The Levin Daily Chronicle SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1932. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 February 1932, Page 4

The Levin Daily Chronicle SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1932. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Henry Ford has issued orders that every married man employed at the Ford works must grow enough vege.tabes in his garden for his family, to be at least partly self-supporting by next winter. Men who do not grow vegetables will be dismissed.

Up Hawera way (says the Dunedin Star) some of the farmers are worried about the appearance of the common white grass grub _ in their barley—a most unusual pest in barley, concerning which no effective measures of control are known. Near Mount Barker a 100 acre paddock of barley has ibeen spoiled to an estimated extent of 25 per cent.

The position of a number of famiies in the Pahiatua district is so acute that a telegram signed by the Mayor, Mr J- D. Wilson, and the chairman of the Pahiatua County Council, Mr S. Bolton, was forwarded to the Unemployment Commissioner stating that the district’s allocation under the No. 5 Scheme was inadequate and that numerous families were starving. The Commissioner replied that he regretted it was impossible to increase the allocation, which was similar to those in other centres.

Pour septuagenarians of Longhirst. Northumberland, whose ages total 290 years, were married on November 3rd. Two of them, Sarah Jane Paxton, a widow of 72, and David Arres, a widower aged 70, whose courtship began ten months previously, were married in the parish church. The other pair, William Perrens, a widower, aged 76. and his 72-year-old bride, Ursula Dean, a widow, preferred the quiet of the registry office. Mrs Arries said: “I did .not think I should fall in love so late in life.” “Love’s a funny thing,” said her husband. “It just happens.”

“An ounce of gold to-day is worth nearly as much as a bale of wool/’ said a West_ Coaster. “So the value of the goldminiug industry can be realised. ”

After the holiday recess the Methodist Sunday School and Bible Classes reopen to-morrow at 10 a.m. The usual services Avill be conducted by the Eev. W. Gr- Slade, M.A. His morning subject is to be “The Wretchedness of SelfSatisfaction.” The service will be followed by the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. In the evening the subject will be “Full Emancipation.”

Michel Staduiehi, a young Pole, who commenced a ten years’ walking tour from Auckland on the 15th of last month, passed through Levin to-day on his way to Wellington. He left Palmerston North yesterday afternoon and arrived in Levin before noon. Stadnichi will visit Australia and India and then go through Africa and complete the tour on arrival again at Auckland.

Next Thursday, Miss C. S. Kirk, J.P., of Wellington, Dominion Secretary of the W.C.T.U., will visit Levin and address a meeting to be held in the afternoon in the Presbyterian Hall. Miss Kirk is a well-known social worker and will deal especially with child welfare work, with which she has been closely associated. All women interested arc cordially invited to attend this meeting.

Mr J. G. Brechin, secretary of several dairy companies, who was in Woodville on Thursday, told a representative of the ‘ ‘ Examiner ’ ’ that the cheese market has shown a distinct improvement. He had received advice that advances of 4fd per lb. were being made against cheese as from yesterday, compared with 4Jd last month. So far as butter was concerned, Mr Brechin stated that the position in New Zealand was being complicated by large chain stores in Wellington making southern purchases and selling at a price below the London parity.

On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after one o’clock, a most peculiar occurrence took place on the Opaki racecourse (says the Wairarapa Times). The atmosnhere was dead calm, when suddenly a whirlwind commenced to operate near the stables, and. with startling suddenness, enveloped them. With a tremendous roar the iron roofs of ten stalls were ripped off and strewn in all directions, some of the sheets being carried 150 yards. As suddenly as it started, the wind died down. The damage will involve a fair amount of expenditure to the club to repace the iron.

