TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 44, 16 November 1925, Page 11

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

The activity in the bacon industry at present is reflected in, the fact that a local company expects to handle over 2000 carcasses during the next seven .. days.—“ Manawatu Standard.”

Excitement ran high one morning last week near Alton, Taranaki, when a stray voting Hereford bull took charge' of the road and charged all and sundry whenever the opportunity offered (states an exchange 1 !. A rmlk ffirmer in his cart on the wav to the factory was the special object of his .attention. The bull charged the cart and did some damage to the horse. Eventually some men armed with pitchforks came on the scene and the sharp goad cooled the animal’s fury, and persuaded him that discretion was the better part. That ended the fray. It is reported that later on the animal was shot.

The practice on the part of education boards *of excluding women teachers from certain classes of appointments was referred to in a letter received by the Auckland Education Board from the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute (states an exchange). The letter stated that the institute had obtained legal opinion to the effect that a board would not be justified in advertising that preference would be given to male teachers or to male married teachers in any instance. The institute, therefore, notified the board that it intended, should the occasion arise, to test the matter at law. It was decided to receive the letter and take no other action.

“Solicitor’s fee £3 35., sir,” said the clerk of the Police Court at Auckland to Mr. E. K. Hunt, S.M., at the conclusion of a case in which Mr. V. N. Hubble, of the Crown Prosecutor’s office, appeared on behalf of the Railway Department (relates an exchange). “What’s that?” replied the Magistrate. “Three guineas costs. What for?” The clerk: “That’s what the Crown Solicitor is usuallv allowed, sir.” Mr. Hunt: “Is he? Well, he’s only going to get £1 Is.” Mr. Hubble: “The Railway Department will have to pay, then.” Mr. Hunt: "Well, let them pay; other solicitors are only allowed £1 Is. costs. Whv should the Crown get three times as much?” Only £1 Is. was allowed as costs.

"Yon have to face some form of increase in motor taxation,” said Lieu-tenant-Colonel Symonds when lecturing at the Palmerston North Citizens’ Luncheon Chib, “but do not let it go on motor spirit.” The speaker stated (reports the “Standard”) that the latter tax had been tried in England, but it was not successful, and in the end the authorities were convinced that the horse-power tax was the best one of all. The motor spirit tax looked all right at first glance, but when one got down to bedrock it would be found that it was not so wonderful. “Anvhow,” added the speaker, "the price of motor spirit is quite high enough.”

When a judgment debtor stepped into the witness box at the Court at Wanganui, his counsel announced that there was no appearance of the judgment creditor. “Your client had better get away quicklv,” replied Mr. Parton, S.M., and both solicitor and client lost no time in leaving the Court.—Exchange.

An authentic story is told of the Intelligence of a fox terrier dog wellknown in Feilding (savs the "Manawatu Standard”). On Armistice Dav at eleven o’clock, the owner and her daughter stood in silence on the back veranda of their residence. The do-' had followed ’ ’oni-tn<' first at one and then at the other, piomri’ sat up <zn ms haunches between them.

Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, whose name is now a household word throughout the Wanganui education district, is at present in Palmerston North preparing for the annual health camp to be held at Turakina shortly (states an exchange). The children selected for the health camp are medically examined and weighed and measured, and the Children most bplow in weight are given the first chance. Some 35 children from Palmerston North and 12 from Feildinn .are being picked. A special car is being nut on the New Plymouth express on Monday next, November 16, to take these children to Turakina. The camp costs Is. a day per child. The treatment for malnutrition is special diet, rest, fresh air, plentv of sleep, regular meal hours and heliotherapy, all of

A.n old Oamaru resident states (says the “North Otago Times”) that the recent election was the quietest he has known in this centre for over thirty years. „ It is reported by the “Grev that a number of firemen who left Home liners during the strike have secured employment at one of the West Coast coal mines.

s I Probably many motorists are not - aware of the fact that if they drop > a bottle on the roadway it is their i duty to <v> back and. pick up the pieces. A reminder was given to this effect at the Hamilton Court (states the local ’ •Times”), when a youthful motor-cyclist t admitted that, after accidentally drop- - ping a bottle from his machine »n t Victoria Street, leaving broken glass | strewn over the carriageway, he had neglected to go back and gather up the remnants. As the prosecution was the first of its kind in Hamilton lie was let ott with the payment of costs, 7s.

