LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 December 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hawera Fire Board to-day. decided to hold a public demonstration with the new fire engine on Tuesday next, the time to be arranged later.,. Captain chief officer to the Commodore, and Captain Ritchie, of 11.M.5. Dunedin, have, been appointed lion, aide-de-camps to the GovernorGeneral (says a Wellington Press Association message). The dates fixed for the 3926 South Taranaki Winter Show are June 30 to July 7. It was agreed by speakers at yesterday’s annual meeting of shareholders of the company that the won of dealing with so large a number of children as was anticipated next year could not be done in a shorter period.

“You are becoming a regular politician,’’ was a remark made amid laughter at the meeting of the AViamate West County Council yesterday by the chairman (Mr. El. Long) to the clerk (Mr. A'. H. Hobday). The clerk .stated that he would keep a matter “steadily in view,” and the chairman apparently regarded it as a stock phrase of a politician. The vacant sections in Broadway, Stratford, formerly occupied by the old post office, have been sold. It is reported that two of them have been purchased by Messrs J. H. and F. Bodle, of Eltham, and that they intend to erect substantial business premises thereon, says tlie Argus,

Father Christmas will be in attendance at the Manaia Town Hall this afternoon. To-night a humorous breach of promise case, Eliza Catchem v. Dunne Brown, will he staged by a Hawera party. No fines will he inflicted upon.the public.

“The Stato Advances Office,” said the Hon. W. Nosworthy (Minister of Finance) to farmers assembled at the Fertiliser Company’s dinner in New Plymouth last night, “will now be in a position to deal satisfactorily with the arrears of applications, as I indicated to the House towards the end of last session. By the end of March next the office should be working near to normal conditions.” The Dairy Control Board has appointed Mr' J. B. Wright to be its Loudon manager (says a. Wellington Press Association message). Mr Wright has had, considerable experience in the shipping business, and during the war was appointed by the. Board of Trade to organise and control the import of cheese. Afterwards he was European manager for the New Zealand Co-op. Dairy Company. An extraordinary happening was as-, s-ociated with, the Taumarumii* Racing Club’s annual meeting on Saturday. Through a mistake in the hoisting of the flags the totalisator was still open when the field in the second race was despatched, and the clerks were busily taking money even when the horses were fairly in the straight. Everything happened so quickly, however, that it is doubtful whether the crowd had any time to take an unfair advantage' of-the official mistake.

A case in which L. A. Guillosson and F Lind contractors, claimed £74 12s 6d from' J. T. Walsh, of Ngaere, alleged to be due and owing under a stumping contract between the parties, was heard before Mr. C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., at the sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Eltham. After considerable evidence had been heard, it was discovered that the copy of the contract held by the plaintiffs differed from the original. At the magistrate’s suggestion the parties retired and later announced that a settlement had been reached.

“Not only do we want fertilisers in New Zealand, but also we want smaller holdings. Our farms are too large.” So declared Mr. A. Morton, president of the National Dairy Association, in responding to the toast of Primary Industries at the Farmers’ Fertiliser Company dinner in New Plymouth last night. Mr. Morton, who has recently returned from a trip to Europe, gave it as his opinion that small holdings were the whole secret of the enormous production in Denmark. He believed that the production of the land in New Zealand could be doubled if we went the right way about it.

“To be in a satisfactory and comfortable position in this Dominion,” said the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nosworthy) at the Farmers’ Fertiliser Company dinner in New Plymouth last night, “it is my opinion that we should have, an annual surplus of exports over imports of from six to seven millions.” He added that it was doubtful if there would be such a surplus this year, but with the more extensive use of high-class fertilisers, and the consequent prosperity of the primary industries, there was no reason why the surplus should not be ten millions.

Litigation, which was the sequel to a collision between a motor-car and a horse and gig at the intersection of the Ohangai and Tawliiti roads recently, was concluded at the Hawera Magistrate’s Court last evening. The plaintiffs, Weki Taniwlia and Rose Taniwha, contended that the collision was due to the negligent and unskilful driving of the car by the defend ant, Joseph Mathis, and claimed damages, including £SO general damages, amounting to £.98 2s. The magistrate, Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., found for the plaintiffs, who were represented by Mr. L. A. Taylor, and awarded damages amounting to £45 2s 6d and general damages iD the sum of £ls, making :i total of £6O 2s 6d. Costs amounting to £lO 0s 6d were' allowed plaintiffs, and security for appeal was fixed at £lO 10s, plus the amount of the judgment.

The atention of Hawera employers is directed to an advertisement in this issue which announces a meeting nt the Borough Chambers on Monday evening next for the purpose of forming a local branch of the Taranaki Employers ’ Association, which is affiliated with the New Zealand Federation of Employers. A number of Hawera employers are already members of the Taranaki Association, which has its headquarters at New Plymouth. The rules of tlie Taranaki Association have recently been amended to meet certain conditions which have developed, and the executive has approved the holding of the annual meetings at New Plymouth and Hawera alternately, and further the appointment of an agent at Hawera. The net effect of these provisions is that tliC formation of a Hawera branch with-virtual local control is sanctioned. The advantages of the arrangement made are obvious, and it is hoped that there will be a large attendance of employers to meet the members of the New Plymouth executive on Monday evening.