LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 June 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

His Majesty King George is sixty years old to-day. Waterside workers engaged in salvaging the Cyrena’s cargo ot‘ benzine at Wanganui wore paid 8s 6d an hour.

There have been several new members elected to the South Taranaki Automobile Association each week lor some time. This week the new members elected were Dr. Sinclair, Messrs B. C. Lysaght, D. M. Cameron and L. A. Pine.

. The Murchison oil syndicate has secured the right to bore for oil over areas in the Murchison County (Nelson) aggregating 21,539 acres, and operations will he commenced in the near future.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia has approved a proposal that each month for a period of twelve months the Church .should nominate 10 families, who would be brought out under the auspices of the Church and placed on farms or stations until able to take up land for themselves.

A Chinese in Shanghai recently borrowed a large sum, of money from a fellow countryman and mortgaged his wife as security. A.si he was unable to redeem the' debt, the mortgagee claimed the wife. Ait attempt was made to kidnap the woman, but she objected arid appealed to the foreign .authorities for protection. The ease was subsequently tried at- the Court, when the mortgagor received eighteen months anil the mortgagee one: year's imprisonment in which to reflect over their strange transaction. All Pong, an e’.derly Chinese laundvyman, who was caught Jin the act of smoking opium at Napier on Saturlay, was convicted and fined £lO on a charge of smoking and £6O for having in Ins possession goods on which the Customs duty was not paid. Accused has a long list of similar offences, and when arrested lie resisted violently, attemtping to stab a constable with a pocket knife. Tbe annual “capping day” in connection with the Victoria University College, Wellington, which was held in the Wellington Town Hall on Thursday last, was marked by a very noisy demonstration on the part of the students. It was onlv when the vice-chancellor of the University of New Zealand, Professor .1. Kankine Brown, who was interrupted in his speech, threatened to postpone the ceremony that order was restored.

The body of Elson Bond, aged 42, first assistant at the Mount Xtoskill public school, was found on the rocks at Castor Bay, Takapuna, Auckland, yesterday. It appeared that he left iiome early on Monday morning. He did. not appear at the school and was reported missing to the police. An inquest was lieid last night, when a verdict of suicide by drowning was returned. It was stated that his wife had received a letter from the deceased Shut morning, hut the headmaster of the school said at the inquest that there was nothing in the letter conveying any intention of suicide. The steps in connection with the formation of a new diocese, consisting of the Archdeaconries of the Waikato and Taranaki are proceeding rapidly. The Bev. J. L. A. Kaylj; announced to the congregation of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Sunday ni_ that he confidently believed the work would be consummated during the next year, and that possibLy within twelve months the Bishop of the new see would be consecrated to this office (says the: Stratford Post). The sum already available for financing the project was not far short of the amount required, and he was confident, that church people would soon 'provide the remainder. If lie were right in his surmise, Archbishop Averill would pay his last visit to the Taranaki Diocese next November.

The Minister for Lands (the Hon. A. D. McLeod), who officially opened the Waikato Show yesterday, interviewed later, said the work in connection with the revaluation of soldiers’ farms was just about completed. The totai reductions authorised by. the Dominion board approximated £2,300,000, while arrears of interest, rent and principal instalments amounting to a considerable sum had been postponed for varying terms from five to seven years, and in some cases to the end of the terms of the loan. In a. number of extreme cases rent and interest had been remitted, but much remained to be done. The regrouping of soldiers’ sections was a matter receiving attention as opportunity offered. The question of deflation of values was also receiving attention. ' A strong denunciation of gambling was made at a meeting of the Dunedin Council of Christian Congregations, particularly with reference to the totalisator and art unions. The chairman, the Rev. Mr Furness, said: “Right and left, honeycombed through this city and land, the sweepstake. is going on. Young men and women in office and in factory are faced with that temptation every day. I do not want to be hysterical, but it is time some of us became alive to this unconscionable thing in onr midst.” Mr Cntten, S.M., said that gambling was turning the general weaknesses of the young people definitely into dishonesty. and dishonesty was rife in the community ip smaller matters. Of the two evils, gambling was more serious than drink, because it did not disclose itself in had behaviour. It was i-esolved that the executive be asked to consider the matter before the next meeting.

A genera], meeting of players of the Hawera Football Association was held last evening in the Borough Chambers. The attendance was very poor and the business devolved on making arrangements for the juniors’ trip to Wanganui to-day. Mr. B. Morgan presided.

Some indication as to the cost of living in Dunedin. 40 years ago is derived from a. bundle of invoices dated 1885 that were unearthed by Mr. T. E. Saga.r whilst rummaging out old papers in his premises in the “Grand” block. Eggs, were at 8d per dozen, potatoes 3s 3d per ewt, cheese 6jd per lb. Nettle’s milk 7)d piy tin, Queensland sugar 32s per owl, currants 4fd per lb. Fry’s cocoa Is 3-j-d per lb, marmalade Is 2d per 21b tin, vinegar 7d per pint, hams per lb, candles 6J-d per lb, Juno tobacco s<s id per lb, rum, 3s 2d per bottle, brandy 22s 6d per dozen. Bulldog stout 11s 6d per dozgn quarts, claret 21s per case, Burke’s whisky 40s pier case. Lightering operations on the stranded Cyrena at - Wanganui proceeded apace, 5000 cases of oil and benzine being removed from the various holds. During the pumping operations it was discovered that , the steamer had suffered considerable injury to her bottom. . It. was therefore decided to lift the vessel by compressed air. With this end in view the work of sealing the hatches was commenced last night. When the Cyrena is raised she will be moved to the Castlecliff wharf, where the diver, Mr P. Warner, will make a thorough examination. It will take some 12 hours to obtain the necessary pressure (says the Chronicle), so that late this afternoon the oil carrier should, given good conditions, be moored at the Castlecliff .wharf, i An instance of very real appreciation ! of the work of the Plunket nurse came under the notice of the Plunket meeting at Weston (relates the North Otago Times). There was present a mother who had walked five miles, pushing before her a pram containing a beautiful healthy infant 15 months old. She had to walk the return journey, and at the end of it set to work to milk cow's. She said she owed tho health of her child to Plunket Nurse Stephenson, and she felt it wa6 the least , she could do to attend the meeting to show her sympathy and appreciation. Suc-h- gratitude as this is a great incentive to a nurse, making her feel that there is no work more worth while than hers.

Two neighbouring families at Miramar, Wellington, quarrelled, and it was not long be!ore the feud extended to the rising generation. The result was that two extraordinary applications came before the magistrate at the Wellington Juvenile Court. One of the applicants was a girl, aged six, Who prayed that a girl of ten years should be required to enter “into a bond; and the other was a grown man, who had taken proceedings against a 13-year-old boy for allegedly throwing a missile at complainant and challenging him to a bout of fisticuffs. The boy was further alleged to have hit one of the girls. After hearing tho evidence the magistrate observed that the facts disclosed a disgraceful and deplorable condition of affairs. All the eases would be dismissed, with the exception of the assault charge against the hoy. and that would be adjourned for 12 months.