LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 15 October 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Locally-grown tomatoes, the first of the season, were on sale at Christchurch recently at from 5s a- lb upwards, according to size and quality.— Christchurch Press.

The South Taranaki Federation of Co-operative Dairy Factories has been asked by the Ngaire Dairy Co. to investigate the question- of conserving the Ohura coalfields for the use of Taranaki dairy factories.

Mr. Hope Gibbons, Mayor of Wanganui, who has just returned from a trip abroad, is of the opinion that there is little likelihood of an export trade to Japan being built up. He points out that Canadian • produce could reach Japan much more quickly. The Japanese have imposed a 100 per cent, luxury tax, and this includes cheese. A brief, striking address on some of the advantages of being a ' New Zealander wais delivered by the Prime Minister on Friday to the boys of the Waitaki High School. Mr. Coates, expressed himself in a few words and simple language, bub his address went right home to the ‘boys who listened to him, reports the Otago Daily Times. He mentioned the advantages of the climate in which they were growing up and pointed out to them that it was such that on that iscore alone they had something to be thankful for. He showed them in his direct way that they were boys of one race and one race only, and he drove home the importance of maintaining the purity of the race. They had educational advantages which many others had not, and there were opportunities which awaited any who cared to seize them. In New Zealand there was a- chance for every boy who was willing to learn and willing to work. They should work hard while they were at work and play just a« hard when work was over. “Lea.ru to go through life with a ismile,” he eaid, “even if your heart is in your boots, and you will help vounself and everyone else you meet along the way.” Mr. Coates drove off amidst cheering that only boys can give.

Dr. John Russell, at present assistant in a mental hospital at Epsom, and Dr. G. W. Will, a New Zealander attached to a military mental hospital in North 'lndia, have been appointed medical officers .‘it New Zealand mental hospitals (says a London Dress Association message). The Rugby first fifteen of the Ha we r a Technical High School were present at the cricket chib concert last night as the guests of Mr J. Garnett. He gave then 7 the invitation as a slight appreciation of the good work done by the team during the season. When the s.s. Flora, an Island steamer, was on her way from Rarotonga, and about 1400 miles from the coast of New Zealand, a. starling suddenly dropped on the boat deck in an exhausted condition. A member of the crew picked it up, and a nest was made up for it.in a box, where it was cared for during the trip. It soon revived under the kindly treatment and food, eating and drinking ravenously at first, and was made quite a pet. When the vessel was abreast of Cape Palliser on Sunday evening the sailors opened the box and gave the bird its freedom. Speedily it mounted in the air, and then made a beeline for the coast, greatly rejoicing in its freedom. It was probably blown out to sea by the south-westerly gales experienced lately. Speaking at Bluff, the Prime Minister (the Hon. J. G. Coates) said: ‘‘The endeavour of the Government will be to reduce wherever possible the management costs of its own undertakings, not by means of cutting down salaries, but by organising and reorganising and seeing that every man and woman employed in the service of the State fills a useful position. It will be the Government’s endeavour to see that every department is well managed, managed just as a good business concern would be. Everyone in the service will be required to pull his weight and' expected to take a pride in his work.” Of late it has been particularly noticeable that ladies, by design or otherwise, have been occupying seats in smoking carriages on the various express trains which have left Auckland. On these occasions vacant seats have been observed in other parts of the train. The practice is more in vogue in the first-ohms .section. Another noticeable feature is that the ladies are of the “flapper” type. If a railway man .speaks to them the answer invariably is. “Oh, I’m going to smoke later on.” Discussing the question with a railway official, a reporter was asked. “Well( what can we do? We ca-u’t very well ask these -flappers to light up just to .show their bona fides. To my mind the only tiling ,tO' do is to allow people to smoke in any compartment. It would be an interesting trial for a week or two, and might he a means of settling the difficulty.” When the whale that was stranded on the Castlecliff beach was being destroyed the discovery of a harpoon-was made (states the Wanganui Chronicle). By arrangement between the Harbour Board and the City Council the mammal is to be burnt, and Inspector George Fear was supervising these operations when he noticed a piece of steel projecting from the leathery side When it was chopped out it was discovered that it was a harpoon which had, by some means or other, been twisted round a huge bone. The harpoon, when straightened, would measure between five and six feet. The decayed appearance of the carcass, and the fact that the harpoon is believed to be of Norwegian manufacture, gives rise to the supposition that the whale was once the prize of the Norwegian whaling fleet that has its headquarters at Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, and that it has for several months drifted in the southern currents until finally washed up at Castlecliff.