LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 131, 30 November 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To-day is being observed in the United States as Thanksgiving Day, to commemorate the first crop gathered by the Pilgrim Fathers when they arrived in America. On Thanksgiving Day, Americans eat turkey, the reason being that during the hard winter of 1620, wild turkeys were the chief article of diet. The corn was sown in the spring, and when the crop came, the last Thursday in November was set apart aa a day of rejoicing to commemorate the end of the period of deprivation.

Much satisfaction was expressed at the meeting of the Technical College Board of Governors on Tuesday at the recent exhibition of work by pupils of the College held in the show windows of Messrs. James Smith, Ltd. In the course of his report on the subject, the director, Mr. J. H. Howeli, said: "This display has probably done more than anything else to bring before the people of Wellington in striking form the variety ar(d type of the work tliat is carried out hers. We are very much indebted to Messrs. James Smith,' Ltd., for their kindness in permitting the display and to the members of their staff who showed great skill and spared no pains in making it effective."

A pleasing .sidelight on the outlook for the farming community at present was given a "Manawatu Standard" reporter this week by the district -valuer, Mr. N. PI. Mackie. He stated that applications for revaluation of land were now practically nil, whereas last year they had been exceptionally numerous. In the course of his departmental work he had found the position infinitely more satisfactory in view of the rise in< farm produce prices.

"There is £1,000,000 invested in the North Auckland Main Trunk line that is not earning a penny," said the Hon. J. G. Coates, at Kaukapakapa on Thursday night. "Surely," he added, "that is sufficient argument to say, 'Well, you must get on to that and finish it.' It will take about £200,000 to finish the line, and it will not be long before it is finished. I hope to run a public works -train through' very early in • the New Year."

Under the heading "Financial Assistance," Jihe following is reported vby the Repatriation Department:—Loans'to assist soldiers to establish themselves in businesses or professions have been granted in 6331 cases at a cost of £1,152,924. A further 15,601 men have received advances totalling £744,583 for the purchase of household furniture or tools-of-trade, and 4610 ha,ve been granted financial assistance in other- directions. Altogether no less than 62,647 men have received assistance from the department to the extent of £2,308,681. v'

■ The discontinuance of the second Main Trunk express has been the subject of communication between the Hon. D. H. Gnthrie and Mr. Clutha Mackenzie. In a telegram just received, the Minister states that, after careful inquiry, he is assured that the' one express daily is ample to meet passenger requirements for the present (records the "N.Z. Herald"). As soon as was warranted by the traffic, arrangements would be made for./the running of a second express, 'but that was not anticipated till the Christmas traffic commenced.

The development of the three-key scheme, Waikaremoana, Mangahao, and Arapuni, said the Hon. J. G. CoaTes, at Kaukapakapa on Thursday night, would ensure large blocks of hydro-electvic power being sold. Power being cheaper here than in other countries would result in industries springing up in New Zealand. Another important fact was that hydro-electric development of this magnitude would ensure to the country people opportunities to receive power similar to those enjoyed in city areas.

A matter frequently discussed by the Pa-lmerston North Chamber of Commerce is the proposal to change the name of the town to Manawatu. At the annual meeting of the' Chamber (states the " Times ") a member told how he sent a cable from a city in England to Palmerston North. He waited in vain for a reply, and on making investigations, found that the message had been sent to a Palmerston in Canada!

By some means, not easily accounted for, a fire originated in the postal boxes at the old post office, Princes street, Dunedin, about 7.30 p.m.. on Friday, states the " Otago Daily Times." It is estimated that there were about 500 letters, or postal packages of one kind or another, in the boxes, ; and of these 120 were more' or less damaged, and about a dozen packages were destroyed. The fire brigade was,called, and broke open the boxes, and quickly extinguished the fire.

Almost every district is pjroud of the possession of some distinctive feature of its landscape, but familiarity gives indifference to those who live within sight of it. It is left to the visitors to discover the interesting features of such land-, marks. The people of Sanson and Bulls, for instance, states the "Manawatu Times," are apt to forget that they "own" one of the longest, if not actually the longest, of traffic Bridges in New Zealand, with the added distinction of ha-v----ing one end about twenty feet higher than the other. The only things about it which are common to nearly all bridges in the Dominion are that it lacks another two feet in width to enable two vehicles to pass, and that both ends are obscured from view until one is actually on the bridge. It was built over forty years ago, from totara grown on the spot, and is still sound. The cost was about £17,000., To-day a contractor might ask £40,000.

A youth seventeen years of age appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M., yesterday charged on the indictable offence of letting off fireworks in a postal letter box. Chief-Detective Kemp said he had been instructed to proceed under I section of the Post and Telegraph Act, by which the charge had to go to the Supreme i Court. Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, who represented the lad, said a plea of guilty would be entered. The lad had had a, life-long lesson and it was unfortunate that the Magistrate could not deal with him. Mr. Page decided' to reduce the charge to one of mischief. He said, the accused had been guilty of a wanton and stupid act. A dozen letters had been damaged and serious damage might have resulted had there been valuable documents in the letter box. He recorded a conviction, and ordered accused'to come up for sentence if called on within twelve months. Publicatiop of the accused's name was prohibited.

The Auckland Automobile Association held a most enjoyable club run on Saturday to Ness Valley, with the intention of witnessing the felling of a giant kauri in the bush, from which Henderson arid Pollard, Limited,- draw their timber supply. Despite all the . efforts of the expert bushmen, and the employment of the latest appliances, however, the giant tree refused to fall. Cut through by saw and axe, as it was, tiie tree maintained its perpendicular position, and Apparently it now remains for the wind to lay the forest -monarch low (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The tree stajids in the Otau forest, and measures 100 ft from ground to tip. It does not compare either in size or estimated age with the vast kauri recently reported to have been located in the Waihou bush, at Hokianga. Still, the Otau kauri is a notable tree. It has a clean symmetrical trunk, free of branches, for 50ft from the ground, and about ten feet in .diameter. It is estimated to contain 30,000 superficial feet of clean timber, sufficient to build a six-roomed bungalow or wake 900 doors.