The services at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. J. S. Pate. The evening subject will be: “Is the world getting better.” This is a big and interesting subject. Different opinions are held as to what is the true answer. Is mechanical progress world betterment? Was machinery meant to ease the worker or dispense with his services altogether? Docs the multiplication ol mechanical appliances make people good? Was every brainy idea meant to be patented and take shape as a labour-saving device? What do you think? If the world is getting worse and worse, does this mean that Christianity is a failure? If the world was getting better would we be faced with the present depressing situation? All are heartily invited to hear this subject discussed. '

The Bluff oyster season opened this week. This industry has been an ever increasing source of profit to the Bluff and Invercargill. The fish have been sent all over the Dominion for the past 60 years, proving their quality even in Auckland, where first-rate oysters are to be found. Quantities are exported from the Bluff to Sydney and Melbourne, where they are greatly prized. Although each year .sees an increase in the thousands of sacks taken from the Foveaux Strait, there is no appreciable diminution in the supply. The wellknown oyster Derby, inaugurated by Shaun O’Sullivan, is run in connection with the industry. The trawlers, carrying 70 skilled oystermen, leave the Bluff eary on Monday morning, and the race back to Invercargill has become almost historic.

Reports from Poverty Bay stated that caterpillars had caused a great deal of damage to ryegrass crops in that district and it was worthy of note that this pest had made itself felt also in the later threshed crops in Hawke’s Bay. Many farmers are apparently under the impression that this caterpillar and the white cabbage butterfly are related, and also that the while butterfly originated from the release of the cinnabar moth made by the Cawthron Institute for the control of ragwort. Suggestions of this nature are damaging to experimental work, for there is absolutely no foundation for them (says the Napier Telegraph). The caterpillar that is attacking the Hawke’s Bay ryegrass crop is an entirely different species from the white butterfly, which, in turn, has not the slightest connection with the cinnabar moth.

’Tis said that “figures can be made to prove anything. ’ ’ That may be perfectly true —ibut there is only one conclusion to be had from the figures advertised by Clark’s—that conclusion xs that drastic cuts have been made m the advantage of these phenomenal o ei Honesty in advertising is Clarlt. s ■slogan, therefore wise shoppers will acadvantage of these phenomena o ei ings for we feel sure that such r s - price cuts will not be p at least for many a long day o • May we suggest that you turn Clark’s announcement in this issue.

Further reductions have been made at Misses Stevens’ Big Clearance Sale and in to-day’s issue it is announced that ladies’ gloves have been again reduced. Neckwear and hosiery are also quoted in the advertisement.

In spite of the unfavourable weather there was a good attendance at the dance at Weraroa on Wednesday last and the Alhambrians who organised the function, have arranged to hold a series of dances, the next of which will be held on February 10th.*

The retailers of Foxton recently met and a discussion ensued on the possibility of inaugurating a cash trading system. No decision was arrived at, but it was decided to hold another meeting at a later date.

When the end of the term arrived at Blenheim School, the pupils were asked to be sure to remove their coats and hats from the school premises, and to claim any- other property belonging to them, yet at the beginning of the mew term*'it was found that 40 overcoats and 30 hats remained unclaimed, most of them being in good order, live only 0 f the unclaimed articles bore the name of an owner. The wonder- is that parents submit tamely to such losses as must have been apparent, which are common to most large schools.

~0 . 1 . i e tl , ie , most striking experiences of the Canterbury Agricultural College at Lincoln during the present dry season (says the Christchurch Times) has been the growth of red clover and cocksfoot. For observation the college laid- down plots of all the grasses imported into New Zealand, using ordinary commercial seed only. About 30 grasses were thus grown, and fed off at intervals to keep them in a more or less natural pastoral state.- All except the red clover and cocksfoot are now completely brown. The clover and cocksfoot have actually put on growth.

Eeeont visitors to Kapiti Island report that forestry regeneration there is making excellent progress, this having been assisted 'by the elimination of wild sheep and wild goats. Opossums are not doing any further harm, while bird life is distinctly on the increase. Rats, however, continue their depredations among the birds. It is hoped before long to devise some method of dealing with the rat problem on the island. Interested observers say the birds are very friendly and are not readily alarmed by visitors to the island.

The controversy which for years has centred round the pronunciation of botanical names, amongst nurserymen and laymen, has resulted in action being taken officially to secure some uniformity in the matter, and at the conference of the New Zealand Horticultural Trade Association it was decided to have a list of names and plants and shrubs printed, with directions for their correct pronunciation. These lists will be available to nurserymen and others interested. In this way the association hopes to overcome what is considered one of the greatest hindrances in popularising horticulture.