LOCAL & GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume XXII, Issue 57, 18 May 1932, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Races at Te Rapa. Particulars oft train arrangements and the issue of day excursion tickets in connection with the Waikato Racing Club's meeting at Te Rapa on May 21, are advertised in this issue. Buckland Welfare League. In connection with the report published on Monday, the credit balance of the Buckland Welfare League should have read £350 after the paying of liabilities, and not £SO, as stated. Tuakau Art Union. Advice has been received by the Tuakau District Recreation Club that the Minister of Internal Affairs has granted permission for the conducting of an art union for club funds. Dance at Pukekohe East. Dancing enthusiasts are reminded of the dance to be held in the Pukekohe East hall to-morrow night. Special attractions will be a tango demonstration and comedy items by the Asquiths who are often heard from IY.A. The Pilot bus leaves Pukekohe at 8 o'clock.

Trains of the Sky.

I Aerial "troop trains," -which will J rush fully equipped soldiers into aci lion in a fe>y ; ,h.Qurs, avoiding long and .fatiguing' marches. a,re contemplated ! by the British: Air Ministry, says the , "Sunday Despatch." A competition to determine the new type of troopcarrying aeroplane, of which a large ' fleet will he used for policing the Einj pire, is being organised. These new j "troop trains of the sky" must be able J to carry 40 fully armed infantrymen, I to cruise at a speed of 150 miles an hour, and to be equipped with raa- : chine-guns mounted to meet air at- ! tacks from any direction. The success of the Vickers-Napier troop-car-rying aeroplanes, which have accommodation for 22 soldiers, in the evacuation of Kabul and the transport of infantry from Egypt to Cyprus has led the Ministry to decide to procure a large fleet of "aerial troop-trains" of greater capacity and higher speed. Beer Declared Black. 'Because the price of beer was Is a glass and because the miners refused le pay Is for anything less than a 'handle,' a beer strike was declared at Mount isa, Queensland, for three months when I was there," said Mr George Hay ward, an old Wanganui boy, who has returned to his home city with interesting reminiscences of his trips abroad. "Beer was declared 'black,' with the result that the hotels were closed. A body of men who called themselves the 'Basher Gang' look the law into their own hands when any

member of the community bought beer and there were several 'punishments' inflicted, especially as the strike lasted over Christmas lime. One of the chemists became wise to the idea, however, and imported a drink known as medicated wine which was broken down with methylated spirits. It was a very potent drink, and resulted in several hospital cages."

Freak Potato. A freak potato grown by Mr J. R. Brown, of Bombay, weighs 31bs 6ozs. Numerous other potatoes in the crop weighed up to 21bs. The crop averaged 9 tons per acre. A Decided Success. The fortnightly dance held in the Star Theatre last Monday evening by the Papakura League Football Club was a decided success. Visitors were present from the surrounding districts. The committee extends thanks and appreciation to all who helped to make it the success it was. Municipal Band. Arrangements have been made for the Pukekohe municipal band to render a programme of musio in the Soldiers’ Memorial Park, East Street, on Sunday afternoon. It is also the intention of the band to play in King street on alternate Friday evenings, weather permitting. The band has obtained a quantity of new music. Witness’ Neat Retort. When lawyers become personal, as they sometimes do in cross-examina-tion, witnesses seldom find an opportunity of getting their own back. An elderly woman, however, who was giving evidence in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington on Monday afternoon during a maintenance case, turned to account one of the questions that were asked her. “Who supplies you with clothes?” the solicitor inquired. “You are fairly well dressed.” The woman paused a second before she replied. “My sister,” she said, slowly. “I suppose you wish you had a sister like her.”

"Specials" and Meals.

A complaint was made to the Evening Post, Wellington, on Saturday that a waitress in a leading Wellington restaurant during the lunch hour had asked a customer if he was a "special" as the waitresses refused to swerve "specials." Inquiries were madepand

"The Post" was informed by the manageress of the restaurant that the statement made by the customer who complained of being asked such a question was quite true, for the question was repeated in the presence of others. The management took immediate steps and dismissed the waitresses concerned. It was ascertained also that the .person to whom the question was put was not a "special." Mr dbates' Heavy Job.

"Personally I wouldn't have Mr Goates' job on my shoulders at any price," declared the Hon. E. A. Ransom", Minister of Lands, to a conference of relief workers with the unemployment committee at Dannevirke. "Is Coates' word any good?" one of the workers had queried. Mr Ransom: deed."

at the situation. He is in full sympathy with the unemployed and he is devoting very anxious thought to the problem. But you all know that circumstances arise making the keeping of promises a very difficult matter in- " Certainly it is. It is as good as any other man's. I can assure you that Mr Goates is very deeply concerned

Back to the Railway. During the past few months there has been a decided swing back to the railway on the part of the general public and tradespeople who now accord the Department an increased measure of patronage, both with passenger and goods traffic. Some time ago trains used to pass through Pukekohe almost empty. Now most of the cars are fairly full, and besides the size of some of the trains has been increased. A Times representative who was on the Pukekohe platform a few mornings ago was surprised at the increased number of people using the railway. No doubt the reduced fares is the inducement. The policy of the Department in this respect appears to be justified.

