LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 20 September 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Through a. typographical error, Air G. \V. Gane, in his letter on power board affairs published yesterday, was made to say that he was."endeavouring to prevent the' ratepayers of this area from getting into the inevitable position of ratepayers under most other power boards. ’ ’ This should have read "unenviable” position, etc. The Auckland City Council proposals to borrow £22,500 for the erection of swimming baths at Poin t Chevalier and £7500 for filtration and sterilisation plants at other baths were both defeated at a poll held yesterday. The voting on the first issue was 975 for and 3793 against, and on the second issue 236(3 for and 2470 against. A New Zealand farmer, James Deason, who is visiting England,' has complained to the police that confidence tricksters robbed, him of £4500 (states a .London cable message). He made friends with 'three men at ‘his hotel and they submitted a scheme for the' treatment of New Zealand meat. It isunderstood Deason parted with the money to‘'purchase a* plant and the patent rights. At yesterday’s meeting of 'the Parana ui Education Board, at New itymoiitili, the senior inspector, in xecoinmenuimg toe provision at -an extra room at aVlanaaa, said that although the noor space as a whole was /practically sumcien, the existing oonumoms o-i .. o. e not good. Two teachers were empioyeu in tee am ant. classes, and one or rneni was obliged to' work in a clean room bhat had a. concrete Hoqt and was msiuiaoieixtly heated, it was not likely that any reorganisation or the sciioofs would lead to a reduction in tne attendance at JVLaniaia. On the contrary it was Highly probable that the school would r.se a sub-grade in the near future.

••itiauji'O entertainment certainly imparts a spirit or cheerfulness to lis-teners-in —a condition of mind winch as most desirable for the permanent healing of body anti mind,'/.'states the appeal which has Ibeen .issued on beiiall of -tlospital ‘ Wireless Day an Auckland on September 28. “It is of interest,*’ says Dr. Cl hi 'Maguire, the medical superintendent, “to know' the experience of hospital authorities' in London and in Sydney. They state that the use of wifeless hit their hospitals is providing of immense value to the patient s. It brightens the dull routine of hospital life and renders the patients much more hopeful and happy. It is- a means of inducing sleep, and pi-events in some measure patients from 'brooding over their afflictions. In other centres no difficulty has been experienced in raising funds for the same object, and the people of Auckland will not, We feel sure, be behindhand in supporting such a woi-tny object, as the lightening of the afflictions of the sack and suffering in their great hospital.”

line amount of information oil meteorological subjects furnished on request to private individmills and Government Departments, states tne annum report of the Department of k3>cieiitifio and Industrial Research, snows a marked increase, 'i'he Director of Meteorological Dr.-Kid - son, states that the most urgent need of the meteorological service in New Zealand is tfie establishment of properly equipped stations, on permanent sites watia satisfactory exposure, and the ensuring of ‘Continuity of observations. A beginning could then he made of the collection) olf homogeneous and reliable data such as are needed in connection with an ever-increasing number of .social activities. The accomplishment of this object in a young country where there are few leisured men and where towns are growing rapidly is a ditfioult matter which cannot! be brought about, at once'. It will mob be possible at all without the interest and assistance of local bodies and individually.

‘‘Y'ou will want to know my impressions of New eZaland,” saidi the Rev. Hector N. AlcLean, of the United Church of Canada, speaking at the Christchurch Presbytery last week. “Well, I find it a land .where ‘every prospect pleases’ ” . The laughter of the members of the Presbytery was. an indication that they knew the conclusion of the quotation. “Y'ou know,” continued the Canadian visitor, “I feel like the Apostle Paul at Athens— ‘his spirit was sore within him when lie saw the city given over to idolatry.’ The situation is bad enough in Canada—the Lord knows it i,s. A:fy impression honestly (itdoesn’t make any difference to me) is, that I think New Zealand is given over body and soul to commercialised sport. Now, I believe in clean and legitimate snort, but when sport, becomes an obsession, and an overruling passion, God help ns. and God help the country, and it’s time to call a halt, and ai time to. do something. But,” he added, in concluding this part of bis remarks, “I never got into a. controversy in my life, only once—with my Wife —and that settled me!” “Press.”

