LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 3 May 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A kitten which lives in a wild state near the giant kauri in Waipoua forest, .North Auckland, aroused the interest of the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. Bitchener, when travelling from Dargaville to Opononi at the week-end. A note on a small box at the side of the road asks motorists to leave food for the kitten. The little animal, which was shy of persons wishing to approach it, was well provided for, there being ample milk and food placed in the box. “The problem of technical education in this country should not .be left) in the hands of professional educationists,” said Air H. G. Hidling, director of the Wellington . Technical College, in addressing Kotavians on Tuesday. “They are too- interested in education for its own sake to appreciate the importance of results. It should, howver, receive the serious consideration and ready assistance of. aIL manufacturers, industrialists and commercial men who use the products of the system.” “J can’t get- much of a kick out of the Douglas credit system,” said the Minister of Finance, the Hon. J. (J. Coates, in reply to a question at Pa.pakura on Monday evening. “While I -recognise that its advocates are entirely sincere, it seems to me it does not take into account factors that cannot he disregarded in the realm of economics. Actually, it seems to- mo absolute nonsense.” In the course of bis visit last week to the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s works at Belfast, Sir Fkrtnund Vos toy inspected the canning room, where he asked permission to take over the soldering iron from the workman who was closing up the tins o? sheep’s tongues. Sir Edmund finished off a; dozen tins in quite good time. Ho confided to the impressed workman that his record for one day was 8000 tins. ‘‘Was it piecework, 6ir,” ho was asked.

’ A winter cruise to the ' Islands is being arranged by the Union Steam Ship Company leaving Auckland about August 7 and calling at Friendly Islands, Samoa, Niiiafoou Island. Levuka and Suva, and returning to Auckland about August 23. The steamer used will be the Marama, which has already established herself a favourite cruise steamer, and the fares will range from £25 upwards. That England had more sheep than New Zealand was a statement that amazed many persons, declared Mr. S. G. Holland, president of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, when he spoke to Canterbury College commerce students recently. The speaker stated that ho had recently been to a talking picture in which a Hollywood actor announced that ho was coming to New Zealand to buy a sheep farm. “You see, even in Hollywood we are regarded as sheep farmers,” said Mr. Holland. “So we have millions of sheep, but England has more than we have.”

The Union Company’s steamer Katoa, which has been sold to Moller and Company, Shanghai, and which is now in Wellington prior to leaving tor British North Borneo, has been renamed the Winifred Moller. Several other Union Company ships have been sold to Moller and (Company after lengthy service in New Zealand waters. The Karori, disposed of in July, 1928, has been named the Katie Moller ; the Kauri, sold' in November, 1928, the Minnie Moller; and the Kurow, sold last year, the Mabel Moller. It is not known definitely when the Winifred Moller will leave Wellington, but her departure will not be until next week at the earliest.

A request to permit a horse, with tin can attached, to bo driven along Gladstone Road was refused by flic Gisborne. Borough Council last week, when a letter couched as follows was read: “Being a ratepayer of the her. ough and a well-known person capable of "handling horses, I wish i;o demon, strati* the handling of a horse which is supposed to be nervous, so I ask your kind permission to drive a horse in harness through tbe main street with a benzine tin tied to its tail. .1 wish you to give this your kind consideration. as I am thereby able to make a rise, which would bo a great help to me in these days of depression.”

“It is well known that graziers and farmers in country districts are continually having trouble of this kind.” said Sergeant J. W. Classen, of Port Ahuriri, when two young men appeared in the Napier Police iSourt on charges of stealing two turkeys. The evidence showed that the accused had shot at the bijrds, killing .them and taking them away with them in their car. Sergeant Classen said that one Te Politic property owner this season had had a whole flock of 20 turkeys shot in this manner. He considered that it would be advisable, if the Court thought fit, to issue a warning that this class of offence was definitely theft.

For the first time since the establishment of the mission at Putiki, near Wanganui, over 9Q years ago, a Maori clergyman has been appointed to take charge of the work. This is the Rev , Patehana Kokiri, who was introduced to a gathering in Moutoa Gardens last week by Canon W. G. Williams. The Eisv. Mr Kokiri was stationed for many years in the Waiapu diocese, and before going to Putiki was in the Wai-rara-paj district for 15 years. An enjoyable evening was .spent at the Old People’s Home,*Hawera, on Tuesday night, when Ensign Armstrong, of the Havvera Salvation Army Corps, with a party of. about 40 artists, including the Eltharn Salvation Army Band and -songsters with Adjutant Parkinson, rendered an excellent programme. There were elocutionary items, vocal and instrumental numbers, recitations, and readings and the playing and singing of old songs. At the conclusion Ensign Armstrong thanked Mrs and Mr Rastall, the matron and manager, for their courtesy in making it possible for the programme to bo given. Mr Rastall replied, thanking the visitors for the evening’s entertainment. A. full-sized skeleton was found recently on the DenJair Road. Fordell (Wanganui), by Mr T. Carroll, an employee of Mr E. M. Cranstone. The discovery was made when Mr Carroll was removing spoil. The bones were taken to the police station. An old Wanganui resident states that many years ago a man committed, suicide on iiisv.property and was buried' there, tmd it is possible that this may be tlie skeleton- of the unfortunate victim. The custom of appointing a large number of vice-presidents has _ been discontinued by most societies in recent years, but something -like a local record- must have been created by the former Canterbury (New Zealand) Gladiolus Society at its annual meeting in Christchurch last week, when it elected 25 vice-presidents. The reason for so many more or less honorary officers was not the usual one of the subscriptions they might be expected to give, however, hut that the societydecided to change its name to “New Zealand Gladiolus Society” and it was desired to add to the list of officers gladioli growers from all parts of the Dominion.

“Whale tails, and gale tales” might well have been the title of a “yarn” w T hich was spun, for the benefit of a gathering of the Shiplovers’ Society of Victoria recently. Mr C. Hutchnison, an old seafarer,'gave an excellent- illustrarior. of competitive story telling, which is chief among the seaman’s recreations, and the taller the story the greater the merit. “The winds of Sou’-West Cape,” said one seaman, beginning the competition, “are so cold that they become lazy—they don’t, bother to blow round you, they blow through you.” The Cape Horn man sniffed. He had known winter weather off the Horn when boiling water had to be poured on to the blocks before tackle would run; when the barometer had developed' pneumonia; and when a seaman', chewing his quid) of tobacco, spat —as spit he must —and the juioo had remained frozen in mid-air! A quick-witted interjector had put in an awkward question about the law of gravity. “Oh, that!” isaid the Cape Horn man, “the weather was so cold that even filie law of gravity was frozen over!” A Div-er,pool man who had weathered a winter olf the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, near Bell Island’, was not to be outdone by his whaling shipmates. “I had turned in one night and was reading in my bunk by candlelight,” he declared. “A mate called to me to ‘douse the glim.’ I blew hard at the candle flame,, but without result —it was frozen stiff, and I had to break it off at the wick before it would go out!” In order to celebrate the 1 winning for the second year in succession of the Taranaki Ritual Cup. the Loyal Union .Lodge, Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, at its fortnightly meeting held at Ilawera last Tuesday, decided to bold a. social and dance at the Scouts’ Hall. Hawera, on Wednesday, May 23. All Taranaki lodges will be invited and a strong committee lias been formed to ensure the success of the functiop.