LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2132, 25 June 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The work of clearing away the railway engine which ran off the line at Kakahi during the recent flood has now been completed (states the Taumarunui Press.) Two large cranes were sent down from Newmarket and the disabled engine was dismantled and pulled up in parts. All the parts were trucked and shunted to Kakahi and they will later be taken away to the depot for reassembling.

“As the Norwegian explorer who is making his dash for the Pole and back again is neither a thoroughbred horse nor a Rugby footballer, there is not likely to be much money wagered on his chances of getting back,” says the Wairarapa Age in commencing an article on Amundsen’s flight to the North Pole.

We are expressing the view of most Reformers and of no inconsiderable section of the Liberals when we say that the business of the conference ought to be, not the striking of a bargain over seats and portfolios, but the arrangement of a common programme (says the Christchurch Press.)

“If you asked me how philanthropy goes,” said Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., at a meeting of the Dominion Scout Council the other day (says the Lyttelton Times) “I would say Auckland first, then Dunedin. They are Scotch there, but the notion that Scotchmen are not generous is foolish., They are thrifty to a degree, but convince a Scotchman that a movement is worthy and he will support it.”

A deputation from the Oamaru NoLicense Association waited upon Mr G. A. Macpherson, M.P., the other day, to ascertain his views on the subject of licensing legislation (reports the North Otago Times.) Mr Macpherson gave the deputation clearly to understand that if legislation were brought down in the comingsession he would vote in favour of their being two issues only on the ballot paper.

There is a popular fable (with a useful moral) of an ass which, for its own vain purposes, once donned a lion’s skin. The ruse failed because it was impossible to make a bray sound like the roaring of the king of beasts. Mr H. E. Holland needs to have the legend recalled to him (says the New Zealand Times). With startling suddenness, he has decided to put on the mantle of Seddon and Ballance. It is an acquisitive performance as impertinent as it is amusing. But, like the ass in the fable, we are afraid that Mr Holland’s voice will betray him.

A discharge in bjaiilmiptcy was granted! at yesterday’s sitting of the Supreme Court at Hamilton to Mr A. C. Iveay (Mr Morton), of Awakino.

As the culmination to divorce proceedings heardi at the Supreme Court at Hamilton in September of last year, a. decree absolute was granted to William McDonald, of Te Ivuiti (Mr Morton), from Bertha, Maude McDonald, by His Honour Mr Justice Herdman, at the sitting of the Supreme Court at Hamilton yesterday.

“Theso instructors will fell you much about the way towards increased production, but let me tell you that until yon farmers stay away from the saleyards more, your fences and drains will always be needing attention.”— Mr Bennett, at the opening of the Farm School at Manaia.

A large number of people-—mostly motor car owners—bent on procuring benzine and oil at prices well below the average of market values, attended the auction sale of Cyrena benzine at Castlecliff. The bidding was brisk, and the prices obtained figured from 4s 6d a tin to 6s 9d—the latter price being fairly representative of the! average. In all, some 3000 cases fell to the thud of the hammer, while a large quantity df empty cases, sold for the purpose of kindling wood., met a somewhat enthusiastic market.

Some strong comment on the visibility and general utility of the new motor number plates was made by Mr A. W. Mowlem, S.M., during the hearing of a by-law case at the Stratford Magistrate’s Court last week. He considered that the adoption of the present type of number plate was the most stupid thing the legislature had ever done. The whole essence of registration was the fact of identity, but everything about the new numbers tended to nullify that. Neither in appearance nor construction was there anything to be said in their favour. Mr Mowlem concluded by saying that the matter had been in his mind for some time, and he was glad of the opportunity to make public his views regarding it.

The financial difficulties with which local hr.|dies are frequently faced were illustrated by the clerk of the Hawera County Council (Mr J. W. Harding) when the Council was considering estimates on Saturday. A total rate of ]£d, in the £IOO capital valuation was struck, and the clerk pointed cut that interest andl sinking fund on leans previously Raised would' account for about -jd of this, while the hospital levy would take a further ]d, so that of the ljd only about fd would remain for the construction and maintenance of roads and; bridges and the other work of the county.

Exception is taken by officials of the New Zealand Labour Party to a statement by Sir Maui Pomare to the effecfft that t.he only man who N ever insulted him in the House of Representatives was a Labour member, who alluded to him as a black nigger. Commenting on the statement, Mr P. Fraser (secretary of the Parliamentary Labour Party) said lie wished to deny emphatically that any member of the New Zealand Labour Party bad ever addressed the wordis alleged to have been used in reference to Sir Maui Pomare. Mr Fraser said lie had. made inquiries as to the identity of the member who was alleged to have used the weirds, and be could say definitely that lie never was a member of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

The Audit Department lias a knack of dealing out body blows to unsuspecting local bodies in the matter of unauthorised expenditure, and the Gorge Road Board ctf Control now joins the number of having the dinners of a. Minister and two or three public officials debited against the individual members (says the Manawatu Standard). The occasion had'been a, function of an official nature held at the Gorge, whe nthe delicacies tendered the workmen by the caterer on the site had been tested by the visitors. Unfortunately the members now concerned are in some instances different from those who sat on the Board at the Lime, but they are accepting the mandate of the auditors philosophically.

Replying to questions to Parliamentary candidates submitted by the New Zealand Alliance, Mr M. J. Savage, M.P., for Auckland West, voiced tlie attitude of /the Auckland members of the Auckland Labour l Party'. He said ho was pledged to the aims of the New Zealand Labour Party, and was not going to pledge himself to anything else. Thaifc party believed the people should be allowed to decide national questions themselves, and the party’s constitution provided for r.nv question being decided by a referendum if 10 per cent of the people pefiitijdnel Parliament to that end. That was the attitude he took in regard to the issue placed before him.

In proposing the toast of “Her Majesty the Cow,” at 'the smoke conceit of the North Canterbury Dairymen’s Association at Ohoka on Friday, Mr JO. Parian© said inter alia: “The cow is man’s best animal friend, meekeyed, gentle and generous, mother of the whole bovine race and fostermother to the human race. Queen of the brute creation, long may sho reign. Day and night, year in and year out, she works for us, receives uo pay, and asks for mine, only' her board. There is not a home in the whole English-sjiealdug world but into which sho brings comfort with her abundant gifts.”

“Y!hu know as well as I do,” said Mr l W. Grounds, chairman of the Daily' Produce Control Board, when addressing a meeting of dairy far me is at Blenheim, “that New Zealand is destined to he a land of small holdings. You know the clamour—sometimes greater and sometimes less, according to the financial conditions of the moment—to get on the land, and the only satisfactory avenue for this closer settlement is the dairying industry, and the only way for this progressive development is to see that there is a market for the increasing production which will come from this closer settlement.” Marketing, declared the speaker, was irrevocably bound up in the problem of increased and t increasing production, and that was what the merchants were not recognising, and! that was just wtya.t was increasingly jeopardising the welfare of the industry.