LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 October 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first strawberries of the season were available in Auckland on Friday last, and another lot was sold on Saturday. "For this time of the year,'' said Mr Harvey Turner, of Turner and Growers,1 '/the strawberries to hand are of very fair quality and rather 'better than- the first samples last season." ' • " ,

Just three months ago the Waipukurau Bairy Factory was totally destroyed by fire, together with the lorries utilised for the gathering of cream and milk (states the Napier Telegraph). To-day, twelve weeks later, finds the factory reerected splendid solid style, and the latest equipment throughout and a big fleet of lorries scouring- the country for the necessary liquid.

A statement that is made on good authority is calculated to cheer the hearts of the farming community (says the ' Poverty Bay Herald). The announcement is to the- effect that the opening price for lamb for the new export season will be" unpreoedently high, 9d per lb having meen mentioned in one quarter as the likely figure.

At the last committee meeting of the Opunake; Federal Band letter was received from the 'secretary of the Mardi Gras,> ■ Stratford, asking the band to take part, in the quickstep contest to bVheld there shortly.- 'As there are twenty, members of the band engaged in,the -dairy industry and .whilst these members are keen and intend to keep the band up to a high standard, it is found almost impossible for them to devote the necessary time required to work /up to contest. form during the busy'seasdn. It was decided also not to compete at the New Plymouth contest for the same reason. A man named E/ W,. Thomson was arraigned before the fetratford Court yesterday on a .charge of ".unlawfully taking or converting a horse^ to his own use, but. no so as to be guilty of theft within the meaning, of the Crimes Act of 1908:" The offence was alleged to have occurred- on Fe.bruarj'- 12 last. The defending counsel (Mr A. Colemaii) contended that as the information had not been, brought* within the six months required^ by the Act,-the case was out of court and could not fye proceeded with. The police claimed that.the information-was merely an amendment of a former charge of theft and was therefore in \order, but the ißanch , upheld Mr Coleman 's contidn and dismissed the information. The police then brought the charge, of theft against Thomson, who was remanded for a week on bail of £50. At Eltham on Tuesday, Denis Brew was fined. £1 and costs: for assaulting Patrick O'Connor in Bridge street. Constable Townsend said Brew had met O'Connor in Bridge street, outside the Central Hotel.' O'Connor, wanted to shake hands with Brew, but the latter refused, saying he did not wish to shake hands with a main like O 'Connor. Brew admitted that he then hit O'Connor, knocking" iiim down, inflicting se\vere facial injuries. < 0 'Conner was carried into the hotel, where his injuries were attended to. Brew gave evidence that 6 'Connor, was an enemy, of his, and he objected to shaking hands with the man in the main,street and in the presence of a crowd of people... He acted upon impulse in striking him.; ' ■',■'•• .'. \ ■~ :. t . ," ■' .' ■- There is quite a little inside history in connection with. Mr. Massey's cable to Mr. Lloyd George. On the Saturday wEen the cable from the: British Government arrived thero was an interesting ' function at Government House, If wag+he occasion of some investitures of titular honours and a reception, The ceremony was over. Gaily dressed ladies and gentlemen were gathered about in little groups when his Excellency Lord Jellicoe and Mr. Mass«y were seen to enter one of the side rooms. Shortly afterwards other Ministers who were present were seen making for the same room, Onlokoers smiled, they thought that the illustrious ones were merely enjoying refreshment in% private. But th«y were making history. Ah important Cabinet, meeting was being held, and in about three minutes a cable was on its way to Mr.' Lloyd George .intimating where New Zealand stood if her help-was required.—Eltham Argus. : Some Masterton pig-hunters had an exciting' experience in the bush at the foot of the Tararuas when out hunting during, the week-end (relates the. Age). The party were returning with a Ine young sow which they had secured, when the dogs got on the scent of a big boar, that did not "bail" until it reached the thick undergrowth, where it was impossible to shoot unless within a few yards. With infinite cunning the boarj eluded its pursuers with 3hort desperate "breaks," but the dogs tinallj' cornered him in a narrow gully. When capture semed certain it.,cleared i, track through the dogs, killing one outright and narrowly missing another, which escaped with a slight rip on the throat. , The remaining dog evidently thinking discretion the better part of valour, did not follow the boar, which made good its escape. At this time of the year boars are .particularly dangerous, and inexperienced hunters would be wise to avoid pighunting for the next two months. There has been an unusually, low rainfall in Otago Central during the past winter, combined with a correspondingly light fall of snow on the high _ levels (states the Otago Daily Times). These two factors tend to make the position serious for ;the living in that area, because as a general rule tEe bulk of the water they obtain for their small irrigation supplies is stored on the hills as snow, and during the coming season there is likely to "be a big deficiency of water. The rainfall has not been sufficient to saturate the ground, and consequently any crops or grass growing in Otago Central is suffering seriously, and must continue to suffer through lack of moisture in the soil. Even supposing they get good summer rains these will not take the place of the winter rains, as in the hot months evaporation is very rapid, and the lack of moisture in the early stages of growth can never quite be made up afterwards. The. country is looking painfully dry, and the sheep on the hills are mostly in poor condition

