LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 February 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The protracted spell of dry weather has seriously affected the returns' at the milk factories in most parts of the Southland province.

On Monday, 23rd inst., a horticultural and industrial show will be held at Onunake in connection with the Opunake Presbyterian Church.

The vital statistics for Hawera for the month of January just ended together with those of the corresponding period of last year in parentheses are as follow : Births, 4 (5) deaths, 6 (.10) marriages 4 (5). An inouest was held at Port Chalmers yesterday concerning the death of James Edmund Hollands, whose mutilated body was found in the Port Chalmers railway tunnel. Tire evidence showed that the deceased was in illhealth and suffered from shell shock, as a result of the war. and he had several times threatened suicide. Mr. J. RBartholomcw, the coroner, returned a verdict that deceased met his death by throwing himself under the tram while in a state or mental depression.

The party of 50 American tourists who arrived in Auckland by the Niagara on Monday are due to arrive m New Plymouth on Saturday, remaining the night and proceeding the following day to Wellington. Unfortunatelytwo of New Plymouth’s leading liotels will b© unable to supply the necessary accommodation for s° many, owing to the fact that their booking for risitors to the races is too heavy, but the matter has been taken in hand by the secretary of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League, and accommodation in small numbers at various hotels has been obtained.

Auckland Harbour Board decided to rescind the resolution calling applications for the position of engineer, and to appoint Mr. Drummond Holderness as acting engineer until the end of May when the position will he again reviewed.- Mr. N. Jo Vickerman was appointed acting assistant engineer. The discussion led to the inference that the temporary appointments Severe probationary in purpose, and would, if all went well, ultimately he made permanent The chairman stated that technically Mr. Hamer who recently resigned. would hold the position until June.

Meteorologists, using high magnifying instruments during a fog, found 516,000 particles of sot fallingo to the. square inch a minute. This is thrice the density of previous fogs. During the fog the mangled body of a man was found under a London tramway car on its arrival at the depot. All unprecedented flying feat was performed at Croydon aerodrome, when the visibility from the ground was only five yards. ‘Pilot Olley. guided by directional wireless, and also by T rockets fired above the fog, landed perfectly bis Continental airliner. The ground staff afterwards had difficulty in'ffindmg the machine.

An important addition to the companioe engaged in the motor trade has been completed with the registration in Auckland of a new company, the Maoriland Motors (Ltd.), with a capital of £20,000, which was fully subscribed in southern districts. The new company, according to one of its representatives, has been formed on the suggestion of certain manufacturers of high-grade English and Continental cars already on the New Zealand market, with the object of assuming selling agencies and increasing sales by the introduction of improved selling methods - and co-ordinated control. It is pointed out by the manufacturers in question that while last year approximately 90 per cent, of the Dominion’s imports of cars came from America, a decided 'change can be expected this year.

Little;is known as to the cause and teal character of infantile paralysis, a somewhd't, inappropriate name for the disease,‘•geeing that adults of even matuer 'Jm,e are not immune from it. The diseSßet appears to come from nothing in psjfHijdnlari and is not solely due to congrtjJr'Sion-of children. A case illustratisJ3 this point that occurred when epidemic spread through New Zealand has been recalled by a medical practitioner (says the -Oamaru Mail). An old man living alone on a hill in Central' Otago, not in contact with any human being, was stricken with the disease. His location was so -emote that great difficulty was experienced in removing hjm to hospital for treatment. How he acquired the disease no one has been able to discover, and absence of knowledge upon the origin of the disease renders care the more imperative.

A country resident informs us that the sneak thief is in evidence at Ohawe beach. On Sunday last, our* informant states, he was enjoying a dip, leaving his clothes in the dressing shed. On his return to the shed he found that someone had made off with his shirt arid singlet, both new garments. He did not appreciate having to make Iris way home in discomfort and partially clad, and is very sore over his loss. In another Ohawe case a town resident had his bicycle removed while he was bathing, and he has not been able to recover his property so far. The matter is in the hands of the police, but their task is not an easy one. It is to be hoped that if any of these thieves are brought to book they will not he dealt with lightly. After all that has happened and the constant warnings given, the time has gone for treating criminals with a degree of leniencv that approaches the apologetic attitude ■nd tends to develop the idea that in the oveitt of discovery anyone can get away with it once without punishment, or at most a penalty of such a trifling nature that it cannot be regarded as a. real deterrent to the criminal. and has a most irritating effect upon the law-abiding public.