Death comes to all creatures on this earth, but seldom in the . manner (vouched for bv a local solicitor) in which it did to a sparrow recently (savs the "Manawatu Standard”). Firing raoidlv through a gateway it! Church Street, the bird struck the hat of a pedestrian, and his headgear was knocked off. The startled resident searched for the cause of this unusual incident, and was surprised to find the sparrow with its neck broken.

The residents of the Marlborough Sounds have experienced what is probably the wettest spring on record there —certainly the wettest fo< many years. The rain gauge at Yncya Bay recorded fifteen davs with rain during September and seventeen during October, the total precipitation for the two months being just over fifteen inches—6.4o inches for September and «.65 for October. Shear ing has commenced in several sheds, and, as was expected, states, the '•Marlborough Express,” the wool is showing the effects of the excessive winter and spring rainfall.

What is claimed to be the largest oak tree in the world is growing at Waima. North Island. This tree (states an exchange) grew from an acorn planted bv the Rev. John Mavin. of the IJokianga Home Mission Station, in 1840. The tree at present has a girth 6f 24ft., rises to a heiglif of 80ft., and at noon casts a shade of 100 ft. in diameter. Under the spread of its branches 500 people can gather, Waima Valiev is. a quiet, pretty nook about a dozen miles up the Hoktanga River, and the oak is growing about half a mile inland. Though only some eigbtv vears o’d, it is ’larger than oaks in England 500 years old.

Good progress is being made by the Public Works Department with the construction of the section of the, East Coast Main Trunk railway from latirantza to the Wairoa River (says the “New Zealand Herald”) The platelaying is now well advanced toward the river on the Tauranga side, and'is being rapidlv pushed ahead. Just beyond the Wairoa River, Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, and’ Company s contract commences. The railway crosses the Wairoa River practically .at its mouth, and a bridge 840 ft. long is necessary. The bridge consists of 13 spans of 60ft., and two spans of 30ft. In the 'sixteen piers there are altogether 18a piles, each of which consists of 40ft. of concrete, spliced on to 2aft. of soltwood. The girders are of the ordinary standard 60ft., steel-plated type, each weighing 23 tons.

The half-hearted manner in which a number of motor-lorry drivers observed the two minutes’ silence on Armistice Dav was the subject of comment by manv citizens in Auckland (savs the "Star”). When the gun signal was given promptly at 11 o’clock all traffic was stopped and perfect si ence would have ensued immediately but for the fact that a number of drivers kept their engines running throughout the period. In one or two. cases, the engines were shut off after more ti an half the silence had passed, and ie effect was immediately noticed by nearby.

“The time is not far distant when tb.ere will be a signpost on everv bvroad in the conntv.” remarked Nr. w C 'Green, chairman of the Elmont Conntv Council, during a discussion on the oimstion of indicating county boundaries hv siutmosts. ITe regretted (savs the “News”) that the financial nosition of the council would not permit of a the roads being indicated bv signposts at present, but he would stronnlv support the nrono=al when finances mitted. When travelling in the north he had nnnreciated havinef the e rnadq indicated hr sternposts. Coufci--lor Sinclair considered that the council chonM at once replace the at the ]7hMni Road corner, where it is essential that a should be placed. Tf was resolved to erect a nost there o-iving the mih a-’e from FHham, Hawera. and h’rw Vlvmo"”?. Peferpurp was rupdp tp the f-,et that a previous sig" hod /Ipctro-pd h..t tfn»as fhnf- a re' vn t' of t had been offer-'’ for the apprehension of the delimment or deliimncnfs on the last occasion there would be no trouble on that score.