LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 8, 20 December 1933, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

The Havelock North Relief Workers’ Association thanks all who have sent donations for the Children’s Christinas Tree party.

The Mam Highways Board has accepted the lowest tender for completing the concrete road at the Karamu bridge. Mr W. Angus is the successful tenderer with a quotation of £1,934. It is hoped bj’ the county that the work will be in hand immediately after the Christmas holidays.

The Hastings Borough Council has received advice from Hastings (England) that the New Zealand senior flag for the latest school term was won by the Boys’ Central School with an average attendance of 97.7, and the junior flag by the Halton Infants’ School with an average attendance of 95.5.

The service officer of the Hawke’s Bay Automobile Association (Mr R. Stace) has made a comprehensive survey of the roads within the association’s territory. He reports good conditions throughout the province, and says that given good weather, motorists should enjoy their touring during the coming holiday.

There was a curious coincidence in a fourth grade cricket match at Auckland. L. McDonald, for Y.M.C.A., scored 103 not out. Balmoral were still at the wickets when etumps were drawn, without a decision being arrived at. In notching a century for Balmoral, Gregory’s figures were identical with those of his opponent, 103 not out.

Commissioner J. Cunningham, head of the Salvation Army in New Zealand. is an advocate of closer settlement in the Dominion. At a reception held in his honour at the Salvation Army’s Industrial Home for Men, Addington, he said New Zealanders were living in a land which could support a greater population, and with the number of people at present living in the country everybody ought to be in clover. He added that if the people would work together, New Zealand could bo made the brightest land under the British flag.

During the Christmas and New Year season, when the footpaths are bound to be crowded with shoppers, pedestrians should remember that there is a bylaw requiring them to keep to the left. Everyone knows the difficulty experienced in negotiating crowded footpaths, but if this rule is observed by everyone, Christinas and New Year shopping will not become such a tiresome business. There is another point that pedestrians might watch: Do not become one of a group which stands on a footpath idly gossiping and obstructing the pedestrian traffic. Police constables disencourage this practice, but they cannot be everywhere at once.

When a progiess report from Captain I erex, forwarded through the Department of Internal Affairs, concerning deer destruction, in the back country, was read at a meeting of the Waimakariri River Trust, Professor R. Speight remarked on the fact that no reference was made to chamois and thar. He said that they caused more damage than the deer. The secretary, Mr. C. W. Hervey, stated that Captain Terex intended to deal with chamois and thar in his next report. The first report (from the department stated that operations were being carried out in a most comprehensive manner and should result in the destruction of some two or three thousand head of deer.

A tribute to the industry and zeal of those teachers working under the ration system ut the school was made by the headmaster, Mr. D. T. McCormick, at the breaking-up ceremony at the Hastings Central School this morning. “The past year has been a difficult one for all the staff this year, but it is pleasing to know that something worth while has been achieved,” he said. “We very much regret that) we will be losing four of our young teachers. Their work has been of an exceptionally high standard and, though only at the school for a very short period, they have displayed undoubted sincerity and ability. It is our earnest hope that the time is not far off when all will hold reasonable prospect of permanent positions.”

Th ediscovery of a famous painting by Giorgione showing the meeting of Aeneas and Auchiscs at Averno, the gateway to hell, as described in Virgil’s Aeneid, was announced in Rome a few weeks ago. A noted art critic identified the work, all trace of which has been lost for centuries, among the collection of an old Venetian noble family. The opportunity of looking over the paintings had offered when they were advertised for sale to pay creditors. Offers were immediately made for the Giorgione of over £lOO,OOO, but it is Understood that the Italian Government will purchase it, as it did another by the same artist, discovered last year. The rediscovered work shows Aeneas sitting on a rock, exhausted, while the blind Anehises, his father, touches him in an effort to recognise him.

At the conclusion of the address on “The Story of Bones,’’ given at the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, the Mayor of Dunedin, the Rev. E. T. Cox, said he realised now how it was that the Italian women were so beautiful and the Italian men so handsome. It was because of their consumption of fatty foods, the value of which the lecturer had mentioned. The remarks by the Mayor would, maybe suggest that girls should consume more fatty foods and thus become more beautiful. They would probably, however, run the risk of becoming fat. The tendency nowadays amongst girls is to “slim.’’ They apparently would sooner be slim in body than beautiful in face. Of course, there is nothing to prevent a combination of the two, and there are many girls in Dunedin who possess both attributes. No one would suggest, on the other hand, that a mere man would diet himself to become beautiful, though some are known to do so to prevent impending embonpoint,

The New Zealand Shipping Company advise that the R.M.M.V. Rangitata arrived at Auckland from London at 7.30 this morning. Hastings passengers will arrive by to-morrow night’s express.

In the course of the celebrations at the Christmas tree party held by the Eureka Lodge of Druids in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Hastings, last evening the competition conducted in connection with the function was decided, the prize winners being as follow:—Mrs. E. R. Hannah (Takapau) 1, Mr. J. V. Sherborne 2, Mr. S. Rouse 3 and Mrs. Allison 4.

Rengarenga, or rock lily, is flowering profusely at the present time. Particularly fine displays are to be seen in the Waitakere Ranges. The flower is white with a golden tasselled stamen in the centre, and the plants grow well in cool, damp places. A huge bunch of rengarenga gathered at Mr Kenneth Mackenzie’s home in the ranges was placed on the native plant table at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

“I stopped smoking when I left school,” said Mr W. <J. Holdsworth, chairman of the Auckland Electric Power Board, at a meeting of the board when a small box, suitable for cigars, was presented to him by members. “I was eaught smoking one day by my father, and he said I could start when he did,” he added. “He never started and neither did I.” Mr Holdsworth mentioned he could find plenty of good uses for the box apart from holding cigars.

There is at present a shortage of domestic servants, according to the manager of the Hastings Labour Bureau. He said the bureau was unable to secure enough servants to meet the requirements of employers, even though the wages offered were very reasonable. The scarcity of girls was noticeable when applications were called for domestics and hotel workers, very few applying for the positions. It was stated that there was also a dearth of farm labourers.

On July 26, 1803, the Secretary for the Colonies, Lord Hobart, received from Captain Macarthur, of New South Wales, the forecast of the birth of Australia’s wool industry. The document referred to the success of imported Spanish sheep, and Captain Macarthur offered to take up the production in Australia of fine wool for Britain’s supply. He said ho was willing to take the financial risk if the Government would give him land and allow him to select shepherds from among the convicts. This old document is now likely to find a place in Brisbane Museum.

A Canberra report dated December 8 describes the ending of the Federal Parliamentary session: — “Federal ‘Hansard’ reporters, who take a cerbatim shorthand note of the proceedings ot the Federal Parliament, were unable to withstand the pressure of the continuous fifty-five hour sitting which ended to-day, and several of tjjem collapsed. At one stage, there was almost a procession of hysterical reporters staggering in and out of the Chamber.” tn the closing stages of the session the Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) expressed thanks to “Hansard.” The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Scullin, thought that “Hansard” was entitled to an apology. As he spoke, the reporter on duty rose and staggered out; his successor had “an hysterical breakdown.” As other members wished to talk, the House passed a resolution excusing “Hansard” from further attendance. The Commonwealth Parliament, it is said, has never done that before.