LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 August 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As an evidence of the mildness of spring it may be mentioned that quite a crowd of bathers spent a good part of Sunday sea-bathing on the beaches near Hawera.

The Waingongoro beach, near Hawera, is growing in popularity (savs the Stratford Post), and the ' recent fine weather has induced quite a number of people from other parts of Taranaki to motor to that 'pleasant and picturesque spot. An old age pensioner named David Harvey, who kept a livery stable at Whangamomona, was found dead in his room adjoining his stable on Saturday. The cause of death has not yet been ascertained, and it is probable an inquest will be held.—Stratford Post.

Mr L. 0. Hooker, local representative of Trinity College, received word from Mr Albert Mallinson that he expects to be in Hawera on November 17 and 18 for the purpose of conducting the examinations.

A resident who recently had his' car stolen from a municipal parking place suggested to a Timaru Herald reporter that the council should attach a steel ring in the ground, attach a chain, and let the owners of the cars provide their own padlocks. Thus car -stealing could be eliminated to a great extent.

A mean theft was committed on a recent evening, when someone invaded the backyard of the Y.W.C.A. hostel in Auckland and decamned with the day’s washing. The clothes lines were stripped, and the thief’s selection of garments was such as would form the mv C^eus a ver -V substantial trousseau. The many young ladies who suffered this depletion of their wardrobes almost forgot their loss in the excitement they derived from a visit en masse to the awe-inspiring precincts of the police station. Here their complaint received sympathetic attention. Carrying coal is no easy business in Dunedin according to a witness from there in the Arbitration Court, testifying in the drivers’ dispute. “It’s a funny thing,” he said, confidentially, “that people put the letter box at the foot of the steps, but the coalman has to carry the coal to the top.” “Well,” said his Honour, “the milkman is in the same position as the postman in Wellington, but for steps Wellington is no better off.” The lot of the coalman in hilly cities seemed to appeal to the sympathy of the Court. A witness from Napier emphasised the importance of having an extra man on long trips. He himself had to travel out over 80 miles on a four-ton lorry on his own. This was not safe. A further communication has been received from the Under-Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs in reference to the Nolantown merger. He states that the description of the Nolantown area has now come to hand, and it is proposed, therefore, to oe-ed with the consideration of the alteration as requested by the petitioners. The usual notice calling for objections will b© published at an eai’ly date. It is not considered desirable, the letter states, to hold the matter over, as there may be a considerable lapse of time before the petitions are presented in respect of the other areas. The letter concludes bv saying that the matter should now shortly take definite shape. An East Coast native old age pensioner, being unable, through illness, to get her pension, sent her daughter to the Wairoa post office to draw it. The clerk in charge informed her that she would have- to get somebody to identify her. Constable Torr did so, but the clerk said, u We can’t pay outline that; that* woman might be dead for instance, and then, where would I be?” A form, it was stated, would have to- be obtained from the pensions office and signed by the registrar. Constable Torr then went to the Maori kianga with the application form for the old age pensioner to sign, but when the attendant went to wake up the woman she discovered that her spirit had fled t,o a land where there are no pensions.

The Queen of Roumania is directly related to more of the Royal families in Europe than any other reign in Queen. Daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty is granddaughter of Queen Victoria and cousin of the King. Her mother was the Girand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, only daughter of Alexander the Second, Emperor of All the Russias. Princess Marie is also the Queen Mother of two queens, Princess Elizabeth, being the consort of the exiled King of Greeceand Princess Marie, the wife of the Sovereign of Jugo-Slavia. “Another thing that came down with the fleet from Hawaiki in 1350 was rats, and they also have become extinct,” remarked Dr. P. H. Buck in the course of a lecture (reports the Auckland Star). “It was not your bubonic rat with the purple face that carries plague about with it. The Maori rat was quite a nice rat, and lived in the bush. It ate berries and other things, and got quite fat, and was a wholesome article of food. It was caught in traps and was quite an esteemed article of diet. Preserved in its own fat, it. was quite palatable, and was looked mion as a delicacy. It was supplanted by the Norway rat that so much had been heard of recently. I do not say that the Maoris purposely brought them, as they may' have got amongst the foodstuffs.”

