Local and General

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 18 September 1934, Page 4

Local and General

Relief work for this week was allocated to 142 Hawera registered unemployed—l 4 A class men, 78 B and 50 C class men.

Only one building permit was issued in Hawera during the month of August and that in connection with proposed alterations to a dwelling involving an expenditure of approximately £SO.

A cheque for £3l from the proceeds of “My Lucky Star” Art Union has been received by the At ay or of Hawera (Mr J. E. Campbell) to be devoted to the funds of the Hawera Citizen’s Relief Committee.

While working at a milking machine turbine at Riverlea on Sunday Tom Hodgson, the 15-year-okl son of Captain W. S. Hodgson, became entangled in the belt and had both arms broken as well as the third finger of the left hand badly lacerated. The injured boy was taken to Kaponga Hospital where he was treated by Dr. J. I. Gray. The finger had to be amputated. Appreciation of the satisfactory manner in which the King Edward Park tea kiosk had been conducted during the past twelve months by Airs C. S. Pearce was expressed by T members of the Hawera Borough Council last evening. It was resolved that Airs Pearce be granted a renewal of her tenancy at: a: reduced rental of £2.

The fact that the Stratford Winter Show Association was considering the erection of a show building was revealed by the Mayor, Air J. W. Alcmillan at a meeting of the Stratford Borough. Council last evening. The association, he added, wished to know if the council, which had already offered a section in Miranda. Street for this purpose at a nominal rental, would be prepared to make the section next to the town hall available on th© same terms. It was pointed, out that the plans for the new building would have to be submitted to the council for approval..

Approximately 500 tons of sodium chlorate were used for the control of ragwort during the season 1933-34, according to the report of the Department of Agriculture. In spite of this -and the fatft that the Unemployment Board’s No. 11 scheme had been made available, there appeared to have been little headway made in the control of this noxious weed. Many individual farms had been cleared and kept clear, but there were many others that were worse than they were in the previous year. Other noxious weeds, particularly blackberry, gorse, broom and Californian thistle, were still very much in evidence in different parts of the Dominion.

Firms operating motor transport services on long-distance routes and competing with Hawera carriers in the matter of local delivery was a subject fully ventilated before the Transport Licensing Authority at Wanganui recently. At the monthly meeting of the Hawera Borough Council last night it was reported that a deputation of carriers had been before the general committee at an earlier meeting and asked that “through.” carriers who desired to deliver locally be subjected to licensing. The council decided before- taking any action to refer the matter to the borough solicitor for a report.

The necessity for having two windscreen wipers fitted to all cars was emphasised by Air F. W. Johnston, president of the South Island Motor Union, at a meeting of the union last week. Mr Johnston said that motorists should be compelled by law to have a wiper on the left as well as the right side of the windscreen. “If they cannot afford them, they can give up motoring and push wheelbarrows,” he added. It was stated that in Australia wipers were compulsory by law, but that in New Zealand there was no law on the subject. Air Johnston said he intended to advocate two wipers at the annual meeting of the union, and members agreed that on wet nights especially two wipers were essential. In the “London Letter” contributed to the September issue of the quarterly Art in New Zealand appears an interesting reference to two pictures which have recently come into the possession of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. After commenting upon the improved tone of the picture market the writer goes on to observe, “At an auction sale of the picture collection of: the late Loi*d Faringdon prices were really encouraging. Even BurneJones paintings were in demand. ‘Six Angels of the Creation’ fetched £B6O, and a water-colour-drawing, ‘Spes’ was quitted at £230. ‘Sir Galahad’ (G. F. Watts) was sold for £B2O, and the same usually unwanted painter’s ‘The Eve of Peace’ for £260.”

American postage stamps continue to live up to their reputation for variety, while New Zealand' philatelists wait patiently for the new issue of Dominion stamps that have been promised these many years. Four new American stamps have arrived in the Dominion and one cannot fail to notice the attractiveness of design and excellence of the engraving. The new stamps mark a return to the pictorial instead of the usual portrait type. On four stamps are depicted scenes of the Yosemite Valley, Grand Canyon of Arizona, Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone Park, and an historical scene commemorating the tercentenary of Wisconsin. Mel- j bourne Centenary stamps have already made their appearance and arc eagerly sought by collectors in other parts of the world.

During the recent test conducted by local bodies throughout. New Zealand in connection with the Transport Department to increase the efficiency of brakes and headlights on cars, the borough inspector at Hawera (Mr L. Hunt) spent an average of three hours a day for seven days on the roads at various intersections and stopped a. total of 613 vehicles. Olf these 415 had checks of efficiency (either receipts or “stickers”) and 177 could produce neither. Thirty-one car brakes were tested, and only five were found in bad condition. These had since been attended to. During the month a total of over 700 discs were issued.

One ease of an infectious disease (puerperal fever) occurred in the Hawera borough during the month of August. When notified the necessary steps were taken by the borough inspector (Air L. Hunt) to check the spread of infection.

