LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 4 November 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

H. F. MoLearf, the All Black Rugby forward who for several seasons has oeen playing in representative football for Wellington, arrived in Auckland on Monday, where he will in future reside. He intends playing next season for the Grafton football Club. The investigation of the East Coast Railway construction scheme is complete, and a report has been sent to the Public Works Department in Wellington for consideration and approval. When the department has perused the information submitted, the report will be released by Mr Trevor Smith, ■resident Public Works emgjaieer at Wairoa. Due attention is being given to the revenue-producing possibilities of the line, but the committee of inquir.v will not be in the position of reporting for at least two weeks to the general committee of local bomrep resen tati vc s.

The question whether a certain Auckland commercial company should be permitted to distribute advertising calendars among the pupils of State schools was considered by the Auckland Education Board at a recent meeting, the matter being introduced by a communication from the headmaster of a Waikato school, who sought a ruling on the subject. “At a previous meet-, ing of the board some member stated that advertising papers should go tlirough the post,” remarked Mr A. Burns. Members agreed that although the calendars in question were very useful and contained much valuable information they should not be circulated in schools. It was decided to notify the headmaster accordingly.

“Our Governor-General deserves the thanks of every Now Zealander for his sound advice and the vital interest he takes in the promotion of New Zealand and the Empire's welfare,” said Mr Albert Spencer, president of the Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association, at the annual meeting of the association recently, in commenting upon present world problems. “It is a sign of the stressfulness of the times that Archbishop Avcrill and others of our clergy are courageously calling attention to the pressing need of combating the difficulties tUiat ,afflict civilisation (today;” he added.

' Th© folly of the Great. War, or any I war, was referred to by Sir Joseph. Smith at a recent Auckland luncheon. Tho £8,(XX),000,000 which the war had cost Britain demanded an annual interest of £200,000,000, he said. “Even now there are 2,000,000 workers in England who toil night and day to pay the interest on the cost of the Great War. Every farthing that they earn pours out of the country without the slightest benefit to England.” The absence of a doctor delayed the start of the Hikurangi wrestling tournament this week for nearly half an hour, says the “X.Z. Herald.’’ Under the rules of the New Zealand Wrestling Council, no competitor- is allowed to enter the ring unless a doctor is in attendance. Just as the Hikurangi tournament was about to commence, the doctor who was present was called away to attend to an urgent case. A message was sent by telephone to a doctor in Whangarei, about nine miles away, and he consented to attend. On his arrival the tournament commenced. Advice lias been received by the Canterbury Automobile Association rrom the Greymouth Association that the O'tira Gorge road is again open for traffic. The road was damaged earlier in the year by slips and floods, and a good deal of reconstruction work has oeen necessary. Motorists are warned to exercise caution over culverts on the down grade to Otira. A ford l at Beg Leg Greek, which is shallow in line weather, lias also to bo negotiated. but it is expected that a bridge at this point will bo completed by Christmas time.

In the opinion of Mr T. Weir, of Tokoroa, an honorary ranger of tin Auckland Acclimatisation Society, the recent heavy loss'in trout fry, suffered at the Tokoi-oa hatcheries was due to oil. This was conveyed in a very interesting report sent to the Putaruru branch secretary, Mr G. V. Pearce. “On the evening of October 17,” stated Mr Weir, “Mr E. Stopes and myself went down to the [Kinds to shift the fry from the top pond to the bottom one. I hau not been to the pond for several days, and to my dismay we found that there was a scum of some oily substance floatuijr on the surface of the top pond, and the majority of the fish were dead. How this oil got into the pond I do not know, but the probabilities a.re that someone further upstream had an accident with a drum of oil, as thero are several streams and waterwheels situated iiiot far above the pond, lam firmly convinced that this oil wa.s the cause of the trouble, and not fungus, as has been suggested. L have had experience of what oil can do to fish, and 1 am satisfied that that is what has happened at Tokoroa. An occurrence of this kind can be avoided in future by the introduction of scum boards in the fluming.” The old sport of rounding up wild horses, which was popular in the Waicato and Iving Country hinterland 20 x* 30 years ago was revived last month bv ai party of Ngaroma settlers in tho r~e Awamutu district. Their catch consisted of nine wild horses, which are bo be broken for farm work. In late /ears the waste spaces over which wild horses used to roam have been restrictsd by settlement, and the annual ‘drives” of 20 years ago had reduced die bands ot the outlaws very greatly, .he numbers now- running to hundreds ivhere formerly there were thousands. The Ngaroma hunting party made their catch by setting snares along the -racks known to b© followed by the lorses on the wav to water, and on -rails of escape when startled.

A commercial traveller and his wife iad an unenviable experience in Woodrille the other night (reports the Oannevirke “Evening News”). Deciding to camp out, they parked their ear m tho bank of the Manga-atua Stream nuler the Ngawapurua. bridge, and, naking themselves comfortable on the ar seats, went to sleep. So soundly lid they repose that they did not hear ;he rain, and when they awoke it was jo find the stream swollen to such an •xtent that water was lapping round die doors. The marooned traveller .vaded ashore with his wife, then erried his samples to a dry spot. The> jar was later towed out.

According to Mr G. H. Holford, fclio country that is the greatest unenace co New Zealand’s dairying industry is AustraJia. Mr Holford, when speaking at a meeting of the Canterbury Progress League recently, said that Australia had from three to four times as much available dairying land as had New Zealand. Australia had never worried about dairy produce, because she made her money m wool. But now Australian farmers are taking an interest in the industry and .u the last two years dairy produce exports had doubled. If this went on, .t would bring a definite" menace to New Zealand.

The Post and Te'Jegraph Departmen at the present time is engaged improving the lighting in Christchurch telephone booths. Following complaints concerning the dull illumination in the boxes, the engineering oranch of the Department carried out experiments, and devised means by which improvements could be made with safety. A grill which obstructed a good deal of the light is being re moved from the ceilings of the boxes and equipment is being installed so that the light is not intercepted. Eighty out- of about, one hundred booths in the city and suburbs require attention, but it is expected that the work will be completed in a week or so. Small boys on bicycles are apt to keep other people on the jump, says the “Christchurch Times.” They are no respecters of the law or persons, as Mr Lincoln Ellsworth, the noted American explorer, has learned. While walking in Cathedral Square he stepped off the footpath to cross the road into Worcester Street Elast, and had no sooner done so than he had to step back a, pace hurriedly to avoid a diminutive boy cyclist who whizzed past his arm at express speed. An inch or so closer would have brought boy, bicycle and explorer down in a heap. Mr Ellsworth looked after the boy and smiled in good humour. The boy looked back and glared as though no man had a right to step on to the road on which he wa-. cycling. Ho did not realise that he had come within a few inches of! knocking down a’ noted explorer, and possibly delaying an expedition to Antarctica.

Owing to the stringent health regulations governing the Port_ of London, not one epidemic has been imported from overseas in the past 20 years. McGIItTER, BONE & CO.. LTD., • LEAD EOR KNITTING WOOLS 1 We are making a very special feature of Knitting Wools this season, having created a new wool department. We are sole Hawera agents for '‘Ladyship” Woole. See the “Ladyship Konort,” Dd ideal mixtures for men’s and boys’ cardigans, socks, etc. We specialise in “Aotea” 7sd 4-ply Wool, having 56 different shades and mixtures. “Egn.ont” special at 6d and McGruer “Wonder” Wc )1 at 4Jd skein. We have the selection o Wools in the pioviv.ee.- Advt.