LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 5 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The following pupils of the Hawera Technical School have gained first-class certificates for competency: —E. Nolan I. Exley,- C. Wilson, Cft Bischoff, W. Morrissey; second class, A. Wright and A. Jenkins.

Newspapers in other countries continue to give forth weird information concerning New Zealand. The latest, from the Birmingham Weekly Post, is as follows: "There is scarcely any crime in New Zealand, largely because they make a strenuous effort there to arrest, try, convict, hang and bury a criminal within two weeks of the commission of his crime, if this be murder, or, if* not a hanging offence, to get him as quickly as possible into a disagreeable prison, where he will have to work hard and fare upon bread and water."

Quite a crowd of curious people watched the unloading operations' of Wirth's Circus at the railway station this morning. The chief objects of interest were the elephants, and it was indeed an eye-opener to see the marvellous ease with which these animals moved heavily laden waggons. There w.is a, line of nine fully loaded class W waggons (double trucks), and it was necessary to shift these; further along. One of the large elephants was employed to do the work, and without any apparent effort he moved the huge string of waggons by pushing at the back with his head.

An accident happened at Rotorua on Sunday to a lad named Edward Hall, son of Mr Frank Hall, head gardener in the sanatorium grounds. The boy (says the Dominion) was standing near the main which carries the water from the Rachel pool to the new bath builds ing, when the crust of earth gave way through the pipe bursting. The boy was badly scalded up to the knee on one _ leg. The caretaker happened to be in the vicinity and extricated the boy from the scalding hole. The matter was reported to the head gardener, who immediately proceeded to inspect the surroundings where the accident occurred. When he was nearing the scene of the accident the earth gave away with him, and he had his foot scalded. Hall saved himself by clinging to some woodwork alongside. Both father and son were progressing favorably at last advices.

Some months ago the Lyttelton Borough Council decided upon effecting a number of improvements to the j;own^ and in this connection the ratepayers are to be asked to sanction special loans totalling £26,800. The most important item in the scheme suggested is the erection at a point situated close to the wharf, and in a convenient part of the town, of a large substantiallybuilt lodging house. It is thought that this will prove popular among the workers. Provision is to be made in the building for a number of offices. Another important feature is the building and furnishing of a town hall, the lack of which has been felt for many years. The building is to be constructed of brick, and will accommodate 800 persons. For the erection of a number of workers' dwellings the ratepayers will be asked to sanction the raising of £3000.

In order to test thoroughly the value of planting good typical specimens of a_yariety of potato (cut and uncut) against the ordinary size used for seed purposes, special rows were set apart in this year's potato plots at the Weraroa experimental farm. Alongside the rows planted with the egg-sized type of seed, rows were set apart for the cut and uncut seed, the tubers selected in each case being medium-sized table potatoes, what would be regarded as very nice specimens of the variety—Up-to-Date— weighing about 4oz. The Journal of Agriculture reports that at the present time, nine weeks from planting, the uncut medium-sized seed is far in advance of the other rows, so far as development and robustness of haulms are concerned, while in contradistinction to the other rows there is not a blank. The final verdict will not, of course, be secured until the potatoes are lifted, but at present everything appears to favor the whole mediumsized seed.

Begin this day well, and furnish the home with a piano—but get a good one! It is so difficult to judge piano values, ■ that experts themselves hesitate until tone, action and architecture. Even then they greatly rely on the reputation of the maker. If an expert could be deceived, how can the purchaser of a single piano hope to escape? Why, only by buying an instrument from a warehouse which can be trusted. Now, the Dresden Piano Com nan 7, Ltd., Wellington, has a wonderfully good name in this resnect. Tt is a firm with years of fair dealing behind it—and a reputation to be sustained in the future. Their prices are surprisingly low for high f-ade instnT-iorits. It won't cnn>e hard ••" vnn w ith "Tho Dresden's" system of time-payments—just a small sum down, and then instalments from j 20" monthly. Local representatives:] Purser and Son.—Advt. '

In connection with the proposed gathering to celebrate the snuiveirary of the landing of the first settlers at Moturoa on March ai, l»4i. the Mayor of New Plymouth wishes to ascertain if there is living any Native who was present on the oeach 73 years ago. If so, he would be giad of particulars.

There were twenty members present at the weekly meeting of the South Taranaki Photographic Society at the Technical School on Wednesday evening, Mr J. R. Nairn (president) occupying the chair. It was announced that Dr. MacDiarmid and Mr R. J. Hislop had presented prizes for competition among members, and another member of the society intimated his intention of doing so at a later stage. Arrangements having been made for using a room at the Technical School, it was decided to have suitable lighting installed, and also cupboard accommodation. After formal business a number of more or less defective, negatives and prints were handed round for inspection, and the different causes of those defects explained by members. The subject for next meeting will be the exposure and development of negatives under varying times of exposure. At the invitation of Mr R. A. Browne, a number of the members afterwards adjourned to another room to witness the working of a cinematograph lantern.

THE QUESTION OF VALUE. Performance, quality, reliability, power, comfort, low upkeep costs —these with price, determine value in a motor car. And in every essential the Overland leads all other cars, offers by far and away the best value for your money. Thousands of careful motorists in Maoriland have purchased the Overland because they have proved its merits —they know it is as near perfection as engineering science can make it while no other car offers anywhere near the same value.

See the new 19M Overland —compare it point by point with other cars —you'll see then why its success and its wles are so remarkable. Anyway write at once for a free catalogue; every car owner and prospective motorist, should have it. —A. R. Cronin, Eltham. A. Hatrick and Co., Ltd.. Wanganui. 9