LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4874, 23 July 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A meeting of members of the Hamilton Operatic Society and of all others interested was held at Toorak Chambers last night to discuss the proposal to collaborate with Mr. William Lints in the production of “The Reveille.”

Advice was received yesterday from Mr. C. A. Barrell, M.P. for Hamilton, that Parliament had passed a vote of £IO,OOO for improvements to the Frankton Junction railway yards. Further improvement to the station platform was under consideration, he added.

“I recently purchased a farm and have to recondition it,” remarked Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. for Patea, when speaking at Fordell. An interjector: “Speculation.” “I found that I still had a keen desire for farm life,” said Mr. Dickie. A voice: “It shows that you must have faith in the Government.” Mr. Dickie: “Faith in the land and not in the Government.”

Dr. Merton Hodge has written to the Dominion contradicting the statement which has received circulation that, as the author of “The Wind and the Rain,” he has made £IO,OOO. The publication of this statement has, lie says, caused him endless trouble with the income tax people in England and has necessitated the production by him of all his returns from performances of the play. If his receipts were said to be £6OOO, this would be much nearer the mark. Unfortunately for him, it being a first play, he had a “first play” contract, and his percentage was not nearly as much as many people supposed. The management made a considerable sum of money from the play, but a contract was a contract, and it naturally held for the run of the play.

There is a movement afoot to form a Boxing Association in Te Kuiti for the purpose of promoting, contests locally,, and a public meeting is to held in the Municipal Hall on Monday next at 8 p.m. to consider the project. There is every indication of a revival of interest in this sport and new Associations are springing up all over the country, including one at Taumarunui. There is a good deal of talent available in the district, and it is considered that the formation of an Association to give the local lads the necessary encouragement and also to give the public the opportunity of witnessing the best exponents of the noble art in action'would fill a longfelt want. All those interested in the project are requested to attend the meeting as it will be necessary, of course, for a good attendance to indicate that public support will be forthcoming to ensure the successful launching of the enterprise.

“The Chinese girls I saw in Hongkong were beautiful. They have extremely pretty features, are graceful, have charming manners, and appear to be well educated,” said Mrs. A. M. Ballinger, of Wellington, a sister of the Mayor of Napier (Mr. C. 0. Morse) in speaking of a recent visit to Hongkong. Mrs. Ballinger said that the girls, far from adopting the fashions of the Western world, were clad in Chinese costume, with flowing robes and other Oriental wear. Chinese girls who showed her about the city were both attentive and polite.

Newton King, Limited, auctioneers, etc., New Plymouth, report improved results for the year ended' April 30, the net profit being £8706 higher at £18,783. This is the best result since 1930. The sum of £5495 is reserved for income tax and the balance, £13,288, is written off against accumulated losses. No dividends have been paid since 1930, and there are six years’ arrears of dividends on preference shares.

“How many realise what a high food value honey possesses?” asked Mr. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, recently when elaborating his remarks made at the opening of the Whangarei Show upon the vast field for honey exploitation in Northland. Defects of flavour and dark colour associated with the product collected by bees from tree blooms, could now be removed as the result of investigations made by the Cawthron Institute. If New Zealanders once appreciated the nutritive content of honey they would use it a great deal more. The consumption per head in the Dominion was 2lb. per annum, while in America it was 801 b. A great German specialist in heart disease had recently declared that honey was one of the most valuable foods which could be taken by any sufferer from diseases of the heart or nervous disability.

A rail-car which is expected to .be ready for duty on August 3, is being built at the Lower. Hutt workshops, to provide a fast rail service between Christchurch and the West Coast. A start was made on Monday with a faster service, arrangements having been made for an ordinary engine with one carriage and a van to be put on the run until the rail-car is ready. The steam train is scheduled to leave Christchurch at 2.30 a.m., arriving at Greymouth at 7 a.m.. It is to connect with all rail and road services radiating from that town, and is due to arrive at Hokitika at 9.10 a.m. When the rail-car takes over, it will be scheduled to arrive at Hokitika at 7.40 a.m., and. is to leave on the return trip late in the afternoon.

