LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 February 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An innovation for New Plymouth will he introduced at the motor cycle races on Saturday next. Several loud speakers wil be installed about the grounds, which will enable the public to hear all items of interest broadcast by an announcer specially appointed for the purpose. With the large entries of all the most prominent riders this annual race meeting should be more popular than ever. Subject to certain conditions the importations of cattle from the United States’ of America is now permissible. A permit lias to lie obtained from the Minister of Agriculture, and the cattle must undergo quarantine for 60 days, while a declaration that the cattle have never been in a. place where Texas fever has existed must be made. A settlement has been reached in the dispute between the butchers and the company at the Westfield freezing works, which arose over the classification of one sheep. After several conferences the men have' indicated that they will resume work under, normal conditions to-day.

Fire last night destroyed a- motor truck valued at £2OO, and the shed in which it was housed, both the property of E. H. Spackman, a carrier of Mas-t-erton. Tile motor shed was insured for £IOO, but t-lie truck was not insured. It is understood that the fire was caused through a leaky carburettor.

Sincere regret has been expressed by members of the Ancient Order of Druids at the loss sustained by the lodge in the early departure of the secretary and treasurer, Mr. Walter Harvey. Remarkably good work has been done for some years by Mr Harvey, as the result of which the membership has been largely increased, while the finances of the lodge are in a very strong position. At the quarterlv meeting of the lodge on (Monday next at 7.30 p.m. the principal business will be to receive nominations for a- successor, and in view of this the executive requests a full attendance. File broke out and raged for an hour in the premises of Miller and Ahearn, warehousemen, 110 Wakefield Street, Wellington, ear.y last evening, doing much damage before being subdued". The blaze, which began in a manner unknown, seized hold of the upper floor of the building and sent a column of smoke high into the air. The central fire station machines were reinforced by machines from the outlying stations, and the fire was completely under control in less than an hour,' but only after cosiderable damage had been done by fire and water.

A London cable message states that brokers have informed the High Commissioner for New Zealand (Sir James Parr) that the five grades totalling 698 lb, the first consignment of Nelsongrown tobacco, with one exception, were most satisfactory, and more, closely approximated the American leaf than most Dominion grown, tobacco. With care in grading and curing there should be a good prospect for the industry. The prices realised were lOd, Is 3d, is 6d, Is lOd, and ‘2s 2d per lb. A Press Association message from Pahiatua states that it was found necessary yesterday to perform another operation on the lad, Leslie . Wilfred Murphy, who was seriously injured recently in the abdomen as the result of an explosion at the District) High School, as liis condition was not improving as satisfactorily as desired. At the first operation a piece of jagged glass was removed.- The explosion occurred in the .science- room, when a number of secondary pupils, including Murphv. was present. The Wesson -at the time was dealing with sodium for the purpose of collecting hydrogen when a fearful explosion took place, smashing a large jar to fragments. Before a workless teacher will be relieved from the bond it will be necessary for that- teacher to prove that an holiest attempt has been made over a sufficiently long period to secure permant appointment “in any part of the Dominion.” T-his rule is laid down by the Education Department in a letter sent to the Auckland Board, which had renewed an application for release from the- requirements of the Training College bond of an existudent, who during three years had completed two years and- 31 weeks’ teaching service.* The department declared that it would not release the teacher from the bond, hut it would agree not to take action against her bondsmen unless the supply of teachers- at any time during the next two or three years was so shdrt that it demanded her return to the service. The chairman (Mr. A. Burns) commented that it was a i-elease, although not an official one.

The practice followed by .some parents of locking young children in closed cans while they do their shopping was recently described by a traffic inspector as being “both foolish and dangerous.” Speaking to a “Dominion” reporter on the subject, the inspector said that lie was certain that one day a serious accident, would happen and would bring parentis to their senses and make them a. little more careful. The greatest danger, he said, was that of fire. It was always quite possible that a petrol tank would' start a leak, and it only needed one lighted match, or one glowing cigarette butt thrown on to the saturated ground to set the car in flames. A young child looked in the car would have no possible chance of escaping. There was always the danger, too, of a collision which might result in injuries to anyone in a- car. Unless the owner could be found there would he little hope of opening the door for the purpose of attending to whoever was inside the ear. A long trip of over 200 miles on horseback has just been completed by Mr Frank Jones, a settler of Waiotemarama, near Hokianga, and his two daughters, aged 9 and 10, says the “ A ueklan d Star. ” Mr. Joiies, who has a selection of 800 acres up North, wishing to sell his farm and buy another, made a tour of inspection of many farming districts. With two horses and his daughters for company, he started out full of hope. Many stops were made, and for five days the party toured the rural districts. At times both girls rode on the one horse, while sometimes, for a change, Mr Jones would walk and let his daughters have a horse each. Unable to buy a tent before he left, Mr Jones bad to trust to providence and the weather. At night the three slept beneath the sky on sacks, with blankets as the only coverings. Provisions were obtained at each township visited, and many were the experiences of the long ride. A Chicago school for boys plans to make a sharp cut in expense of building a cottage by collecting and soiling discarded rav-ar blades.

The savings y<>& will expect by visiting ami buying at Harrop’s Sale are really worth while. Note these bargains for men: Men’s Tweed and Worsted Suits in light and dark colours, usual price up to £7/7/-, now 39/6 to 79/6; Men’s Ties in Silk and Knitted styles, usual price up to 4/6, now 1/6 2/6; Men’s Pure Pur Pelt Hats in Faivn and Grey, usual price 25/6, now 19/6. —Harrop’s Ltd. —Advt.