“On my first tour of inspection I found there was a total of 108 electrical installations in Otago and Southland, half of which were in Gore. Today there are considerably over 20,000,” remarked Mr F. R. Shepherd, electrical inspector K tn the New Zealand Fire Underwriters, at a send-off tendered to him at Dunedin. Continuing, he said that the total number of installations in the whole Dominion did not exceed 2000 23 years ago, while now the number was approximately 130,000. In addition to the municipalities which are supplying consumers, there are now 36 electric power boards, covering an area of 56.414 square miles, which represented 56 per cent of the total area of New Zealand, reports the Otago Daily Times. The population served was 66,567, or 52 per cent of the total population, and the capital involved in the hydro-electric schemes to which the Government was committed was £13,000,000. A pleasant social will he held at the Savoy rooms to-night in aid of the Catholic bazaar funds. Mr Renwick’s orchestra will provide the music/ The United Ancient Order of Druids are holding a euchre tournament and dance to-morrow at the Foresters’ Hall. Twelve prizes will be given, and are at present on view at the Victoria Cafe. The proceeds of the evening are to go towards the fund for providing the annual Christmas tree, and a large attendance is expected.

OUTKED’S. Last few days of Outred’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 junipers from 7/11. —Advt.

There are distinct disadvantages in living in an exporting country. The Auckland Herald, writing on grading of butter, says: ‘ ‘lt would be well to have three jclasses and to restrict exportation to the first and second, giving clear indication of the difference between them.” The third grade would apparently be retained for consumption in the Dominion, and the price, as at present, 'would doubtless be equivalent to that obtained in London for the highest grade.

During the past year 1790 cinematograph films, of a total length of 4,820,060 feet,-.have been censored. Of these two were rejected and 1081 passed subject to excisions. In respect to the rejected films five appeals were considered by the Board of Appeal, consist, ing of Mrs. I. Preston, Mrs. F. Righton, and Mr. H. M. Gore (chairman). In four cases the decisions of the censor were upheld, while in the remaining case the censor’s decision was ieversed, subject to two minor excisions.

One man who has cause to consider himself fortunate is Mr. C. Schneider, teamster, of Akitio (says the Pahiatua. Herald). He is reported to have placed his luggage aboard the ill-fated Hippie at Wellington and travelled by train. His intentions were to have travelled by the steamer, but he considered the sea' too rough. Mr. Schneider attends to the transport of wool and merchandise at Akitio by bullock waggon to the surf boat, which conveys it to the steamer (invariably the Hippie), and he has frequently travelled by this steamer previously.

The fact that a woman drew one of the sections in the ballot for land at Kanaknaia. has been remarked upon by a number of people, who were unaware that women were entitled to be included in a land ballot (says the Poverty Bay Herald). The explanation is that both husband and wife can have their names included, provided that the wife has had farming experience and can put up the necessary capital. This provision has at times been criticised, but the provision is a statutory one, and the Land Board has no option but to admit women with farming experience to the ballot. ‘

