Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 78, 16 March 1923, Page 4

Local and General.

Heavy booking is said to bq already taking place in Sydney for steamers to leave for London from February to June next year, the attraction no doubt being the. Empire Exhibition. Ratana and a large retinue of followers. have left Wanganui for Auckland; They are specially interested in the action being taken to unseat Sir Maui Pomare. and are going north to watch the proceedings. Mortgages registered in the Dominion during 1921-22 numbered 33,860 of the amount of £25,620,994, compared with 43,976 of ihs amount of £40,642,000, in the year 1920-21. The mortgages discharged in 1921-22 were 19,169 of the amount of £12,803,221. compared with 23,391 of the amount of £15,427,620 in the year 1920-21. In consequence of the Commonwealth refusing a subsidy to Australian Air-

craft and Engineering Limited, the company is going into voluntary liquidation. The company was formed in 1920 and carried out a contract for the manufacture of six aeroplanes for the Government, but the enterprise was not successful.

A resolution passed by the Auckland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union “urges upon the Government to use the utmost expedition in connecting up the East Coast railway from Waihi to Tauranga, and that in the interests of the Dominion generally a

survey be made from Taneatua to Opotiki, with the object of pushing on the line to Opotiki with the utmost speed.” “ I ’ll guarantee that there is no place in New Zealand where you can 'have your leg pfflled longer and oftcner than in Parliament/' said Mr S. G. Smith, M.P., at the annual dinner of the Taranaki Master Builders’ Asso-

eiation, as he proceeded (relates the “Tarankai Daily News”) to regale those present with anecdotes of the lighter side of Parliament life.

A road map of Southland, which should become popular with motorists, has just been received by the Southland League. The map (states the li Southland Times”) is founded on an aerograph of the province, and the roads show out prominently. All the /main thoroughfares can be followed - with remarkable ease even by those who are unaccustomed to finding their way about by the aid of a map. It is almost impossible to mistake tho roadlines so clearly are they shown. The application of the Hawke’s Bay County Council for the use of the school buildings at Shercndcn, Te Pohue, Opapa, Puketitiri, Tangoio, Tutira and Putorino on Thursday, April 26, in the event of a poll for the Harbour Board election, was declined by the Hawke’s Bay Education Board yesterday, as it would mean the closing of tho schools on two consecutive days, April 25. Anzac Day, being a holiday.

Rfeporting to the Hawke’s Bay Education Board yesterday, the school medical officer (Dr Clark) said that the general health and cleanliness of the children in the whole district had shown a wonderful improvement, whilst the number of medical defects had dccreas--Icd enormously. Dr Clark adued a good deal of the credit for this position was due to the school nurses, who followed up all cases in which notification of de l fects had been made to the parents. Men engaged on Public Works during th© month of January totalled 729 artisans and 5,259 labourers. Railways absorbed 346 artisans and 1,887 labourers; roadg 29 artisans and 911 labourers ; hydro-electric works 130 artisans and 433 labourers; and other works (including public buildings), 244 artisans and 2,028 labourers. Of the men on railways, the North Auckland Main Trunk and its branches claimed 101 artisans and 576 labourers: the East Coast Main Trunk 105 and 422; the Napier-Gisborne line 28 and 164; and the Waikokopu branch. 32 and 310. Of the hydro-electric works in progress, Mangahao (Wellington), had 335 men engaged while Arapuni had 6. “Compton’s” will buy your eggs. The price offered now is two “bob” for any quantity of ’em. . We pay the cash down. You’re not asked tp take it out in goods. “Compton’s” will buy your dairy and separator butter too. m bulk or pats, makes no difference to us.

The school committee elections will be held on April 23.

Attention is drawn to the announcement of Mr Mcllvride’s address in the Oddfellow’s Hall. Hastings, on Saturday night at 8 o’clock.

A general meeting of the Rovers Football Club will be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Market street, at 7.30 this evening. The Hawke’s Bay Education Board decided yesterday that Wednesday next should be a holiday for schools in the middle and southwards as far as Wuipukurau, on the occasion of the Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Society’s autumn show.

The annual general meeting of the Hastings Rugby Sub-Union will be held in the National Service Club, on Tuesday evening next, at 7.30 o’clock, to elect officers and to consider the rules.