It has been decided by the To Aro Advancement Association to dose the shops in Cuba street at 6 p.m. during thb week preceding Christmas, and t<make 23rd December a late night. Preparations are being made to extend the special lighting scheme to a portion of tipper Cuba street. "\

It was announced at the South Island Poultry Association's annual meeting at Dunedin yesterday that as poultry showe were primarily educative and not conducted for profit, the Government had provided that poultry exhibitions should be exempt from the amusement tax. This information, said Mr. J. B. • Merrett (Christchurch), had been forwarded by the Prime Minister from Nelson. The association expressed its appreciation of the Government's action. A similar ccitcession bad been given to the poultry industry in Engi&nd. ,

A silver cup of very handsome design has been presented to the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society by its vice-presi-dents. The cup, which is valued at 50 guineas, will alawys be held by the society, but each year the gainer of the highest number of points for roses in the open class will have his name engraved upon it, and will have presented to him a miniature copy. Mr. H. J. Poole, the first to have his name engraved on the cup, was yesterday congratulated by tlis society's president, Mr. J. G. Helyar;

In connection, with "the recently announced alteration in the railway service between Palmerston North and Wellington, Mr. W. H. Field states that, in order to further meet the convenience of passengers, two trains which under the first alteration weTe to have been changed from "mixed" to goods trainr will continue to be "mixed," and will include passenger cars. These axe the trains which arrive at Wellington at 12.15 p.m. and lea.ye Wellington at 4.13 p.m.

A procession of trade displays, decorated motor-cycles and cars, aad persons in fancy dress, is to be held in the city on Saturday, and during its progress from the Government Buildings to Island Bay, where the Island Bay Surf and Life-saving Club is holding a gala, a collection is/to; be taken up in aid of tSe Island Bay Soldiers' Memorial (25 per cent.) and the Life-saving Club. Arrangements were dealt with at a meeting; of the club's executive last evening, j.t was Teported that the Miramar Brass Band would participate in the procession, and that entries in the way of trade displays numbered between thirty and forty. During the gala at the Bay thel first contest for the Island Bay Surf and Life-saving Club's shield for life-savin? would be held, and in that event much interest was being shown..

The question of New Zealand's participation in the forestry exhibit at the coming British Empire Exhibition was among the matters dealt with at the meeting of the executive of the Dominion Federated Sawmillers' Association, .which concluded its sittings in Wellington yesterday. The following resolution wae adopted : ''The federation agrees to paiticipate in the timber exhibit at the "Imperial Court, on the lines suggested by the timber and forestry sub-committee of the British Empire Exhibition Advisory Council." It is understood that tb? Advisory Council of the British Empire Exhibition is to visit the Qhristchurcli Exhibition next week for the purpose of selecting the various types of exhibits of local timbers and local timber msiuv-fact-nres to be displayed in the Briti'.u. Exhibition.

Condensation of a passage in P?. Campbell Begg's address on " Milk " to a" Health Week audience in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening led to a certain distortion of the meaning. The sentence in question read in the published report: "To provide to a city a pure milk is as impossible as it is criminal to provide a. grossly impure." Tha words "pure.,milk" were qualified by the phrase, " in the strictest sense," the implication being that the supply of, the purest milk \from a scientific point of view is economically impossible. Another statement was that " In the nearby farmers we have a good source of grade A fresh milk supply." The fuller meaning here is that, as all milk_ for adult consumption.'should be pasteurised, the farmers could be compensated for tila loss involved, if a market for grade A milk was made, and they were prepared to put in the necessary equipment to supply this high-priced product. Mr. J. G. Helyar, president of tho Hutt Valley Horticultural Society, stated al the flower show yesterday that tho chief duty' "of such a society was educational. He hoped that later the society might take a hand in beautifying some of the streets in the borough. The idea of beautifying the railway yard was a good one, but the " lay-out" of the plots was really- anything but- artistic, and not a good advertisement for the garden suburb; the plots were more like, graveyard plots than anything else. The chief objection was to the rails round the plots. In declaring the show, open the Mayor (Mr. W. Ti Strand) said the borough would be only too glad to have the assistance of the society. The Borough Council was not responsible for the railings round the plots, which was dona by the Railway Department. The district was much indebted to the four nurserymen in the borough, who had taken the responsibility of the four plots at the station off the shoulders of die council.

Small-pox, according to the statisticians, appears in cycles of about ten years (remarks the Melbourne "Argus."} During the last forty years there have been four definite epidemics—in 1883, 1893, 1903, and 1913. According to this experience, another outbreak of the disease might be looked for next year unless preventive measures prove efficacious. The curious recurrence of these epidemics was mentioned by the Federal Director of Health (Dr. Curnpston), in directing attention to the fact that a coloured member of the crew of the steamer Huntress, which arrived at Fremantle from South Africa on Sunday, showed signs, of small-pox. The Huntress was the eleventh vessel to be quarantined for small-pox this year. ; The number of vessels was the largest for small-pox since the Commonwealth took ovwr control of health. Although the Department did not expect a recurrence of small-pox next year, it had taken precautions and circularised the staffs at the various ports., informing them of the history of smallpox outbreaks and requesting them to keep a special lookout for. cases. About 500,000 doses of small-pox'vaccine bad been prepared at Royal Park laboratory, and fresh supplies were being prepared.