LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 3373, 3 October 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Railway Department advertise in this issue particulars of the train arrangements and particularly cheap excursion fares in connection with the Waikato Trotting Club's meeting at Claudelands.

The fishing season opened on Thursday. Local enthusiasts report varying successes, in streams hereabouts. One bag of 15 (the limit) was caught in the Mangaohae stream, the largest being 51bs.

Patches of clematis in the bush are now visible from the road between here and Pio Pio. Its appearance, which is somewhat early this year, is an announcement that spring is well on its way.

"How do your men come to work?" was a question put to Mr. George Matheson, pastrycook, of Auckland, in the Arbitration Court at Wellington. "Until this case was started," he answered, "they used to come in a motor car."

It is freely stated among railwaymen in Auckland that a concerted effort is likely to be made by the four railway employees' organisations to test the legality of the Railway Board's action in retiring many employees on small superannuation after only 30 years' service. '

"Since he had started business as a fruiterer he had not sent a penny to his wife and two children in China, said a Chinese bankrupt in New Plymouth recently. "Then how do they exist?" asked the deputyofficial assignee. "Oh, most of them relv on their parents," said the interpreter. "There are many Chinese in New Zealand who have not seen their wives or children for 20 years, yet they seem to exist all right."

"One always finds that there is a lot of antagonism to dancing among certain people," said Mr. H. Stillwell, a well-known dance promoter (states the Christchurch Times)., "I have been conducting dances for 14 years and I know of hundreds of cases where couples, subsequently married, have met for the first time at dances. I am frequently told about it. Dances are real matrimonial grounds and in this respect they are an asset to the community."

"People in London do not stress the fact that there is a business depression," stated Mr. A. F. Cade, a Christchurch business man who has returned from a trip to England. "They feel that there is a slump, but everyone avoids talking about it. They are keen to get new business, and keep smiling while they, are engaged in that search."

"If the gold standard is restored it will be restored in a much modified form," declared Mr. G. Lawn, lecturer in economics at Canterbury College, in his remarks at the meeting of the New Economics Discussion Circle in Christchurch the other night. He said that it might be that this step on the part of Britain would lead to the abandonment of gold as a basis of credit.

Inquiries have been made from time ot time whether the name of Ratana as a healer has declined. Various Maori followers of Ratana, when questioned, say that it has not. Cures have been reported from time to time, but with the Maoris it is very difficult to get corroboration. However, an incident in Wanganui on September 16 has aroused much interest. Mr. J. Coleman, a retired business man, and a well-known follower of the turf, has been suffering from neuritis of the right arm for a considerable time, and had received medical attention, but the pam in his right arm had not diminished. The day before the Wanganui races he met* Ratana, with whom he had been acquainted for many years. During the handshake Mr. Coleman used the left arm, and Ratana inquired the reason. On being informed- Ratana remarked: "Let me have a look." He then took hold of Mr. Coleman's hand and rubbed the back and the palm, and remarked: "You will be all right in the morning." To the surprise of Mr. Coleman, the following morning the pain had entirely disappeared, and the arm has been perfectly well ever since.