LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 30 August 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Hawera Citizens' Band will play a^ programme of music in King Edward Park to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 2.45 o'clock.

A Times message states that Captain John L. D. Cope leads the British South Polar exnedition in June, 1920, sailing from Wellington, New Zealand, for Macquarie, Scott, and new islands, I thence to the Pole.

Mr Hinman continues his addresses in the Presbyterian Hall to-morrow night at 8.10, taking for his subject '•An open book closed and a sealed book opened." This should be of special interest to many.

Reports from Manitoba state that a gold claim was struck . near Copper Lake—a six-feet wide vein, a four-inch streak of quartz and gold showing (says an Ottawa cable message). The determined volume is 50 per cent of gold. Thousands are rushing to Copper Lake.

! Mr A. M. Conroy visited Wellington this week, and arranged with the J. Proprietary that the Williamson Pantomime Company should in future play a two-night season in Hawera. Allan Wilkie and the Dandies have pencilled in the Opera House for September. The Mayor, speaking at last night's meeting of citizens, said that ratepayers must not lose sight of the fact that the Borough Council had done a great deal of work out of ordinary revenue which a great many boroughs would have obtained a loan for. It was really marvellous what had been carried out from ordinary revenue. Mr Carnegie left his works of art to his wife, naming the Carnegie Corporation as the residuary legatee (reports a New York message). Provision for his wife and daughter was made during their lifetime. Ten thousand dollars each are bequeathed to Mr Taft, Mrs Roosevelt, and Mrs- Cleveland. Mr Carnegie left £1000 to Mr John Burns, also to Messrs Burland and Wilson, two members of Parliament. A correspondent of the Clutha Leader writes: "Anyone driving to Balclutha from the south last sale day would have seen an interesting sight —an elderly lady driving her own sheep to the saleyards. Sometimes she was at the back of them, aided by her trusted dog, and then again, 'like the shepherds of old,' in front of them ploddins; steadily on. One could not help admiring the shepherdess, and thinking how independent she was of man's aid."

Repayment of loans made by the Wellington Repatriation Board under the Repatriation Act is now proceeding at the rate of some £700 a month (says the Dominion). With a few exceptions, the repayments are regular. Jhe board insists upon applicants repaying loans as quickly as possible, the idea being to enforce a saving in funds and enable the Department to help more men with a given amount of capital. The amount of the repayment tor July, for example, would suffice to start two or three men in business Iwo medical men from Dunedin I figured in a little piece of coniedv which i w*f exacted in North Otago recently ■ although it is doubtful if they were greatly impressed with the humor of the situation. After finding their passage blocked at Bushey they attempted to negotiate the hill road, but they failed to reckon with the Kakanui stream, which rose 4ft. within two ■ hours, and, as they found to their cost, presented an impassable barrier. Before they were aware of it their car had run into a depth of several feet of water, where it inconveniently came to a sudden stop and forced its occupants to wade ashore, wetter and wiser men Assistance having been obtained the car was towed to dry land, and the two medical men, after making a hazardous journey over a railway bridge in the dark, found temporary accommodation tor the night, and continued their ! journey to Dunedin on the following day. ° Ladies , do not wear out your beautiful clothes rvn the old-fashioned washboard—let "No Ruining" Laundry Help and the pure "Golden Rule" Sosit, d» the work for yoa.—R. T. Bullock w

An Auckluu! message states that i Mrs C. Clarke, wite of the licensee of the Pukekohe Hotel, who was injured in. a motor car accident last Saturday, died in the hospital after having her leg amputated.

The eleventh spring show by St. Mary's Church will take place on Wednesday and Thursday next, owning at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and at 11 a.m. on Thursday, and being continued each evening. Besides the tine display of spring flowers, for which the show is noted, there will be stalls for plain and fancy work, fruit, flowers, produce, cakes and sweets, apron and sluilling surprise packets, while for the children there will be bran tubs and competitions oi various kinds, including hoop-la, .shooting gallery, Punch and Judy show. Selections will be played by Mr J. Higham's orchestra on Wednesday and the Citizens' Band on Thursday. Exhibitors will note that entries will close on Tuesday at 4 p.m., with the lion, secretary, Mr N. H. Caplen. Mrs Kineton Parkes. who is paying a brief visit to Hawera' will speak at a public meeting on Tuesday evening to be held in the Grand Theatre. She has been on a lecturing tour in the Dominion telling the story of women's work in England and describing London life in war time. Sh e wa s also one of those who inaugurated the Women's Emergency Corps, one of the largest war organisations in London, and th e first to start activities. Mrs Kineton Parkes is an excellent speaker, and well worthy of a large audience no matter where she speaks, in city or country.

A message from Dargaville in reference to the new oil works states that the oil is distilled from a kauri gum swamp, and comprises motor oil, turpentine, paint and varnish oils Seventy-five gallons are obtained per ton of. the material treated, and tharc is every possibility of the industry developing into one of the most valuable resources of the Dominion. The supply of raw material is practically inexhaustible, and Mr Alderton. managing director, ventures the opinion that the Government owns enough material if converted into oil to pay off the whole of a war debt of one hundred million pounds. The pukau from which the oil is extracted assays £9 7s 6d per ton, and the cost of distillation refini»fi, and other charges amounts to £2 per, ton.

"One of the most important tasks of repatriation boards," said Mr T. S. Weston (chairman of the Wellington Board) this week, the Dominion reports, "is that of seeing that apprentices who have served their country are taken back by their old masters and paid a fair rate of wages. As these men are both older, and in many cases better, for their experience, most employers are glad to deal liberally with them, and grant them wages in excess of those to which they are entitled under the awards. The Government has to make the wages up to £3 per week, and thus it will be seen that the generosity of employers can much reduce the burden placed upon the State. There are some employers, however (fortunately in a very small minority) who are inclined to be mean, and stand upon their strict legal rights. In justice to the rival employers, who are generous, the officers of the board always endeavor to make them recognise the unfairness of their attitude—-and generally with success. Consequently, it has not been necessary for the District Repatriation Board to intervene and pass any resolution on the matter."