LOCAL AND PERSONAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 9 January 1931, Page 9

LOCAL AND PERSONAL

Two overseas ships at present at New Plymouth, the Huntingdon (10,951 tons) and tho Port Fairy (8021 tons), both of which arrived direct trom overseas ports, appear remarkably fine vessels. The Port Fairy, which is visiting New Plymouth for the first- time, is"a new vessel, as she made her maiden voyage early last year. »he is a sister .ship to the Port Alma. The Federal Line steamer Huntingdon was constructed in Germany in 1920.

The fortnightly parade of the Oliawe Troop Legion of Frontiersmen was held on Thursday evening in the Scouts’ Hall at Hawera, with Lieut. Stevenson in charge. Three new members were admitted to the legion by ballot. It was decided to have a Legion outing on January 18. Arrangements were made for membeis and* friends to leave the Scouts Hall at 10 a.m. for the Knupokonui beach.

According to Mr W. P. Kirkwood, of Svdnev, who was formerly Mayor of Stratford, “it is claimed that the dairying industry is shrinking in Australia. There is rich land in that country that will grow almost _ anything, and can be dairied on without manures, but there are large areas giving poor returns and sadly in need of heavy manuring. The New Zealand farmers on small farms carrying on mixed farming are very well off compared with the small farmer in Australia. Farmers who have visited the Dominion and inspected the farms here frankly admit that the New Zealanders are a long way ahead of Australians in their knowledge of the use of manures for production or grass and in their methods of rotational grazing. A drawback in the constituents of Australian soil is the absence of lime.”

A hitherto unknown Maori burial cave was discovered by a party of anglers, on the, reach of the Waikato River below Atiamuri during the Christmas holidays. This part of the river is little known owing to its in-1 accessibility. The fisherman has also neglected this reach on account of the banks being so overgrown as to make fly-fishing difficult, while the strong current militates against the use of boats The cave, which contained six skulls was a small natural one, enlarged slightly and carefully walled over in front. ' The history of the caveis unknown to the loc£#i Maoris and their legends make no mention of it. J Commencing about noon on "Wednesday, the Whangarei district experienced an electric storm which lasted until 6p.m. Vivid 1 flashes of lighting, accompanied by heavy peals of thunder, came intermittently throughout the i afternoon and exceptionally heavy showers fell. The downpour was so heavy that the sreet drains were quite unable to cope with the water, which in sveral low-lying points covered the pavements and footpaths. Over hall-ati-indi of rain iefj in the first shower, and the total recorded from noon to 6p.m. was 1.35 in. Proof of the assertion that gardenI ing is the recreation of the home-keep-ing women of Christchurch lies in the fact that at least 65 per cent, of the exhibitors at the Canterbury Horticultural Society’s .Show are women, state® the “City Beautiful.” And roses are their speciality. Of the 86 competitors at the annual Rose Show, 30 had never shown before, and the majority of these were' women. Women, say th officials are, bringing back the true amateur spirit. “May I repeat what I hove often said before,” said the headmistress ofi St. Outhbert’s College, Auckland, at the “breaking-up” ceremony, “that the girls whose parents allow them to do as they please are not the happiest. Parents should be ready to guide and influence their children instead of indulging them. Let your girls stay at school if possible until they have had at least a year of post-matriculation work, or until they are 17 or 18. No .school is able to do much with giEs who are allowed to- go to many parties and pictures; they are mentally and ohysieally exhausted, ancl are not in the- right frame of mind to concentrate on their work.”

“There will certainly be few openings in the Indian Army for officers of the New Zealand Forces who may be retired as the result of the retrenchment which, I understand, is now being carried out,” said Lieut.Colonel R. F. S. Beyts, an officer with 39 years’ service in India, who arrived at Auckland by the Niagara in the course of a world tour ' (reports flic “New Zealand Herald”). Colonel Beyts has just started on two years’ accumulated leave, after which he will retire. He said yesterday that the army in India was fully staffed, and when he left a proposal to retire captains with 16 years’ service was being considered.