LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 May 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cable message from Cairo states that the Egyptian Government- has granted the Marconi Company a thirty years’ concession for wireless operations. The messages broadcasted from the New York Times were perfectly received by a -Sydney suburban station (states a cable message). A conference of seventeen local bodies in and around Auckland passed the following resolution: “That the time has come when the money required to meit the annual loss on hospital management and maintenance should bo borne by the Consolidated Fund and not by the individual ratepayer.” Three lads of Palmerston North, William Greatorex, Waltef Greer and John Knowles, were “bushed” while pig hunting in the hills at Tiritea on Sunday, and spent the night in the open under wretched conditions. ' Their matches being wet, they ■were unable to light a fire, but eventually they struck open country late Monday afternoon ar.d communicated with their relatives, who brought them to town in an exhausted condition.

The sum of £3453 (is has been paid by the Egmont Racing Club to the Commissioner of Taxes in respect of its winter meeting held on May 13 and 15. The sum comprises the following detailed amounts: Totalisator tax, £ll2l 2s; dividend tax, £2OIB tis; stake tax, £lO7 10s; amusement tax, £lO4 7s; privilege tax (gates, ears, etc.), £4l Is. In addition, the club pays an annual tax on members’, tickets, this amount being forwarded in June each vear v In respect of its Easter meeting the Hawera Trotting Club paid taxes amounting to £3195 4s 4d, the details being: Totalisator tax, £1032 2s 9d; dividend tax, £IBSB 4s; stage tax, £lB9 10s; amusement tax, £BO 12s Id; privilege tax, £2B 15s (id.

By advertisement to-night Mr W. Pollock, Denby Road, announces that he will he commencing the delivery of milk and cream in Hawera from the beginning of June.

Belle twill and heavy wiuecye.tte nightdresses' at 8/11 are a strong feature at the Melbourne’s Great Sale. Other wonderful bargains are coloured aprons, 3/0; rubber aprons, 3/11; large double bed size Pctono make white blankets, 43/6 pair; colonial 1 flannel, 1/9 yard; Roslyn 40-inch dress flannel, 3/9 yard; 27-iuch cream Fuji silk, 2/0 yard.—Advt.

Commenced first in the early stages of the Great War, the system of entertaining the wives and mothers of soldiers, has been continued in Hawera by the Women’s National Reserve, and now twice a year the wives and mothers arc entertained at afternoon tea. One of these functions is held on Armistice Gay, and the other on May 20, and following usual custom the last mentioned will be held in the Carlton Tea Rooms to-morrow afternoon. Doctor Doris Gordon, of .Stratford, will be present, and will give a short and appropriate address. The Reserve tenders a cordial invitation to wives' and mothers of soldiers to be present.

Captain McLean, a ferry boat master, fell from the {Stanley Bay wharf at Auckland during a heavy rainstorm, being carried: away on the ebb tide. He was handicapped by his clothing, including a heavy overcoat, but he clung on to part of the wharf planking which fell with him. A lifebuoy was thrown and a boat launched, while a young man jumped in and swam to Captain McLean, who was eventually towed ashore holding on to the dinghy. Tho Star’s Kapuni correspondent learns from a prominent Pubile. Works official that the Te Roti-Opunake branch railway will shortly be completed. The ballasting has all been finished/with the exception of a. bit of ‘‘patching’’ along' the line. Quite a few of the: men are being shifted'away to Tahora this week, and: various buildings are being pulled down and! sent there too. It is expected to have the line fully completed at the • end of July.

Acting upon the recommendation of the Health Department, the Christchurch City Council last night decided to call a conference of local bodies for Friday, for the purpose of setting up an organisation to combat any possible outbreak of influenza. The recommendation has been made by the department in view of the outbreak in Australia and other places. Councillor Agar said that, while he did not wish to be an alarmist, he. was in a position to state that the Health Department was of the opinion that all local authorities should bo in a position to set up working committees within 48 hours.

D'uring the Cali forma-Wellington voyage of the Union Comp/any’s tanker Oltokia the ship’s pumpman, J. Hardie was 'rendered unconscious: a.s the result of a fall (states the Auckland Star). As the tanker does nob carry a. doctor, Captain Ctariby got in touch by wireless with the R.M.B. Makura, and, by following instructions given by the surgeon on that liner, was able to render proper treatment to the injured sailor. Hardie, who joined the Ottokia on her last visit to Wellington, suffered severe internal injuries, and at one isitage it was thought that he would have to be landed at Rarotonga- His condition, .however, silowly improved, and on arrival of the tanker at Wellington life wais able to walk ashore for medical treatment.

An Auckland correspondent of the Christchurch Press says that . the establishment at the Bay of Islands of a new deep sea sporting club, in which Mr. Zane Grey is said to be interested, is reported. _ A Wellington syndicate, having a capital of £30,000, is said to have purchased Mr. C. F. Baker’s sislaiul Uru'puhupulra, where Mr. Zane Grey camped on his recent visit to the swordfish, and mako shark grounds. A new ami up-to-date camp is to be erected, and is to be ready for occupation this year. The new club is to be called “The Zane Grey Sporting Club, Ltd'.’-’ Mr. Zane Grey is said to be. interested in the venture financially, and to liaye given the syndicate permission to use liis name in any way it desires.

Christchurch may have a city organ on the completion of the Concert Hall. The fium of £5705 4s 7d, which consists of £4OOO paid' as insurance when the city organ was destroyed in the fire which gutted His Majesty’s Theatre, and £1705 4s 7d accrued interest, has been held in trust for the purchase of a new organ, to be provided when the city built a town hall. In view of the remoteness of this possibility, the Council may decide to install an organ in the Concert Hall. The Mayor (Mr. J. K. Archer) is in favour of this proposal.—Christchurch Press.

Here is a story from Goulburn: During the past few years the mountainous country between Worn bey an Caves and the valleys to the north has become the haunt of wild stock which have strayed - from the surrounding holdings. Occasionally a muster takes place, and at such times some ancient animals are hunted from the rocky fastnesses and brought back to their owners. Decently Mr. Lachlan Lang, riding through the rough bush some miles from the caves, found two sheep which had been lost for over eight years. Their long and matted ' fleeces had, during the dry weather, caught many grajps seeds), and with the coming of the rain these had sprouted. On each sheep was a green matting three inches in length. Both were in excellent condition.

The science department of the University College is at present engaged on the difficult task of endeavouring to discover a speck of radium, valued at over £IOOO, which by mischance has been lost, at least to* the extent that it is probably somewhere amid a few hundredweights of ashes and earth (says the Auckland Star). The radium, a pinhead in size, and contained in a small tube, was used in connection with the treatment of a patient in an Auckland private hospital, and was placed under the patient’s bandages. When the loss was discovered immediate stops were taken in an endeavour to recover the precious substance, the ashes and a quantity of earth were dug up, and in due course were sent to the University College for a scientific search to begin. Although a good deal of reticence is being displayed in connection with the matter, it is understood that as the result of the work at the college, about a fiftioth part of the missing radium has been located. It is probable that the search will extend over a considerable time, and it may lie months before it is concluded