LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 2, 3 July 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sixty licenses for opossum taking have been isued by the W«llingtori Acclimatisation Society for the present season, whacb> opened on Saturday, but" so far no reports, have been received as to results. Last year, fifty-one licenses were issued.

, According to a rough estimate prepared by one of the- leading export houses of the Dominion, at the instance of a Manawatu Standard representative approximately 25 per cent, of butter manufactured in the Dominion during the season 1921-22 will be unloaded on the London marEet in time to catch the present sensational advance in prices. Actually, however, the producers proper would not benefit to anything like the extent suggested, because: a considerable proportion .of New Zealand butter, at present in transit, was sold before it left the Dominion, at prices ranging from Is 2d to Is 8d per pound. A share in.the Mangahao electric-light scheme, a school for the district, a light on the railway-station, .and better roads are questions at present exercising the minds of the people at Belmont. At a meeting held recently a provisional committee was formed, a.nd. as an outcome a meeting of residents will be held in the local churchroom on Saturday evening to inaugurate the Belmont Progressive' Association. The district is showing signs of advancement, and it is felt locally that the time has come for Belmont to come into line with the other suburbs of the city. . ■■, ; , ■ ./.

The question of the erection of a lighthouse at the Three Kings was the subject of a letter from, the -.Minister of Marine, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, received by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Mr. Anderson explained that the marine- engineer, Mr. F. W. Furkert, had, on the Minister's instructions, visited the Three Kings to make a general report on the question of installing a light in the locality. Arrangements were now being made for the ijecessaiy survey. When particulars were received the question of providing a light would receive careful consideration. The Ghamtor decided that, in, view of the public importance of the matter, the Minister be requested to give the council a copy of the engineer's report.

The most severe frost that has occurred locally for a long time was experienced,on Thursday morning last, 13£ degrees of frost being registered at Waikiwi, gays the Southland Times. The previous morning seven degrees Xere registered, and the highest previous figure for this season was 12 degrees. The unusually lengthy run of hard frosts this year,' accompanied by chilly east winds, has had 'its effect on plants which in previous years have often lived right through the winter, mo3t of them having been cut down. This especially applies to tree daisies and shrubs of various kinds, In comparison with last year, Thursday morning's frost was unusually severe, the highest for 1921, which was a mild winter, being eight degrees. Thirteen and a-half degrees' is just about the maxjnrain for this part of the world, but in the inland towns of the Dominion there is a different story to tell. In the Waikato IS degrees were registered in the previous ;week, a record for the district.' and at Waimate last , Wednesday jind Thursday 19 degrees were registered, these being the worst'frosts for toil years. "We have a job finding these men who take these motor-cars, and when we do find them we usually send them up on to the Terrace for a. few months," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., to Henry William Blake,. a young man who was charged with attempting to convert to his own use a Buick motorcar, valued at £600, the property of Arthur Jacobs. The evidence went ■to show that the accused entered the complainant's motor-car, which was standing outside the Commercial Travellers' Club in Victoria-street on Saturday night. He was found there by the complainant, but was not caught until after a ■phase extending from the club to the Town Hall. Blake was. i fined £6, in,,default fourteen days.in.gaol..

'The Postal authorities have received cable advice from Sydney that the tllimaroa left on the Ist instant for Auckland. She carries f)6 bags of mail? for Wellington, including 28 from' Australia, 2 from beyond, and 16 parcel receptacles. The parrot' Of the Rona, which re-mai-ked: "What -do y<w know about that?" when the vessel strucjc Flat Rock, is a mucJiTtraveJled Ijir-d of wide, experience: and linguistic attainments of a superior order (states the New Zealand Herald). , It was given to Captain Wallis at San Francisco, 18.months ago, having been brought from Mexico where, possibly, it had_.gained an experience which makes the stranding of the steamer a tame, affair. Whatever be the cause it sometimes sobs in a most piteous inarmer and oft-en calls for "Lorita;" doubtless a charming senorita, who, one hopes, was not as unhappy, as the bird wqujd have one believe.' Since sailing1* under the British flag the parrot's Spanish has become a little rusty, but, often it turns out a sentence in that tongue,'and maybe, thinks of revolutions—and Lorita. . 7 Congratulatory references lo th» way. in which returnec| soldiers wpre shaping as farmers.were made by various mem-, bers of the Wellington Land Board last week on the occasionoorfr the * farewell to Mr. G. H. 'It. M'Clure, who has resigned the. ppsition of Cpmmissipner of. Crown Lands. Mr. H. T. Ellingbam considered that from.7s to 9D per cent, of the soldiers ought to -be successful in their farming, ventures. In some cases," where estates had been purchased at a high figure, there had been complaints, but nothing; was said about tjje' estates which \yere purchased at very lpw. figures. Mr. ,J. Georgetti said thai many of. the ; spiders stated that they were farmers they -.went before, . the board, but how could they have bean when they were praptically only collage boys on leaving for the front? Mr. Georgetti contended that .the Land Purchase Board had acquired land for the soldiers at reasonable prices.

