LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 December 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford Mountain House committee has arranged to place a caretaker at the hostel and has appointed Guide Haldane, well-known to visitors to EJgmont, at the North House. The committee has made many improvements, including the installation of the telephone, and work on the track.

A stowaway did the journey from Sydney to America on the Aorangi without being discovered, and left a diary at the end qf the trip. There were records in the diary of every one of the 22 days of the journey, and it ended something like thus: “Thanks for the fins trip. Quarters and food excellent.” During the voyage the stowaway consumed 4b tins of condensed milk, 561 b qf biscuits, and a large quantity of water from the lifeboat’® stores.

“We look upon this as a. serious matter in, view of the possiJ>ilkie» of fire ’being eausedi a,s a result of the exploding of fireworks in the vicinity of motor ears,” said Sergeant J. Henry this morning when he indicated, to a reporter that it was intended to take action against persons letting off fireworks in he streets to-morrow evening. “If they must have fireworks, surely they can find enough room in their own hack-yards,” said the sergeant.

The prize, for ingenuity should go, to a certain man who had a. boy attending a certain school an New Zealand (says the “Southland Times”)- Reeling sure that his son would be dux of the school *he offered a medal for the dux. Unfortunately the young hopeful failed to come up to, expectations and did not secure even a pass. The fattier then changed the conditions ot the medal and insisted that it should be awarded to the child with the best attendance, anti his son and heir won it, thus keeping the valuable trophy in the. family! For one reason or another the, celebration in Scotland of the Christmas festial falls below that accorded to the New Year. In common, therefore, with other Scottish bodies throughout the world, the local Pipe Band will try to add a little colour to the New Year festivities. On New Year’s Eve they will parade the town, on New Year’s Day they will attend, divine wonship at St. John’s, and 1 in the afternoon they will give a recital of pipe music in Naumai Park, when a collection for park purposes will be taken up. “It is claimed that no lawyers go to heaven,” said Mr. H. E. Bright, addressing pupils of the Gisborne High School the other day anent the number of lawyers comprising the Board of Governois. “This fact was borne upon me the other day when reading a story in a dry-as-dust law journal. The celestial regions were deeply troubled by the smoke nuisance from the nether regions, and St. Peter was sent as a deputation to his Satanic Majesty to request him to abate the nuisance. After a long and sulphurous argument. St. Peter remarked to Old Nick: ‘You are not only ungentlemanlv but cowardly. You know the only means by which we can stop the smoke nuisance is to take out an injunction against you, which will involve long and intricate legal proceedings—you know very well there are no lawyers in Heaven.’ ” (Laughter.) January and. February will be busy months for the Government- Publicity Office, which will during that f-Lme be concerned with, the production of several! cinematograph films of historical interest. The Waipoui kauri fo, resit, near Hokianga Harbour, will be the subject of one picture, in the making of which an effort will be, made to reproduce, some of the old life of the forest. Before the end of the month more pictures will be taken in the North Island, Auckland: district, and in. February, Stewart Island will be visited and special studies filmed there. To-night there will be held at Otakeho a popular annual fixture in the form of the New Year ball. The committee, under the direction of the energetic honorary, secretary (Mr. T. W. Eaves), has made all possible preparations. and every detail of arrangement for music, floor, and supper will be of the very hesv.

The next week-end excursion to lie run by the Railway Department, after the run to Hawera, will be a week-end trip from Wanganui to Opunake, probably late in January. The Opunake people are co-operating in the movement, and intend holding a special galaday for the occasion to provide entertainment for the visitors from Wanganui. ,

About ten members of the Cub patrol of the Eltham Scouts went into camp on Wednesday morning, and unfortunately have met with unsuitable weather for camping. They will probably break up to-day unless the weather clears.

The Hawera Municipal Band, in response to requests, will play a programme of selection® to-morrow (Saturday; evening, New Year’s Eve, near the Fast Office. The programme will commence at 11 p.m. and continue till midnight, concluding with the ever : popular “Should auld acquaintance.’ The selections proved very popular last year.

