LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 August 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The "Rio Rita" Company, which was I due to return to Hawera in two weeks’ time, has cancelled the visit owing to • inability to secure the Opera House, which is engaged for tlie musical and j elocutionary competitions. It was reported to the meeting of the I Wnnganui-Rangitikei Electric Power * Board on Thursday by the resident engineer (Air IT. Webb) that there was difficulty in Obtaining hardwood poles to carry electric power lines. None had arrived in New Zealand for some months owing to coal strikes aind there was no chance of obtaining any. He suggested the purchase of tubular stool poles from Britain. On the. motion of Air Hope Gibbons, authority was given to purchase whatever steel poles the engineer required. Considerable damage to the newlylaid concrete in Windham Road) at Christchurch was done when a. 20-ton electric battery car, belonging to the Railway Department, crashed through the fence of (lie railway yard air. 6 'o’clock on .Saturday morning and, dropping about two feet, finished, with the fore-carriage right across' the road. The car itself, except for a bent king pin, was undamaged. —Press Assn. The work of improving the grounds at. the Opunake High School is being steadily pushed forward. Already 1000 trees have been planted, and in addition 121- chains of hedges have been planted. When completed the playing area will include two tennis courts and spree for basketball and other games. ..Later football grounds' and a cricket pitch wi.ll be made further back in the paddock. It is the intention of the committee to let 01 acres for cropping and afterwards put the land down in grass. The drive from the main gateway to the school has been gravelled, the spreading being done by the boys. The auxiliary schooner Pareto, which* went ashore on White Island on the night of August 7, arrived at Auckland in tow of the steamer Apninui yesterday morning. The exact extent of damage suffc-red will not be known until the vessel is slipped and an inspection made. At present the ship is known to have torn a hole in its bottom underneath the engine-room by grinding on the racks that lie in numbers on the •floor of Crater Bay and about 20ft of the starboard bulwarks were flattened on to the deck. This has already been partly recti fled.

With the ml vent of the motor age the growth of service stations and "bowsers" has shown remarkable advance in recent years. The idea of giving service to fountain-pen users, ■however, is a new fine. A Wanganui firm of stationers has instituted the first "bowser" for fountain-pens and at this the customer may fill his pen, free of charge, from any of four ink-wells, being given the choice of blue, red, green or purple ink. It is a. novel idea and appears to be a very popular rendezvous. —‘ ‘ Chronicle. ’ ’

Although it was quite a common means of transport in the early days of the Dominion, it is quite an uncommon occurrence to see ni team of bullocks' at work at the present time. But only four miles out front Wanganui there is a team of eight beastsi engaged for eight to ten hours a day in hauling white pine logs from a plantation to 'the main road over low-lying land. These logs are carted to Eastown by lorry and then railed to Palmerston, North to be made into butter boxes (says an exchange). Recently the team spent all afternoon in hauling a log from the plantation to the road, and the lorry driver estimated that, roughly, 1600 feet of timber was l contained in the one log.

There wais no- tender message of, farewell (writes a Sydney correspondent). There was no explanation of a hurried departure. All the nurse found was a pair of silk pyjamas. And that is how George Nepia, the All Black fullback, left; a- Darlinghurst private hospital. The Maori lad'was sent to hospital following the recent match at Annidale. So serious was his condition that he was labelled a pneumonia ease. Nepia was so ill that a nurse was told off to take his temperature every two h-o-u-rs. The full-back did not like thermometers, so he just left. Eventually a distracted nurse heard that, the -footballer had found his way bade to the rest of his mates at the Mansions Hotel—.minus a pair of siLk pyjamas.

Preparations for the departure of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition ships from Dunedin for the frozen south will shortly be commenced (says the ‘‘Otago Daily Times ). The engineers of the Eleanor Bolling are now engaged in overhauling the main engines and other in a- liinery. and the crew of the City of New York are overhauling and renewing the running gear of that vessel. The two shins. which are berthed at Port Chalmers. will be olaced in dry dock later in the year for cleaning and painting. Both vessels will some time in November load full shipments of stores and equipment.. and will sail at the end of November or early in December for the Antarctic. The In Alsatian dogs, which are now located at Mount. Cook will be taken south mi one of the ships. Advice received in Dunedin states that the dogs, under the charge of Mr Allan Tunes Taylor, are doing excellent work at Mount- Cook. They are drawing sledges .loaded with inn-, ferial for row huts on the Tasman I Glacier. Westnwav and Co.’s Winter Clear mice Sale, last few days; final reductions, 20 dozen all-wool Cashmere Hose, six good shades, final reduction, two pairs for 2/11. All remnants halfprice.— Ad vf.

