LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 September 1924, Page 9

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the list of names of successful candidates in the St. John Ambulance Society examination, published on Tuesday, there appeared two errors. The name of Miss Freda Bone should have appeared as Miss Freda Brown, and Miss Muschamp as Mrs Muschamp. Miss A. Dale, a New Zealand Government matron, has completed her 55th voyage to New Zealand from Eiigland in the White Star liner lonic. Miss Dale travelled in the vessel on her maiden voyage, more than 20 years ago.

“It is a great pity that Maori is not recognised by the University of New Zealand, and thus give an impetus to the study . of this fine but neglected language,” said Dr. W. G. Ivehs in a lecture on Melanesian languages at Canterbury College. Christchurch (states the Lyttelton Times). Satisfaction was expressed at the last meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Association (states the Manawatu Daily Times) at a letter which was read from the Railway Department advising that excursion tickets to the Royal Show would be issued from Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, and Wellington, as well as intermediate stations and branches. The matter of granting excursion tickets over such a wide area in connection with subsequent shows, hoy,ever, would depend upon the traffic offered on this occasion.

The annual meeting of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers was held at the Taranaki Power Board’s works at Motukawa .yesterday. The president (Mr. T. M. Ball) presided over a good attendance. Various matters of a. routine nature were attended to. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Mr. T. M. Ball: secretary, Mr. C. H. Lawn; committee, Messrs F. M. Corkill (Opunake), L. C. Sladden, W. H. Cook (New Plymouth), and J. W. Spence (Stratford). It was decided to hold the next meeting at Opunake in May.—News.

Members of the council of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce met Colonel H. F. Greenhough, New Zealand manager for Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Ltd., the large firm of British contractors, at the chamber’s offices on Monday afternoon. The Harbour Board having affirmed the principle of carrying out the works proposed in connection with the new loan under the contract system, Colonel Greenhough has been visiting New Plymouth so that he may make himself more conversant with the scheme of harbour improvements and also that he may acquaint himself with local conditions, it being the intention of his firm to tender for the work when tenders are invited. Monday’s gathering was quite an informal one.—Taranaki Herald.

An exceptionally big rata -log situated on M'\ A. Fnv’s pronerty on the Hastings Road, Mangatoki, was recently cut up for firewood purposes, and yielded twenty-four cords from approximately sixty feet of -i.he 'barrel between the butt and the first fork. The amount is the more remarkable in view of the fact that the wood split into straight, even lengths, necessitating close stacking and also as no limbs were included. The work was done under contract by Messrs. L. Vi right and W. Anglesey, the cutting being performed by an eight foot machine-driven saw operated by Mr. 1) Rotliery, of Manaia. -erne idea of the unusual proportions of the tree may be gathered from the tact- that the yield from the two four foot lengths nearest the butt exceeded two cords, each. It is estimated that a further amount of between five and six cords could be stacked from the remaining portion of the butt if a. saw big enough to make another cut was avrilahle. The giant log, which has been lying prone for a eonsiderthlc mi'uber of years, has been a well known landmark, and was regarded as •ue of the biggest rata specimens in Taranaki. From another rata tree on Mr. Foy’s property, twenty-three cords were stacked, but in this case the limbs and branches Helped to swell the total.