LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4458, 17 October 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The importance of farmers retaining good ewe lambs was stressed by Mr. David Marshall in the course of his remarks on sheep at Lo'ngbush (says the Southland Times). Mr. Marshall said many farmers were selling their best ewe lambs and so harming the flocks. They were building up with "scrub" animals and this was causing the quality of the flocks to deteriorate.

Three Te Kuiti riders took part in the annual Cambridge-Papakura road cycle race last Saturday. For two years Te Kuiti riders (Harris and Watson) have been successful in gaining first place, but this year the honour fell to an Auckland rider, W. Hills. D. Watson was the first of the Te Kuiti riders home, gaining sixth place off 18 minutes. "Scotty" Peterson and K. Jackson, the other two Te Kuiti representatives, were both fairly well up among the 28 riders who took part.

"Cameronian," a contributor to Reynolds's Newspaper, noted recently that the Daily Express had reproduced a cablegram showing that Camera had told the Bankruptcy Court: "I not got dough. Everybody want dough—dough—dough." I not got dough." Writing his life story in the Sunday Express, Camera says: "In describing what life has done for and to me, care must be taken to divide the facts from the many strange, colourful legends that have sprung up around me. I speak, read, and write both Italian and French passably well, and surely I have made fair progress in English during four years." "Personally," commented "Cameronian," "I think he made simply marvellous progress in four days."

Speaking of the important place that civil aviation held in the life of the United States, Mr. Frank Milner, rector of the Waitaki Boys' High School, stated in an interview in Christchurch that there had been wonderful development in air transport in that country. He mentioned one trip he had made from Los Anglese to Seattle, the time being eight hours, at a speed of 220 miles an hour. The machine, which was of a huge modern type, could make a landing at the low speed of fifty miles an hour if necessary. Flying by night was just as safe as by day and was equally popular. As an instance he himself had made a journey of 1000 miles at night in five hours and the pilot had found the airport by radio beam just as easily as by day.

The most notorious tellers offish stories" would lapse into silence if confronted by the actual records of performances of professional fishermen at the Chatham Islands, one of the world's greatest fishing grounds. Mr. C. Black, known as one of the most expert fishermen at the islands, in rely to inquiries by a representative of the Christchurch Press, recently gave a few figures. Mr. Black said that since the South Rea began operations his launch had supplied that vessel with more than 100 tons of fish. Mr. Black has two assistants with him in the launch, and the record catch for the three men for one day is two tons 16 hundredweight of groper. Mr. Black himself has caught as much as one ton of blue cod in one day's fishing. These weights are not estimates. The catch is weighed on being received on board the South Sea each day, and paid for at so much a pound. The fishing is done entirely by hand.

Because of internal warfare the lives of missionary workers in China in recent years have been exciting and often dangerous.' Miss Blanche Tobin, a missionary who gave an address in Christchurch on Thursday evening, mentioned that on one occasion she had been shut up in a walled city with an army, while a rival army threatened the place from outside. The situation was eased when the business men of the city persuaded the soldiers within that it would be better for them to leave while, when the rival army entered the gates, its owners were placated by a generous supply of flags used specially to welcome them. There was no fighting on that occasion, but on another the city was bombed from aeroplanes, and many of the inhabitants had to hide in caves which honeycombed the hills within the walls.

Describing their action as "a little tactless," Lieutenant-commander R. C. E. Harvey, a member of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League, criticised Christchurch newspapers for printing a rumour regaining trouble aboard H.M.S. Hood. He raised the subject at a meeting of the General Committee of the branch on Thursday night, and suggested that a letter of protest should be sent to the newspapers concerned. It was pointed out by the chairman (Mi*. T. M. Charters). that the newspapers received their news from the British newspapers through the United Press Association, and the committee could not reasonably protest. On the motion of Colonel J. Murphy, it was decided to pass on a protest to the Navy League in London, suggesting that steps should be taken to prevent such news being cabled to the Dominions. I

Advice that the Treasury had deducted £lsl interest due by the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board on overdue levies from subsidy due from the Treasury to the county was received at a meeting of the council on Monthe "Daily Telegraph" reports. "There does not seem to be much that we can do," remarked the chairman (Mr. F. B. Logan), who stated that the Treasury had taken no notice of the letter which the county had written protesting against the Hospital Board's action in charging interest. Councillor S. Palmer remarked that the county paid the largest amount of hospital levy of any county in New Zealand. The chairman: "Yes, we are very awkwardly placed. It appears that we have just to sit back and wait for relief. We have threshed the matter out with the Prime Minister, the Treasury, and the Hospital Board, without result." It was decided to send a further letter of protest to the Treasury.