An information, -brought by the .policeagainst certain residents of Dennistonand Bnrnctt’is Face, as a sequel (to the demonstration held on Angust 6 against the Cascade co-o.pcra.tive (whom the miners term “tribute”) party, was heard at the Court at Westport yesterday (states a Press Association message). In. all Si! informations were laid, 25 alleging intimidation and besetting, one the hindering of a constable in the execution of his duty, and two. the using of insulting language. Amongst defendants on the last charge were some of the womenfolk. The defence was that the demonstration was intended as a peaceful protest against a system of working which the miners’ unions regarded as inimical to their principles, and; that the sequel was an amicable arrangement between the Denniston Miners’ Union and the Cascade Company. The use insulting language was denied. Judgment was reserved. 1

About 3.50 p.m. yesterday, .at the| intersection of Regent Street and 'South Eoad, a collision occurred 'between a motor-cycle ridden by Bryant iSargeson and a motor car driven by Mr William Somerville, of ‘ Westown, New Plymouth. little damage beyond a broken headlamp on the ear was done to either vehicle. The cyclist had 'his left' leg slightly injured, but Mr iSomerviUe was hot hurt.

Competing at the Wellington Winter Show the Ngacrc Dairy factory met with a fair amount of success. In the cheese classes Ngaerc was only a half to one point behind the winners in each grade. The following were the points gained: Cheddar-shaped cheese )'colourod), 93 points; Cheddar-shaped cheese (white), 94 points; case of two cheeses, (coloured or white), 934 points; case of medium cheese (any colour), 93£ points; ease .of export factory cheese (any colour), 94 points. There will be a Farmers’ Union function of special interest to tbe district to-morrow evening at Auroa, when the committee will hold the annual social. The certificates of merit won in ■ the root crops competitions will also be presented. The committee is sparing no effort to ensure a successful evening.

About 11.20 this morning an elderly lady, while crossing Unioli Street, missed her footing when stepping on to the footpath, with the result that she sustained a nasty fall, striking the pavement with her face and being rendered partially unconscious. Passersby quicklv came to her assistance, and after a few minutes she was carried to a -nearby shop to res.t. Beyond a. cut on the'nose and severe shock she was not otherwise injured and was able; later to proceed to her home.

A reoort has been received from Kew *o the "effect that a quantity of sepds of the quebracho tree have boon im>ncirted from Argentina, and that it i© intended to send*some of them to New Zealand with a view to testing the possibilities of' their growth in North Auckland. The quebracho is an apocynaeeaus tree, which is a native of Chile, although other parts of South America cultivate it. An extract- from its baric is almost a sine qua non for high-class tanning, and is used to a fairly large extent in the Dominion. Hitherto supplies have come from Argentina. hut if the quebracho takeis kindly to New Zealand soil and climate, in the future perhaps there will be no need for importation.

'The following is an extract from aletter received by a well-known business man from a friend. The letter was written on an inward P. and 0. liner and posted at Fremantle. “A most amusing incident happened'last evening of which I was a- silent listener. A man with a very broad Scotch accent was trying it© teach, an Italian, to*'speak English; especially was -he': trying to get him to pronounce vowels.. The result was 'grotesque to say the least, and I was inwardly convulsed. It transpired in the course of his conversation that he was bound for New Zealand,-where, lie said, they grew only sheep and flax and the population was chiefly Maorics (Mayries he called them). This information was something we New Zealanders don’t know, so please make a note of it. He also said that -they required good English teachers, so, he was going to Auckland with his wife and family to get a position as a teacher. He looks a man of quite 50 years of age. ’ ’ “I am a great believer in the movement for church 0111011,” said Dr. F. W. Burnham, a noted worker ton the Church of Christ, in 'the United States who is at present visiting Auckland (states the “New Zealand Herald’’). “I believe the Boy Slcbut movement is one unifying force between. Pirotestanism and the Church of Rome,” he added. “Ddgniliiairies of thei Catholic Church are forbidden to take part in round-table discussions, but many of them are intensely interested in the Boy Stout movement m the United State's. Oil) my way to New Zealand, I triivelfecl with a iiuimber of . priests bound for the JOoohairistic Conference. One of tlhem was prominently connected with the Scout, movement in New York, apd at- once we bad a common ground for friendship and understand--111".” Dir. Burnham is a'member of. the" National Council of the Boy Scouts o!f America.