It is just on twenty years since the toll gates on the Main South and Normanbv Roads were erected and tolls taken from travellers between t-ho western and eastern districts. February 2(5 was the first- day of the “'toll bar.” A young man .named (Michael Neville, a resident of New Plymouth, met with a nasty fall last evening in Hawera through his motor-cycle skidding. Neville received severe bruises, abrasions and slight concussion, and after being attended by Dr. McGhie, was conveyed by ambulance to Hawera Hospital; where he is progressing favourably. At the Salvation Army Hall tonight, a social -gathering will bo held to bid farewell to candidates Myrtle Watkins and Donald Gray, who will be entering the Salvation. Army Training Garrison in ’ Wellington early next week. A presentation will be made from the soldiers and -friends of the local corps. A serious accident occurred recently to Miss Beatrice McGrath, a student in the secondary department of the Oxford District High School. On a farm where Miss McGrath was bringing in the cows to be milked a horse had strayed into a- wheatfield, and a youth, in order to frighten it out, discharged a gun at long range. Miss McGrath, j at this time, was at almost right angles to the line of fire, and at least 90 yards from the horse. A pellet, either rebounding from something or breaking away from tlic charge, cut across the front of her eye. She was immediately taken to t-he hospital, but as a result of the injury she has lost the sight of the eye. Active operations in the erection of the new railway station for Auckland are expected to be commenced in about six weeks, says the “Auckland Herald.” Cabinet has approved the plans and that tenders will be called in a day or two. The work of erection will make a material difference to the labour market in the city during the winter. Although a great deal of the ground work lias been done, there will be a large call for unskilled and semi-skilled labour in all stages of the job up to its completion, with an even greater demand for skilled men in all branches of the building trade. •It is anticipated that it will take about 18 months to complete ihe building and platforms. /

The .site of Auckland’s future air base at Hobsonville was visited on Monday morning -by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston (says the “New Zealand Herald.”) A certain amount- of clearing and -other preparatory ground work has been carried out, but the Minister said nothing definite could be done towards the establishment of the base and the construction of aerodromes until the return from England of Oa.pfcain L- M. Isitt, who is to take charge. He is due in New Zealand on 28th February. Mr Rolleston said plans would be finally made and concrete proposals put forward as soon as possibe after CaptairTTsitt’s Teturn. In the waterless region north of Takapuna, as far as Deep Creek, a tank wagon carrying 5000 gallons is a welcome appearance these days, says the “Auckland Scar.” Summer dwellers at Brown’si Bay, Bay 1 , Campbell’s, Bay and other resorts along the coasts are buying their supplies at 5s a hundred gallons. "When all tanks became empty during January, and wells and springs dried up under the influence of the drought, the AVaitemata County Council came to- the rescue and arranged for an emergency supply from Lake Pupukc. Farmers inland are having an anxious time, and in some cases scant supplies of water are available for stock.

The Riverton sawmills have started operations again, but none has reached the high pressure mark yet as orders are still scarce (says the Riverton cor respondent of the “Southland Times.”' If an improvement in this direction Joe:, not take place more than one firm won be obliged to cease work again. Shipping orders have been meagre of late, but hopes are entertained that on the return of Messrs T. More and AVesney. who are now in Australia in connection with the industry, a revival m the timber trade will eventuate. -So badly was rain required in this district, that quite a number of young farmers celebrated AVednesday’s downpour. One happy pair toured round the district in a car without a- hood,, fairly revelling in the descending showers. On Broadway another enthusiast moved frrim group to group asking why they had coats on and Umbrellas up while such a beautiful rain was falling. “The incident merely indicates the (tension under which local farmers have been living during the past few weeks of the drought. —‘ ‘ Stratford Post. ’ ’ la an address at AVellington, the Secretary of the Post Office (Mr G. McNamara) said that the New Zealand postal service had its birth at Koroakcka in 1840, and the little post office there was controlled from New South Wales. Stamps were first, issued in 1855. To-day the P. and T. Department -had a staff of 10,000 trained officers w"ho/worked all round the clock in shifts, and yet despite irregular hours and meals the wastage from sickness amounted to only five days per year per man. Overseas visitors described the New Zealand P. and T. Service as better than that of any other country in the tvorld. Each year 20,000 letters were posted with no address on the envelopes, and 10,000 registered letters each year were unclaimed. A suggestion that the AVailiou River, which passes through Okoroire Springe and Te Aroha, and empties into the Hauraki Gulf not fat from Thames, is rising on account of a “leak” in the \A r aikato River, upstream from Arapuni is discounted ,by engineers of tjie PublicAVorks Department at Hamilton and Arapuni. It is stated that the Waihou River is 12 miles away from the AA’ailcato River, and that the possibility ol water finding its way along a subterranean channel from the AVaikato to the AVailiou is too 1 remote t-e be entertained. The engineers say they have no evidence that the level of the AVaihou River was higher than vras normal at this time of the year-

Another large- shipment of butter, 27,479 boxes, was taken by the Aorangi when i/he sailed from Auckland for Vancouver. The bulk of the consignment, over 23,000 boxes, is for Vancouver and Victoria., British Columbia, while some 3000 boxes are consigned to Honolulu with smaller quantities destined for transhipment to Chinese and Japanese ports. It had been expected that exports to- Canada sit this stage of the season would decline considerably, but the latest consignment is very little short of that sent forward four weeks ago, when 28,740 boxes were shipped. It is apparent that this outlet for blitter is becoming of increasing importance, the consignments showing a tendency to increase and to be. spread over a longer season. Consignments' in November, December and January aggregated 87,000 boxes, giving a total in the four shipments of 114,4SO boxes, or 2862 tons.