LOCAL & GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 38, 3 April 1933, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Literary and Social Club.

The annual meeting of the Pukekohe Literary and Social Club will be held on Thursday evening.

Rugby Football Meetings. The Old Boys' and White Star Rugby Football Clubs will hold their annual meetings this evening.

Autumn Rain. Welcome autumn rain commenced to fall in Pukekohe this morning. Crops and pastures, which have been topdressed recently, should benefit considerably.

Baby's Food Assured

"The Southern Cross has many, many hours of useful life before it," said Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, when giving an address in Wellington. "My son will be flying her about 20 years hence. I hope so ,anyway, and he will probably make a better fist of it than I do." Dealing with his present tour, Sir Charles said that he was very gratified at the extraordinary fine receptions that he and the Southern Cross had been accorded everywhere. "The baby is going to be fed for the next year without any worry," he concluded.

Win and Place Betting.

In a three-place pool under the new system of betting, it is bad business to back a horse which is carrying more than a quarter of the total investments (suggests a Christchurch Sun writer). W 7 herc the pool amounts to £IOOO (gross), a horse showing £2. r >o will return £1 2s for a place, and if carrying £275 will give its backers their money back. Tn a two-place

pool of £IOOO (gross), a horse carrying more than £4OO will be a losing bet. Where there are three places, and the gross investments are £IOOO, specimen place" dividends are as follow: Horse carrying £SO, £5 10s Gd; £IOO, £2 15s: £l5O. £1 16s fid: £2OO, £1 7s fid: £250, £1 2s CTd: £3OO, 18s. The Tuakau Bridges. At a meeting of the Onewhero Ratepayers' "Association held on Friday, Mr IT. Dyer enquired of the riding member on the Raglan County Council, Mr S. TI. Crawford, whether it was the intention to dismantle the old Tuakau bridge when the new structure was opened to traffic. He had been informed that the old bridge was to be left intact, and this, in his opinion, would be an "eyesore." Tn reply, Mr Crawford intimated that the bridge, which belonged to the Onewhero, Pukekawa and Port Waikato ridings, would be dismantled. The chairman. Mr R. J. Glasgow, speaking as lo the official opening of the new bridge, claimed that as Onewhero riding was the largest contributor, apart from the Main Highways Board, if, had the claim for a function in celebration to be held at Onewhero. Mi' Dyer said the opening would, no doubt, take place at the bridge, hut considered that a social function should he held at Onewhero in the evening.

"More Good Than Harm."

"All the time I was in London I did not see a barefooted child in the poorer quarters, and was most surprised to find how well-cared for the children seemed." said Mr E. B. E. Taylor, when he addressed commerce students at Canterbury College on the subject of his travels in America, Canada and England, the "ChristchUrch Times" reports. He slated that he was much more frequently asked for five or ten cents in America than he was for three-pence in England. "Five cents for a cup of coffee" was a usual demand from down-and-out Americans, but lie was not Iroubled much in London, except; between midnight and 1 a.m. on the Thames Embankment. It was his opinion that the dole had done more good than harm.

Saving to Exporters.

Investigations into the relative costs of exporting timber from the Main Trunk through New Plymouth, as compared with shipping through Wellington, show that a considerable saving may be effected by shipping through the Taranaki port (says the "Taranaki Herald"). There is a considerable quantity of timber from mills in the Main Trunk districts sent to Australia, and some even to England. Some trial orders of matai have recently been received for shipment to England, and The inquiries made respecting rail freight from Main Trunk stations to New Plymouth show that a saving of something like 11 id per hundred feet could be effected if the timber went through tfffs port instead of Wellington. This matter will no doubt receive the serious attention of the timber exporters, and incidentally have, its effect on the export, business of the port of New Plymouth. Depressing New Zealand

j Ella Wheeler Wilcox said: "Laugh and the world laughs with you," and although Miss Wilcox did not say so, the reverse is also probably the case. This, at any rate, is the view taken by two Queensland visitors to New Zealand, who left Rotorua on Sunday with the definite intention of returning to their own country in order to escape the gloomy atmosphere which , they claim prevails in New Zealand ■ (says the Rotorua Evening Post). One of the pair stated that he had visited New Zealand three years ago, and had had such an enjoyable holiday that he ! had returned, bringing a friend with him. He claimed, however, that the ■ whole atmosphere of the country apI peared entirely to have changed and he had heard so much talk of depression that lie had decided to return to : the more cheerful atmosphere of his native Queensland. "We have our . troubles there," he said, "but there is not the generally depressing atmosphere which affects one over here. 1 ' Danger from Power Lines.

Some concern at the risks taken by tradesmen working near power lines was expressed by the engineer of lire South Taranaki Power Board (Mr T. R. Overton) in a report on a recent fatality at Hawera. "It is clear to me that tradesmen such as plumbers, painters and carpenters often take undue risk in the course of their work in the vicinity of electrical wires.'" he paid. "It is impossible to regard any insulated electrical wire in ordinary use as safe after exposure to the weather for any length of time, and tracesmen should not so near these conductors until they have been deadened and made safe by one of the board's men. The service of disconnecting and reconnecting lines and installations is always available upon application at a very reasonable charge. Another matter that has caused us a good deal of anxiety is the continued felling of trees on the hoard's lines at very considerable risk to the person actually cutting the trees (reports the "Taranaki Daily News"), also the serious disorganisation of cutting off electrical supply in the district concerned. Tv'e have this month two cases of interruptions by tree-cutlers and another from the burning of a boxthorn hedge. Many settlers give us notice that they intend felling trees within reach of our lines, hut the number who neglect doing this is becoming far 100 serious. 1 '