TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 219, 16 June 1925, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

All the geysers at Rotorua are extremely active, after heavy rain. Pohutu is playing continuously (reports an exchange).

Already it is found that more room must beprovided at the big exhibition (says the Dunedin “Star”). The infant has outgrown its cradle. Anscombe and Associates are instructed to prepare plans for another building 160 ft. x 150 ft., to house the Education Court. The site is not yet finally picked.

' Sir Charles Fergusson is not a formal saunterer through institutions that he visits officially (states the Dunedin “Star”). Mr. Sidev, M.P., said at a recent Plunket ceremony in Dunedin: “So keen was His Excellency to see everything at the Otago University, that if I had not been at his elbow to shove him along he would have lost his lunch.”

In conversation with a Timaru “Herald” representative, a local grocer said that there was not likely to be any further drop in the price of sugar, as grocers were now selling it at a loss.

An effort is to be made by the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society to secure quail for liberation in the Oamaru district Isays the “North Otago Times”). There are'quail at present at Waianakarua and Lindis, but they are not by any means numerous.

“I have a character, and that is why my word should be accepted,” said a witness at the Napier Supreme Court. “So have we all,” he was reminded by counsel for the defence. “That may be,” drily responded witness, “but mine happens to be a good one.”— “Telegraph.”

“I often wonder why the post office demands a charge of 80s. for the rent of a box into which they can put a person’s mail, while if the amount is not paid they go out in the wet and deliver the letters,” said Mr. J. B. Richards, amidst laughter, at a meeting of the Strattord Chamber of Commerce (reports the “Post”).

A novel method of advertising was adopted during Waikato Show Week by a leading firm of perambulator dealers in Hamilton (states the “Times”). It ottered a perambulator to the first baby girl born in Hamilton after the official opening of the show. The prize was won by Mrs. C. C. Cook, of Peacocks Road.

Sawmills will be active in the Ashburton County for the next few years (says the “Guardian”). The council has sold blocks of pinus insignis to three sawmilling companies, which will employ a large number of men. There is a great demand for this class of wood for timber and firewood, and the council has sold a small block of standing pines in a favourable locality at a royalty of ss. a cord.

A contractor who is building a bridge inland from Moumahaki, has his camp near a small patch of native bush. He stated to a Wanganui “Herald” reporter that the native bird life was remarkable. All night they heard the call of the kiwi, and in the early mornings pigeons, bellbirds, tuis, and a number of the smaller birds were plentiful. lie added that it was a striking instance of the value of shelter bush as in the locality in question most of the country is cleared.

The planting of heather in the National Park has received universal condemnation (states an exchange). One of the chief opponents of the policy, Mr. W. Salt, of Wanganui, who is a member of the National Park Board, has received letters from all parts of New Zealand in support of his attitude. Mr. Salt said that lie would strenuously resist the planting of any noxious weeds in the park, and he considered that the board would be well advised to have the heather grubbed out before it spread all over the country.

At the Napier Supreme Court a witness in a ease that involved one of the Public Works Department’s camps at Tutira, was asked (neperts the “Telegraph") if he ever played cards at the camp. “You bet,” was the laconic response. “How did von get on at it, lose or win ?” was the next query. “Usually lost,” said witness in a regretful tone. "One of the lambs, 1 suppose,” commented counsel. ‘Oh, well,” replied witness brightening, “if I was one of tba lambs I wasn’t the only one.”

A bov who resides on the main road some distance from Auckland, and whose parents possess a vinery, hit upon a novel but not commendable method of disposing of the fruit (states an exchange). '/he notice at the gate did not have the desired effect. Motorists went by, and the grapes remained in the hot house The youth had a brain wave. He placed pieces of wood, concealed in paper, with nails pointing upwards in the wheel tracks, and was rewarded. Tires were punctured, and while repairs were being carried out the passengers bewhiled the time by purchasing and eating grapes. Before the trick was discovered the culprit had sold the product of the vines for a considerable sum.

"The railways, charging low concessional rates, develop the country,” said Mr. H. Welsh, at a meeting of the Whatigarei Chamber of Commerce (re. ports the “Northern Advocate”). “Will vou continue to support the opposition to the railways at the risk of putting the concessional rates allowed in jeopardy? If you support the railways you will be enabling -the Department to reduce rates in future; if not, you are risking continuance of the low rates allowed to assist in the development of Whatigarei district.”

Supplies of coke are now almost unprocurable in Gisborne, and, in fact,' almost every town in New Zealand at the present' time (says the "Poverty nay Herald”). This shortage has been noticeable for the past two years, but is now exceptionally acute locally. All coke produced at the gasworks is required by the freezing works, and other consumers find it impossible to secure supplies. Local coal and coke merchants have endeavoured to secure shipments from Australia, but in this they have been unsuccessful, as the shortage appears to be prevalent there also.

A Parctai (Riverside) farmer, in conversation with a “Balelutha Free Press” representative, said the present season had been one of the best experienced by the Paretai and Otanomonio settlers. The root crops had been exceptionally good. Another evidence of lhe wonderful open winter so far experienced was the fact that the young grass was still coming away in the pastures, notwithstanding that there had been some fairly hard frosts.

Gorse, stack, and hedge fires seem to be in the ascendancy, but not often are Dunedin firemen in demand to suppress such outbreaks while the snow of winter is falling (remarks the “Star”). Members of the Dunedin brigades responded the other morning to an alarm. The flames, devouring a hedge at the corner of Allandale and Forburv Roads, shot merrily upwards, incidentally causing clouds of smoke. But the firemen got busy with the hosing, and the fire woe quickly extinguished.