Concussion and abrasions were suffered by Kara Alira, a farm labourer, aged 18, when he was thrown heavily from liis motor-cycle late yesterday afternoon on the Alataugarara Hoad, near Hawera. After being attended by Dr. H. D. Cameron, Aiira was admitted to the Hawera public hospital. Enquiries at the hospital to-day elicited the information that his condition was satisfactory".

Alany visitors to Hawei'a, have paid warm tribute to. the Women’s National Reserve for the splendid manner in winch, the Syme Alemorial Rlest Room in the water tower grounds is maintained. At the monthly meeting of llie Hawera Borough Council last evening the Alayor (Air J. E‘. Campbell) produced a visitors’ book kept at the rooms wherein appeared many references to their restfulness and comfort and the pleasant nature 'of the surroundings in which they" were located.

Stock slaughtered at the Hawera municipal abattoirs during the month of August included 11 bullocks, 77 cows, 59 heifers, 316 sheep, 14 lambs, :7 calves and 103 pigs. Fees collected amounted to £96 7s 6d, being £1 10s 6d more than in same month last year. The total fees for current financial year were £3 2s 3d in excess, of those for corresponding period last year.

The Taranaki team to compete at the New Zealand boxing championships at Hastings this week left by car this morning. The team comprises J. Jarvis (lightweight), F. Hutchens (welterweight), both of Hlthain, and C. Cordon, and V. Gordon of Patea, bantam and featherweights. Mr A. H. Guy accompanied the team as manager, with Mr Pen Johnson as the masseur. Other members of the association will leave during the day.

It is proposed to instal a gas caliphont at the King Edward Park motor camp for the supply of hot water to camping parties on the penny-in-the slot principle of payment. Details of the installation have yet to he finalised by the Hawera Borough Council. Last evening the council decided to ask the park caretaker to supply’ a monthly return of campers “under canvas” at the camp site and the approximate length of each party’s stay in the town.

It may have been broadness of accent that was responsible for considerable amusement at a meeting of the Hawera Debating Society last evening. In the course of a debate, one member intended to say “Because a person can’t spell properly, it doesn’t make him any worse an engineer.” In view of the fact that a Hawera clergyman was acting as judge the substitution of the word “parson” for “person” caused no little astonishj merit-, which was followed by laugh--1 ter when the true significance of the 'statement was realised.

The result of the voting at the Auckland Horticultural Society's show to find out the most popular native flower for a national emblem of New Zealand was in favour of the kowhai flower. Details of the voting are as follow: Kowhai, 265; clematis, 227; manuka, 161); pohutukawa, 112; rata, 37; fern leaf, 22. Several people wrote comments on their voting cards, one of which was, ‘‘ As the fern, leaf was good enough for our hoy’s to fight under, please leave it.” Another voter wrote, “A ridiculous idea, as the public is no judge of a native flower.” Members of the Pukekohe Horticultural Society voted differently from the visitors to the Auckland show. This week they’ were invited to record their votes for a national flower, and the voting resulted: Clematis, 26; kowhai, 10; pohutukawa, 9; rata, 7; manuka, 3.

Book issues to subscribers of the Hawera municipal library in the month of August totalled 6963 to 6271 adults and 692 juveniles, compared with 7162 to 6350 adults and 812 juveniles during the corresponding month last year. The number of subscribers enrolled totals 752 as against 770 and the receipts £sl 14s 8d compared with £47 15s lid.

An arrangement between tlie Reserves Committee of the Hawera Borough Council and the curator of the Christchurch city gardens has been entered into for the exchange of plants suitable to Taranaki and Canterbury conditions respectively. Already Hawera has forwarded choice spraxia bulbs from King Edward Park and in return the Christchurch curator has supplied a very lengthy list of shrubs and plants from which the Reserves Committee is invited to make a selection. It was mentioned at last night’s meeting of the Hawera Borough Council that last year the committee exchanged plants with a Palmerston North nurseryman, to the advantage of both and added variety to the beauties of King Edward Park. “Hawera homo nursing teams nobly upheld their reputation and in the recent contest retained the Collins Cup for another year. It was a splendid performance and I am sure we are all •very pleased at the result,” said the Mayor (Mr J. E. Campbell) at last night’s meeting of the Hawera Borough Council. His remarks followed the receipt of a letter from Miss Ellen Hunt who thanked the council on behalf of the Voluntary Aid Detachment of the Hawera Red Cross Society for its donation towards the cost of entertaining the visiting teams.

On the. last Sunday in June 30,000 railway men were employed in counting all the railway wagons in Britain. Before the count was made it was estimated that there were 705,000 railwayowned wagons, and 700,000 privatelyowned, .mainly belonging to collieries. Altogether 51,000 miles of railway were to be patrolled and the enumerators were to count not only the wagons, but also the railway-owned tarpaulin sheets with which many were covered. Thousands of forms had to be filled up, and when all the figures were available it was to he the work of the Railway Clearing House to equalise the rolling stock between the various railway groups. It was known that a large number of wagons had been working ion systems to which they did not. belong. Some 360,000 tarpaulin sheets liad ta be accounted for.