the steamer Progress, and copvcyed to Port Waikato, where it was transferred to barges. Everything reached Hamilton in good condition.
Owing to the continued wot weather the Egmont Mountain House track (states the “Taranaki Herald”) has cut up rather badly, and the committee have decided,to close the road (and consequently the hostel) to al--1ow i repair work to be carried out. It is regretted that this course has been found necessary, but it was feared that' if the track were not attended to without delay it would become impassable.
During the hearing of a case at the Wanganui Court, when a mother was charged with failing to send her child to school, the magistrate', Mr. J. S. Barton, remarked (states the “Chronicle”) that if free cars and breakfast were provided for school children some would probably complain that the porridge was not to their taste. The truant officer said that children were already provided with fre'S cocoa and biscuits. He added: “I wish I could go to school now.” •
The Dunedin “Star” states that the contractors will be makinct a start in ten days’ time with the building operations in connection with the big exhibition by putting up the office and sheds. The first material from overseas for the contract is on the, Turakina, now at Auckland—a consignment of six tons of nails that will go into the job. The contractors are inundated with offers of unskilled labour, and quite a number of skilled artisans from the north have already applied. It will be two weeks before labour will be taken on in numbers. The contractors state that all the work will be done by union labour, and that the men will be engaged only on the site.
The sight of a cyclist riding along with a heavy trail of smoke issuing from his clothing was j witnessed in Dunedin the other morning. Oblivious of the fact that he was on fjre, the cyclist (relates the “Star”) rode on at a good speed, and was only brought to a realisation of the situation by the shout of a pedestrian. The rider dismounted in quick time to find his overcoat ablaze. It appears that he had put his pipe in his pocket, thinking it was out; but the wind created by the motion of the machine had fanned a spark of the tobacco to a flame.
“I sometimes wish we could rescue our National Anthem from the position which it is allowed to occupy in the fninds of so many people,” said Bishop Averill in his sermon at St. Matthew’s Church, Auckland (reports the “Herald”). “Do we always remember it is a prayer to the Almighty? Is it respectful to H>s Majesty tho King, or to our worthy Governor, that it should be regarded as the suitable announcement of the end of an entertainment? Is it quite he time to offer a prayer to the Mniighty when hats and overcoats and trams and motor-cars are uppermost in our thoughts? I venture to think it would be more suitable to offer that prayer at the beginning, or in the middle of an entertainment or service, when it is much easier for people to concentrate their minds on the real meaning of the National Anthem.”
After the heavy seas, which have done so much damage to the pier at the entrance to the inner harbour at Napier, it was exnected that the channel would be silted fo some extent or blocked by material from the piers, but Mr. George Huntley, engineer to tho Napier Harbour Board, took soundings last week and reported (states an exchange) that the channel had not been affected in the slightest. From the eastern pier io the breakwater the foreshore had suffered only trifling damage. _ Repairs to the piers were being carried out, and the work was being pushed forward. It was hoped to' replace the light on the pier by the middle of this week.
An idea of the amount of publicity work carried out on behalf of the Now Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company may bo gaugfid by the fact that no fewer than 15,000 circulars have been sent abroad to individuals and corporations. The secretary the other day showed a Dunedin reporter a budget of replies which had come by the American mail, and which in all instances promised support, if not in exhibits, in making the exhibition more widely known in Canada and the United States. It is proposed shortly to issue about the same number of booklets in a folder in which there will be views of the tourist resorts of New Zealand, particulaily of Otago, and further information in regard to the exhibition.
“The town is suffering from this sort of thing all over the place,” -said the Mayor (Mr. F. J. Nathan) at u meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council when speaking against permission to an applicant to build a house with a shop in front upon one of the borough sections. He contended (states the “Daily Times ) that this had a bad effect upon the value of the locality as a residential area. The majority of the councillors supported this view and permission was refused-
There is a continued leakage or disappearance of coin in the Dominion, especially of gold, (remarks the “Mercantile Gazette”). This is going on all the time, but to what extent is probably little known except to bankers, and, therefore, some particulars on this subject may be of interest to many of our readers. For many years pa'st it has L<jen illegal to melt down sovereigns, but no doubt a fair amount of it is done. It was only as recently as 1916 that the Federal Government of Australia issued a proclamation prohibiting this practice. Jewellers, dentists, and others find in the sovereign well-refined gold in a handy form for making articles of jewellery, dental work, etc.
It is an established fact that Aucklanders aro very fond, of attending race meetings. More so, perhaps, than people in any other part of the Dominion. For an Aucklander to miss a local meeting almost amounts to a want of patriotism (says an exchange). An authentic story is told of a woman who had not sufficient cash to enable her to be present. Her credit, however, was good, so she oh-’ tained a ham from her provision merchant at a cost of IGs., and immediately disposed of it for 10s. to a neighbour. Bv this means the woman in Question obtained her desire, but whether she was successful in making un the loss on the ham is , not recorded.
