LOCAL AND GENERAL

Feilding Star, Volume 4, Issue 676, 7 January 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The number of Maoris in Rangitikei at the last census (1921) equalled 4.2 per 100 of other races.

A thousand cases of excellent cherries arrived at Auckland from Sydney during the week.

During last year 2309 patients were admitted to the Palmerston Hospital, the daily average (1.37) being 20 above that of 1924.

Bulls Boy Scouts number 24. All except one are 'going to the Exhibition jamboree. Scouts .Miis tress Nancy Wilson will be in charge.

The average Aiistralian innn, woman and child has possessions amounting in value to practically £4O, according to statistics.

In the ladies’ race at the New Year sports in Oamarh two of Lite competitors were grandmothers, and one of them was the winner of the race. During Christmas week Wellington citizens purchased from the milk department of the City Corporation cream to the value of £1375, extracted from 13,750 gallons of milk. There has been a fair amount of sickness prevalent in Bulls qnd district lately, and several local people are at present in the Palmerston hospitals.

M r F. Weingott, representing the firm of Weingott and Son, is visiting Feilding, and orders may be left at .Ur B. Levy’s shop or at the Manchester Hotel.

The liner Kent, which whs badly damaged by fire at Auckland several months ago, is liow loading cargo in the Wanganui roadstead, and sails for London this month.

The British howlers changed theft plans. They did hot pass through Feilding bv train this morning. They travelled from Wanganui by cars, and time did not j for mil e'nlling at the Feilding green.

Amongst the exports from New Zealand which are steadily growing is that of honey, Which IhsT year showed aii increase Of 260 tons over the preceding ycii'v, or from 500 tons Lo 70'/ tons, valued at between £4o.* 000 and £50,000. ■

Out of £ 1,139,689 paid in land tax in New Zealand, farmers pay only £663,483, the balance of £526,206 being paid by professional men, manufacturers and indii/stri'ai concerns. T-b’e latter also pay -income . tax, frobi which the farmer is exempt.

When the vessel was at New. Plymouth the wireless operator of the Port Hunter heard the Rifgby wireless station (England) distinctly, and; hut for the fact that the winches were working at the same time, he could have taken the messagV down.

Tlie number of Workers’ l nions in Now Zealand increased from 175 ui 1000 to 402 in 1924, and the membership from 17,989 to 90,82:5. These figures include the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and the Enginedrivers, Firemen and Gleaners’ Association. X

“There was every' indication when I left England that the winter would hold less hardships than the winter of last yeitf,” stated Sir Herbert Matthews, an English agricultural expert, who has .just arrived iVi New Zealand. Generally speaking, the industrial ami social conditions of England were gradually improving, 'faxes Were still heavy and the unemployihent problem was still acute.

The task of fighting a fire without water, although it was the wall oi a reservoir that was endangered, fell to the lot of the Mount Eden Fire Brigade on a recent alternoon. A patch of dry grass became ignited, and the flames spread rapidly toward the wooden reservoir enclosure. Ihe fir« brigade was summoned, and the motor made light of the steep climb. It was found that there was no hose connection, and the firemen had to heat out the fire with sacks. No damage was done.

In the course of an interview in Brisbane recently, the chairman of the Prickly Pear Land Commission (Mr \Y. L. Payne) said that about ■10,099 decisions have already been issued by the Commission, involving an area of more than 20 million acres, and sonic thousands of cases still remain to he dealt with. The Commission was inquiring into each case and was laying on the Crown tenant definite pear-clearing conditions. The rent in each case was also being adjusted after having full regard to the cost of clearing. Thus an effort was being made to deal with Crown teuants"'equitably,' and all clearing conditions so enforced would be strictly administered.