Mr. F. G. Grattan, of the Public Works Department, Te Kuiti, has received notice of his transfer to Taumarunui. Mr. D. P. Deere, of Ohura, will take over his duties.

The Waitomo Lime Company recently sent a sample of crushed limestone to a well-knoWn chemical service laboratory at Wellington for analysis. Word has been received that the analysis showed a percentage of 99.05 of carbonate of lime. A footnote stated that in the opinion of the analyst the sample, which was taken from the pulveriser in the ordinary course of crushing, was a particularly fine specimen of agricultural lime.

The Otorohanga Town Board has applied to the Otorohanga County Council for a remission of rates on the Island Reserve, as it was free to all sports bodies, the Board receiving no revenue from this source. As the Council considers that the Board could recoup itself from the various users, to cover the rate charge of £5 2s 3d annually, it was decided to continue to charge the rates.

"I did not see benzine at a higher price than 21 cents a gallon," said a Wanganui resident, Mr. D. H. Mac Kay, who has just returned from a trip through the United States (says the Chronicle). He said that the oil wells on the west coast, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, were very numerous. Some of them were out in the sea, up to a quarter of a mile.

A suggestion that too much attention to cows, and cows only, was being paid by Taranaki farmers, was made by Mr. A. Dunlop at a recent meeting. It might be better, he said, to turn attention to other branches such as pigs. He instanced the case of Mr. A. R. Gudopp, of Westown, who, in addition to winning the North Taranaki ensilage competition, was a wellknown breeder of Jersey cows and of Berkshire pigs. It might be a more paying proposition not to have all one's eggs in one basket, Mr. Dunlop added.

Some little time ago an Otorohanga district farm owner (a retired publican from Auckland) was living alone on his farm, when he was called upon by a young ma'n who stated he was seeking work. No labour was required by the landowner, and after the visitor had asked numerous questions, he departed. The owner then drove his gig to town for supplies, and upon his return to the farmstead, found that his place had been entered, and clothing and personal effects purloined. Among the missing articles was a diamond ring valued at over £IOO. Needless to say the casual caller has been searched for, but so far has not been located.

"There have been far more installations than at this time last year," said the engineer of the Waitomo Power Board yesterday, "and it is reported that the same tendency prevails in regard to other Power Boards." Mr. O'Connell asked incredulously: "What, turning the corner—again!" The chairman said it was probably due to the lower tariff charged by the Board, and the engineer supplemented this by pointing out that another cause was the lower cost of installation. "In spite of the high exchange and everything?" asked Mr. Simms. The engineer replied "Yes."

"One of the most inspiring experiences of my tour has been to find the tremendous and lasting reputation our New Zealand soldiers made overseas," said Mr. Frank Milner in an address at New Plymouth. In England and in Canada he had been repeatedly told that no soldiers during the Great War had made such an impression as fighters and as men as did the New Zealanders. On the ship coming back, too, he had heard the same glowing tributes from South Africans. They had to remember what a wonderful thing for New Zealand these men did; that they had earned such a reputation as men both on and off the field of battle.

Anxious to make known the manner in which he had improved, his eyesight so that he does not now require glasses when he reads, Mr. J. W. Baker, of Wanganui, sought out a newspaper man to - broadcast his experience. "I am 84 years of age," he said, "and for many years now I "have been obliged to wear glasses when reading. For a long time I had rheumatics badly, and was obliged to lie in bed near a window, from where 1 was unable to move. Tired of having nothing to do, I used to watch the passing clouds, and I found that after a while I could discard my glasses. To-day I can see to read anything without them. I thought you might like to pass the information on to your readers. I consider that the 'exercise' of using my eyes for long distances has brought beneficial results, and I would recommend it to others who have poor eyesight."

A communal life did not prevent the Maoris from being aristocratic; and the incident reported from Waahi Pa, between Tutanekai Taua and Tahu Wiremu Ratana, is one more evidence of the sacredness of rangitira blood. "Ma wai e rou ake to whetu a te rangi, ka taka kei raro," which "Tohunga" translates in the New Zealand Railways Magazine as "who can draw down with a rake the stars of heaven, that they may fall to the earth?"— meaning: "Can you lead away a powerful chief as captive?" According to the same authority, at the big Waitangi hui at Waitangi in January will no doubt be heard the expression, "Ka maunu te puru o Taumarere," meaning: "The plug of the fountain of Taumarere has been pulled—hence this flood of people." Taumarere is a place near Kawakawa, Bay of Islands. The expression is used for a large assemblage of the Ngapuhi tribes.