LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 August 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Nothing has been seen, or heard of William George Haines, who left iris homoi at 158 Riccarton. Road, Chriistchiurch, last Wednesday morning. ' THs relatives Lave fears for his .safety. Haines was a builder. He was rather depressed lor several days before he 'eft home. After he had gone a letter was found .stating; that he wasi going to Sumner, a seaside resort .seven mites from the city.

White, coupling trucks in a quarry at Mount Eden Gaol, Auckland,, a, prisoner named C'o'ok was struck on the liend by n. truck wkicli i?bitted slightly, and he sustained a fractured skull. He was admitted unconscious to the hospital, where an operation was performed. Cook is reported to be making satisfactory progress. Dunedin merchants, commenting on tile probable withdrawal of the Ngakuta from the Island trade, state that she should be transferred to the Cook Island and South Island trade. The president of the Fruit Brokers’ Association stated that the south never really had sufficient Island oranges, being led in a limited manner with the fruit rejected for cool storage at Auckland and Wellington. Under a Government Bill amending the constitution of. the New Zealand University there will be a. university council, but a, great deal of power will be vested in. an academic board. When a draft of the Bill was submitted to, the Board of Governors of the Lincoln College at its monthly meeting at Christchurch yesterday, members deplored the fact that no. provision had been made for representation on the board of the Lincoln Agricultural College, and a, motion to this effect was passed. En route to Atlantic City for the beauty pageant, Miss Beryl Mills, the selected queen of Australia, was met at the, pier at San Francisco by Miss Fay La.nphier, of A'amada, California, holder of the American beauty title. The steamer Sonoma, bearing the Australian girl, was met by the city’s fireboat with streams of water playing over the .side, and escorted thifougb the Golden Gate.

The Public Trustee, in his report to Parliament on enemy property iii New Zealand, says: Upon the appointment of an honorary German Consul in Wellington the archives of the former German Consulate, which were held by the Public Trustee to safe custody, were delivered to that official. J-t is understood from the Austrian authorities that the appointment of an honorary Austrian Consul in Auckland is at present under contemplation, and at their request the archives are being retained in the meantime.

The- amount credited up to March 31, 1926, to the German liquidation account in respect of German property rights and interests in the Dominion retained and liquidated in accordance with Article 297 of the Treaty of Versailles was, £235,457 6s sd. Credits' totalling £1424 15s have been withdrawn from the liquidation account. The total amount credited up to March 31, 1926, to the Austrian liquidation account in accordance with Article 249 of the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye was £1284 19s lid. One amount of £66 16s 3d has been withdrawn with the concurrence of the Austrian authorities, leaving a net amount credited to the liquidation account of £l2lß 3s Bcl. “Sam Weller made Dickens,” said the Rev. A. B. Chappell, at the- opening of the Auckland Dickens Chub. “Readers were getting .somewhat tired of the protracted series of ‘Pickwick Papers,’ when Sam Weller entered, and, just a.s he had saved the situation so many times in the famous chronicles, caught the public fancy to such a degree that the publishers decided to change their minds with regard to discontinuing the publication) of further instalments of Dickens’s work.” Mr Chappell, president of the club, is a native of Portsmouth, and! is thus a- fellow-townsman of Charles Dickens.

Arrangements have been made' by the Government Publicity Department to take moving pictures of Kawau Island, which was once the home of Sir George Grey, and is now a, popular tourist resort (states the New Zealand Herald). The l department’is photographers are expected to. make a start with the work at the end of next month. The film will he exhibited in Australia, and copies will also be sent to America, Canada and Great Britain. Mr R. W. Fenton, an officer of the department, said that films were now being sent regularly to Australia, and that it was hoped that negotiations for the exhibition of the ' films in the United States would be finalised very shortly. He added that- the pictures so far exhibited had had a very favourable reception. Though so many years have passed since the war, the New Zealand Public Trustee is still in an indefinite position regarding enemy debts in the Dominion, and in his sixth report as custodian of enemy property, and controller of the New Zealand clearing office, he says:— “While steady progress is being maintained towards the completion of the various duties imposed upon the Public Trustee by virtue of the war regulations and the treaty legislation, I am unable to report that the end of the work involved is yet in sight. Although it is confidently anticipated that tho next twelve months will see the settlemen of most of the outsanding claims, and the completion of action in regard to the bulk of the German property yet undisposed of, there will almost certainly bo at the expiration of that period some, claims and some property in regard to which it will have been found impossible to reach finality.”

Value for value- —Melbourne Ltd. ready-to-wear suits- are the best in the land. This is no idle boast. For a quarter of a century this firm has specialised in men’s suits andi they are therfore in a position to know wiiat is best in materials, make, , cut, finish, and fit. You’ll never find this firm handling “shoddy” /goods. ■ Tho Melbourne’s famous low prices are known and appreciated throughout. Taranaki.—Advt.

The 3la.ii a \vatu-H.o ro when ua, Blugby representatives' nere passengers by this morning’s. southbound raia.it train ior Wanganui, where they will meet the local on Saturday.

■lt is reported that extensive deposits of uliosphatic rock have been discovered in the Piopio district. Assays have been made showing up to 44 per cent phosphatie content. It is estimated that the. visible supplies run to 60,000,000 tons. An Inglewood and Stratford syndicate have been prospecting and developing the deposits for some time. The site is not far from the main road. —News.

