LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 July 1928, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It b-ais been proposed, that the women’s and men’s divisions df the Farmers’ Union should meet at afternoon tea qii Thursday after the women’s meeting, at a place to be arranged, to meet Mr and Mrs B. Gillies.

At a meeting of the Wanganui Rngbv Union Management Committee on Thursday, Air 11. G. Whittington, of Hawera, was selected as the referee for the Wanganui-Taranaki representative fixture at New Plym(firth on August IS.

The monthly meeting of the Hawera branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was- held at the residence of Mrs Hurrell, Regent Street, on Friday afternoon. Mrs Ex ley presided over a -good attendance. Discussion took place regarding temperance charts in public schools. Arrangements were made- for Miss A!cC lay’s (organiser) visit to Hawera. on August 10. Two new members were enrolled, A further supply of clothing was received for the orphanage at Palmerston North. Mrs Hurrell was thanked for her kindness in providing afternoon tea.

A, E. Cooke, captain of the Waira.rapa- R-ugby team which played Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield at Christchurch, emphatically denies that he or any other member of the team sent a reply to- Air T. Jordan, Mayor of Maisterton, with reference- to Air Jordan’s telegram of congratulation in which he suggested that the shield might he dropped overboard, states a Maisterton message. Cooke states that he and other members of the team took the telegram in the- same spirit in which it was sent, as a joke. The telegram was not read at the dinner after the match, hut to members of the team in the- lobby of the hotel where the' team was boarded. Tire Press Association telegram from Christchurch in which it was reported that two prominent members of the Waiarapa team were forwarding a reply couched in certain words wa-s not justified.

The egg market at Wellington last week was ip a- condition of heavy over-supply. In addition to local eggs, consignments* arrived from Auckland and Christchurch, and there- was a heavy drop in prices. Export would commence immediately space could he obtained, and. it was estimated that 32,000 crates were available for shipment. They would be picked up in Dunedin and Wellington. First grade hen eggs were quoted at Is 7-d to Is 8d per dozen; preserved were nearly off the- market, and were- quoted at Is 6d, duck eggs Is Bd. “It is time our newspapers and public men tried to inculcate a more optimistic spirit into things -in general,” said a Wellington stockbroker. “There is far too much pessimism about trade and finance. 'There is no slump Mow, and has not been-for the past. 12 orionbhi I Good prices are being realised for produce, and early in the (New Year several millions of money will come to Now Zealand for investment. 'One of the leading men in the woollen industry agreed that the present, state of things justified a more optimistic outlook, although, he said, farmers would say they were not getting the benefit of the increased prices—the banks were getting it.” The stockbroker replied that deposits in the banks were abnormally high, interest charges had been reduced, and while ‘the .farmer nmy ■have to pay out to the 'banks from the payments 'he had received so far, when the next, payment was -made the farmers would lie in quite a good position. In a letter to the Thames High School Board of Governors, the Director of Educhtion, Air. T. B. Strong, severely condemned the “ragging” of new pupils at boarding schools. He said a ease had recently been brought under the notice of the Minister of Education, alleging that “a boy, during the course of his initiation at the hands of his- fellow boarders, was so seriously injured that lie was now lying dangerously ill in a liospital,- 1 and would be maimed for life. “The department’s officers,” continued' the letter, “have on many occasions received complaints of the rough handling of new boys, and of these so-called ‘initiation ceremonies-,’ where occasionally- disgusting practices are carried on, and small boys undergo ill-treat-ment. which should not be- permitted. The department is of opinion that ‘ragging’ ought to be put down with a- firm’ hand, so as to- avoid the recurrence of cases such as those brought under his notice, and it trusts that the boards will take action accordingly.” The president. Dr. ,T. B. Liggins, said lie thought that- “ragging” was a harmless custom, provided it •was not overdone. It was resolved to forward the director's letter to the principal of the school.