LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 9 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A new and interesting use has been found locally for the seaplane (says a northern exchange). A launch towing a raft of logs broke down the other day in the Hauraki Gulf, and search by ordinary methods failed to locate it. 'A seaplane from the New Zealand Flying School was commissioned. It soon sighted the launch, alighted alongside it, and told those on board that help would be sent, and before long brought the news to the owners.

The index number ."for the three food groups as at March 15 (Donun.'on weighted average) is, according to the Gvernment Statistician, 1810, a decrease of 63 Tjoints as comoared with the preceeding month's figure (1873), and an increase^ of 69.16 per cent, as compared with that for July, 1914. The decrease f 13 points in the groceries group as conmared ' w}th February is mamly accounted for by a. further fall m the pr:fe of tinned fraits, while cream of tartar also manifests a universal reduction in price. The fall of 171 poisnts in the meat group is due to a still further-, reduction in the price of ail cuts, the quotat:ons "snowing a general decline of approximately Id per lb. V,WJ? e, n. a ■ witaess \who hailed from Banffshire, north of. Aberdeen, was giving evidence before, the Auckland Waterways Commission on Tuesday on his experience' of the poor gum lands which existed in\the district where the proposed new Waitemata railway line would run he was asked by Mr Ferguson, if such land did not require a lot of manuring to produce sucj(j, good results.. "Not so great manuring," came the canny reply from the farmer from the cold north; "tillage does more than manuring." "Ah!" was the audible remarks of another Scotsman who was sitting amongst the many witnesses waiting to give evidence, "that man comes from a country where nothing is got without hard work, and he knows ivbat he is talking about."— Star. ; ■,

Proliibition .of the imnortation of gas cookers, save with the" consent' of the Minister of Customs, was announced in last week's Gazette. The consent of the Minister is to be given on the reeomrnendation of the Board of Trade, which will investigate any application rthat. may be made for permission to bring gas cookers into the country. This order is due to representations that have been made to the Custom's Department on behalf of firms that are manufacturing gas. cookers in New Zealand. It is claimed that the firms are able to manufacture all the cookers that the Dominion required, and that the quality of their output is excellent. Large contracts are expected to be made shortly, and a fear has been expressed that some of the local bodies and companies dealing in gas might be tempted to send their orders abroad owing to reduced prices.