A shag made an unwelcome visit to the pond in Queen’s Gardens, Nelson (says the Evening Mail). On its arrival a paradise duck made an attack on the shag, and after a fierce battle lasting about. 20 minutes, in which the visitor had. a. leg and a wing broken, the paradise duck came out victorious. The shag eventually was killed.

Signs ot spring are already apparent among the fruit trees surrounding Henderson, and numbers are already a mass of blossom, says the New Zealand Herald. The comparatively warm weather recently has no doubt caused the trees to bloom. The orchards generally are in a healthy condition. The pastures are exceptionally fresh and green, the growth of grass having been encouraged by a mild winter.

Despite counter attractions, good patronage was accorded the railway reunion .social and dance held on Wednesday night-. The organises wish to thank Mr and Miss Palmer, Mrs

Beauchamp, Mrs- Bell and l Mr Teweri for music supplied. Items rendered by Messrs 1 Teweri, Palmer and Thomas were greatly appreciated.

No sympathy is felt by the Native Bird Protection Society with the efforts to introduce alien birds, beasts, or plants into New Zealand’s National Parks, says the Evening Post. At a meeting of the society’s committee recently the following resolution was agreed to: “This society is strongly of opinion that a true national spirit should, be shown in the administration •of the Tongariro National Park, and our reserves and sanctuaries, and that every endeavour should be made to maintain all such in their native condition in order that they may be really national, and that future legislation should take into consideration this ideal ; further, that no foreign animals or plants be encouraged to make their homes in these reserves, as is. the custom in the national parks of other countries with modern ideas.”

A report of the ranger of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society on the hawk question stated that since the disappearance of rabbits, hawks were not nearly so numerous, ground vermin such as cats, rats, and stoats, accounting for far more young birds than the hawk It was thought, says an exchange, that the Wellington Society should, come into line with the Auckland Society, and. offer 9d per pair for hawks’ feet. In the ensuing discussion it was stated that 9d per pair cost, the Auckland Society £SOO last year, and an erstwhile Otago representative said that even at 3d per pair the Otago Society had expended £4OO in no time. It was decided to offer 6d per pair and see the result.

Speaking at a gathering of Deform supporters in Wellington, the Prime Minister clearly defined 1 his intentions with regard to the passage of the Town Planning -Bill. “There lias been talk of postt>onement,” lie said. “My reply is: ‘Not on your lives.’ We are going to have legislation, and we are going to pass it. It is one of the pledges we made, on the election hustings, and I don’t intend: to be informed that I have failed to carry out a promise that, has been made.”

“There is a great demand in England for New Zealand butter done up in properly-branded pound packets,” said Mr. S. Cory-Wright, who recently returned to Wellington. “I firmly believe that if the Dairy Control Board, assisted by the producers, can organise shipments of packed butter, instead of the bulk system, it will greatly benefit New Zealand. I had a talk with the chairman of the Dairy Board in Dondon, and he said that there were certain difficulties to he overcome, hut I am told by refrigerating engineer’s that, provided the butter is properly frozen before it is put on the ship, it will carry just as well as bulk butter. Numberless people in England spoke to me about the branded packet system, and asked me why the butter could not be sent packed direct by the factories, eliminating tire blending evil, and. the tendency of shopkeepers to sell the butter under other brands to get the credit for its quality. People like to see what they are getting, and know that they get what they ask for - . I believe a start has been made in this direction, and I am sure that if it were the universal practice. New Zealand butter would bring Id more per lb in England.

An'heroic incident during the Maori War in Taranaki in 1860 is recalled, by the recent death .at Grey Dynn of_ Mrs Mar 3’ Lee. aged 85. Mrs Lee, then a girl of 20, volunteered to _ succbur a family stricken with typhoid. To do this she had to venture beyond. l the safety of the British entrenchments to a lonely little cottage. She did her best to cheer the last hours of a mother and her daughter, and then devoted, herself to the saving of the Lives of the father, eldest daughter and two sons. One day news was heard of the approach of the Maoris and the family urged her to flee for safety. But she stuck to her post, declaring that she would either take them away with her alive or stay with them and die. Providence would not let- her follow either course. Mrs Lee and the family were rescued iu.st in time by two clergymen. When she returned; to the entrenchments the cry went up, “A guard of honour for Florence Nightingale.” The cry passed, through the camp, the soldiers fo lined- in twin lines, and down between the ranks passed the heroine. If anyone deserved the'Victoria. Gross it wa.s Mrs Lee, hut the only recognition of this act was a Government grant of £25.

A campaign to raise £25,000 to build an up-to-date brick central primary school • for the Anglican churches of Wellington has commenced. For sonic months a strong executive from, the business community, lias had the matter in hand; An appeal for money was made in all the Anglican churches of Wellington, (says an exchange). No canvass lias yet commenced, but the amounts already promised and in hand exceed £2OOO. A primary school was established in connection 116111 St. Mark’s some years ago, with thirtyseven pupils. This rapidly grew until the full accommodation was taken up, and now the school is constantly having to refuse pupils. SUITS TO MEASURE. We will build you a real good suit to vour own measure from 99/6. Our suits are well known the Dominion over as .solid in wear, neat cut and good workmanship,, Call and let our expert put the tape across you and build your next suit.—New Zealand Clothing Factory, Hawera. —Advt.