As an instance 'of the suitability of Auckland’s climate and Auckland soils for the growing of sweet oranges there are on exhibition in an Auckland shop three oranges weighing 2flb.; they measure respectively II inches, 12 inches, and 12J inches in circumference. They were grown (states an exchange) on a seedling tree raised by Mr. F. J. Best, of Avondale, and the variety is known as “Best’s Seedless” orange. Not only does this variety produce large fruits, but they are exceptionally fine, being very free from fibre, remarkably juicy, and of great sweetness. The fact that seedling I oranges can be raised in Auckland of as good a flavour and character as the famous Washington Marvel is a direct proof that the district, or at any rate certain portions of it, can be classed as true orange country. Now that we have established a Royal Agricultural Society in New’ Zealand there is competition among the various towns for the Royal show of each year (says the Auckland Star). Until very recent years Auckland’© agricultural show had no claim for comparison with the exhibitions of the kind at Hamilton, Palmerston, Christchurch, and Dunedin, but so great an advance has been made that Auckland has made a claim to have the Royal show of 1926 held in this city. The application has been deferred meantime, as the; Royal show for 1925 has already been allotted to Christchurch but the possibility of getting the chief Dominion show of the year held here givesj the province an incentive to keep on improving its Auckland spring show that it might merit Royal honours. The ease with which some business people are imposed upon was the subject of remark by Mr. Justice Chapman, at the Auckland Supreme Court, in referring to the case of a Maori charged with uttering six forged cheques, to the total value of £250 at Whangarei (states the New Zeamnd Herald). After referring to the fact that the alleged offences took place on a Saturday afternoon, his Honour said: “It indicates the remarkable facility tradespeople afford tor the passing of cheques. In a little place like Whangarei this man succeeded in passing valueless cheques bearing the name of prominent residents. In only two instances were goods obtained. It seems almost incredible and indicates the extraordinary laxity of traders in handling cheques. One might even say it is almost a matter for satisfaction these people lost their money

A new infants’ school at New Lynn (Auckland) occupied the other day” for the first time, represents what is probably the last word in school architecture (says the Auckland Star). The classrooms are lofty, and under favourable circumstances open air conditions can practically he obtained with folding casement windows on either side of the school. Overcrowding is prevented to a large extent as each child has a sepai ate seat, two children occupy one desk, with a draw at the end for each scholar’s requisites. The desks are painted green to be restful to the eyes, while the lower part of the walls pannelled in green, are used for freearm drawing. The contractors are now ® n K&ged on the additional class-room and when completed this will make conditions at the school much more satisfactory.

In addition to the usual advertising work of the Tourist Department, new booklets have been published during the past year on Waitomo and Te Aroha. Assistance has also been rendered various progressive leagues with their publications, states the annual leport of the Department. Lantern slides numbering 3277, and photographs 2165, have been lent to lecturers in all parts of the world. New enlarged panoramic photographs have been sent to Honolulu, San Francisco, Vancouver, South Africa, and the various agencies in Australia. Arrangements have been made with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company to distribute the Department’s folders through their different offices in Canada, and a large supply of panoramic photographs has been forwarded to the company. A request has just been received from the manager for a further consignment of these. “It has been interesting to note,” comments the report, “the large, lv increasing number of visitors from the Eastern world; a great many from India. China. .Java, the Straits Settlements. etc., have called at and availed themselves of the services of the bureaux. The number of arrivals in New Zealand describing themselves as ‘tourists’ up to March 31 last was 7522. During the previous vear there were 6588.”

The attention of enthusiasts is drawn to the benefit match to be played to-morrow on the show grounds. The jockeys and the P. and T. Department both have good teams going and the struggle for supremacy promises to be extra keen. Admission will be by means of a silver coin.

The influence of a magistrate is not confined to his court decisions. The other morning three motor cars driven by well-known Whangarei residents were enjoying a friendly contest for leadership down Kamo road. Tw r o were abreast and the third close up, when the local Stipendiary Magistrate was seen to turn the corner into the road ahead. The way in which the drivers subdued they: pace and continued as an innocent procession in modest subordination to each other was perfectly delightful. Most of the dairy factories have now washed-up their affairs for the 1923-24 season, and on the whole the result has been satisfactory. It is, however surprising (says the Stratford correspondent to the Herald) to find no less an authority than the Minister for Agriculture reported as saying that suppliers’ payments would be much the same as. in ft 22-23. The statement is correct as regards but-ter-making, but cheese results have been much below those of the earlier year. Cheese consigned Home would realise this year about B|d f.o.b as against lOd obtained in 1922-23 a’difference running into many thousands ot pounds for the district.

