LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 21 November 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Another weather prophet has arisen. This time it is a shark, a large one having been seen disporting itself in the Ponsonby bays, Auckland. A writer in an Auckland paper asserts that the appearance of one of these sea- monsters so early in the season indicates a hot, dry summer. The white"bait,' wild duck, flax, cabbage-tree and other theories having exploded, let us hope the shark will be more successful in effecting the desired change in the weather. Not too dry, please, Mr Shark, but a reasonable amount of sunshine.

The body of Thomas Baldwin, a married man, aged 48, was found floating in the Wellington harbour yesterday. The deceased had been an inmate of the Wellington Hospital for some time, and was last seen alive at 5 a.m.

Mr David .Tones, who- re-enters the House after a period jn the s hnde, has his name hung above the seat that Sir Heaton Rhodes used for so long. Mr Jones’ place has been picked well in among the Ministers. What- dees this mean? asks the New Zealand Times.

Messrs Geo. Syme and Co., Ltd., are the successful tenderers for the supply of the whole of the furnishings for the new nurses’ home attached to the Patea hospital. The tenderers included Wanganui and other firms. The work will he- completed before the holidays.

“Haw much- do you think railway finance lor the South Island is_ behind for the last period alone?” asked Lhe Prime Minister (the Hon. J.. G. Coates) of a Dunedin deputation. He answered his own question by mentioning that finance was £455,000 behind for the period referred to. The contractor of the Gpunake Railway station buildings, Mr J. W. Boon, intends making a start with the erection of the buildings on Monday. The workers cottages will also be put in hand on Monday, says the Opunake Times.

The Hawera Municipal Band will visit Eltham .on Sunday afternoon and give a concert in Mr. W. J. Tristram’s gardens. This should prove very at tractive as the concert will be given on the shores of the lake. The proceeds will he in aid of the- Eltham War Memorial. The bandsmen are notified in another column that the cars will leave the bandroom at 1.30 sharp. Gunner Geoffrey Hardwin Heal, of Island Bay, "Wellington, and Cadet G. Shuttlcworth, of Nelson College, have been selected by the Defence Department to proceed to Sandhurst, England, to undergo eighteen months’ military training. After that they will be attached to the British Army for six months prior to returning to New Zealand to take up positions on the defence staff.

The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Office has received a message stating that the steamer Awarua, concerning the safety of which anxiety was felt} is sheltering at Whenearua Bay, Chatham Islands, owing to the rough weather.

At present in Christchurch is a party of wealthy American tourists, under the -supervision of a. member of an American world-tonring firm. It is the intention of one member l of the party to build a. yacht on hi<s return to America, and make another visit to New Zealand in that vessel, so impressed is he with the scenery and" general interest offered -bv the Dominion. The scone of the fire in the pine tree plantation at Moutere Hills, Nelson, was visited by Captain Ellis, Director of Forestry. He expressed the opinion that the damage was much less than was formerly thought. The crowns of the trees were not destroyed, and he expects that about 60 per .cent, will recover, j “From what little I Have seen of the country on my way down from Auckland, I believe secondary industries will he one of the solutions of the future development of New Zealand, together with its tourist attractions, for the simple reason that in the North Island especially there are not so many agricultural -areas available,” remarked Mr George W. Sanborn, of Los Angeles, in the course of an interview with a Wanganui Chronicle reporter reeentlv.

A teller in a Wanganui bank wonders sometimes whether honesty pays, says an exchange. When commenting on how careless people were with money, lie said he frequently handed back sums to the bank’s clients. In one case a man handed over the counter a fifty-pound note which was not recorded on his pay-in -slip, and which lie would probably never have been able fco trace had the teller not been honest. This was one of many cases, varying stuns being concerned. But one business man,- whose mistakes aggregate more than £6O. is not a- grateful individual. One day the teller paid him a. ten-pound note too much. He recollected it afterwards when lie found his cash wa.s short, but Lhe business man. who had had much for which to thank the teller’s honesty, would not own up. The teller accordingly had to pay the amount out of his own pocket. Book in advance to Dunedin Exhibition. Railway makes all arrangements. Enquiries welcomed at Railway Booking Offices. * Christmas Holidays are coming - on. Book in advance and travel in comfort. Enquire Railway Booking Offices.* 1

The motor run to the Stratloid Mountain House, which was to have taken place on December. 6, has been postponed until the-middle of January, says the Stratford Post.

The Hawera Savage Club’s concert for the Hawera Hospital will be given on December 15, not November 15, as inadvertently advertised previously. A total of 9.744 bales of wool lias been entered for next week’s wool sale in Wanganui, as compared with approximately 12.000 bales lor the openins* »siilo ot" Idso season. Sneaking to an Otago Daily Times renorter with regard to the people ot New Zealand, the Hon. W. Penibei Reeves said there were distinct evidences of a new race of people. Inis, he said, was food for a careful and interesting study. He himself *as specially concerned m it, and would watch its progress with great interest.