Reference by counsel in the Supreme Court at Wellington to a witness as a “sticky-beak” went outside the vocabulary of the Bench, and before the address to the jury could be continued the Acting* Chief Justice (Sir John Reed) had to have the term explained to him. “I suggest to you that Johnstone is entitled to be put down as a ‘sticky-beak,’ ” said Mr. J. Meltzer to the jury. His Honour: “What was the word?” Mr. Meltzer: “ ‘Sticky-beak,’ your Honour. I apologised for using a colloquialism,” His Honour: “I know; but what does it mean?” Mr. Meitner: “It is a man who pries into other people’s affairs without any justification; or, as the Americans call it, a ‘rubberneck.’ ”

The view that the population of New Zealand should be increased was expressed by the Minister of Labour, .the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in an address on Sunday to settlers at Karakarika, in the Waikato district. The Dominion, the Minister said, should not always be an exporting country. It should be in a position to provide on outlet within its boundaries for a much larger proportion of its primary products, as well as providing a market for secondary industries. Primary production was increasing at an enormous rate, while those engaged in the production were decreasing. The secondary industries must be developed and population must be increased. Unemployment taxation was bringing in £3,700,000 annually, and he wanted to spend £6,000,000 to give the people conditions of ordinary decency, the Minister continued. The Government had said that it would find this amount, and if the revenue from unemployment taxation was not sufficient, the money would be obtain--ed from some other source.

“The downfall of Rome has been attributed to many causes,” said Mr. Hugh C. Jenkins when addressing the Wanganui Optimists’ Club recently. “Gibbon declared that it was the influence of Christianity. Others had attributed it to the less bracing climate of Italy as compared with the rigorous north from which the invading barbarians came. Others again have attributed it to the introduction of the cherry tree from Persia, because it led to the aristocracy leaving the capital to live on their country estates for a great part of the year, thus leaving the politics of the nation to the carpet-baggers of that time! Yet again there is the medibal view that lack of proper housing caused the downfall of Rome. The houses were t not rat-proof, the rat introduced the lice into the dwellings, and the lice affected the people with the plague. Two great plagues swept Italy prior to the barbarian invasion which brought about Rome’s downfall.

The use of meter-reading cards was decided upon by the Waitomo Power Board on Monday. When the meter reader goes round he usually finds a number of houses whose meters are unable to be read because of the absence of the occupants. This in the past has necessitated much extra time and travelling, but in the future a card, printed with a face the same as that of a meter, will be isued in such case. Consumers are to mark the position of the hands on the dials, and post them into the Power Board’s office to have the account made up. In the event of the consumer failing to post in a marked card the Board will assess the amount of current used.

“In Australia - farmers are far behind those in New Zealand regarding the management of pastures,” said Mr. E. Phillips, Sydney, to the Lepperton Farmers’ Union. “Compared with you, we are only like babes in the wood,” he added. “Taranaki pastures are almost world-famous for their efficiency.”

“When a vicar meets the men of his parish through the Church of England Men’s Society they realise that he is a man and not, as some think, a ‘half pie’ woman. When they see him in the pulpit they are sometimes not sure what he is,” said Canon C. W. Turner, of Te Aroha, at the Waikato Diocesan Synod. The remark,, however, was capped by the story told by the Vicar-general, Archdeacon G. ' H. Gavin, who recalled a general knowledge test attempted by Maori girls, when one candidate replied to a question as to what was the weaker sex by answering, “The clergy.”

After having tonsils removed the average man is content to “rest and be thankful,” taking such nourishment as his stomach demands and treating his throat as gently as a valet tends a retired colonel’s gouty foot. Earl McCready, the Canadian wrestler, who recently underwent an operation for the removal of tonsils, is made of sterner stuff. Two days after leaving the operating theatre McCready ate six eggs as part of his breakfast. He looked forward to a substantial lunch after this snack, but was informed that he must stick to soft goods. So for lunch he had six more eggs.

Speculation is rife among dairymen throughout the country as to the promised guaranteed price for .dairy produce, which the Prime Minister has already stated he will announce on Saturday next.