Bush fires, the first for over seven years, starting behind Mr H. M. Bartlc’s sawmill, Arawhata Road, Opunake, swept over two miles of land at the top of the Arawhata Road, throughout Wednesday night. A gale at the time did much to hamper the work of the settlers in protecting their property', but rain at half-past five in the morning finally quenched the flames. The damage done was not heavy, though some grass was destroyed. Fortunately the flames did not penetrate the bush of the National Park, the boundary' of which is quite close. While bathing at the popular swimming pool in the river at the Ohawc Beach on Monday 7, two .young men, unable to swim, ventured out be.yond their depth and found themselves in difficulties. One of the pair was able to scramble out of the water with the assistance of other bathers, but the other was down .Anne time before being brought, out by Mr. A. Powdrell, of Hawera. Artificial respiration was carried out for some time before signs of recovery' were apparent. Although a somewhat similar happening occurred at. the same place that morning, the pool is not regarded as being danger-' •oils, but the river-bed slopes down suddenly and non-swimmers are readily liable to get. beyond their depth. Revenue, amounting to' £419(5, made up of bult ,the net sum derived from fee® and, royalty with respect to ihe taking of opossums, together with the fines throughout the acclimatisation of New Zealand, will be share a by the' acclimatisation societies and , domain boards throughout New Zealand. Atoaoirding to the “Gazette” the sum of £BO 18s 9d has been apportioned to the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society, £sl 17s 6d to the Hawera Society and £ll 19® 2d to the Stratford Society. The Wjelliriigbon Acclimatisation Society' is to receive £1730, while Otago will receive £583. No mention is made in the proclamation of the amount due' to the Mt. Elgin ont National Park Board, ' which receives the full! royalty on all skins taken within it® area. A sudden rainstorm on the coast resulted in an uncomfortable four hours for a party of Gisborne business men motoring between Tikitiki and Ruatoria (says the “Poverty Bay Herald.’) There was some concern felt lest the rain would have caused the tributaries of the Waiap.u River to riso, and the members of the party made all haste from Tikitiki. Until they reached the Mangaoporo their progress was good, but m to© middle of the .stream their car stuck, and destofe the repeated effort® of tho Gisborne travelers to move -E? machine it remained there while the level of the water rose steadily higher, until at last the engine was submerged. An attempt to move the car with the help of horses failed, but aftor four hours another motorist happened along and hitched a tow-rope to the submerged vehicle, which then came out of the creek in short order. Life in New Zealand, long before the days of the pakeiha, when the Maori was the sole inhabitant of this country, anil the now extinct moa roamed the land, will be. depicted in a film which Government, officials have taken at Rotorua (states the “Auckland Star”). To serve as a historical record of the dawn of civilisation in the Dominion is the object of the picture, and iii it will be portrayed every phase of daily life among the Maoris including their arts and crafts, their customs and superstitions, the

preparation and cooking of food, war dances and exercises. Over sixty Maoris garbed in native, costume took part in the production, and two cinema operators were engaged, while over 200 still photographs were taken. Some 20,000 feet "of film were utilised, and this has yet to- be developed, and titles and sub-titles inserted. When completed, the picture will be released by the Government. Publicity - Department for screening in all parts of the world. Mr Henry Moller, of Hawera, who, as the result of a spill while competing at the Foxton motor cycle races on Monday, was taken to, the .Palmerston North hospital, suffering from a broken leg, arrived in Hawera last evening as a stretcher passenger on the New Ply-mouth-bound express. He was met at the station -by the motor ambulance and conveyed to the Hawera hospital. During the journey from Palmerston. North Mr Moller lay on a stretcher suspended in the guard’s van. Speaking With a friend who saw him on arrival, he said he was feeling well and had had a good trip. In an explanation concerning the accident at Foxton, he said it occurred when his machine was travelling at high speed during the last race of the day, a nasty skid, which ho successfully negotiated, being followed immediately by the bursting of a tyre with the inevitable crash. Mr Moller is- reported to be making satisfactory progress towards recovery.

From the extensive stock of McGruer, Bone and Co., Ltd., you can quite easily choose a suitable gift for every member of the family. As Christmas approaches nearer and nearer, the chance of getting first pick of our stock fades further and further away. Buy NOW. Our fancy department is full of inexpensive Xmas novelties, while in our men’s and boys’ section we have a most wonderful array of useful gifts. If you are thinking of giving something in napery, then be sure and see McGruer, Bono and Co.’s selection. —Advt.

Bathing Toggery.—Large selection of newest styles at the Melbourne Ltd. at Taranaki’s lowest prices. Ladies’ pure wool costumes, latest colourings, small sleeves and no sleeves, 11/6; children’s sizes from lGin., 4/3; cotton costumes, all colours, ladies’ 3/11, girls’ 1/11; rubber bathing caps, 9d, 1/- to 4/11; men’s pure wool one-piece, 7/C; Coney Island pure wool in all stripes, 14/C; boys’ cotton, 1/C. —Advt. BUCKRELL’S AND CHRISTMAS We have opened an attractive assortment of Ladies’ Handkerchiefs, suitable for presents, from 2/11 to 12/G a box; also Gloves, Scarves, Handbags; best makes in Hosiery “Gold Star.’’ Kayser, Bonds true shape HENDERSON HATS; Frocks, Costumes, Coats. —Buekrell’s, Hawera, “The Quality House. ’ ’ —Advt