Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 218, 16 August 1918, Page 4

Local and Genera l .

A Press Association messagt states that there was snow yestci day morning lower on tho ranges near Westport than for many years The weather is intensely cold, but beautifully fine, clear and frosty.

The Minister of Defence statei that Lahmann Home at Mirimar ha> 'been leased for the treatment, os soldier patients. No speciahsatior has been arranged, the place being intended to take the overflow fron the Victoria Ward. The building is ui-ll adapted for the Department’spurpose.

At a meeting at Dunedin night Rev. R. ti. Gray stated that in rep’y to an inquiry by the Nev Zealand Alliance Sir J. Allen sai‘> he understood the proposal by tin Xat’enal El’jciem-v Board was that the liquor question should be settled by a single majority vote of th< people.--Press Association. Considerable interest is being aroused among the fruitgrowers ii the district m the meeting to bt held in Messrs Apsey White an.l Co’s. Ltd., building. Hartings to morrow afternoon. The directors of the new fruit comoany, Evaporator*of New Zealand Lid., anticipate a very large attendance <.f those in ■crested to hear Mr. Apsey’s i eport on his recent investigation of tlu fruit evaporation industry in Aus tralia.

At the Hastings Police Court thii morning, before, Messrs J. E. Hah and N. Beamish, J's.l’., Peter Barry was charged with (1) drunkenness, and (2) using abusive language in. a public place. Accused pleaded guilty, anil on the first charge be waslined ]».-■- and costs 2.,, and on the second charge he was convicted and discharged. On the application of .sergeant Hogan a prohibition order was issued against him. In the bupreine Court at Wellington yesterday before Mr. Justice ■ losking and a jmy Leonard thus. . tting pe.jiioned tor a divorce* fiom ..-raee Hepzibah Idling and claimed tool damages against the eo-iespon-dent Harry G. Monchieff. Petitioner had been on active service in Mesopotamia and on returning to New Zealand discovered that, his wife had been unfaithful. The jury awarded JC2SO damages. His Honout made an order accordingly and granted a decree nisi. Tb.e sale of M aikare Karailiana’s town and country properties takes tlaee on Wednesday next, and tliqs. lesirous of obtaining valuable city uid suburban properties should make i point of being present. Do not- lei this opport unity pass <>f aeciiiiring farms so ideally situated on town properties with such prospective values. Clive Grange and Avvanga seaside resorts are gaining in popularity at an enormous rate and th" frontages of Waikare’s . two farms ■mist l>e required very soon for build ing sites.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Karamn Lodge No. 17 was held in tlie Lodge room on Thursday. N.G. Bro. G. AV. Chadwick, presiding over a large attendance oi mem mers. .after tie Lodge closed the final round of the card tournament was played and it resulted in Bro. Harris winning the prize. .At the presentation of the prize the opportuni.y was taken to give I’.G. Bro. A. (look (on final leave) a sendoff. The evening was spent in toasts, songs, ami addresses. the assembly breaking up in. the small hours of the morning after a real good evening’s enjoyment. The Hastings Tobacco Company has determined not io grow a crop this year. They hold a very large s;ock of leaf, and a.- the farm could not be again secured on favourable terms ami so men worn Id be required

at. the ii.'it x est. in view of the pre sent day labour shortage, it was thought wiser not to at.enipt it T..e planting m.'vhim's ami .other anpiiances which could not easily •><’ replaced, will be retained ami th'* horses and farm implements will Le sold.

1 Tim trustees of the Manawatu branch of the National Efficiency Board yesterday, resolved That t iis bonrd of business juou \iex'b with regi'l tlm extra' agant mrtiimb of expenditure of some branches of the Defence Department, as <hsclos ed in the lepirt of Nir Robert AmJer«m and his . colleagues and that the Jh.iard will be invited to act. as eiiiliau rem Tpsentatives on lhe board which has been set up by the Minister of Defence to advise the Gownniriit as to the means by which economies mav be effected.

A soldier who was to-day visitrng * Napior told a reporter that he had for 3| years been at the front, tho nost of the time right in the fighting, yet he had never nad a day’s sickness and had not received a scratch. The Taradale road has seldom been in better condition than it is it present. Singular success appears ■.<> have crowned the County Cotin•il’s efforts on this important .horoughfare.

The Assessment Court sits at fastings at 10.30 am. on Tuesday in mnnection with the new valuations .f the southern portion of the 11.8.’ ,'ountv. As a good many objections uive been raised the sitting is likely o be of unusual interest.

Fifteen years ago the beautiful garden at Puketapu owned by Mr. .owrv North was a bare paddock, he last place that an average man v.mld select for high class gardenng. To-day all the best. Mowers ;row profusely there. This shows hat close settlement is possible al--nost anywhere.

Members are reminded of the ’oncral meeting of the Farmers’ inion which takes place to-morrow nonii"- at 10 a m. in the Chamber if Commerce Rooms, Hastings. At bis meeting the meat question will .e again brought up for consideraion and the delegates who represented Hawke’s ikrt at the Dominon Conference will be present and •vill give a resume of the various natters dealt with.

Horses for ploughing and similar i ork are not likely to be used to any .rent extent after the war. Already t Hawke’s Bay firm is making «r--angements to obtain a regular sup>lv of farm tractors as soon as peace s declared. At present the prohibiivc cost of benzine is causing fa-rin->rs to postpone the introduction of ;he latest inventions, though it vonld seem that the purchase of any nachincs calculated to develop Sgn■ulture should be welcomed.

In almost every portion of Hawke’s Jay there is ample evidence that he Noxious Weeds Act. is not being: •omplicd with. The blackberry iw apidly spreading, and daily iti■rcases the death roll of sheep, jpeaking to a “Tribune” represenative a well known H.B. farmer aid the value of the sheep killed in >ne year by being caught in black>erry bushes would more than pay or carrying out the Waikaremoana i.ydro-electric scheme. Many large iheepfarmers lose two to three sheep i day, while some lose four times as nany. Inquiries indicate that there s no thorough inspections of large arms being carried out. On many iroperties the bushes can be seen from the roads.