LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 November 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While the alterations are in progress at tli© public library, the librarians are busily engaged in the task of ire-cataloguing the whole or the books. This stocktaking is a large task, and while the library is closed the stall require to be uninterrupted. No boons are to be returned until the Horary reopens, and the public are requested to co-operate by not making any requests for books until public notice is given that books are again available.

The Presbyterian Assembly at Auckland last night expressed its adherence to the platform of the Bible in .'state ‘Schools League and urged ml ministers to take advantage oi the Nelson system wherever possible. Considerable disappointment, with the present political position of the question was expressed by several who cook part in the debate.

Customs duties collected at the ports of New Zealand during the quarter ending September 30, i9z», totalled £2,109,090, as compared with £2,107,110 in the corresponding quarter of last year. Excise duties collected in the same period of 1928 totalled £170,103, as compared with £L0,400 in the quarter ended .September, 1927.

At the annual, communication of the Masonic Grand Houge ot i\ew Zealand at Dunedin presided over by his Jaxcevtency Sir Charles hergusson asi Grand Masiter, Taranaki district officers elected were:—Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, W. Bro. ft. H. Fiiee; Grand .stewards, W. Bros. J. A. Hansen and J. Winfield; member of the Board of General Purposes, \V. Bro.. A. hi. ’Washer; member of the Board of Benevolence, W, Bro. J. Young. A social evening was tendered to Mr. J. D. hLislop, United candidate for Pat*a, by the residents of Mosstown on Saturday evening, says tne Wanganui “Herald.” Mr. hi, G. Fairwether, who presided, proposed the toast, other toasts being “The Guest," proposed by Mr McNeill and responded to by Air. Hislop, who thanked the people of Moss town for their support at the poll; “Sir Joseph Ward a lid the United Party,” proposed bv Mr. Scott. The evening was spent with music and dancing. Losses due to the slump in values oi land and stock are tne attributed causes of one of the largest failures in Poverty Bay for some time, says a Tress Association message from Gisborne. The bankrupts are David Cald-, well, "William Aitken Caldwell and| Thomas Hunter Caldwell, sheepfarmers of Tolga Bay. The bankrupts' tmancial statement to the deputy official assignee showed liabilities amounting to £102,674, while the total assets are £47,208, ail being in the hands of secured creditors, to whom is owing £89,220. Debts totalling £13,454 are owing to unsecured creditors, leaving a total deficiency of £55,446.

Foot rot is generally associated with sheep, but several cases are reported from this district where cows and calves ■have been badly affected. One calf shown yesterday in the calf-'rearing competitions showed the adverse effect of the trouble, the owner stating that foot rot had checked its progress very much. One of the judges, who has a fairly large herd, said that he had had no less than a dozen badly affected and he had had t.o isolate them and use a strong disinfectant, washing the feet regularly. He added that, a mixture recommended by Mr 'George Ford, Inspector of .Stock, had been very effective. It was composed of Stockholm tar, Lysol and kerosene. 'Mr Ford says that there have 'been a muriber of instances where cows in a herd have been troubled but generally it has now disappeared.

The (rcruiiment of 14 trucks of a goods train occurred near Balclutha yesterday evening. The train was one that runs from 'Clinton to Balclutha. When between Warcpa and Toira, at a spot 15 miles from Balclutha, the trucks left, the rails. A breakdown train was despatched from Invercargill at 7.50 p.m., attached to the night, express, which was delayed for over an hour. Passengers by the through express from Christchurch were transhipped to a train made up at Clinton and reached Invercargill at 11 o 'clock last night. It has been ascertained that no one was injured, nor was there any stock on tho train. There is yet no indication as bo whether the derailed waggons were loaded or empty and j the cause of the accident has not yet j been made known.-i Press Assn. '

In honour of St. Andrew’s Day, the patron Saint of Scotland, the Union Jack was flown at the post office tower to-day. - Final arrangements for a wrestling match of international status to he decided at Auckland were made yesterday when John Kilonis, Greece, and Pat McCarthy, Canada, signed articles to meet on Monday week, December 10. An overture from the North Auckland presbytery in favour of making elders eligible as moderators of the presbytery was approved by the Presbyterian Assembly at Auckland last night, and is to be sent down for consideration by the presbyteries. The business of the assembly will conclude to-day. Mr. R. \Y. Morgan, General Manager, and 0. W. Koll, assistant General Manager of the International Harvester (Jo., were in Hawera yesterday afternoon, having a general inspection of the district, and seeing their held officers. They were both highly pleased with the look of the district and the impression of prosperity imparted to visitors. Mr. J. W. Poo ley, Returning Officer for the Stratford electorate, is at present investigating a small number of cases of apparent dual voting at the recent election (says the “Post”). In a number of cases already gone into it has been found that the names have been marked off in error, and it is expected that this will be lound to be the trouble in cases still to be gone into.