\ member of the Rat ana executi\ e stated the other day that several more substantial -residences will be commenced at Ratana pa at an early date by Hawke’s Bay Maoris, who will take up their permanent residence at Katana. A scheme is now under contemplation to pump water from Turakma through a four-inch main, by hydroelectric power, to give, an adequate supply for all the requirements ot the pa. An important property deal has taken place in Stratford (says the Stratford Post). The freehold property upon which the Stratford Hotel stands was sold by the owner, Mrs. Abbot, of Whangamomoua, to Mr. -Irod. Whittle. It is understood the price runs well into five figures.

Young people’*s anniversary -services will be tlie order of the day at the Salvation Army Citadel to-morrow. Major and Mrs. Armstrong, qt the Kith am Boys’ Home,, will be in charge and bright interesting meetings are assured. Special singing by tlie children will be a feature of the day. On Monday night an interesting and varied programme will be given by the Stratford and Hawera young people. An excellent concert in aid of the local branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (the Hawera Red Triangle Club) will be given in St. Mary s Hall on Friday, November 27. A very full programme of splendid artists has been arranged, and the Hawera Male Choir will assist. This concert should prove very successful and, as the object is a wqrthv one, the support of the public is solicited.

“As regards infant mortality in general,” states the introductory article to the annual Report on Vital Statistics for 1924, just . published, “the Maori rate is much higher than the European, principally owing to the ravages of epidemic diseases, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, and diarrhoea! diseases. The infantile mortality rate for the first year of life was, for the five years 1920-24, 131 per 1000 births in the case of Maoris, as compared with 45 per 1000 among EuroDean infants, and this in spite of the fact that for the first month of life the Maori rate was actually lower than the European (27 as against 25). Among Maori infants who survived the first month .the death-rate during the succeeding II months was 90 per 1000, as compared with only 1G per 1000 in the case of Europeans.

William Beyliss- and. his wife, who were admitted to Christchurch hospital suffering from wounds, were later examined with X-ray apparatus. After the examination Dr Pairman stated that the injured people were not in any immediate danger. Mrs Bayliss has one bullet in the skull and on© under the collarbone in tlie upper part of the chest, but he does not think that the bullet has penetrated the lung. Baylis's ha's one bullet, in the scalp and another in the night side of the skull. The second bullet has penetrated the bone and is near the; brain, but Dr Pairman- thinks that it can be. got at quite easily. Bayliss lias lost a great deal of blood.. The revolver used was an old fashioned one of .32 calibre. It has six chambers. When the police secured the weapon one chamber was undischarged and a cartridge remained in it. The othen chambers showed that five bullets had been fired.

The following entries have been received for the band contest at Dunedin in February: —A Grade. Port Nicholson (Wellington), St. Kilda Municipal Kaikorai, Wellington Tramway, Woolston, Christchurch Municipal, Palmerston North Municipal, Auckland Artillery, Ist Canterbury Mounted (Ashburton). Ist Battalion (Invercargill), South Canterbury Battalion (Timaru), Wanganui Garrison, Queen Alexandra (Wanganui), Dunedin Artillery. B Grade. —Wellington Municipal, Burnett’s Face, Oamaru Municipal, Dannevirke. Municipal, sth Mounted Rifles (Oamaru), Auckland Waterside Workers, Ist Battalion Taranaki Regiment (New' 9 Plymouth), Feilding Brass, Gisborne Oity. Hamilton City, Gr-ey mouth Municipal. _G. Grade. Roxburgh Brass, IVTaniototo Brass, Balclutha Boys, Mosgiel Municipal, Dunedin Tramways, Napier Marine, Otahuhu Municipal.

It is instructive to notice, says the Melbourne Argus, bow for Tasmania has benefited by the revenue which it .collects from Tattersall’-s sweeps. An official return issued by tlie State Treasury discloses, that Tattersall paid to the State and Federal Treasury up to the end of the financial year of 192223, £1,797,231 to the Tasmanian, Government. and £514,2-79 to the Federal Government. The initial payment in 1903 amounted to £27.138. and in 1923 the same total, was £201,875, while at the same time £110,919 was handed to the F'ederal Government. Fully 9 per cent, of the whole consolidated revenue was represented in 1923 by the contributions of Tattersall’s to the revenue. A computation made a little while ago went to show that out of the then average cost of a sweep ticket of 6s 3d, 2s 9d was collected in various ways, either in the form of taxation, postage, or commissions, so that the balance left towards prizes was 3s 6d. The Tasmanian Treasurer in his last issue of Budget papers provided a return which showed that from lottery tMeets alone in. 1923-24 and 1924-25 the State received stamp duties of £227,500. Seeing the financial plight -.f Tasmania, it cannot- afford nMeexisting conditions to deprive itself of the revenue now flowing to it from Tattersall’s sweeps.

The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of train arrangements and of issue of special excursion tickets in connection with Stratford A. and P. Show. Men, what do you think about those at the Melbourne’s Groat Reduction Sale? Canterbury wool socks, 30d pair; natural singlets. 2/11; Irish lawn handkerchiefs, Od; heavy President braces, 3/1.1; men’s island hats, 1/9; Sliirley Police braces, 2/11; Palmer Nap coats, 11/9; working shirts, all kinds, 5/11; Cashmere socks, 1/11 pair; silk twill tennis shirts, 6/11.Advt. Those washboards certainly did play havoc with dainty lingerie till “NoRubbing Laundry Help” arrived on. the s’eene.—Advt.