LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 August 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Picking up a small root of grass, which, in spite of its humble appearance, bears the botanical name of agrosta vulgaris, or Wainuka browntop, Mr F. A. Field, Chief Agricultural Instructor in Canterbury, stated at Waimaunga to the students of the farm school who were visiting the State Experimental Farm (reports the Grey Star) that it was a splendid grass for lawns. “If there are any bowlers here,” he added (and immediately quite a number present showed interest), “I would recommend them to plant this type of grass. It will give a splendid surface.’!

A meeting of residents of Patea was held on Friday night to discuss ways and means for raising about £IOO with which to equip a children’s playground, a site for which has been offered bv the Borough Council. An offer by Miss F. Boagey to get up an entertainment on behalf of the project was accepted, and the following were appointed a com. mittee, with power to add to their number: His Worship the Mayor, Messrs Watson, R.amsbottom, Hemingway, D. Fraser. Captain Tinney, Rev. H. B. Goertz, D. Jones, J. Matthews, and Whittington, and Mesdames White and Ramsbottom.

Stories, are going around concerning champion mean men. The Argus has unearthed a story which will take some beating, and is a true one. He was a Hawke's Bay man with about a hundred thousand acres of land. A friend came up to him one day riding a horse. He dismounted to have a yarn with the landholder, hooking his arm through the bridle and allowing the horse to etop at the grass. Presently the big landholder said, “Here, hold that horse’s head, up!” The 11.55 train from Wanganui yesterday ran into and killed two cows on the South Road railway crossing. It appears that 'Mr. Milham, of Kakaramea, and bought the animals at the sale, and in driving them along the road approaching the crossing two of them became separated from the others and got- on to the railway track. The impact did not result in the train stopping.

In a letter from the New Zealand Commissioner of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, he indicated that the dairy produce exhibit compared more than favourably with the dairy exhibits from other Dominions. Some difficulty had been experienced in making a striking exhbit with cheese. At the date of writing he had not received the four large cheese made for the hoard by the Ngaere Dairy Co. They will now, however, be in position.

The Okato-Puniho Dairy Company has written to the Taranaki County Council drawing attention to the danger to horse traffic caused by the practice of motorists throwing empty benzine tins on the roadside, ‘ thus startling horses. It is especially dangerous to school children. The company expressed a hope that some warning would be issued to motorists. Councillors at the meeting yesterday agreed that the practice was a had one, and should lie stopped. It was decided to draw the notice of the inspector to the matter. It takes something to surprise a police officer, but Chief-Detective Cummings, of Auckland, last week received a shock when an individual, well known in certain sporting circles in the Northern city, applied for a permit to run a “Peter” school—“ Peter” being another name for hazards. ChiefDetective Cummings informed the . applicant that he could please himself, hut pointed out that there, was plenty of stone that required breaking at Mount Eden Gaol.

Already the routes to Arapuni have become the scene of activity, states the Wellington Post’s Auckland correspondent. Traffic has greatly increased, while two bridges are in course of erection. A small staff of workmen engaged by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., is on the ground, and will proceed to erect- immediately a number of dwellings for the administrative staff. A preliminary order of 1,000,000 feet of timber for houses has been placed at Putaruru. It is estimated that 60,000 tons of cement will be used in constructional work; 30,000 tons of which will be put into the dam alone. This cement will he conveyed by a special train running between the cement works at Whangarei and Putaruru. Those who are hoping for reduction in interest rates and easier money conditions, states the Melbourne Argus, will not view with satisfaction the rush of flotations by public bodies. No doubt some of the money will be utilised to . reduce bank commitments, but to call for £400,000 for the Melbourne Tramway Trust, £250,000 for the City Council, £500,000 for the Board of Works, and £IOO.OOO for the Credit Fonder and Housing Departments of the State Savings Bank means the cleaning up of a good deal of loose' cash.. Then the directors of the Metropolitan Gas Company, at the forthcoming meeting of shareholders, intend to ask for authority to issue when desirable, 50,000 shares, also to issue debentures in accordance with the provisions of the company’s Acts. Lastly, the Board of AVorks, having practically placed the whole of its fiV per cent, loan of £500.000. will raise another loan of the same amount. It can be realised that with such transactions current, cheap money is impossible. so it is not surprising to find that life offices have increased their mortgage rate tp 7 per cent. Elven then they are not disposed to consider proposals for other than loans of moderate size.

A reminder is given of the Hawera City Football Club’s euchre party and dance to be held in the Foresters’ Hall to-night. Numerous prizes will be given in connection with the euchre and orchestral music will be provided lor the dancing. A good supper will also be served.

Therf* are still some bargains left for eanny^buyers at the Melbourne’s Sale of assigned stock. Here are a few of them: Men’s woven stripe cambric neglige shirts, 5/6; men’s colonial allwool flannels, all shades, roomy make, o/ll; men’s famous Palmer nap trousers, 8/6; men’s tweed coats and vests, -4/6; men’s felt hats, all half price; ladies’ all-wool smart stripe cardigans, 14/6; ladies’ best quality Llama hose, 4/11 pair.—Advt. For cold in the head—inhale Nazol. For sore throats or tickling cough take some drops on sugar. Used either way “Nazol” works wonders; 60 doses 1/6. —Advt. MEDICAL RESEARCH WORK. Recent medical research in England goes to. prove the interesting fact that a combination of the constituent parts of Fluenzol has treble the bactericidal power of Eucalyptus and five times the value of oil of tar (vide “The Extra Pharmacopoeia”). Martindale and Westcott, vol. 1, 15th ed. —6 That tickling, irritating cough can be promptly relieved by a few drops of “Nazol” taken on lump s v <gar; 60 doses 1/8. —Advt.

First aid classes lor men commence in the Old Technical School on Friday next, Bth inst. Infectious diseases notified in the Taranaki district diming the week ended on Monday were: Taranaki, diphtheria 3; Stratford, diphtheria pneumonia 1; Hawera, scarlet fever 1, diphtheria 1.

Speaking with a Star representative yesterday, Mr. A. V. Ta.it, who with Mr. J. McAlpine has been canvassing the Kaponga district during the past week in connection with the Farmers’ Onion campaign, stated that their efforts were being attended with encouraging results. The number of farmers interviewed had been practically unanimous in the decision to foster the union movement.

A curious coincidence which caused tittering among a congregation is recorded by the London Morning Post. A clergyman going to his church picked up a gold watch on the churchyard path. So, after giving out his notices before the second hymn, he said: ‘‘l think it right to inform the congregation that I picked up a watch on the churchyard path before the service. If anyone present has lost one, he will know where it is. Hymn number 357, ‘Lord. Her Watch Thv Church is Keeping.’ ”

Under the heading “Freaks of Nature,” an _ American Feature Syndicate has supplied the following to papers in the United States: “Could a moa be captured to-day it would be sold to a circus or museum, and exhibited as one of the queerest birds ever known to man. Because of its destructive habits it was wiped out in New Zealand. Being twelve feet in height, a veritable airplane, it was easily the master of any other feathered creature. The moa could easily carry away live stock in its talons. People shuddered at the sight of the giant bird, knowing that it might bear away an infant, or even a grown person. ‘Finally the inhabitants of New Zealand banded together and destroyed every moa in the land.”