LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4397, 25 May 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Players to represent Nehe against Te Kuiti on Saturday will be selected from the following:—J. Dowie, Bees, J. Morgan, J. James, R. Roberts, Robinson, Wilson Hetet, J. Anderson, W. Hirst, Petheridge, L. Kawe (captain), L. Wi, Harpur, Pittums, S. Bell, J. Rata, Blake, Turner, Jones, Reardon, Karu.

At a meeting held at Stratford on Saturday to discuss the suggested quotas of dairy produce, a lady member of the audience expressed the opinion that if all farmers supplied a first quality raw material to the dairy factory they would get better prices for their produce. Many farmers, she contended, were not particular enough with their milking machines. She had seen machines which were not fit to milk through.

"The same conditions do not appear to apply anywhere in New Zealand," said Mr. P. Keller, chairman of the No. 7 (Taranaki) Highways Council, in explaining to the annual meeting that almost every sort and make of paint had been tried and found wanting as an effective covering on the Mokau bridge. The Public Works Department had even tried spraying with bitumen, which, while more successful than paint, was still far from satisfactory. It was now proposed to encase the bridge in concrete.

Concerned with the presence of smoke in a residence and not being able to discover the cause, a Rotorua resident recently had cause to invite members of the Rotorua Fire Brigade to inspect the premises. After considerable trouble, in which the brigademen stayed on the premises for some time, it was discovered that the smoke was caused by sulphur deposits mixed with the mortar. Apparently the action of the fire over a long period had burnt through the outside layer and exposed the sulphur to the flames.

Figuring on the programme of the King Country Racing Club which held its annual race meeting at Te Rapa, during the week-end, was the "Kawhia Handicap," this being the first occasion that this event has made its appearance. While duly appreciating the distinction conferred upon the district by this designation (says the Kawhia Settler) local sportsmen found it impossible to follow the time-honoured custom of entering a horse for the new classic event. A telegram has therefore been sent to the Club as follows: "Re-p-ret unable to nominate for the Kawhia Handicap. Only eligible candidates are at present in the pound."

"Well, we started with an earthquake, and we have now finished with one," remarked Mr. J. S. Barton, retiring Commissioner for Napier, when earth tremors took place at Napier at ten minutes to eight o'clock on the evening before he finished his service. Mr. Barton at the time was addressing the newly-elected Napier City Council at the City Council Chambers, and was giving a detailed statement of work carried out during the last two years, when the earthquake took place, says the Daily Telegraph. There was not even a flickering of the light, however, and the business of the meeting was continued without interruption.

"I believe that the Government, when times improve, will devote the whole of the revenue from the petrol tax to the roads of the Dominion, and as the amount derived fr,om this source will easily cover the total amount struck for road rates you will readily appreciate that when such a course is permissible there will no longer be the necessity for striking these rates," said Mr. W. Morrison, a member of the Main Highways Board, during an address at the annual meeting of the No. 7 (Taranaki) District Highways Council at Stratford. Mr. Morrison said he did not wish to enter into a discussion on derating, but he had explained the position as he saw it.

"There has been a great deal of argument about it, but I believe wholemeal bread is better than white," declared the Minister of Health (Hon. J. A. Young) during a speech on dental health before the New Zealand Sunlight League in Christchurch on Friday night. The Minister described the formation of a grain of wheat, stating that the chemical elements were on the outside, and the mineral elements on the inside, while the kernel was starch. Wholemeal bread, he emphasised, contained the outside as well as the inside of the grain. The farmer feeds his ground with phosphates and lime, the wheat is nourished on them, and then when white bread is made these valuable elements are thrown aside," said the Minister.

