LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4810, 14 July 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Otorohanga Chamber of Commerce decided that the secretary write to the Minister of Lands asking that Maori lease sections in the town be made freehold.

Sittings of the Sheep-farming Commission will commence at Wellington on 20th July next, and will be held later in such centres as may be considered necessary. Particulars are advertised in this issue.

The members of the Orange Lodge paraded at St. Andrew's Church last Sunday morning and with the members almost filled the church. The qualification was recited by Brother Cocking and an interesting address was given by the Rev. W. T. Brabyn on the life of William Tyndale.

An attractive programme has been arranged for the Paddy's Market to be held as a W.D.F.U. Centennial effort in the Parish Hall on Wednesday evening. This will include plays presented by the nurses of the Te Kuiti Hospital and by the Women's Institute, vocal and elocutionary items, nail-driving and hat-trimming, and the whole programme has been arranged with an eye to giving patrons plenty of fun and entertainment.

An interested spectator at the Taranaki-King Country game at Stratford yesterday was Mr. Cliff Porter, the former famous All Black wing-forward and leader of the 1924 side. Asked by a Press reporter to give his opinion on the game, Mr. Porter said he had derived a great deal of pleasure from the game and congratulated both teams on their fine displays. He was impressed with King Country's determined uphill fight. The play at times was very clever and the tackling by King Country was most effective and deadly. He thought that King Country, with a little more co -operation between forwards and backs, could extend any provincial side in New Zealand. They certainly had some fine strong forwards.

Returning to the Dominion after an absence of one or two years, an Auckland clergyman expressed the opinion that there was a distinct trend in New Zealand to copying the American. "Almost everywhere," he said, "you notice a nasal twang creeping into the speech." This is not surprising when it is considered how often the average New Zealander hears American voices in films, radio broadcasts and gramophone records, to mention nothing of the number of visitors who come to the Dominion from the United States.

The latest Abstract of Statistics shows that on March 11 there were 649 registered unemployed males who were not receiving relief and 77 on rationed relief work. This total of 726 shows a decrease of 417 on the figures of the previous month. On March 11 last year the total was 6695.

Prompt action by the Government Housing Department has made it unnecessary for West Coast sawmills to close on two .days this month, as was originally intended. The chairman of the West Coast Sawwiillers' Association, Mr. J. W. Caldwell, has been notified by Mr. J. O'Brien, M.P., that the Cabinet has rescinded its previous resolution prohibiting the use of "dressing A" rimu timber in State houses in Canterbury; This action follows the decision of millers to close down all mills in the West Coast for two days this month owing to the unsaleability of non-heart timber. The Minister of Housing, Mr. H. T. Armstrong, who is also actingCommissioner of State Forests, was interviewed and assured representatives of the sawmilling industry of his sympathy, promising to bring the matter before Cabinet.

Is this the brightest suggestion for a Centennial Memorial? Cr. Georgetti said at the Waitomo County Council meeting to-day that because of the several townships in his riding it was going to be difficult to provide suitable memorials with the few pounds available. Then up spoke a gentle voice: "What about a hotel centrally situated at Kopaki?" "Well, it would be a memorial all right, in that many of the people would have good cause to remember it!" countered Cr. Georgetti. Unfortunately for those who seek to bring licenses to the King Country this project was not carried any further. Cr. Georgetti, evidently of the opinion that the young should have the advantage ,of beauty than their elders should have the advantage of bars, favoured tree planting near the schools in his riding.