LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 December 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The rule of “Keen to the left?’ for pedestrian traffic is now universal, and in Hawera the borough staff, under Mr L. Hunt, borough inspector, have completed signs on every intersection in the town.

Begging-letter -writers are known in London who get regular incomes from their skill in wording pathetic appeals. One of the principal of these—a woman —has cashed cheques for more than £SO in one week.

The disease known as “take all” is affecting the wheat erbps .in several parts of the Oamaru district. A wellknown farmer told a North . Otago Times’ representative recently that the disease has appeared oil high-class country as ,well as upon poorer soil. .

A consignment of. .nearly 300 goats arrived in Hawke’s Bay recently from Taranaki (states.the Telegraph). ' They are to be used on various properties to keep down blackberries, having been found very efficient at this work in the past. . \

Recently a certain county council: fn Otago advertised for a ranger, and among the numerous replies received was ; the following:—T beg to offer my services. I am capable of using explosives and all sorts of road work.” During the festive season the patients at the Hawera Public Hospital are not forgotten. On Monday evening they were given a variety entertainment by Mr Herbert "Williams, jwho is at present a resident of Hawera, and during the same evening members of the local Druids’ Lodge called' and presented their usual Christmas gifts to the children. '

In a court case at- Fox-ton , in which an application for; the issue ;of a prohibition order was being i opposed, :a, police officer made a statement that’defendant had not paid a’ fine imposed on Kim last court day: This was in v support of evidence that: defendant allegedly squandered- his money in drink rind which was denied. Counsel for defendant parried the police’ statement with one. that “in Foxton nobody paid a fine until he had to,” -

Mr. Peter Skinner, of Papakaio, was in Dundee on the day that the British general elections were held. He told a representative of the ‘North Otago Times that the. people went fairly mad on that- occasion. ' “A procession o’ thousands o’ children took place. ?; their claes were raggedand many o’ them wore tattered; troosers. They-"carried banners wi’. the inscription, ‘Vote for MacDonald,”; I jes’ told them a wee hit my mind. I said if they were real Labourites they? would ha’ sewed the bairns’ .breeks afore sendin’ them info, the’ streets.. They wouldna’ tak’ the slightest notice o’ me. They jes’ laughed. They’re clean gone mad' in Scotland.” -‘'V///:■' " ■'

_ More m sorrow "than in anger, a\ Scotsman of small stature,, who resides .at Otahuliu, addressed the local body at its last meeting with a’plaint concerning the amazing height attained; by the grass and weeds which had mvaded the lower end of Nikau Road. ‘The grass grows, alike on road and footpaths,” he wrote, - ‘ ‘and as I, like Zaccheus. am short of stature, and the Scotsman’s national holiday is approaching. I am looking forward with dread to the task of finding my way ,10Tn in the evening, after spending a pleasant time -with some Of you gentlemen. Mv wife will probably have 3-ppeal to the .police to organise a search,-party to. look for the ‘wee P'Hbtpr’. if ?Vyou do not send a man along to our homes and take away the reproach to the progressive .hbronek'of Otahuhu.” The letter concluded with hearty Christmas greetings. Presumablv on, general peace 'and good-will principles (remarks .the New ? Zeal an d Herald) the Town Board de'cided to to the request, and formnllv extended to complainant the compliments or the season.