LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 February 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of the Manaia branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union are advised that a general meeting wuL be held at the county office to-morrow (Saturday) evening, when the question of date* for lucerne judging will be discussed. A full attendance is requested.

An Auckland message states that there are no deve'opments touching Lhe disappearance of Raymond Levins, of Takapuna, and George Angus, of Te Papapa. Lewi ns has been missing from his home since Thursday of last week. Angus has been missing since Monday, when he was last seen leaving the Grand Hotel.

The two prisoners. Charles Wahle and Samuel Rattray, who escaped from Rangitoto in a dinghy early on Tuesday morning, were still at large yesterday, says an Auckland message. A strong posse -of detectives and police are making an exhaustive search, but so far tlieir efforts have failed to reveal the whereabouts of the escapees. A London cable message stated that Lloyd-s’ silver medal has been awarded to the President Roosevelt’s captain, and to the first, third and fourth officers, while bronze medals have been awarded to the boats’ crews, in connection with the rescue of the Antinoe’s crew.

The Public Works Fund statement, r/azetted last night with, the public account* foi; the quarter ended December 31, shows a, balance of £201,454, which, with the receipts from various sources brings the totai lto- £2,643,748. The expenditure on various works amounted to £1,259,719, including, railway construction £422,500, additions jto open lines £162,827, roads £104,073, and telegraph extension £244.956. Various aids to public works and redemptions total £272,210. The balance at the end of the quarter was £931,818. In the corresponding quarter of 1924 the receipts were £3,196,12, of which £1,067.260 was expended on various works.

A statement as to the progress being made in regard to the erection of new broadcast stations at Auckland and Christchurch as an outcome of the Dominion scheme) formulated by the Post-master-General was made yesterday by Mr. W. Goodfellow, a director of the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, Ltd. Mr. Goodfellow stated that as an outcome of their efforts the company had now received definite advice from the Western Electric Company that- every effort was being made to ship for arrival in June two transmitting plants for the stations at Auckland and Christchurch. A, few months more, he said, would see the inauguration of first-class services at Auckland and Christchurch. In the meanwhile the improvements already effected had met with the general approval of listeners and had resulted in a stream, of encouraging good wishes, which the company felt was distinctly gratifying. Thieves have a habit of visiting the office of Messrs. Rosenfeldt and Co., Ltd., timber merchants, in the Strand, Parnell, and the premises were burglariously entered on Wednesday evening for the fourth time in the last two years, an Auckland telegram stated. The intruders gained entrance by smashing a window at the rear of the office. One, safe was then dynamited and the door blown open, but it was empty. A second safe was fitted with a combination lock, and a,s there was no place for the insertion of explosives it was left intact. The management of the firm is becoming so used to these unofficial visits, that, they are seriously eonsideiing putting a notice on the safe informing intruders that it is empty and telling them were the key may be found.

The Dominion mining conference at Dunedin was continued yesterday. The following papers were brought forward ad discussed: —“The present position of the shale oil industry,’’ by Professor Park; “some essentials for successful oil development,” by Dr. F. G. Clapp (New York) ; “history of the search for oil in Egypt,” by Mr. T. Ferrar; “New Zealand coal measures,” (three papers), by I>r. Henderson, Air. M. Ongley Langford and Air. Mosley; “protection of underground roadways,” by Air. E. S. Wright; “electrification of the Denniston coal mine,” by Mr. G. C. Brown; “spontaneous combustion and fires in coal mines, cause and prevention,” by Mr. W. F. Carson ; “New Zealand legislation dealing with petroleum and natural gas production,” by Mr. A. H. Kimbell. The following remits were also discussed and adopted : “That the recent regulations in regard to alluvial mine managers’ certificates are unfair to the holders of first-class metal mine managers ’certificates, ,and are not in the best interests of alluvial mining” ; “That in giving aids for prospecting the aim should be to concentrate on larger work carried out under expert guidance.”

The Gisborne polic? received word last night of the death near \Y aingake of a young man named Brown, who was employed in carting metal. From the meagre particulars available, it appears that Brown was driving a lorry up a hill and got out to close a gate after him, when the lorry ran backwards and jammed him against a gate, k-illinp- him instantly. Deceased, who was about 21 years of age and sing'e, was a son of Mr George Brown, contractor, of Chalmers Road. Gisborne.

The annual conference of the. New Zealand retail watchmakers and jewellens opened at Dunedin yesterday. Air. A. H. Seed (Christchurch) presiding. It- was resolved to, hold the next conference in Auckland. Officers were elected as follow:—(President, Mr. T. P. Williamson (Dunedin); treasurer, Mr H. H. Heinemann; executive, Messrs. P. N. Denton./H, M. Conway, H. Langdon. Cl H. Sherwood, G. Clark, S-. F. McLean (all of Wellington). Thai conference will last till Saturday.

“There is one subject calling out for detailed study, though it is not likely that any financial benefit would result from it,” said Dr. P l . Marshall, in the course of his address at the Science Congress of New Zealand Institute at Dunedin last week. “We have in the Dominion one of the most interesting volcanic districts in the whole world. Geysers, fumaroles. hot springs in infinite variety, sulphur waters, silica waters, with temperature always varying, and contents largely unknown. There is yet no acurate uescription of the district. The best- we have was written by a, foreigner in 1864, 20 years before the great eruption ocurred. It is almost incredible that this wonderful district should be advertised the whole world over and yet when visitor* are attracted here to see it- we are not able to give, them any exact information about this extraordinary area, for which we are rightly famed in all countries.”

The Dominion conference of master painters, decorators and signwriters concluded yesterday at. Dunedin. The question of a new award was referred to the executive, which will take the necessary steps when the time arrives. It was decided to request the executive to consider the advisability of register ing under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The question of pooling the expenses of delegates to the conference was left to the executive. Regarding the registration of painters, it was decided that the executive should get into touch immecfesitely with the Federation of Building Trades with a view to enlisting its support to bring about the registration of employers ant employees in the building and allied trades. The conference agreed that the British Trade Commissioner should he aproached to induce British wallpaper manufacturers to adopt a standard length of 12 yards.

Import: nt developments have taken place in connection with the old establishea firm of Alessrs. Kirkpatrick and Co., the controlling interests having been purchased by the Henry Jones Co operative Co., Ltd., of Australia (says a Press Association message from Nelson). This powerful concern intends embarking on an extensive development of the business. It is felt that this will mean a. big increase in the growing area devoted to fruits suitable for canning. The personnel of the factory will be kept together, but the business will he conducted oii a much enlarged 1 ocole, and the export trade will he catered for. The company is considering further important developments in the North Island involving the erection of a large modern factory. The developments mean the linking up of a powerful chain of Empire- production.