LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 August 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ten degrees of frost were registered in Hawera this morning. Reports from tiie higher levels state that the frost was very heavy, especially at Kaponga.

At a public meeting at Waverley on Monday evening, called to consider the question of providing swimming facilities, it was decided to fence off a portion of Johnston’s lake as baths. The estimated cost of doing this and work that would ensure the safety of children was given as £IBO. A committee was appointed to have plans prepared and conduct a canvass for funds. The matter of forming a swimming club was held over till something definite is done with the bath.

The introduction of the steel-grey ladybird to combat the spread of the bluegum blight in the Rangitiliei district is reported to have been a marked success. It is stated (says the Wanganui Herald) that a magical change has been wrought in those parts of the district where the ladybird has been liberated. Whole plantations of trees, once blackened and withered, are sending out new shoots, and reclothing themselves with green from top to bottom. In all instances these have been situated in places where the ladybird has been introduced

Kauri gum does not pay for the digging when the expenses up to the point of delivery in Auckland amount to £23 2s a ton, and the price obtainable in England, America,, or Germany (after the gum has received further treatment) is from £6O to £7O a ton, according to a digger who has written to the Auckland Star. He says New Zealand is the only country that can supply kauri gum, and therefore suggests that the State allocate £1,000,000 for the development of the gum industry. Ilis idea is for the Government to buv and hold the gum in New Zealand and’ wait for the people who want it to come here and buy, thus securinsr better prices and a more settled market.

hile visiting the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills recently Lord Jellicoe discovered a man named H. Gould in the boilerroom. Gould (says an exchange) had been a stoker on H.M.S. Birmingham in the North Sea. His hands were soiled with grease and coal dust, but that mattered not; Lord -Jellicoe insisted on a handshake, and the stoker obliged. Before his Excellency left the mill the employees gathered' outside. His Excellency walked along to the group, and said how pleased he was to meet them. '‘Do any of you come from Home?” he asked. “I do,” replied a young woman, “frae Galashiels.” “Ah,” said the Governor-General, turning to an official with him, “that’s where you come from.” Lord Jellicoe addressed the employees, and was given cheers as he drove away. OTJTKED’S. Last few days of Out red’s Sale. . Coat frocks from 35/6. splendid value: velour coats from 49/6. latest styles; Burberry coats, half price; marvellous reductions in all millinery; woollen .jumpers from 7/11. —Advt. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure for coughs and colds, never fails.—Advt.

Mr C. Adams met witli a somewhat severe accident at the Patea meat works on Tuesday, through a flywheel breaking and a portion of it striking him m the thigh, smashing the limb.

A motor lorry standing on the crest of the hill in Bridge Street, Eltham, yesterday morning, apparently without the brakes sufficiently applied, suddenly moved off and proceeded down the hill, gathering momentum as it went, and then turned on to the footpath, carrying away four verandah posts at a shop. Fortunately no other damage was done.

