LOCAL AND GENERAL.

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

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

That the wild pig menace is a real one to farmers in tne back country ot Taranaki was clearly indicated recently when three sportsmen from Tianeia paid a visit inland from Eltham near the Whenuakura River, states an Exchange. On a three days’ hunt the party killed 40 pigs, and in all probability the number destroyed was nearer 50. Groups of five or six pigs were common, and as many as 25 were seen together on two occasions.

TI.M.S. Diomede, which leaves Auckland on Saturday to refit at Portsmouth, will come out of the dry dock to-day after having her underwater fittings examined in readiness for the voyage. The vessel will take Home all the Imperial ratings whose term of service on the New Zealand Station is due to expire, and also a number of New Zealand ratings who are to undergo torpedo and' gunnery courses in England.

Captain L. M. Isitt, second in command of the New Zealand Flying Corps, '"and Mr. Dougles Mill, who recently made several successful flights from' Auckland in his Motli machine, were engaged on Friday in searching for a suitable landing ground near Te ICuiti. Both expressed the opinion that the racecourse was well suited for their purposes. Captain Isitt and Mr. Mill have been touring the North Island and selecting grounds at various centres with a view to the establishment of a regular air service covering the whole of New Zealand.

On April 27 the Tutanekai, en route from Auckland to Samoa, passed close to Falcon Island, which has disappeared and reappeared several times since discovered as a breaking reef by H. M. S. Falcon in. 1865. When seen from the Tutanekai last month it was about 550 feet high, about two miles long, and composed entirely of lava, flow, which was running into the sea, sending up clouds of steam. The Tutanekai steamed quite close, and those on board had an excellent view of the mysterious island.

Falling down a shaft on horseback was the unique but unpleasant experience of Mr. David Moore, of Reef ton. While riding on a plateau on the hill above the Reefton reservoir, his horse suddenly went down into a shaft 14 feet deep. Mj‘. Moore got out of the hole as quickly as possible, and, seeing no way of extricating his horse, went for assistance. An incline was then cut to the shaft, and the horse was eventually got out. It was found tliat the animal, a valuable one, was severely injured, and it had to be destroyed.

The dangers attending the flying of kites by children in the vicinity of electric lines was brought up at Thursday’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Electric Power Board by Mr. M. S. ‘ Chambers, who suggested- that schoolmasters- should be approached- to warn the children of tbe risk. “I •should- also like to suggest that they be warned of the danger of climbing the poles,” continued the chairman. “On a recent afternoon I was amazed to see some kiddies nearly up to the wires on one of the Taradale road poles. Another three feet and they would have been electrocuted.” It was- decided to refer the matter to the Education Board in the form of a warning to children, with a recommendation that this- lie issued, to all teachers.

One of the oldest and most historic vessels of the New Zealand coastal, fleet, the Waverley, is reported to have been sold by the Patea Farmers’ Cooperative Freezing Company to. S. Wood and Son, Ltd., shipwrights and boatbuilders, Wellington. The manager of the Wellington firm would, however, make no statement to the “Evening Post” as to the present ownership or future activity of the vessel. The Waevrley is of particular interest in that she was built in New Zealand over 45 years ago, and continued running between coastal ports until the end of last year, when she was partly . overhauled and' withdrawn from the PateaWellington service. The Waverley was built in Auckland to the design of the late Captain Wi. J. Gibbons in 1883 by Messrs Bailie and Seager for the Patea Shipping Company. For many years she was used between Patea and Wellington, and was then sold to- the Anchor Shipping Company, which employed her in the West Coast-Nelson-Wel-lington trade. During the time she was owned by the Anchor Company she was lengthened at the company’s foundry at Nelson. She was subsequently sold to the Patea Farmers’ Co-operative Freezing Company and was insulated to carry frozen meat between Patea and Wellington.

The Anzac Luj celebrations at Norfolk Island ended in uproar. To the parents and relatives of the men left behind on Gallopoli, the day, here as elsewhere, assumes a. sacred character. Towards! the finish of the community singing with the day’s ceremonies concluded, a man caused a sensation by mounting a form and announcing that before the singing of the National Anthem .a picture presented in aid of the funds of the hospital would be raffled. Instantly from the choir and frqjn all parts of the hall came angry protests against the violation of the sacredness of the day, and of that ineeting in particular, by “gambling.” The choir hotly 'resented the “insult,” and refused to proceed and left the platform in a body. Some ticket holders in the raffle heatedly voiced their side of the question, and the gathering broke up in disorder. "This malady is medicinable, my lord. —Sabatini. All maladies of the throat, chest and lungs give way readily to Baxter’s Lung Preserver. The best plan is to keep a bottle handy and to take a dose ■)T two at the first sign of trouble. "Baxter’s” roots out the most stubborn cough or cold, and acts as a tonic by enriching and renewing the blood „ells. Rich, red, warming and pleasant to take. . ; In three sizes at all chemists and stores. Bachelor size, 1/6. GeneToussized bottle, 2/6. Large family size, 4/6. —Advt.

A poll of ratepayers of the Waipukurau borough on a proposal to raise a loan of £16,225 for the formation and. improvements of footpaths, and also to prepare for bitumemsing the main street, resulted- in 185 votes being cast for and 57 against it. The Auckland Hospital Board lias <rranted oermission to Mr. F. R. Field, wllo claims to have discovered the cause of cancer, to test his treatment on patients. One of the conditions is that Mr. Feild must act under a committee of three experts. The inventor hopes- to obtain definite results with in a few weeks.

With the new 36-inch pipe-line in commission, the New Plymouth hydroelectric system is now running undei something like normal conditions, although the full supply of power \\ill not be available until the second pipeline involved in the repairs is ready for use, probably at the beginning of next week. states the 'laranaki “Herald.”

Rev. James Aitken, Moderator of the General Assembly, stated in an address at Auckland that when he was m the Tahoe country recently amongst the Maoris he saw two strange children. They were neither Maoris pakeha, nor half-castes. They had ashen* grey skins, and flaxen hair. He as told that they were descendants of the ancient Morioris, and that, through generations, certain characteristics had been maintained and not absorbed by a dominant race.' He thought that inquiries might reveal interesting facts about the ailcient inhabitants of Tahoe land, who lived there long before the Maoris came to New Zealand. Tlie Prime Minister (the lit. Hon. J. G. Coates) liad a busy day at Dargaville yesterday. From 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., with only a brief respite for luncheon, he was attending to deputations-, both private and public. In the afternoon he delivered an address at the unveiling ceremony, which was performed by Mrs. Coates, of the soldiers’ war memorial, a band rotunda elected at a cost of nearly £3OO, raised by public subscription, in memory of 'men from Dargaville who fell in the Great War. There was a very large- attendance of the public. The Prime Minister left shortly after the ceremony for Paparoa, in the southern portion of the electorate, where he delivered a political address. He leaves for Wellington, via Auckland, on Thursday at noon. Complimentary reference to the standard of the Hawera Orchestral Society was voiced at. Tuesday’s rehearsal by Mr. Louis C. Hama, the manager of the Assheton-Schwartz Concert Company, which is visiting Hawera next week. Speaking from his knowledge of musical circles in all parts of the Dominion as well as in other parts of the world, Mr. Hama expressed his surprise and delight to find a well trained, full symphony orchestra in a town of .Hawera’s proportions. He considered the Hawera orchestra would compare favourably with others throughout New Zealand and was an institution of which the district has reason to bo justly proud.