A Wanganui resident aged 73 boasts that he has not yet been to a raovaiJ picture show. Mr. 0, J. Hawken, M.P., notifies, the electors of Egmont that he will open his campaign as soon as his Parliamentary duties will permit. The dates of Mr. Hawken's meetings will be advertised later. As indicating the successful nature of the present dairying season, Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., informed a. Standard representative that, for September last, the production figures of the New Zenland Dairy Farmers 7 Union were 164 per cent, of those for the corresponding month last year, or an increase of about two-thirds. | It is stated (says the Waikato Times) that the. New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company intends taking proceedings against a journal published in Wellington which it is alleged has matlo, , "entirely false and erroneous statements" in criticising the company's balance' sheet. ! It is probable that the Wanganui Museum will gain some new fish speei-. mens as the result of a trawler commencing operations on the coast (states ■ the Wanganui Herald).. Many valuable species of. fish have been found on the beach between Wanganui and Wellington, and the curator of the museum is hopeful that the trawl net will bring i\po light many more that will be acquisitions to the already fine collection. "I predict that Dunedin. will have . the champion girl swimmer in the ! Dominion in theivery near future," said j Mr. E. H. Olds, custodian of the public i baths, to a Star reporter. The. girl in j question is a pupil of the High Street I school j and for the special benefit of the i pressmen she gave an exhibition of her prowess. Mr. Olds regards his protege as the best pupil he ever had, especially taking into consideration the fact th^t she has been receiving tuition for only three months. ■'■'' ■V The revenue return per hour from mixed bathing at; the Tepid Bath at Christchureh is 265, as against 10s an hour during men's hours and 5s an hour during women's hours. The great ; sxjcc&ss of this week's innovation of mixed bathing on Wednesday mornings suggestsl that an extension in this direction may wipe out the deficiency on the baths accounts.- Earlier afternoon bathing for. men is also advanced as a necessary reform. Territorials and Senior Cadets in the Stratford, Eltham, Waimate 'West, Patea, and Waitotara Counties will have a very interesting day a;t the Whareroa range on Labour Day, October 23, when the annual rifle meeting will be held. The officers of the Defence Department will have the arrangements complete, I and if the day is ■ fine some good shooting should result. All the matches are service events,* and the .three classes, providing thirteen matches, should be adequate to cater for all who desire to take part. A glimpse into the past history of settlement on tiie coast was given oy a letter received at the ±"atea County Council meeting, asking for particulars ■or tne present owner qi original sections in the Ka!karamea taivnsnip., The lilsc was town allotment-i\o. ib'f, "plan of' Kaliaiarnea, in tne name .of jNewsiiam, .Liou^ei1 m xarah&Ki Cavalry Volunteers; Crown grant 9189, dated July Si. ■ lavi. Tne second was town allotment in KaJsaramea, granted to G. Y. juecabndge. The third was section 160, Kajsai-amea, in name of Henry l)ewar,% now. included" m tne estate of Mcßroom ■-^-original, grant February 12, 1872, no transfer registered since that date. No operations or transfers apparently had taken place since these tlates, about fifty years ago. ; Mr. W. T. Ward, of Wanganui, who is well known for his great work in the science of astronomy, will lecture in the Grand Theatre tomorrow evening, ■ when it is h'oped^that there will be a large attendance. V The lecture is for educational purposes and for the school library at the Hawera Main School. Mr. Ward, is easily.;, the outstanding figure m.New Zealand in astronomical science: He has been director of the Wanganui Observatory, .the largest in New Zealand, since its inception 15 years ago. His name is known not .only in. England.and Europe but in America. Some years ago he was complimented by the British Astronomical | Association for his observations and drawings, of Mars. He is the only maker of telescopes in New Zealand, j the largest instrument in-New Zealand, j a _12J-mch telescope, made for the'Dutf- | edin Astronomical Society, and the gift of Mr. J. C. Begg io the people of New Zealand, being his work It .! was expected that Dr. W. W. Camp- ,£^ P?'^. 01", of the Lick Observatory (U.S.A.), might have been able to be .! present and- take part mv the lecture, I as on his'way from Wallal, where he was m charge of. the American eclipse | expedition, he had promised to stay a few days with Mr. Ward ■at Wanganui, but unfortunately he does not now '^^^w^f r^- Dr- CampbeU I s Pr sablysably the foremost astronomer, both of practical and theoretical astronomy, m the world to-day. ' .^lt may be presumed that there are daily instances di .young cmldren straying from their homes in AueL land, and a case on Friday was not without Its possibilities ( S ays the Star). "Whilst the mother wasenga! Ed washing her little brown^eyed tot ■was playmg about, but eventually sai d I • I c^ a ' + i,au? e Parted round -be' house i just in the daily manner of father The ; mother playfully acknowledged' the : farewell-, but did not reckon on the , ±act\that a careless tradesman had n«£- ---; lected to close a front gate It v,as ■ soon discovered that the cinid had wandered away, and one of/ those energetic, sympathetic, and; neighbourly searches commenced. The home being on the waterside a.t' Ponsonby. | parties set out to scour ?Jl the; beaches and bays, but to no purpose.' In the meantime the i f.tle <ne v,as I trotting happily along t,ue trail- route ;in Jervois Road, 'and uxire seo. trere calling at ,shops ? where she was given! edibles that made her independence both sweet and charming. Fortunately she was off the tram routes when cars were passing. At length she nonchalantly followed a lady down a side street, where she was made quite at home by kind strangers, who took steps that led to the restoration of the wanderer to her frantic mother. "Please shut the^ gate" is the title of this story. j