Sunday, .December 9, has been fixed for the opening of the new St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in. Hawera, The choir under Mr. Joseph Higiiam hais been rehearsing regitlariy, ,andl will sing the line mass of St. Agnes, by a trench composer of last century.

The family of the late Mr. Francis Herbert Lowe have presented to St. Cuthbert’s Church, Manaia, a. handsome carved lectern made of rimu and rewa rewa, or New Zealand honeysuckle. The lectern is to be dedicated at the evening service on Sunday. To-night at 7.30 a concert will be given at the Scout Hall, Albion Street, by the cubs of the Hawera pack. A most comprehensive and entertaining programme of musical and elocutionary items will be submitted Tlie function is being organised with a view to augmenting the funds for the annual camp at Christmas.

A series of burglaries in Masterton during the past month was added to on \V ednesaay when a residence in Pownall Street was broken into and jewellery stolen. The intruder, however, was probably after bigger booty as the house was the residence of Mr. Ahrens, secretary of the horticultural society, which that day had held a flower show. A. considerable sum of money was taken home by Mr Ahrens at tea-time, but he took it away again and placed it in sale custody in the town. The burglary was committed before 10 o’clock, no one being at home.

At the Hawera Police Court this morning, before Messrs G. A. burgess and R. S. Sage, J’s.P., Norbert bimon, a grocer’s assistant was lined jjl and 10s costs, for a breach of the motor regulations. Sergeant Henry, prosecuting, said that on November d, deiendent, who was driving a delivery van, failed to observe the righthand rule at the intersection of Beach and South Roads, resulting in a collision with a motor cyclist who was slightly injured. Deiendent who pleaded guilty to the charge, was lined as indicated above.

Before Messrs. G. A. Burgess and It. B. Sage, J sP., a further remand to next Thursday, 6th December, was granted on the application of counseJ, in the case of alleged carnal knowledge against t a ytoung man whose name in the meanwhile is suppressed. Bail was allowed las previously arranged.

At the annual meeting of the Bank of New South’ Wales, at Sydney, the report showed net profits for the year of £1,184,943. After adding the balance from the previous year of £170,616 and deducting the three quarterly dividends already paid a balance of* £793,694 remains from which •a fourth dividend, making ten per cent, for the year, and a bonus of 10s per share will be paid. A quarter of a million sterling will be added to reserve, which is now £5,500,000, leaving £168,645 to be carried forward. Messrs. Buckland and Burns were reelected to the directorate.

Nearly 100,000 boxes of butter are being loaded into tire New Zealand snipping Company’s steamer Turakina at qjueeii’is wnart at Auckland. • This is not the ■ largest amount that has ever Deen loaned here by one vessel, but it is considerably bigger than the usual. Thirteen thousand boxes were picked up at Wellington and lesser amounts at other southern ports. When she sails for New York, Boston, Halifax, London and West of England ports the lurakina will be carrying about 118,500 boxes of butter and 19,000 crates of cheese. © A land agent, in conversation with a Timaru “Herald” reporter, expressed the opinion that sufficient had not been heard of the -group settlement scheme for which the Government had made provision last session. It seemed to him that this was an excellent way by which the land could be more closely and more profitably settled in New Zealand. In liis opinion it wouldbe a mistake to put men on holdings which were too small to produce an adequate living ; 50 acres would be the minimum size of each man’s block. At the present time, the agent said, he was endeavouring to form a syndicate to take up a block of good agricultural land under the group settlement scheme, and at the price the land was available the jjrospectrve settlers should do well on it. Conditions now were not like Those of the boom period, when land could not be bought at its producing value.

The freedom allowed many children nowadays has been exemplified in the recent action of a 14-years-old Auckland schoolgirl, says the “Auckland Herald.’’ Sixteen weeks ago this girl, who is a pupil at a suburban school, obtained a position in a city stationery shop, entirely without the' knowledge of her parents or her school-teacher, j until a day or two ago she managed to keep both in complete ignorance of the work she has been doing. Her parents imagined) she had been spending her time at school and her teacher was under the impression that she had been kept at home. Every morning, beiore leaving home, the girl fill-’ ed her .school-bag with books, according to her usual custom, and every evening she made a pretence of doing homework. At frequent intervals she sent neatly-written and politely-word-ed notes to her teacher, signed in her mother’s name and excusing®her absence Irom school on various plausible grounds. Eventually, however, flic lateness of her return home aroused- her mother’s suspieiions. and a visit to her teacher resulted in the ruse being discovered.