It is understood that the Government is going to set up a committee Of inquiry to investigate the complaint of a well-known settler in the Rangitikei district that his daughter was refused treatment at the Palmerston iSorth public hospital. It is stated that the settler is a well-to-do man, and his daughter was urgently in need of an abdominal operation and was refused admittance because it was under. nff<vrrl her - ft ] the S y as in a position to afford private advice. The young lady had to be transported to FeildW and operated on there at some risk to her life. A good deal 0 f interest is bellin--4 the

A total of 114 land agents’ licenses were issued by the Department of Internal Affairs last week. The Depart m<m Vn P ,° rts at cases of defalcations are still being broughtjinder its notice V™* request that the bond given on behalf of the land agent be enforced In one case the amount of the defalcation was estimated at £IOOO The bond money was distributed among the creditors, but as the amount of short-iconsider-aMy in excess of the bond (£SO) only a dividend was payable to each creditor.

The changing landscape in rural areas brought about by modern civilisation was commented upon by a Wanganui resident. He referred to the forest of poles springing up in all directions along mam and by-roads, indicating the extension of telegraphic, telephonic, and electric facilities. In Taranaki, he said there was hardly a road that did not have a. line of poles down each Y-r?’ . aild in other a similar conditioii was noticeable. While from an aesthetic point of view the aspect might not be a pleasing one, it provides an ample demonstration of how rapidly the use of these up-to-date facilities is spread throughout the country.—Herald.

A striking instance of inflation and subsequent deflation of land values was mentioned to a Taranaki Herald representative. by a farmer from South Taranaki. A farm was sold bv him three or four years ago at between £SO and ~60 per acre. Subsequently it changed bands on three more occasions, and the last man paid a deposit of £ISOO as part of a purchase at £lO5 per acre. Recently he found it impossible to carry on with this heavy obligation to meet. The upshot has been the dropping out of the intervening mortgagees, and the original seller (the holder of the first mortgage, of course), rather than turn the last man off the farm and have it come back on his hands, * .^ cepted a m ? r tgage at. the price or £55 per acre—little more than onehalf of the value put upon the land during the foolish period of inflation. Anglers will be interested in the news that occasional quinnat salmon are being caught off the Lyttelton wharves. It lias been known for some time that these fish frequented the vicinity of Lyttelton and various bays round the Peninsula, and it is generally agreed that the alleged huge moki which have made their appearance at Taylor’s Mistake about January each year lately are salmon working, their, way along the coast to enter the mouth of the Waimakariri,' states the Lyttelton Times. These fish are such game fellows that they invariably break away, so that it has been difficult to ascertain definitely their species. At Timaru, too, there ha% 7 e been hundreds of small quinnat salmon caught during certain months each year for some time past.

. A system of “trying out” British immigrants for New Zealand was suggested by Mr Seymour at a meeting of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce (states the Auckland Star’s correspondent). The speaker considered the New Zealand Government should acquire a stretch of land in Em gland where prospective emigrants could undergo short training under conditions as similar as possible to those in New Zealand and under the supervision of a man familiar with conditions in this Dominion. There was undoubtedly room for improvement in the present method of selection. By this farm scheme prospective emigrants would be able to get an idea of the class of work they would he expected to do, while the supervisor would be able to select men for their adaptability. There would be various units on the farm, where a gruelling test could be enforced, and if, for instance, a man would stick at dairying for, say, 12 hours a day for three months, he might be regarded as a. suitable emigrant. It was rather to test them for grit than for knowledge that the suggestion was made. vSuch a. system would save many disappointments and much heartburning.