With the coming of spring MeGruer, Bone and Co.. Ltd., have pleasure in announcing their advance showing of smart spring millinery, frocks, jumper suits and also a, display in their showroom of now season’s art silk fabrics and figured spun silks. A visit from the firm’s numerous customers would be welcomed.—Advt.

Some time during the week-end the cowshed on a farm in Denby Road was broken into, and two tins of benzine, intended for nse in the milking plant, are reported to have been stolen.

' A bust of Sir Edward Mitehiclson, president of the Auckland Racing Club, made by Sir Bertram Maielven.no,l, was unveiled ait the Ellers,lie racecourse on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a large crowd, the Mayor, Mr G. Baildou, presiding.

By inadvertence, the part of t he Competitions Festival programme for Friday. August 30, was omitted from the timetable published on Saturday in the “Star. ” This appears to-day and competitors' are asked to carefully study the timetable.

A, Coromandel resident states that he dug new potatoes on June 25 and hros been digging them ever since. Another resident (states an exchange) mentions that she has been picking ripe tomatoes from a plant since last December, and that it is still bearing now.

It is reported that frost was registered at Motiti Island' recently. This is the first time for aJbout 15 yeans that such a low temperature has been experienced on the island (states the Tauran,ga “Times”). Motiti is noted for its equable temperature, this being due to the influence of the wide expanse of sea surrounding the island.

An inspection of the Waikato River was made on Saturday by the Minister of Public Works (Hon, E. A. Ransom). Replying to a request for assistance for a river improvements scheme for the purpose of draining adjacent land, the Minister promised ‘to spend £ISOO on an investigation of the proposals.

The whitebait season so far has not been at all encouraging in 'South Westland. Reports are 'to hand, says a Christchurch exchange, that the mouth of tlic ißig Wanganui River is blocked, and likely to be for a month or two. This river has proved one of Cue best on the West Coast during the past two seasons for the fish. Visitors from all parts of the province, including a jazz band from New Plymouth, are expected to be in attendance at the Hawera Amateur Athletic Cliibus final dance of the season to be liekl in St. Joseph's Hall to-morrow evening. A feature of the programme will be the presentation ot trophies won during the 1928-21) season, the respective winners being the guests of the club.

A notice to the crew of the French cruiser Tourville was posted on board at Wellington, stating that any sailor giving away the little red tuft on the I top of bis cap, known as the “pompom,” would be punished; and furthermore, no further supplies would be sold. It seems that when the ship was at Auckland the fair sex lihd persuaded the “matelots” to part with their “pompoms” as souvenirs, but the authorities decided that a- recurrence should not happen in Wellington. “1 was trying to speak French to some of the sailors, and was doing my best to make them understand me,”

said a man in the ’Wellington Magistrate's Court, when charged with being disorderly while drunk in Willis Street. It wais explained that lie bad been found arguing with sailors from the. cruiser Tourville and causing a disturbance. “You were trying to talk French to them?” asked Mr. E. Page, S.M., with a smile. “Yes, sir; that was all.” said 1 the man. He was fined 10s.

According to Mr R. MeGillivray, Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture, the dairying industry is once again nourishing ini the Murchison district. Mr MeGillivray, who returned to Christchurch last week from the West Coast anil Nelson, stated that the dairy factory at Murchison was being kept busy. The settlers in the Upper Alarum Valley had a grievance, however. Prior to the earthquake some of them haul accepted road widening contracts, in respect of which they had expended capital on tools, which on their return they found had been taken away. Furniture and stores had also disappeared from houses during the refugees’ absence. Mow employment of women in banks trading in New Zealand tends to expand is shown in “The Banker,” organ of the Now Zealand .Hank Officers’ Guild. It was stated that there are nearly 300 women employed on the staffs of the banks. “The ladies have apparently wakened up to the fact that the Guild is worthy of their wholehearted support. Already a committee of their own sex has been formed in Wellington for the purpose of furthering their welfare, and local committees are also being established in other centres.” The journal understands that the women are particularly interested in the subject of superannuation, which was considered at the .recent conference of bank officers.

