LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 38, 28 January 1932, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

Cabinet has authorised training courses for each of the four squadrons of the New Zealand Air Force for the current year. The dates have not been decided. The courses will be of ten davs’ duration.

The Hastings Fire Brigade was called out to an incipient fire last evening in Park road, the outbreak being a small grass fire at the rear of Mr Gill’s residence. The alarm was given from a call box on the corner of Sylvan road and the Hastings-Havelock main road.

An increase in the sum allotted to the Waikato County Council under the Finance Act, 1931, as a subsidy toward the reduction of county rates by 12j per cent., has been virtually promised to the council as the result of representations made to the Government.

A swimmer at the Amberley Beach, Canterbury, recently had an unusual experience. He dived to meet an incoming breaker and felt a blow on the chest from some object, immediately followed by violent struggling inside his bathing costume. He hastily regained his feet, and to his amazement found that a herring 14 inches in length was trapped in the top section of his costume.

A correspondent writes:—Your interesting article in Monday’s issue regarding the benefits of irrigation recalls the fact that for a number of years a company of Chinamen have been raising vegetables on a large block of ground at Stortford Lodge by means of irrigation channels, which keep the garden thoroughly moist during the driest summer. Large quantities of vegetables arc produced all the year round.

After nearly seven years’ residence in the pool at the Wellington Zoo both of the sea-lions have died. They passed away within three weeks of one another. The curator, Mr. J. Langridge, stated that after the one died, the other seemed to fret over the disappearance of its mate, and in his belief it died of a broken heart. Both of the sea-lions camo from the Auckland Islands.

Field-Marshal) Plumer holds the opinion that the New Zealand soldiers were the best that fought in the Great War, according to Mr. C. S. Thomas, when speaking to members of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club on Saturday evening (says the Christchurch Times). Lord Plumer was asked if he thought they were better than the Guards. “At least their equal,” was his reply.

“Although ’ am an Englishman and have only been five years in New Zealand, I must say that one would have to go a long way in England to find a body of musicians better than the leading musicians in this country,” said Mr. T. Vernon Griffiths, of Christchurch, at the annual conference yesterday of the Music Teachers’ Association of New Zealand. “It was quite a surprise to me when I got to know the leading musicians. [ was Miazcfi, and I felt vgry *«naH indoed.- -

Parents wishing to enrol new pupils at Mahora School may do so on Friday, when the headmaster will be in attendance. New pupils must reside within the school boundaries.

The Sherenden Cricket Club will hold a dance to-morrow night in the Sherendon Hall. A general invitation is extended to be present.

To-night in the Hastings Trades Hall, St. Joseph's Tennis Club will hold a dance at which Les Henry’s orchestra will play. An attractive feature for the men this weather is that flannels may be worn.

No word has been received of the whereabouts, of Stanley Wilfred Adams, aged 32, who has been missing from the home of his father, Mr. Walter Adams, 204 Clyde street, Island Bay, since Sunday.

“This slump, if it does no more than waken up the people to manufacture and buy their own goods, will have done a tremendous amount of good,” said Mr D. Isdale, at the executive meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Provincial branch of the Farmers’ Union held in Waipukurau.

The Hastings High School will reopen on Tuesday, February 2. The principal will be in attendance at the school for the purpose of enrolling now pupils at the following times Friday, January 29, 2 to 5 p.m., and 7.30 to 9 p.m. ; Saturday, January 30, 2 to 4 p.m.; Monday, February 1,2 to 5 p.m.

4 considerable quantity of foodstuffs was left over from the Burns Night celebrations >n Monday evening and was handed by the Hastings Scots Society to the Salvation Army authorities, who were able to make a useful and much appreciated distribution among needy people in the town.

T' •> Marine Department announced yes >lay that Captain F. W. Baron, of Wellington, and Captain K. Laverton, of Christchurch, had been appointed nautical assessors for the magisterial inquiries to be held shortly at Christchurch into the mishaps to the coastal steamers Storm and Breeze. No date has yet been fixed for the two inquiries.

Over £70,000 was paid in at the Dunedin City Council on the last official day lor the payment of city rates. The total amount of rates payable is about £304,400. It is expected that the amount outstanding will not be more than 10 per cent. A number of ratepayers, including many unemployed, have paid a portion of their rates, making arrangements to pay the balance in instalments. —Press Assn.

A remit to the Department of Agriculture to the effect that a plant quarantine station should be established in the Dominion was passed at the conference of delegates of the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Association. It was stated that if this station were established a check could be made on diseased plant imports, with resultant benefit to Dominion growers

A large crowd attended the euchre party and dance held in the Trades Hall last night. Messrs Bent and Graham, radio “stars” of Wellington, entertained with songs, etc. The card winners were: —Ladies, Mrs Hill 1, Mrs Smith and Mrs Miles (tie) 2; gentlemen, Mrs McMahon (playing as gent) 1, Mrs Pine (playing as gent) 2. The dance was very enjoyable. Mrs Hearne supplied the music. The Monte Carlo waltz was won by Mr Hay and Miss Johnson.

Thoroughly pleased with their trip, the 34 New Zealand secondary school boys, who made a tour of three weeks in Australia, returned by the Maunganui on Tuesday. Their itinerary included Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra anfl Newcastle. Owing to concessions granted by the Union Steam Ship Company and other organisations, the cost of the trip to each boy’s parents worked out at about £3l, or roughly £1 a day.

The old Waiotapu Hotel, which was destroyed by tire last February, has been replaced by a modern wooden structure. The new building has been erected on the main Taupo road, 19 miles from Rotorua and one mile nearer Rotorua than the old hotel, which was situated on a deviation. The building was designed by Mr R. B. Young, of Auckland, and the contractor was Mr A. W. Hood, of Hamilton.

In order to warn motorists of blind by-roads in the vicinity of corners, the Otago Motor Club has introduced a new road sign, which, besides being effective during the day time, should prove easily distinguishable at night. Surmounting a six-foot post is the club’s familiar yellow rectagle, which bears on it a black arrow indicating the direction of the corner. Just below the curve on the arrow is a branch to denote the side road, the whole being inset with red reflecting studs.

Reports from the Waikato area state that the farmers in many districts are m urgent need of rain. The heavy fall in the milk supply in many districts was temporarily arrested by the recent rains, but supplies are again dropping. There has been little growth, and it is expected that the dry spell will have a cansiderablo effect upon the season’s production as a whole. It is stated that, if the present weather continues, there is a danger of the season being shortened.

Several cases of typhoid fever have occurred in the Opotiki district recently. At one time there were 11 cases in hospital, and the death occurred of a girl, aged 12 years. Dr. Turbot, of the Health Department, with inspectors from Gisborne and Whakatanc, visited the district, with the result that water used from wells was declared to be the cause of the infection. AH “contacts” were inoculated, and the matter is now considered to be well in hand. Nurses at tho hospital had a busy time, extra help having to be engaged.

While in England recently Professor A. C. Paterson, professor of classics at Auckland University College, who returned on Tuesday from his sabbatical year’s leave, was much struck bv the importance given to Latin, and, in a less degree, to Greek, in the secondary schools. “I found that instead of losing ground, as many people here believe, classics are still regarded as an essential part of a general education.” said Professor Paterson, in speaking of his tour “This feeling seems to be hold by the people themselves. and not merely bv education-