“It has been said that running a council is like a board of directors of a company,” said the Mayor at the Wanganui City Council meeting on Tuesday night. ‘‘lt is nothing of the sort,” he went on -to say. “Directors are responsible for their actions, and if they don’t do the right thing they have to pay by losing dividends, but" members of a. council can run the council into large sums of money and don’t have to lose a penny.” A councillor:“The rates have to be increased to pay for it.” The Mayor: “As a business man I am not in love with the job.’ At a meeting of the Stratford Progress League, at which schemes for boosting the town were discussed, Mr Aylward said lie thought that during show week it might he possible to organise a big Stratford week, having for its aim the attracting to the town of as many people as possible. ; A similar week had been introduced in Hawera and had 'been a great success. Envelopes could he printed and distributed to the business people, who would be invited to send out all their October and November correspondence therein. It was resolved that- the League cooperate with the A. and P. Association in a scheme for advertising the town by means of envelopes. The plain and fancy dress ball announced to take place in the Kaponga Town Hall to-morrow (Friday) evening in> support of the carnival city queen candidate will be the first event of its kind in Kaponga this season, and should be attended in large numbers. Both juvenile and adult dancers are to be catered for during the evening’s entertainment, a special attraction for the former being the prizes to be awarded for fancy dress costumes. The ability of the city candidate’s committee to organise successful functions has been amply mddenced during the carnival, ancl intending patrons, besides knowing they will he assisting a popular nominee, may anticipate an evening replete with enjoyment. A singular story was told last month of the famous blue diamond which belonged to the Russian Imperial Family and which has found its way into the municipal pawn shop at Nice. Weighing 43 carats, the diamond has had its vicissitudes since it adorned the forehead of a Buddhist statue in a Hindu Temple, and there is a suggestion that it will again change hands, and go the way of many rare and expensive things and reach America. Its latest possessor is Mademoiselle Thuillier, known as- “Primrose,” who, according to the details published, lived for some time at the Russian Court and received the jewel from the Czar himself. When the revolution broke out Mademoiselle Thuillier came to Nice. Financial troubles overtook her, and she was compelled to take the diamond to the pawnshop. It is not every day that a jewel with the history of the blue diamond is offered as serurity for a loan;" and it was a question as to how much should he lent upon it. It seems that by its regulations the pawnshop could not lend more than 200,000 francs. This sum was not enough to satisfy the lady’s creditors, and according to the story they put in claims for 2,000,000 francs when three months ago it was a question of redeeming the jewel. An American is reported to have come forward and offered 1,000,000 dollars for it. Professor Adams, speaking at a gathering in Wellington on Monday, said that the English Speaking Union was more popular in America than appeared to be the case in Australia and New Zealand, where the people were not nearly so enthusiastic about it. People in America appreciated more than we did the meaning of the language question. The fact that America spoke the same language, but he could not speak it. (Laughter.) The Amerispoke the same language as we did was of world-ivide importance He could understand American language but he could not speak it (Laughter.) The American people realised that language was so fundamental to their Constitution that they were determined to keep it up. He hoped that the English Speaking Union was going to be more popular in New Zealand and Australia, as it was going to he of fundamental importance. An English -writer had stated that the English language lvas radically different from the American language, but he had gone carefully into the question and could find no great differences.

“My first impression of the people of Australia,” remarked Professor Adams at a welcome to him in Wellington, ‘‘was the cheerfulness of the people, probably owing to the extra sunshine they have there. Their faces are certainly more cheerful than most of the faces one has been accustomed to see in London. Everything appears to me exactly as I had expected. I had read so much of Australia, and have seen so many pictures of its people and country; and I found everything exactly as I thought it would be. In other words, the country and people come up to my expectations. I found an intense interest in education, and rather advanced ideas on the subject. My audiences were very big and most attentive. I gave two addresses to the members of the Workers’ Educational Association, and found them an exceedingly critical but very intelligent set of people. I rather think that in both Australia and New Zealand a little too much attention is paid to examinations. In England we were in the same stage a little while ago. Now we are doing less examinations and more inspections, and probably that change' will come here.” Mr. Charles Hackett related some amusing anecdotes concerning his career at the Riotary luncheon given in his honour at Dunedin (says the Otago Daily Timesl. “When I wa£ quite a youngster/’ he said, /‘I was engaged to make my second appearance. at Venice with a. little soprano,who was the daughter of a famous soorano of that time. Her mother had filled her with old prim a donna ideas, and on this particular occasion I had to make love to her and sing ‘sweet nothings’ into her ear. Unfortunately the wilful little lady insisted on facing the audience and when the time came for her to lean her head on my chest she refused to do so. Mother had told her never to turn her back on the audience. There was only one thing to do, therefore, and 1 did it. 1 turned her round by force and held h.-)- in position, while she ‘blackguarded me most horribly during the time J was making love to her. She did it every night after that, too.” The Women’s Christian Temperance Union are holding a social evening tomorrow (Friday) night in the Presbyterian Hall.