An interesting incident in connection with the recent visit of the Gov-ernor-General to the Montecillo Convalescent Home, Otago (states the “Otago Daily Times”) ’was the meeting of the Governor-General with Crimean Veteran Watkins, who, despite his 92 years of age, walked to the home to be present. Mr. Watkins, who is still a wonderfully active man, served in the Navy at Rangoon > n 1851, and also saw service later ,with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea.

Following on complaints made by numerous local poultry-keepers that the quality of pollard, for chicken feed, being sold at present, was of a very poor standard, and resulted in a dearth of eggs, a “Napier Daily Telegraph” representative set out on inquiry bent, and ascertained from a Napier grain merchant that modern up-to-date mill plant was responsible for the podr quality of the pollard being retailed at the present time. “Modern mills have been brought to such a state of perfection,” said the pressman’s informant, “that by the time they have finished with the whole grain there is little left but husk, and in some cases even that is absorbed into powder.” Asked if he thought that the quality might improve the merchant gave it as his opinion that the future did not hold much hope of that.

A Licensing Committee sitting not a thousand miles from Christchurch had brought under its notice the complaint of a well-known commercial traveller who had be_en charged nine shillings for bed and breakfast by an hotelkeeper (says the “Press”). The chairman of the committee commented that the committee had no statutory power to fix the charges made by proprietors of licensed houses, and if a man wanted to stay at a leading hotel it was none of the committee’s business. It appears from a statement made to a reporter that there appeared to be a tendency in centres where there is only one licensed house for fancy charges to be made. At one centre, the reporter’s informant said, he had been chargedo five shillings for a cold tea!

A disgraceful state of affairs in the matter of housing conditions in certain parts of the city was revealed by Councillor E. J. Phelan, at a meeting of the Auckland City Council (states a correspondent), when he reported that a white man and his wife with their seven children were sharing a house with eight Hindus. He said the Europeans were occupying three rooms and the Asiatics the remainder of the house, a rent of £i being paid for the whole building. He suggested that the Works Committee should look into the matter, and have the house condemned or made suitable' for human habitation, and that an, effort should be made to have the Hindus removed. The matter was noted •for the attention of the committee.

When dealing at the Blenheim Supreme Court with a case which centred round a mortgage on lands Mr. Justice Alpers observed that in Taranaki recently he had come across a case in which there were over a dozen mortgages on a property. He understood that in Marlborough there were never more than four mortgages, and that even three mortgages were very uncommon. He thought that this fact led to the conclusion that in Marlborough the owners of land were content to farm it, and that there was not so much of the speculative element in evidence. The farmers .apparently realised that they had splendid productive country, and were content to use it for its legitimate purpose. Mr. W. T Churchward, who was appearing before His Honour, observed that in Marlborough it was a rare thing to find even three mortgages on a property. “It is a fortunate province,” commented His Honour;—(Exchange.)

A party of who are touring the Dominion by motor were told some fearsome stories about Southland prior to their arrival in this province (says the Invercargill “Times”). In Canterbury they were assured that the country aiomid Invercargill, to say the least of it, was extremely mountainous: Vivid descriptions of the rugged nature of the country, the steep gradients of the roads, the hairpin bends, and other obstacles of comfortable motoring, were given them, and in Dunedin these accounts were endorsed, with a wealth of detail. One kind friend took the party over all the hijly roads in the vicinity of the city with a view to accustoming them to rough country as much as the comparatively gentle slopes around the Otago capital would permit. So much were the travellers impressed with the difficulties of negotiating the wildernesses of Southland tliat it was decided to send an advance party to Invercargill by train to examine the country, while the rest of the party remained in Dunedin to overhaul the car and put it in a fit, state for a battle with the mountains. The surprise of the advance guard on viewing the smiling plains of Southland can well be imagined.

. Appreciative reference to the changed attitude of the Railway Department in the handling of stock was made at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Jersey Breeders’ Association at Hamilton on June 10 by the president, Mr. A. E. Missen (states an exchange). The president remarked that in the past cattle breeders'had not received much consideration from the Railway Department, but a more businesslike handling of affairs was now being shown. At a recent sale, added Mr. Missen, fifteen clean trucks were set aside by the Department for the use of buyers at a distance—a previously unheard of thing with the Railway Department.

An interesting point touched on at the Napier Harbour Board’s last meeting was a recent judgment by IXIr. Justice Adams, establishing the contention that land reclaimed _ from the sea was not rateable when lying idle. The judgment was given in satisfaction of a claim by the Timaru IJarbour Board versus the Timaru Borough Council. The same conditions may easily apply in Napier, .when land is being reclaimed. The area built up automatically becomes rateable when let or leased, but not before.

“It is too young,” said Dlr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in the Auckland Police Court in referring to the age when, under the Motor Vehicles Act, a person is entitled to hold a driving certificate. “It is only natural that when children get into a car they lose their heads through excitement,” the Magistrate added. The age entitling anvotie to. a driver’s license is 15 years, the Magistrate saying this was too young by several years.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

The caretaker on the Little Barrier sanctuary reports (says the “New Zealand Herald") that bird life is increasing there. “There is hope that the white kiwi is still alive,” he adds. “While travelling in one of the gullies about two miles from the west landing place I saw a young kiwi. I got time fo notice that its legs were light yellow. The feathers on the head were white and the back and breast brown like the North Island species. The hind part above and below was white. It would appear that the white kiwi has mated with one of the North Island specisß.”