“Recently a tramcar was delayed for nearly four minutes because a mother did not render reasonable assistance to a conductor in the closing of a large push cart, the conductor having to jemove pillows, etc-.,” stated a report from the Works and Traffic Committee, w r hich was presented to the Christchurch Tramways Board. “The push cart was out of repair and some parts came adrift. The owner wanted the board to pay for this. Push carts are always a trouble to conductors and to the public, but the board nevertheless accepts them on the cars because it is convenient for mothers with children in their care to take the push cart with them. The committee lias decided that no push cart shall be put on to a car by a conductor unless it is first folded up and fastened by the owner.” “We will soon need special trams if push carts go on getting bigger,” said the Hon. J. Barr, when the report was presented, reports the Lyttelton Times. On his suggestion it was.decided to frame a by-law on the lines of the report. The annual general meeting of the Kaponga Tennis Club will be held in the Kaponga Town Hall on Thursday next, 28th August. All members and intending members are requested to be present. Vivifie Ointment will cure the unsightly sores on children.—Advt.

In the course of an illustrated lecture mi ‘‘Oxford” at Dunedin, Mr Colin Gilray said that at Oxford it was the custom to ring the curfew bell at 9.5 o’clock each night, when “Old Tom” was tolled 101 times. When the booming had ceased every undergraduate was expected to be within the college precincts, and all the collect- gates were then locked. Every man who sought admittance after that time was fined, and the later the hour the greater was the penalty. However, the students did not mind being mulcted in this manner, as the money so collected was spent on the university library.

Why not put it this way (asks “Zamiel” in the Auckland Star): “Wanted for New Zealand.—GovernorGeneral. Must be distinguished arid married. Admiral preferred. Beautiful climate; kindly, intensely loyal, but rather parochial people. * Duties heavy, but not unpleasant; consist mostly of opening halls and bazaars. Two residences —one containing bed and other relics of Sir George Grey. Applicants should have a sense of humour, an irrepressible cheerfulness, and gift of praising Auckland at Wellington’s expense, and Wellington at Auckland’s, in such a way as to offend neither. Present occupant sails his own 14ft. boat; if his successor is prepared to sail a 7-footer, all the better. Residence in Wellington during greater part of year necessary, biit there are compensations, particulars of which will be supplied on application.” Speaking on the subject of advertising at the meeting of the N.Z.F.A. Council on Tuesday evening last, Mr A. Menzies, who is manager of one of the largest business houses in Auckland, remarked: “Money judiciously spent on advertising is* not . wasted. In Auckland people spend thousands in advertising. They have to do it to get the business, and they get it.” He went on to refer to the amount spent weekly by the Auckland Football Association in advertising the matches, and the excellent results which had been achieved by doing so, and it was the publicity they had gained by advertising that had placed them where they were to-day.—Chronicle.

The hawk is notoriously the pet aversion of the gun sportsman of New Zealand, and now that the protection of that bird has been lifted acclimatisation societies are using every means they can find for the destruc—tion of the pest. To this end the ottering a prize of £lO for the greatest number of hawks’ feet exhibited at Auckland Acclimatisation Society is each of the agricultural shows in their cHstnot, including the Auckland spring

The figures published in the newspapers m regard to the State Advances Department would almost lead one to believe that the department is an Auckland institution instead of a Dunedin one,” said Mr. James Begg at a meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce He pointed out (states xi S i s Dunedin correspondent) that the figures showed that the South Island got only one-fifth of this money. On the other hand, they had to remember that m the Hon. J. G. Coates they had a particularly good friend, who had done much for Central Otago m the way of pushing ort irrigation.

A Louisville man says he has invented a method of turning whisky into gas. This does not appear to be particularly new (comments an American journal), as that is what a large pai t of thg whisky has been converted into for many years. The inventor will never get a cent out of his inveation unless he can turn gas into whisky in which event there will be a sudden influx into the gas regions. “Every nine minutes of modern transportation on the continent of Canada some man is killed. The world has gone crazy about speed,” said Mr Warren Stone, the veteran president of the Locomotive Engineers’ Brotherhood, when addressing a convention.