An Australian water snake ove” three feet in length, which had been caught on Pakiri Beach, north of Rodney Point, was brought to Auckland by Mr. F, J. Jackson (states the Auckland “Herald”). This snake, which is said to be of a harmless variety, was seen leaving the water ♦” cross the beach, bv Messrs. J. Maben and R. Clark, of Mangawai, who promptly despatched it with an oar. The reptile has a black skin with white underside, and a carpet-pattern tail. The residents of the locality •wuld not account for the" presence of the snake on the New Zealand coast, although it is stated that a similar catch was made there some years ago.
At Auckland last week a wife sued her husband for maintainance. The evidence showed that when first married they had a house when everything went smoothly. They, however; gave up housekeeping, and went into lodgings, the result being that there was a rift in the lute, the sequel being court proceedings. In adjourning the case for a couple of months (states an exchange), Mr. Hunt, S.M., remarked to the wife, “Although I’ve sided with you, I don’t think you ve been just the wife you might have been. '- Husbands don’t want to go off to dances on their own, and all that sort of thing. I’m going to adjourn this for a couple of months, because I think a young couple like you should have a home. The man’s earning enough. He’ll have to provide a home, and I’ll inspect it if necessary to see if it is the right kind.”
The conviction that there is money in trees is spreading considerably amongst Taranaki farmers (states the Wanganui '“Chronicle”). On </rie farm Lot many miles from New Plymouth. the owner has been looking ahead, and with the assurance of £1 a tree when they are 25 years old he has used all the available rough ground on his property for plantation purposes. During the last eight years he has planted 100,000 pinus insignus 'trees, 20,000 gums, and 3000 macrooarpas. A certain number have, o£ course, died, but as the farmer said, it seemed a sound enough legacy for his children. ■ .
A strange story of the borrowing of a name and its consequences was told in Christchurch by the Vice-Consul for the Netherlands, Mr. Morris Copeland, the other day (relates an exchange). It all happened in the war years, when young lijearts fired with patriotism spared no means fair or foul, to- “got away.”' In the early days of the war, Malcolm Copeland, for it is the Consul’s son that the tale concerns, asked his father for his consent to join up, and as the lad was only 17) years of» age, it was not given. Malcolm had a Scottish friend, however, and the .latter suggested the boy should take “Norman Mac Duff” for a nomine de guerre, and Perthshire for his birthplace. The scheme appealed to Malcolm, and he travelled from Auckland to Wellington, and underwent medical examination. “Norman Mac Duff” was rejected by tho doctor, but he was given a homo service position. After the war he foundstho borrowed name was not easily shaken off, and he even went so far as to marry under that name. At present this -‘Norman Mac;Duff” is living happily with his wife in Christchurch, but very shortly he will be quietly done away with and a New Zealand Gazette notice will proclaim the reappearance of the Malcolm Copeland who just “faded out’’ during the war.
Tho appslc-leaf hopper, one of the regular pests for years in Nelson, and pretty well all over the North Island, has now begun to be troublesome in Otago (states the “Otago Daily Times”). Mr. B. G. Goodwin, orchard instructor, says .that the first he saw of the apple-leaf hopper in Central Otago was two years ago in one orchard. Now it is attacking trees at Ettrick, Roxburgh, Alexandra, ana Karnscleugh, and, excepting Cromwell, where he has not yet seen it, there is hardly an orchard where it is not found. Being a sucking insect, the hopper causes the leaves to tall prematurely, thus exposing the buds before they are ripe for exposure, the consequence being that tho constitution of the trees is weakened. Officers of tho horticultural division of the Agricultural Department arc looking into this matter, and experimenting with the hope of finding a better remedy than any hitherto known.
Genius, it has been stated, is . an infinite capacity for taking pains. There must be many geniuses in Dunedin (remarks the “Otago Daily Times”). At the corner of George and Pitt Streets there is situated a pillar box arrangement from which arc controlled certain city electric installations. A few yards away is a real letter pillar box. To look at the electric pillar box one would wonder how anybody could ever get a letter in the small crack at the side of the door. Yet by taking great pains it is possible to “post” a letter through this crack. Ono day last week a city electrical employee took no fewer than 25. letters from the electric pillar box. It is easy to imagine the anathemas called down on the Postal Department by those who waste their time and patience pushing their letters through the interstice. It is also not hard to understand the disappointment of those people who are not. receiving tbeir correspondence.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 215, 5 June 1924, Page 3
Word Count
2,387TOWN AND COUNTRY Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 215, 5 June 1924, Page 3
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