The somnblent condition of Russell is known throughout the DbminiQii, and it wild come as a surprise to many to learn that the northern township js, showing Bignsof activity. Steps, are being taken to form a town board, the Tegatta club is to be resuscitated, and it is Jjpped to hold a, regatta early in next year. The new Town Hall, for which the local inhabitants raised nearly £15,000, is.nearly finished. There are also other encouragV ing signs of renewed life in this old and historic, settlement. A settler from the district informed an Auckland Stjar re-/ porter that twenty-seven houses hjid been erected at Bussell within the last two years, i This is more than were erected there during the previous twenty y,ears. He ajso incidentaEy mentioned that the residents. had over £200 in hand for the restoration of the old church. It is hoped this will receive 'a Government subsidy. It is quite likely that in the futurej as a. tourist centre, Ilussell wil! regain a Jitfcle of its .former importance, the deep sea fishing for kingfish : and malco sharks attracting from all parts of the world. The number1 of visitors shpws a steady increase every season. V

Mr. James M'ln.tyre, after some thirty years spent in the Public Service, has retired from the position of headmaster of the Levin District High Sohool. Mr.' M'lntyre has had the unique experience of going to a" small bush township as sole teacher of its original, school :. and remaining its headmaster through all its varying fortunes until it reached the status of a high school. .During that time he has held the affection and confidence of the' scholars who passed through his hands.-. Many of Mr. M'lntyre's old pupils gathered at Levin las*t weak for the '.■ purpose of showing ■ their appreciation of the work carried, out by the retiring headmaster in the interests of the town, and rnaSy were the tributes paid to Mi-, and Mrs. M'lntyre by several speakers. In presenting Mr, M'lntyre with, an illuminated address and a substantial wallet of notes, Mr H. 0. Wliitehouee said that old boys and old girls of the school were firm in the be-, lief that they coaJd not h^ve ha 4 a better head teacher. They had learned to respect and love him as tKejr kindly adviser, and he was that to many even after sohool days were over. Mrs. M'lntyre was presented with a travelling bag. ■ ... ■ / ■ ' .

"Unless something is done in the near future to lessen the number of deer in the New Zealand forests, the destruction of deer on a large scale will be taken in hand by the Government,'* states a communication from the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society to the Ashburton Acclimatisation Society. The letter urged that it would .be much better for the societies to undertake -a severe culling, in place of wholesale slaughter, in order .to.keep the several herds in the Canterbury district, in check. It was stated that over-stocking, was the chief cause of deterioration of the' Wairorapa, Nelson, Dingle, and Hunter Valley herds. The North Canterbury Society proposed shooting 1000 hinds and inferior stags, and the Ashburton Society was asked to shoot a similar number. Co-operative action was suggested, as the doer, when disturbed, niight cross tho boundary rivers again and again, and if parties wero^ on either side the work could be carried out more thoroughly, expeditiously, pnd, if a tender were let for shooting .2000, more cheaply. The .Ashburton Society has deoided to refer the matters raised to a conference of the two societies, asking what wero the best means to obtain persons with the knowledge to do.the necessary cubing; how many to cull; how to prevent indiscriminate shooting by unauthorised persons; and asking stalkers receiving licenses, to supply information on certain points. The opportunities for New Zealand exporters to build up a great trade with' Java was emphasised by the Vice-Consul for, the Netherlands, Mr. M. Copeland, at the meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Mr. Copeland said that many of tho products of New Zealand could be used jn Java. -Pie explained the extent of Australia's trade with Java in butter, meat, and jam, not less than, 100,000 cases of the last mentioned commodity being re-' quired annually. The Australian Gov- : eminent subsidised, the manufactiirers to the extent of at least £12 10s per ton, on condition that, the retail price of sugar did not go higher than 4|d per lb. In New Zealand the pa-ice could be less without a subsidy. Then there was honey, for which New Zealand stood absolutely alone as regards quality. No New Zealand honey was sold in Java. Enormous quantities of soap were required, as even the native used it. Australia,'had the entire tirade in soap. There was also scope for the export of apples from New Zealand. The demand for granite and marble was very great. As for the important trade in meat and butter, Australia obtained it all. Java did not. get a pound, of New Zealand high-quality butter. The difficulty as regards the shipping question could now be overi come. It seemed to him that if the Chambers of Commerce sent a man to Java to look aftea' the interests of New Zealand, the results would be satisfactory. The Netherlands Consul-General for Australia would probably arrive in Auckland next Tuesday. New Zealand manufacturers should arrange exhibitions of products in Java. In reply to questions, Mr. Cppeland assured the council that there would be no trouble in regard to shipping in.the future if;back-loading from Java. ' .