LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 10 November 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Replying to a demand for rates, a way-back settler, in a letter to the Patea County Council, said his road was so difficult that he could not get stock out. and lie must do this to pay rates. He actuallv could not, lie added, get' a horse over the place where a bridge had collapsed. At yesterday’s meeting of the Patea County Council, Councillor Back drew attention to the dangerous speed at which cars often travelled over themain road bridge at Patea, and instanced several narrow escapes from accidents recently. It was decided to draw the attention of the Automobile Association to the position, and to ask it to erect a ‘‘danger” sign.

When a matter ,of a .neighbour’s quarrel about stray stock in a small country town was brought up „at the Paten County meeting yesterday, the chairman said he believed the council should take no notice of these troubles, and. he added with a smile, that during his fifty years’ residence in the district. he couid hardly lememher a year when there was not a dispute or a squabble.

The gentle libel that all Australians are race goers was disproved by Mr Arthur Mailoy, a member of Hie Australian cricket cam, which arrived at Auckland by the Aorangi (says the New Zealand Herald). There was a kindly light in the eyes of most members of 'the party on hearing that they had been invited to attend the races at Ellerslie. Mr Mailoy, however, was not enthusiastic. “I do not know a. racehorse from a blackbird,” he declared. ‘‘But what are the chances of a round of golf?” ‘‘Tt is no time to be looking tor rises in, wages,” said a councillor at a meeting of the Patea County Council yesterday, when the matter of wages was being discussed. ‘‘These times are too hard and uncertain, and local bodies will have to he careful in regard to expenditure.” he added. Happy children keep free from worms with Wade’s Worm Figs. Pleasant to take, and certain. —2

The Commissioner of Police, Mr M’llveney, is arranging for alterations in the police uniform with, a, view to reducing its weight, and smartening the appearance of the men (says the Lyttelton Times). Included in the change will be the replacement of the helmet bv the shako for day duty in line weather. The type selected is commonly known as the officer’s shako, and_ is somewhat similar to that used ip New Zealand many years ago, with a flashing to prevent* rain getting in at the junction of the peak and the top. “From what I could hear at Home it seemed as though the British shipbuilding industry was on the eve of resuscitation,” said Mr G. 11. Scales, who returned to Wellington from England, via Australia, on Monday.. “Of course, this is subject to the closing of the infernal coal strike, which is killing everything,” he went on. “The 'British percentage of the world tonnage for the year is infinitely greater than it has been for a long time. From what I could gather England lias now got the lead in the construction of motor ships, where she was down before. Where cost is not the first consideration, and the saving of time is, it. looks as though oil has come to stay as ship’s fuel, either for steam or internal .combustion engines.” Described as “one of life’s problems,” Margaret Wood (76). with a record of 202 convictions, appeared at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court the other 1 day, charged with being idle and disorderly. The accused said she was released only on Thursday of last week, after serving a long sentence of imprisonment. Mr. F. Tv. Hunt. S.M. : “AM we con do. is to send her back again for three, months.” News from Fine land -states that the London New Zealanders’ Rugby Football Club has two teams in the field this season. The club also owns a ground at Ghingford, near Dipping Forest, in North London. This is the first year in which the club will have a. full season’s fixtures, and the two fifteens will be playing regularly. The club will play a selected team from the ■famous Blia.cikh.eath Club on the Rectory Field, Blacklieath, on Christmas Day, and will have teams on tour at New Year and at Easter. The wholesale destruction of bird lile on Stewart Island was referred to at the meeting of museum representatives in Wellington last week. Small bore rifles, it was .stated, were taken to the island, ostensibly for target .practice, and the .young people on the island, having nothing else to shoot at, naturally shot at any moving target they .saw, which was usually native game. It was decided to call the attention of the Government to this destruction. On one occasion, it was staled, one of the boats returning with an excursion from the island was laden with slaughtered birds. A rumour was circulated that a ranger was on board, so a plucking competition commenced, and for three days the boat was decorated with feathers. Plant life, too. it was said, was ruthlessly destroyed by excursionists to the island.

Regarding solicitors, Mr. W.iddowson, S.M., speaking in Christchurch., is reported by an exchange to have said lie had always found them of great assistance to him. in his work. The young men of the bar were of very fine type. He had sometimes had some amusing experiences with some of them, who had not quite found their feet. One of these, who was now making his mark in Dunedin., thought he was- not being given tlie attention lie was entitled to from the court, and lie ventured to remind the bench of thefact and also that young men such as himself had risen to positions of eminence. “William Pitt, though only twenty-one years of age, became Prime Minister of England,” he said. The court’s quiet rejoinder was: “Isn’t that, comparing great things with small?” It had been Mr. Widdowson’s experience that some of the younger members of the bar had been in the habit of threatening the bench with appeals whenever they were not getting their own way, but that had been very quietly put right.