By a Gazette Extraordinary issued tins morning Parliament, which stands prorogued to March 22. has been further adjourned until April 26, says a Press Association telegram.

A telegram from Woodville states that Fred Murray, aged nine, son of James Murray, Papatawa, held a detonator in his hand and exploded it with a stone. The boy’s lingers were blown off, and he was taken to the Pahiatua Hospital. At a meeting held at Taradale on Wednesday evening it was decided that no League football teams be entered in tho competitions thjp season. At u 1 subsequent meeting a committee was formed to- consider the formation of a Rugby team. A Press Association telegram states /that an Ordcr-in-Council was gazetted yesterday altering the boundaries of the Auckland and Hawke’s Bay land districts and establishing a Gisborne land district. The Gisborne land office is also proclaimed the principal land office of the Poverty Bay district. A Chinaman named Wong Tack, aged 67, with several aliases, for being in possession of opium in a form suitable for smoking, was fined £25 at Wellington. Defendant said the opium, which was th© “thirds” of opium, was not for smoking, but for drinking to enable smokers to break off the habit.

A Russian correspondent of the Times,” writing about the middle of January, says that official Soviet figures show that 180,000 people died of hunger from September 1 to November 15 in the Ukraine and the Volga Territory alone. At the same time the Soviet press announced that 32,000 tons of grain were to be exported from the Ukraine and 16,000 tons from the Volga Territory. A Dunedin Press Association telegram states that the annual conference of the New Zealand Biscuit and Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association was attended by delegates from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. No alterations were mad© so far as prices are concerned, as the flour and sugar markets are very unsettled. Mr. J. Kingsland (Invercargill) was re-elected president. The annual report of the Wairarapa District Poultry Farmers’ Association states that th© Masterton branch durin the past year collected and marketed 40,046 dozen eggs, at a gross average selling price of 1/7 per dozen, the actual cost per dozen of eggs collected, marketed, and net returns posted every four weeks by cheque to members average 2|d per dozen, this leaving as the average net return for th© year 1/41 per dozen.

On Wednesday night Messrs E. Bibfry, of Waipaw’a, and J. N. Barrie, R. H. White, H. Powell, J. Clark and W. Malenoir, of Otane, waited on Sir G. Hunter, M.P., prior to the opening of tho Mothodist bazaar to place the unfortunate- position b* the Kairakuu beach residents before the Government. There arc now over twenty houses including the Maoris’ there, and the nearest postal or telephone facilities are at Elsthorpe, a distance of over ten miles. Several schemes were suggested, and Sir George, who gave the deputation a courteous hearing, promised to place the matter in the hands of the Minister ifi charge.

At the Otane Church of England vestry meeting it was reported that the big effort undertaken almost entirely by Mrs G. C. Williams was u decided success both from the ready response made by the country folk and by the generosity of the auctioneering firms, who charged no commission or expenses, so that a grand total oi £272 17s was handed in to the treasurer. This means that the overdraft will be reduced by about £122, and the new car paid for. The Vicar and vestry desire te thank all concerned, particularly Mrs Williams who dffi the asking and the auctioneers who sold so well. The overdraft is still considerable, and will take some effort. To this end the bazaars and sales of work uro to be held, on April 11 at Otane and later at Elsthorpe and Omakere.

Many of us fancy that the matrimonial agent among the common folk is a development of comparatively recent times. Not so in France, at any rate, for the following advertisement appears in a Paris news sheet of just a hundred years ago:—“Marriages.— Are offered. 1. Three young ladies, aged from 20 to 25, with 1,500 francs portion. 2. Four young ladies, from 18 to 24, with 4,000 francs ditto. 3. Two young ladies, from 28 to 38, with B,ooo' francs ditto, and 20,000 more in expectation. 4. Two young ladies, from 17 to 18. with whom can be guaranteed from 60,000 to 80,000 francs. 5. Two young ladies, from 18 to 19 with 20,(KM) francs. 6. Two widows, from 45 to 50, with incomes of 2,400 and 3,000 francs. Address to M. Adolphe, rue Feyreau. (His office is open on Sunday).”