‘ ‘ lI.D. ’ ’ writes 1 to the Wellington “Evening- Post’’: “The name of Phillip Snowden, the British Chancellor, who is rocking flic earth with a big voice at The Hague- over the ‘Young Scheme’ of modi tied payment of reparations, is not new to New Zealand. He toured this country many years- ago in < the more humble role of plain Mr Phillip Snowden, M.P. Nor docs his Haguo resoluteness give him the only distinction. He has one- to his credit in New Zealand. When -lie reached the inevitable Rotorua, ho was taken to ‘Whakn,’ and there had the- exclusive distinction of being the only ‘man. whoso -car was allowed right 'right up to the lips of the big geyser, then in its halcyon days. Wairoa promptly responded to the invitation ‘to be nice to the gentleman’ and up went >a. hundred feet of spray. Princes, dukes and lords perforce must leave their cars at a distance. The record stands unchallenged. ’ ’

PROTECT IT ! That idea, or yours is worth, protecting; it will be invaluable in other peoples’ houses, on -other peoples’ cars, with other peoples’ radio sets, etc. Heap the profit yourself; don’t let others forestall you. Protect it! Consult Henry Hughes- Ltd. (Directors: W. E. Hughes and ,T. T. Hunter), Registered Patent Attorneys, 157 Eoathe-rston Street. We 1-1 ington.— Advt.

Cutlery imported into Great Britain, including knives, scissors, ordinary razors, safety and other razor blades, carving forks, and knife sharpeners, will in future, with certain exceptions, have to bear an indication of the ,coun- | try of origin. ■‘lie rivals all but Shakespeare’s name.’’ —Campbell. Just as the fame of Shakespeare has never been rivalled in the literary world, so also is Baxter’s Lung Preserver unsurpassed for soothing and remedying coughs, colds, sore throats, influenza, asthma!, bronchitis and all throat and lung complaints. “Baxter’s’’ also possesses unique tonic properties which fortify the sys torn against further trouble" Get a bottle from your chemist or storekeeper to-day. Generous-sized bottle, 2/6; large, economical size, 4/6; bachelor’s size, 1/6. —Advt.

'Owing to a dispute between the Seamen’s Union and A. Ur. Frankham Limited, owners of the auxiliary sehooner Hokianga, the schooner has been declared black and .members of the union are now debarred from signing on the vessel, says a Press Association message from Auckland, The Hokianga carried a crew of eight, including two able seamen and one ordinary .seaman. The dispute is due to the fact That A. G. Frankham Limited are not members of the Shipowners’ Federation and the company will not iwork three seamen on the Hokianga in accordance with an agreement made by the .Shipowners’ Federation and the Seamen’s Union. The latter is not registered under the Arbitration Act and the union cannot c-itc Frank hams to become a party to the agreement. Non-union labour has been engaged to fill the seamen’s positions on the Hokianga. “Deer are going to be the biggest pest that farmers have had to ,put up with,” said Air R. C. Todhunter at a meeting of the Canterbury Sheepowners’ Union. “They arc going to be a bigger pest than rabbits. 1 know a man on the West Coast who has had to abandon his run because of them. Why, I shot two in m y horse paddock the other day, and saw thirty in another paddock. They come after dark, and they’re gone before morning, and unless some drastic steps are taken we’ll be eaten out of house and home. Shooting is not keeping them down. The Government has put a bounty of 2s a tail on them, but it is not enough. They are liable to decrease a run’s carrying f capacity by 50 per cemt. ” 'On Air Tod. hunter’s motion, it was decided to recommend to the executive that the Government be asked to take steps against the deer menace. “With a view to minimising the menace of trout and making a commercial use of eels, I am prepared to catch 50 orl 00 tons of eels and deliver them at the Waingawa Freezing Works at 2jd per lb live weight, in quantities of not less than one ton per day,” said a letter from Air J. B. AlcKenzie, of Masterton, which roused a lively discussion at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. Some members doubted the possibility of securing such numbers of cels, but others stated that at limes it was not possible to walk across the outlet of Lake Wairarapa to the sea without walking on eels, and that the supplies were plentiful enough for the offer to be carried out. It was stated that the market for eels in. Europe was not so good as formerly, but it was decided to refer the matter to the Fish Committee for investigation, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Air A. E. Hefltord) to be consulted in the matter. Opinion was divided as to the extent to which eels were a menace to trout, but all agreed that they were inimical. Not Inna ago the society resolved to spend €209 towards lessening their numbers in (ho district.