LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 24 February 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Every evening commencing front tomorrow the performance at the Opera House, Hawera, will start at 8 o’clock sharp. The principal (Mr A. Gray) reported 1 to the High School Board last evening that the various earthquakes had caused a few more small cracks in the walls of the school buildings. An inspection had been made but the damage was negligible. The Awapuni (Palmerston North) racecourse camp, which has dealt with upwards of 500 refugees during the evacuation period, will probably be closed on Wednesday. One hundred refugees are proceeding to Stratford today. There are still 1100 at the showgrounds. The numbers are gradually being diminished.

“The examination results were satisfactory. except that I am of opinion that, a, Taranaki Scholarship should have been granted to Audrey Harding, who obtained credit in the University Scholarship examination,’’ reported the principal of the Hawera High School at n. meeting of the- board last evening. A mass meeting of civil servants was held at Oamaru last night to discuss the recent statement of the Prime Minister. Members of the Press and Mr .T. A. MaePherson, member of Parliament, for Oamaru, were excluded from the meeting, and at the conclusion of the discussion it was intimated that there was no communication to be made to the Press.

“It is not generally known that parents in. necessitous circumstances may obtain school books for their children free of charge on application to the headmaster,” stated Dr. Thomson at the meeting of the Hawera High School Board last evening. Provision was. also made, added the principal, to supply free hooks to refugee children.

The Kiwi Rebekah Lodge is lidding a dance in aid of earthquake relief funds on Wednesday next. A reminder to members and invitation holders apyears on page one of this issue. i

Reporting to the Hawera High School Board last evening, the principal (Mr A. Gray) stated that the present roll was 300, a slight increase over last year. The numbers in the various classes were: Literary 121, commercial 111, home science 20, agriculture 12, engineering 36. Of the total, 106 were first-year students and five were exXapier pupils.

Owing to the number of Hawera unemployed and also people from tine Hawke’s Bay district who are being accommodated at present at the Ohawe beach, the attendance at the Tokaora Schools has considerably increased, the roll number now being 46, The Education Department ha® approved of the appointment of a temporary assistant at the school and a teacher from the Hawke’s Bay district who was out or employment owing to the earthquake has been appointed to the position. When the Niagara reached Auckland fi'om Vancouver yesterday further particulars were obtained of the accident to the vessel at Vancouver, where she collided with the wharf. The accident occurred in a dense fog, the, collision twisting the upper part of the steamer’s stem. The impact was slight, but the weight of the vessel caused damage costing £ISOO. Repairs were made at Vancouver. The pilot was in charge at the time. A meeting was held in Eltham last evening to arrange the united festivals by the Hawera, Eltham and Stratford Salvation Army bands, the first of which is to be held in Hawera on March 29 and 30. The following were present: Hawera, Ensign Prince, Bandmaster Zinsli and Secretary J. Dowdle; Eltham, Secretary Penhall; Stratford, Ensign Duggan, Bandmaster Elliott and Secretary Baker. What is claimed to be the largest single furrowed plough in the Southern Hemisphere is now being used at Boys’ Flock House at Bulls. The plough, w r hich is drawn by a tractor, leaves a furrow three feet wide and 18 inches deep. By the use of this plough it is claimed that, land worth £5 an acre is being increased in value to £4O an acre. The costs from standing gorse to seed bed are but £5 10s an acre. Four hundred acres of river flat covered with gorse has been treated in the past two years, while an area of 1000 acres is still awaiting treatment. Greatly increased solar activity is reported by G-. V. Hudson, Harori. There is "a very extensive group of sun spots 130,000 miles long by 50,000 miles wide visible at present on the sun’s western hemisphere. For the next two days this gigantic group should be clearly visible to the naked eye provided care is taken- to look through smoked or coloured glass. The largest spot of the group measures about 50,000 by 40,000 miles. It is surrounded by a very large irregular umbra and traversed by several incomplete bridges. There are two very large spots in this group and many smaller ones. Another extensive group of ,spots, 80,000 miles long, and two smaller groups, aro visible on the sun’s eastern hemisphere. Whether a cricket team from the Dominion will visit England this year will he decided at the meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council at Christchurch to-morrow night. A meeting of the New Zealand Cricket, Ltd., which is financing the tour, will also be held in Christchurch the same evening. A report to be presented at the meeting shows that the total number of shares (£1) allotted is 4016, of which 3561 are paid up to 10s and 130 up to £l. Calls have not been paid on the remaining 325. The total cash receipts are £l9lO 10s, and of this amount £502 10s has been used as deposit on fares to England. Preliminary expenses have accounted for £sl 7s' 4d, selectors’ expenses £75 9s [3d, secretarial fees £37 3s 8d and other expenses £lO 2s 2d. The sum of £IOOO has been placed on deposit at call, and is earning 4£ per cent interest per annum. Additional shares have been taken up since the report was prepared.