LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2050, 2 December 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“The dearest piece of work America ever did was the importation of black labour,” said Professor Murphy during a lecture at Palmerston North recently.

“There appears to be a certain section of the Education Board against the consodidated school idea,” observed the chairman, Mr A. F. Howarth, at the meeting of the Te Kuiti School Committee on Thursday last. “The view of some of them is that the country school, its committee and teacher form a centre of social life which they do not want to lose.”

A striking example of what the Waitomo County Council’s newly acquired steam roller can do was seen on the main road to Pio Pio yesterday. The roller was working near the junction of Troopers’ Road, and the surface was almost as smooth and even as concrete. A few yards further on the loose metal was in much the same condition as when it was put on last autumn.

“The rabbits are just beginning to come into Taranaki from the back country,” said Mr Roberton, of Tongaohura, a member of the Land Commission yesterday. “The Oliura people where they are thick don’t seem to trouble themselves, and won’t bother to form rabbit boards to keep them off those who are not overrun and don’t want to be.”

“Just look at this hat,” said a lady witness before the Land Commission at Pio Pio yesterday, displaying a battered example of the milliner’s art as evidence of the hardships suffered by the King Country settler. “I’m afraid,” remarked the Commissioner dubiously, “I am not a judge of these things.”

The balloon prices in the wool market are drawing people back to the country. An instance of this was given by a prominent Auckland land agent of a man holding a large sheep farm who left his property when the slump came and acquired a considerable amount of house property in the city. He is now disposing of this (states the Star) to obtain the money necessary to restock his farm and set himself up in the good old occupation of raising the “golden deece.”

It has been said frequently that it is a shrewd business man who will emerge from a solicitor’s office with something for nothing (says the Manawatu Times). Yet it is authoritatively related that the other day a Palmerston North stationer sold a firm of solicitors a line of pencils, and when a,day or so later he had^occasion to visit the office of the firm he emerged triumphantly at the conclusion of an interview with one of his own pencils implanted behind his ear. He considers his business acumen Ims been established.

“In America is is surprising to notice how big they deal in things,” remarked Mr Hague Smith, who Iras just returned to Wanganui after three months abroad. He pointed out (says the Chronicle) that one firm he had business with had a suite of offices on the thirteenth floor of a building, and the rental per annum for the premises represented £67,000 in English money. He also explained that the cost of living was high when compared with that of England, clothing and everything being very dear. He observed while in the States that quite a number of shops made a feature of pointing out that they had English goods for sale, which went to show the value they place on the English article.

There was a great galaxy of talent congregated at t lie wool sale at Wanganui (says the Herald). Outside the building a little group of farmers were discussing the prospects of the sale, and incidentally commenting on the number of agents who were beginning, to assemble. Along came a minister and joined the crowd outside the building. His appearance caused one farmer to remark that the churches would also benefit by high prices for wool. “1 mun,” replied another farmer whose accent could not be mistaken, “high prices do not necessarily mean increased collections in the kirk. They mean better motorcars to take the owners and their families further from the church door on the Sabbath.” During the course of an interview with an Otago Daily Times reporter, r Mr J. Horn, M.P., a member of the Parliamentary delegation from New Zealand which recently toured South Africa, stated that horses were seldom seen on the land in South Africa.

The work was done by bullocks, donkeys, and mules. A full span of bullocks or donkeys totalled 18 head, or nine pair yoked abreast. The cost of the animals was astonishingly cheap. A good working bullock cost; from £2 10s to £4, and donkeys could be bought at from Is to 2s 6d per head. “I could have bought 1000 at Is per head,” said Mr Horn laughingly. The mules were worth from £8 to £l2 per head, and anything in the shape of a Clydesdale could only be procured at a much higher rate, more on a par with the prices paid in New Zealand.

Readers are reminded of the Catholic bazaar to be held in tho Parish Hall on Thursday and Friday “We passed a British cemetery containing 12,000 and a French one with 10,000, all white crosses, and a German one containing 30,000, but with black crosses.” “These,” remarks a Wellington resident who has just returned front a visit to the war zone, “give an awful insight into! the rav-, ages of the war, which we in New Zealand can hardly realise. It seems devilish when you see some ol tho towns.” On a recent voyage across the Atlantic the liner Berengaria ran into a school, of whales frolicking in tho calm blue sea. The ship bit nue, more than 30 feet long. The impact shook the great 52,000-ton liner so that seamen ini the forecastle ran on deck to see what had! happened. The whale’s great bulk stuck into the bow until it fell away in two parts. For a time it endangered the propellers. “When will the report you promised the engineer should make on the building of a concrete weir over the Mangaokewa River for a swimming>pool, be forthcoming?” asked Cr O’Connell of the Mayor last night. He noticed that Te Awamutu was raising £SOO for baths, and he did not see why Te Kuiti should not do the same as a smaller town. The Mayor said the engineer would shortly be in Te Kuiti and would get out the estimate then.

Apparently there are many men unemployed in Auckland just now (reports the Star), as an advertisement inviting applications for the position of caretaker of a city building brought 75 replies. The majority of applicants were married men with family responsibilities, and one man, who subsequently cancelled his application, was credited with a family of sixteen. In some instances men applying for the job were in employment and were trying to better their position.