Quite Satisfactory Results.

Hawke’s Bay farmers who sowed a percentage of linseed with their rape crops last season experienced results which might he described as quite satisfactory (states the Telegraph). As an example, a Fernhill farmer had a few bushels of linsee oil on hand, "and sowed this with his rape. The rape was poor owing to the dry season. and when ready to feed off he turned on GOO lambs. For the first ten flays they did not touch the rape, but fed off the linseed, and did remarkably well. When the linseed was finished they only then reluctantly took to the rape. At the end of ten days this farmer sent 304 lambs away fat; the remainder took about 14 days more to reach condition on rape. Not a Fish Story—but Ducks. A Kai Lwi (Wanganui) settler relrdf's an interesting experience he had with his dog. On Monday of last week a friend with a sporting dog was shooting wild ducks on his property, and the farmer’s sheep dog also accompanied the visitor. The latter and the sporting dog departed on Monday night. On Tuesday morning the farmer's dog returned to the house with a live duck in his mouth, and on Wednesday evening again repeated the performance. The farmer is at a loss to know how the dog managed to catch them. The. first duck was plucked and showed no sign of shot marks, so that it could not have been wounded. The other duck has not yet been plucked, and if it is also clear of shot marks the farmer can only assume that his dog has developed into a first-class poacher.

Teacher Re-appointed. /r Following on representations Tuakau School Committee, the Auckland Education Board has agreed to reappoint Mr J. L. Logan, as a probationary teacher at the Tuakau school. Under the rationing scheme, Mr Logan’s appointment terminated at the end of the first term. The committee pointed out to the board that three i teachers would be leaving the school, | and in consequence disorganisation I would result. i j Girl’s Patriotism. | Extraordinary individual evidences I of Chinese patriotism have been widely | features in the Chinese Press, says the | “New York Times.” One instance was j that of Miss Han Chung-liang, an 18I year-old Shanghai girl, who deter- ! mined to enlist in the army. Her parents objected, so she cut off the little finger of her left hand, declaring she would bleed to death if not permitted to fight for her country. This brought the consent of the parents. “Rather Unfair.” He was a married man with four children' but because he had £SOO saved and in the bank a man who came before the New Plymouth Unemployed Relief Committee a year ago could not be granted relief work. The man returned to the committee last week (reports the News) and said he had spent all his money. With most of it he had bought a house and property in the borough on which he had to pay £26 a year in rates. It was rather unfair, said a member of the committee, that a man had to get rid of his savings before he coulcl get relief. Act of Vandalism. An act of vandalism was perpetrated at the Tuakau school on Saturday night, the bottom of a water tank being pierced. The stop-cocks connecting the tanks were turned off so that water would not be wasted through the turning on of any of the outside taps. When the caretaker visited the school on Sunday morning he discovered one tank was empty and on making investigation ascertained the reason. The headmaster’s house was not occupied at the time. At first it was thought that the damage was caused by schoolchildren, but the police are inclined to believe that it was the work of some men. Enquiries are being made. An Anomaly Disclosed. A marked anomaly in the operation cf the new unemployment tax, states the Taranaki News, has been disclosed. It has been decided that if a business of any kind has its yearly balance later than April 30, 1932, the Is. in the pound tax payable this month will be levied on the income for 193031, instead of on that for 1931-32. If tax at the old rate of 3d in the pound has been paid on the whole of 1930-31 income, credit will be given for one-third of the total amount paid tV y Such business, presumably, will continue to be assessed on earlier periods than others which balance by April 30 yearly, so long as the present unemployment tax remains in force. . The many persons whose incomes were lower in 1931-32 than in 1930-31 will be considerably penalised in having the quadrupled tax applied to them, in effect, several months earlier than to others balancing before May 1 each year. Contented Communal Life. In Maori lands a short distance south of Kawhia, near the village of Kinohaku, a party of Taranaki sportsmen who had the shooting rights over several lakes, bagged 125 ducks, found 300 Maoris living the contented communal life of their forefathers, with only one white man—the schoolmaster —in the district, and on a wonderful beach found fish in profusion. The estate in which the lakes are situated is the Ilari Hari estate, owned entirely by the Maoris. Part of it is swamp land, and has been brought into cultivation with modern drainage. The property is practically entailed, says the Taranaki Daily News, and the Maoris refuse to sell the land, pointing out that they have comfortable living with plentiful and various foods, while their brothers who have sold their land to the pakehas are now in trouble. The Maori children go to the school at the age of five, and are unable to speak a word of English. The schoolmaster is unable to talk much Maori. “However,” said the Schoolmaster, whimsically, “we get on quite well. I drawdiagrams on the board, and they to like the coloured ones very much.”