LOCAL AND PERSONAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 15 January 1931, Page 9

LOCAL AND PERSONAL

Sir Arthur Duckham has been nominated as deputy-president of the Federation, of British Industries by the grand council with a- view to his succeeding Sir James Lithgow as president in 1932, states a- London cable.

At a meeting of the Wanganui unemployment committee, on Wednesday, several applications were received for work in and about the city, and ap a result of these sixty day’s, work was allocated. The Mayor (.Mr. _\\ . J. Rogers) recently handed in £l7 6s 3d, being three weeks of his honorarium, and this sum lias been subsidised by a like amount, so that 49 men will be given work consisting of gardening and scrub and gorse-cutting in the city. These men will be picked to-morrow morning at the labour bureau. A further _ grant of £2OO under the No. 2 unemployment relief scheme has been approved. Industrious, honest, methodical, and reliable, the Chinese may be said to possess many of the qualities of tlie hardy pioneers, for in the outback places of New Zealand and Australia they may be found on station or mining' held cheerfully performing work that few in cities and towns would care tef undertake (says the “Southland News”). Members of the Southland Tramping Club who spent their Christmas and New Year holidays in the vicinity of Lake Wakatipu, on one of their trips travelled the mountainous country over which runs the large water race of the Nokomai Sluicing Company, approximately 28 miles in length. ” Much of it passes through rugged country which requires constant vigilance to see that any weaknesses in the banked-up side are immediately repaired, while over the gullies encountered the water passes through a big pipe-line. Jn order to ensure safety the race is patrolled daily by Chinaman stationed some eight miles apart, and it was in their homes that the visitors found an especial interest. Each man has his own habitation, which consists of a clay structure with primitive fireplaces, and neatly divided into three or four compartments. These humble homes were found to be scrupulously clean. Neatly stacked in the kitclien on either side of the fireplace was the winter supply of fuel. These hardy Chinese, one of whom appeared to be approaching the century, carry their supplies in large bundles suspended at the end of a bamboo rod placed on the shoulder, and the weight of the goods they transported over this rough country at a jog-trot amazed some of the visitors.

A peeular incident happened on a suburban green the other clays (writes “Measurer” in the Dunedin “Evening Star”). It was in a handicap doubles, and when the last head was played A lay two shots (game, 2 up), and did not play his last .bowl for fear of disturbing' the head. On shaking hands with his opposing skip and condoling with him on losing, he was met with the staggering announcement that he (B) had not lost, but won, since he had a handicap of three. I understand there were words imputing unsportsmanshp, and the matter was referred to the Ties Committee. On the face of it’l should think players ought to make themselves conversant with their handicap, which should he the first entry cm the score hoard. The committee evidently thought the same, for no action was taken.

Postal packets containing matches •often cause trouble for the officials of the Post Office. It does not seem to be generally realised, says the Christf-Riirch “Press” 1 hat the sending through the mails of any isort of matches, whether they are “safeties” or any other kind, is absolutely prohibited under the postal regulations. One postman received a nasty reminder of the fact that the regulations are not always observed when a small packet slipped from bis hands as he was delivering it last week and burst into flames when it bit- the ground. When the parcel was opened it was found to contain a box of some hundreds of fancy matches. Had it ignited while it was in a mail-bag, it might have caused considerable damage to other postal matter.