Local and General

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 15 June 1935, Page 4

Local and General

During the year tlio Main.' Highways Board declared 29 miles 35 chains of new highways in the No. 7 district it was reported at the annual meeting ot the council at Stratford yesterday. 1 lie mileage of main highways in the district are: Rustless 3X5 miles 72 chains, gravel or macadam 137 miles 62 chains, clay 11 miles 56 chains, a total of 46-5 miles 30 chains.

The Hawera Astronomical Society held its monthly meeting this week when the director (Mr G. if. Townsend) gave an address entitled, “The Microscopic World.” The lecturer introduced his subject with the aid of diagrams and illustrations on the screen, starting with the lowest known forms of life, and following these up with projections of microscopic organ ismjs through a high power microscope. The address was appreciated by the members and a wish was expressed that -Mr Townsend continue this subject at a later date.

To a Government short of finance, the money in the road fund presented an almost irresistible temptation, said Mr W. Morrison, a member of the, Main Highways Board, at a sitting of the No. 7 District Highways Council at Stratford yesterday. Nevertheless, the practice was one that should be checked, ho said. The board did not receive its money directly from taxation. The Government collected the money and allocated it, to the board after the board had submitted its estimates for maintenance and construction. Where all rccpiests could not be met it was necessary that application for roads lo bei declared highways should be made in order of preference. Naturally every county wished to press its own claims as far as possible but it was the prerogative of the council to decide in general which lengths had the strongest claims, and in that respect the council will be guided by the chairman, Mr P. Keller, district public, works engineer, who could take an impartial attitude. In this issue, Army Stores, Auckland 'and Christchurch, advertise a full list of their sale attractions.

‘‘There is one great hoon to consuls who are accredited to British countries,” said Mr W. F. Boyle, United States Consul, speaking at the annual dinner of the Auckland Consular Corps. ‘‘They have no need to trouble when a fellow-citiiten falls into the meshes of the law, for they know that he will receive British justice, than which there is none better in the world.”

“Outwardly great changes are taking place in Turkey,” said Mr J. T. Jack, of Christchurch, on his return from an extensive tour abroad. “Mustapha Kemal appears to be worshipped by the people and there is no question that he has their whole-hearted support in' carrying out his reforms. He has introduced many outstanding reforms, including universal education, the teaching of English as a compulsory subject in the schools, equality of the sexes, a new alphabet, and has abolished the fez. The life of the people has been changed. I was told by a prominent Turkish business man that the President intended to make Turkey a nation.”

“Why not tell them to plaster one of their flat rates over the crack in the wall,” suggested a member of the Makerua Drainage Board when a request was received from the Horowlienua County Council for repairs to a leaky concrete wall. It is not so long since the council abolished the riding system in favour of flat rating over the county.

Apparently not every member of the family is capable of making purchases by auction. The other day a large number of cars were drawn up outside a Palmerston North residence where a clearance sale was in progress. In one vehicle r ‘hubby” sat in gaping resignation while his wife caught the auctioneer’s eye inside. In another it was just the reverse; in a third it was only the dog left behind with eyes glued lugubriously to the window.

With the little army of prospective “All Blacks” as guests, the Wellington Grand Hotel has been a centre of attraction for football enthusiasts during the last day or two. Players, wearing blazers .or scarves, may be seen passing in and out of the hotel, discussing the chances of the trip at the doors, examining football boots and other gear, and meeting Meliington friends of recent or remote date. All the talk is of the trial games and the chances of selection. All are keen to go, but they know that “many are called but few are chosen.”

A general election means additional work for many i>oople, but members of the Justice Department and the Post and Telegraph Department are the first to feel the pressure. Since the rolls were opened some time ago, the staff at the Hawera Courthouse lias dispatched no fewer than SOOO inquiries as to residence, as well as 600 objections, all of which are of course handled by the postal officials. So far replies have been received to about one-third of the notices. Should the remainder fail to reply, the persons concerned will be liable to an objection being lodged against their names remaining on the roll. The work may be tedious and officials this morning woro apprehensive of a last-minute rush because of the well accepted procrastination of the general public. Nevertheless, the work has its brighter moments as witness a recent reply which was addressed to “the manager, electric roll list.” How many New Zealanders, who do not live in or near Little Manly, know that such a place exists and has its own interest in the moods of Mussolini and in the prospective battles of the All Blacks? Well, if the curious look at the new" “Locality Guide,” a 25-pagc section of th<? latest issue of the Bailwavs Timetable, they will see that Little Manly is actually near the railway station of Kaupakakapa, which is 43 miles from Auckland. There is a big Manly, too, although it does not officially call itself big. It is content with The plain name of Manly. This Manly is not far away from Little Manly. A glance through that “Locality Guide” will astonish plenty of folk. Here are some of the names, which figure seldom in the newspapers: Amodes Bay, Arkle’s Bay, Big Omaha, Digger’s Valley, Hora Dora, Hore I-Tore, Long Acre Valley, Low-garth, Merc Mere, Miranda, Ngahinepouri, Wansted, Eighty-eight Valley, Flag Swamp, Fortification, Fyvie, Janefield, Myross Bush, Post-office Gully, Spar Bush, Spottis Creek, Tussock Creek, Wild Bush, Yclverton. It is an alphabetical list of about 2000 towns, townships, suburbs and villages. Alongside each locality name is the name of the nearest railway station and the number of the page in which it appears in the timetable index.