LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 3261, 31 January 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two vouths who escaped from the Child’s Welfare Home at Hamilton early this morning arrived at Te Kuiti about 8 a.m., having been given a lift by a motorist along the road. Their liberty was short lived, however, as the police took charge of them an hour afterwards, and they will be returned to Hamilton to-day.

A Hamiltonian, who has just returned from a trip to Canterbury, states that the country presents a very parched appearance and the cereal crops will be very light. Old residents declare that never in their memory has drought been so prolonged. Hot winds have prevailed for the last three weeks and only on one occasion has a slight shower been experienced, and that lasted for only half an hour. While a general downpour would be welcomed to assist pastui'es, it would be too late to do any good to the grain crops.

A Taranaki motor-car agent derived a great deal of pleasure from a letter which he received recently from a would-be Maori customer, evidently an optimist. “Dear gentleman,” ran the missive, “having the pleasure in communicating to you owing to being cripple and not obligation to buy, please will you let me rent one of your seven-seater car for week. My sister drive it in about two week time on urgent business to Hawera connection with the last Maori meet of the Taranaki to receive the £15,000 per year, rather £SOOO. Hoping to meet yours with charge and words by return mail or where to obtain rental cars you charge for week only of sevenseater car three-seater. Awaiting early reply, your friend. . . .”

The tale is told of a North Island district share-milker who refused to pay the unemployment levy “on prin- [ ciple.” He was told by the owner of the herd that unless he met his obligations, either by giving authority for the money to be drawn quarterly from his pay cheque, or by producing a receipt for direct payment, he would have to cease work. The owner regarded himself as the employer, and was running no risk of falling foul with the law by keeping engaged a man who had not paid up. “I don’t intend to pay, on principle,” said the share-milker. “That is flat. I’ve made my decision and rather than pay I’ll knock off work to-morrow and register for my 14s. a day.” He was as good as his woi'd.

“I feel that local rates on the farming 1 community are getting beyond all reason,” said the chairman of the Hutt County Council (Mr. R. D. Hoggard), when a letter was read from the Waitomo County Council advocating that the cost of the upkeep of highways be borne by the users of the roads through an adequate petrol tax. “I do not think that we could ask that all the rural areas should be excluded from paying the rates,” he continued. “That would be making a present to the landowner. I think we should give our qualified approval to the principle advocated by the Waitomo County Council, that a greater proportion of road maintenance should be borne by the users. To ask the entire cost I think would be going too far.” The council adopted the chairman’s suggestion.

The dance which was to have been held in the Tangitu Hall on February 7th has been postponed till Saturday, February 14th.

To-morrow (Sunday) a special excursion for Rotorua will leave Te Kuiti at 7.5 p.m., arriving Rotorua at 12.8 p.m. On the return journey the train will leave Rotorua at 5.35 p.m., arriving Te Kuiti at 10.28, enabling excursionists to spend over five hours at this popular resort, and as the fares will be at half ordinary rates, the train should be well patronised.

The Te Kuiti Tennis Club’s ladder matches have been resumed with the return of most members. Keen matches should result. Hine and Whitehead have strengthened the men’s section considerably. It is proposed to hold ladies’ and men’s doubles competition at an early date particulars of which will be posted at the navilion.

About 30 members of the Te Kuiti Returned Soldiers’ Association left at 1.30 this afternoon to attend the annual re-union of various Auckland and King Country Associations to be held at Kawhia this evening. To-morrow the party will spend in a fishing excursion. The Maniapoto District Silver Band will also attend the function this evening and play selections in Kawhia to-morrow. This will be the first occasion for 14 years that a band has visited Kawhia.

The flannel dance held on Thursday evening in aid of the funds of the Maniapoto District Silver Band was a decided success, the hall being comfortably filled for dancing. The Band contributed the main portion of the music, but extras were played by Miss Roie Hogan, Messrs. Timbers, Holland, and. Black, while Messrs. McCormack (violin), Timbers, junior, (saxophone), and Miss Hogan played a trio selection. The Band will benefit by £l3 as a result of the function.

The following was published by a Wellington evening paper in 1880, 50 years ago: “The Government has decided to reduce the rate of wages paid to the unemployed on work provided for their benefit. The new rates will be 4s a day (instead of 4s 8d) for married men, and 3s for single men, the prices for piece-work being proportionately lowered. The reason given for this reduction is, we believe, the large number of men in Canterbury and Otago who prefer to remain in receipt of the Government pay rather than accept the slightly higher wages from private employers for farm work.”

Anniversary Day was celebrated in the usual way by the children of the Methodist Sunday School gathering in Mr. Willis Walker’s paddock for their annual picnic. Although the day was fine, a bleak, cold wind prevailed which somewhat detracted from the pleasure of the parents and children. The children thoroughly enjoyed the racing and other amusements organised by an energetic committee for their benefit. A lemon eating competition provided much merriment to those other than the competitors themselves. A wide variety of prizes were provided for the various events. Every child in the kindergarten class received a free gift.

“Motoring from New Plymouth to Wellington one cannot help being struck with the number of automobile associations, each covering a fairly circumscribed area,” remarked Mr. R. Glover-Clark, of Auckland, in conversation with an Eltham Argus reporter recently. “Having the widespread area so successfully covered by the Auckland Automobile Association in mind, I am convinced,” continued Mr. Clark, “that the motorists would get far better service l 'if the various associations were merged into one big body. As it is, the signposting and general servicing of the roads from New Plymouth to Wellington suffers by comparison with the Auckland district.”

A list of Italian taxes compiled by a Genoa newspaper suggests that Italy must be the most taxed country on earth. An unmarried man in business has to pay the following imposts:—National land tax, provincial land tax, communal land tax, gross income tax with supplementary taxes on portions of income derived from business, bachelor tax, supertax on both income and wealth, communal tax on his business, communal tax on profession, corporation tax for Fascist corporations, social insurance tax (one for home and one for business), highway occupation tax, sign rent, tax for provincial council’s economy, tax on rent paid, license for conduct of any kind of busines, trade or profession, tax for each vehicle owned, aqueduct tax, tax on pianos, and tax on servants.

The Taranaki farmer who was unfortunate enough to use caustic soda in mistake for sugar quite possibly had the opportunity to do so (says the Christchurch Times) because his wife was in the habit of making soap in the interests of household economy. A generation or so ago soap-making was just as important an accomplishment for a housewife as bread-making, but, as with bread, common soap is now made on such a large scale commercially and can be supplied at so low a price that there is little incentive for the lady of the house to make it herself. However, soap-making, apart from requiring careful watching, is not a difficult operation, and it is still carried on occasionally in many homes as a means of turning to useful account the surplus fat that always accumulates when much cooking is done.