"The danger of such happenings has been foreseen with the development of electric power boards and precautions have been taken to minimise them," said a power board official at Christchurch, referring to

the recent case of a farmer being electrocuted through touching a fence that had been rendered "alive" by a high tension wire falling on it. The expert said it was now mandat-

ory on power boards to provide apparatus, known as leakage relays, which broke the ch'cuit when a "live" wire came in contact with a fence, by immediately opening switches and

rendering the line "dead." The opening of these switches depended, however, on the passing of a certain amount of current to earth. Sensitive

though they were, there were factors which increased the resistence of the circuit to earth. Experience had shown, for instance, that fences constructed with dry posts had a high resistance to earth, and when a live wire fell on a fence in which they were used it was alive with current equal in intensity to the pressure of the line. Anybody coming in contact with such a fence would receive

a fatal shock. Regulations made it incumbent on power boards properly to earth fences which ran in proximity to high tension lines. To effect this all the fence wires at one par-

ticular point, or points, were banded together and connected with a circuit which had contact with earth, such as a pipe in damp ground, or a plate in a creek.

On Sunday night a concert will be held in the Empress Theatre under the auspices of the Te Kuiti and Waitomo platoons of the Ist Waikato Regiment. The Maniapoto District Silver Band will render a number of selections, while the artists will be Mrs. Olney, Mr. Baddeley, Miss Max, Mr. Shakes, and Dr. Isaac.

A new industry is about to be established in the Wairarapa, one perhaps unique in New Zealand, a company to export canned jellied eels to Great Britain. The company is being formed in pursuance of a contract made in London in September, 1932. The directors are Greytown residents, and it is understood that the scene of the company's operations will be in the neighbourhood of Wairarapa Lake.

"We are prone to look upon many swaggers who call at the office asking for a few shillings to help them along as being men of little account, men who are no good," said Mr. W. G. Gallagher, chairman of the Ashburton Hospital Board. He said that in view of this, it was gratifying to learn of the case of a man who since 1931 received ss. 4d and 3s. on different occasions, and who returned to the office recently and refunded the full amount, though his funds were very small.

Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., caused much merriment at the Te Awamutu R.S.A. re-union last Saturday evening when he told of his after-war activities. He related having been present at the attack on a large building at Te Rapa that afternoon. He assisted in eight desperate assaults during the day, "and all were repulsed with casualties!" On these grounds, he added, he considered he had a good qualification for membership of the R.S.A.

Reduction of rating by the use of the petrol tax was under discussion at the County meeting yesterday, and it was mentioned that this tax might be enough to abolish the whole rate, or bring about total derating. In the course of his remarks Cr. Neal mentioned that "some of them"—meaning those advocating total derating—"think that we oppose that because we are afraid of losing our jobs!" "Yes," rejoined Cr. Lee, "and that is what annoys one."

The maintenance of the main highways should be a County matter," said Cr. Neal at the meeting of the Waitomo County Council yesterday. He gave notice of motion that the maintenance of the main highway roads be a charge against the County funds; against that charge the heavy traffic fees should be pooled, and be the first revenue towards meeting the costs.

At the meeting of the Waitomo County Council yesterday, Cr. Wilson, representative on the No. 6 District Highways Council, reported that a recommendation asking for a 50 per cent, reduction in contributions had been passed, and in view of the fact that the amount of rates received had decreased last year over the previous year, it had been felt that it would be very hard for the Highways Board not to accept this proposal.

"Members of the staff are continally meeting with parents who have every reason to look with despair on the present situation so far as their sons are concerned," said Mr. D. E. Parton at the annual meeting of the Y.M.C.A., Christchurch. "Unless you meet this anxious type during the course of your own business, you will not understand the problem that faces the Association. According to the way these good folk read the daily news on finance, unemployment, and market prices, one would think civilisation itself was on the verge of collapse."

Criticism of the Government's policy of appointing men to important educational posts by seniority was expressed by Mr. G. W Armitage at the meeting of the Canterbury Education Board on Friday, when, on the suggestion of the chairman (Mr. H. J.- Bignell), the board passed a motion congratulating Mr. N. Lambourne on his appointment to the post of Director of Education, in succession to Mr. T. B. Strong. "I certainly congratulate Mr. Lambourne," said Mr. Armitage, "but at the same time I do not approve of the policy of appointing men to these important posts by seniority. In this case I should have liked to see the Government search far and wide for a man to fill the place. I only hope the Government did not appoint the first man upon whom its eyes fell. Nevertheless, I sincerely congratulate Mr. Lambourne."