Local and General

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 July 1935, Page 6

Local and General

“People talk about guaranteed prices for product's,"’ said the Minister of Agrictilture, Mr Macmillan, in an address to fanners at Patumahoe. It* would be a verv simple thing if all New Zealand’s commodities were used in New Zealand, but when commodities had to be sold overseas they had to take the price that was available there. Most people did not know that only about 19 per cent, of New Zealand butter was eaten in the Dominion, and only about 2 per cent, cf the cheese. “New Zealand farmers as a whole are far more alert and progressive than those in the United States and Great Britain, and the problem of application of research is far- easier, declared Dr E. Marsden. secretary o the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in a lecture at Wellington last evening. “This is so. m spite of the wonderful research that is beino- carried out in the United states and''Great Britain, and our farmers hold their own by their more ready application of research.” The statement that 20 per cent, of the unemnloyed were returned soldiers was made by Mr. J. G. Jeffery at a meeting of tlie Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, in outlining the preliminary work which had beeu done in the organisation of a drive for the reemployment of returned soldiers. He said that a great proportion of returned Soldiers had gone to the war as young men, and as a result had not completed any apprenticeship. Consequently a number of them were unskilled' whereas in ordinary times they would have been skilled tradesmen.

Empty tobacco tins have their various domestic uses, but at least one coastal skipper trading regularly into Wanganui finds them helpful in navigating the river. *1 always save my empty tins to make sure how the tide is running at Wanganui,’’ he remarked the other day. The run in the river is a factor which is taken into consideration by seafaring men, particularly when swinging their ships at the Town "Wharf. A good run upstream means that a vessel with her bows facing the Town Bridge will probably swing stern first by means of a bow line. On the other hand, if the tide is ebbing the vessel will probably swing bow first, the use of the engines not always being necessary owing to the current in the river turning the vessel round as she departs.

By the recent deaths of Viscount Ryng of Vimy, ex-soldier, ex-Governor-General and ex-police chief, and Admiral Sir Charles Madden, further diminution has been made in the ranks of Britain’s war leaders. Both were among those who, in August, 1919, were given substantial grants for their war services, Nineteen received these grants. Only eight now survive. These are Earl Beatty, who received 9190,000, Earl Jellicoe and Lord Allenby (£50,000 each), Sir MnJurice Hankey (£25,000), and Sir William Birclwood, Sir Roger Keyes, Lord Trenchard and Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, who were each given £IO,OOO. Lord Byng was granted £30,000 and Sir Charles Madden £IO,OOO. These grants, the resolution for which was moved by Mr Llovd George, then ■Prime Minister, in a memorable speech, totalled £585,000. “I am proud of the fact.” snkl Mr Lloyd George on that occasion, “that the scale of the pensions we have voted to the men who served us well in the field and m the air and’oil the sea is incomparably the most generous in Euorpe.” A taxi, with heaped-up suitcases on the rear carrier was making a lastminute dash —in the way that taxis have—for a nortli-bound express, states the “Southland Daily News.” The sudden swerve round a safety zone caused an insecurely placed suitcase to topple on to the tramline, where it burst open and some of its contents spilled out. A man on the footpath rushed to the rescue, but while he was busy trying to re-pack the case, a tramcar sounded a warning bell- Hastily grasping the case under one arm and, carrying some of its overflow in the other he made for the taxi which had pulled up a short distance away. The amused smiles of bystanders caused him no concern until a glimpse of his reflection in a shop mirror covered him with confusion for, much to his consteration, what was firmly grasped in one hand were what advertisers euphemistically describe as “intimate garments.” Neither the owner of the suitcase nor the taxi-driver were given time or opportunity to express thanks for the thoughtful action.

At the time of Mark Twain’s visit to New Zealand many years ago, one of the best-known residents of Taranaki was Mr. Charlie Ahier. A native of Jersey he was a big man in every way whom everyone liked because of his jovial good humour and pleasant moods. Two of his former employees at Broun and Aider's sawmill at Inglewood, now retired and living at Auckland, were sitting on a waterfront seat in the brilliant sunshine at the week-end, and recalled with much interest an amusing incident in Mr. Ahier’s life at a time when he was Jiving at the old Coffee Palace at New Plymouth. He had made for himself a big wooden chair in which he used to sit in the sunshine at the front door of his boarding house, reading one of his favourite books and -pausing occasionally to have a yarn with any ol his many friends who saluted him as they passed. Mark Twain was looking around the easy-going town and trying to get information as he wandered about as to the state of trade and the mode of living in New Plymouth. Spying Mr. Ahier’s corpulent figure in the big easy chair, he went up to him and asked if he was the proprietor of the place. No one knew hotter than Mr Ahier that the questioner of necessity must be a stranger to the place to ask such a question about so well-known a citizen, and knowing also that the stranger was of a certainty Mark Twain, because of his nasal twang, he immediately, with twinkling eyes and expressive gesture, replied : <: No, I’m the advertisement!” It was just the witty and sparkling answer which Mark Twain loved.