LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 March 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“I am glad that monetary reform is not to be discussed at the forthcoming conference between the Government and farmers,” said Mr A. J. Sinclair at a meeting of the South Auck-land-Dairy Association. “We are exports on farm matters, but very few of us are qualified t-o speak with authority on other matters.”

It is expected the honey crop in Canterbury will be a poor one. Beekeepers report that with the broken weather during the summer the operations of the bees were interfered with. This was especially noticeable from the middle of December until well on in January, the most important period of the honey producing season. An abundance of opossums at the headwaters of the Tamaki stream is reported by Mr J. Anderson, curator to the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society. He said lie recently traversed the Tamaki right from the Ruabines to the golf links on the main Woodville road, and had reports of numerous opossums in those parts. An unusual request was made to the Geraldine County Council by a farmer who waited on the meeting of the council and asked that a line of trees on the boundary between bis property and that of another farmer be felled, as they affected about twelve acres of his best land. The council agreed to write to the applicant’s neighbour and endeavour to make arrangements for the felling of the trees, so that the winter crops might not be affected.

A tour of New Zealand by a debating team from the State of Washington has now been definitely arranged, according to- a- letter received by the Students’ Association of Canterbury College. The tour will be under the direction of the National Union of Students, and Mr M. Joel, of Otago University, has been appointed chairman of the controlling committee. Final arrangements' will ho considered by the new Students’ Association executive.

Made of silk, with the red, white and blue colours of the Mons Star [merging, an elaborate banner has arrived in Auckland from the council of the Old Gontemptibles’ Association in England for use on public occasions by the headquarters of the New Zealand branch. It is intended that the branch should carry the banner at all public functions connected with former servicemen’s organisations. YU branches in England of the Old Gontemptibles’ Association possess similar standards. A consecration service, to which all former servicemen and women will be invited, will be held at Auckland on April 8. Oodlin moth is very prevalent this year in. apple crops in the Whangarei district, and fruit crops generally this season arc considerably below the average of past seasons. 'The early peach crops were very good, but late peaches suffered very much from blight. Nectarine crops generally were a complete failure through the brown rot. One prominent orchardist has cut out all his nectarine trees as a result of the failure of crops in this and past seasons. The prevalence this season of so many pests among fruit crops is attributed to spraying being rendered ineffective through the wet weather.

In connection with the Ngaruawaliia regatta on March 17, when Maori entertainments will be an outstanding feature, the Hallway Department has made arrangements for special fast trains which will enable Taranaki residents to witness the regatta and al?o spend' the week-end in Auckland, l'ares will be at single rates. Particulars are advertised.

■Complete faith in the integrity of the reporters of Christchurch, when given a confidence, was expressed at a meeting at Jiichmond by Air J. Mathison, reports the “Press." The speaker presided at a discussion by the Burgesses’ Association on the old Richmond school site - and its conversion into a playground for the children of the district. He added that never, during his brief public career, had he been “let down" ny a representative of the Press. This view was upnehl by the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, tM.P., who remarked that he had been a journalist and that, although he knew full well the stress and strain of competition, the reporters invariably respected the confidences of all men.

Canterbury and New Zealand lawn tennis has suffered a loss through the departure for Australia of Mr Charles Angas, of Christchurch, twice singles champion of the Dominion. In a letter to friends, in Christchurch Angas .states tha t ’he has - been .playing exhibition matches with Crawford, McGrath and other leading New South Wales players. Angas said that lie considered lie was doing weft to take two or three games a set from Crawford, but in his. first match with McGrath, who- he states is by far the most impressive Australian at the present time, he could not win a game. However, .play in good company is having a beneficial effect on his tennis, and in one exhibition game recently he held set points against McGrath, although losing eventually.

T’fre Waikite geyser at Whakarewarewa was particularly active early this week, throwing up boiling water and steam to a height of about 30 feet every six minutes. This continued from early in the morning until 4.30 p.m., when the geyser became more quiescent. At present Waikite is the largest of the active geysers at Whakarewarewa. and has played almost daily for the past two .years. 'During this time the famous Pohutu geyser has been quiet. It is considered that Waikite has taken the pressure from Pohutu. The formation of a pink terrace is still going on near the Pohutu geyser. The formation is on a rock surface, over which silica-laden boiling water flows to the low r er levels.

“If I had to live in any country other than England, I would choose New Zealand,” said Mr Stuart S. Knox, qf London, general secretary to the Missions to Seamen, to a Christchurch reporter. Mr Knox, who has been visiting missions in Australia and New Zealand, has been impressed with, the beauty of New Zealand, and particularly with the courtesy of its people. Both Mr and Mrs Knox are great supporters of Empire trade, and it is interesting to note that in their opinion New Zealand butter is, with the exception of that made on farms from Jersey cow milk, easily the best obtainable in England. In _ their opinion, it would be a good thing if tariffs were imposed against Danish and especially Soviet butter. Mrs Knox stated that a number of English shopkeepers were surprisingly ignorant of the extent of the Empire. One had tried to sell her goods purporting to be Empire-grown, when in reality they were from California. By customers insisting on Empire goods the shops soon stocked them, and even pushed their sale, she added.