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Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 7, 7 December 1936, Page 6

The Minister of Public Works (Hon. It. Semple) turned the first sod for tfie erection of a standby plant for a hydroelectric works at Stoke (Nelson) on Saturday afternoon. Mr Ernie Clark, the young Canterbury farmer who recently llew from England to New Zealand, had decided to °gi vo up farming for aviation. In a statement on Saturday Mr Clark said: “I have just returned from Wellington, where I saw the Prime Minister and the Controller of Civil Aviation. As 1 wish to give my undivided attention to aviation 1 shall probably be selling my farm at Waikari in the near future.”

The old adage that if one looks after the pennies the pounds will look after themselves is strikingly exemplified in the ease of the Te Awamutu District High School. There the scholars were introduced to the Post Office Savings Bank system last June, and at last week’s meeting of the school committee the headmaster’s reported that at date the savings aggregate £lO9 10s Bd. Committee men expressed astonishment, mingled somewhat with envy and appreciation. Thirty tons of old horseshoes are included in a consignment of 180 tons of scrap iron loaded into the Sydney Maru at New Plymouth lor shipment to Japan. Old cranes, motor cars and much unrecognisable junk are included in the consignment, which is the first of the kind to be shipped through the port. There are two heavy cranes, one from the New Plymouth Harbour Board and the other from the Opunake Harbour Board, which once did duty m the building of Westport harbour. A decision to change the name of the "Golden Delicious” apple hack to "Desert Gold” has been made by the Fruit Export Board, Mr A. M. Robertson, of Hawke’s Bay, informed a gathering of Poverty Bay fruitgrowers. The reagon was that the name “Golden Delicious” had failed to register success on the English market, as it brought the variety into comparison with the same variety shipped from South Africa, and of a better appearance. The name “Desert Gold,” ou tlie other hand, might make the New Zealeml apple variety more popular in such countries as France, where the name of the Delicious apple was unpopular.

During the winter a high tide following a severe storm did considerable damage to the bank fronting the road running along the sea to the south of the beach township at Paraparaumu. The protection works constructed by the Hutt County Council were mostly ruined, and it became necessary to close the road in places to traffic. At a recent meeting of beach residents it was mentioned that the steady westerly winds of the spring were helping to restore the hanks, and this of repair by Nature was clearly visible during the week-end. In parts the protection works erected by the council have been covered by sand and in other places partly covered. It will be hoped that the process continues, though whether the road where damaged will be ever restored in this way is at present a very moot point.

On the day before she arrived at Pitcairn Island the Akaroa, which reached Wellington on Saturday, passed the famous old liner lonic, homeward bound from New Zealand on her last voyage. Whistles were blown and rockets fired as the Akaroa said good-bye to the veteran liner. A true incident as noted in Hamilton last week( says an exchange). In a jeweller’s shop window was a handsome 400-day clock. It attracted the attention of two Maoris, who gazed at it in wonder and admiration. “It goes 400 days without winding,” read one man. “By lcorry,” remarked the other, “how long it go with winding?”

A well-known Native chief of Martinborough, Haeato Marere Te Apatu, better known as Tommy Pataramo, has passed away. He was a chief of the Ngati-Moe tribe, and also of the NgatiMahungungu. He was 76 years of age, and before going to Martinborough lived in Greytown with his parents. His grandfather, Kaki Pataramo, was a very high chief. Very wet weather was experienced during Saturday afternoon and evening along the Manawatu Line. At Paraparaumu a veritable deluge, similar to the experience of three months ago which was responsible for the wrecking of the Main Trunk express by a slip, continued until early yesterday morning when the weather cleared, though Sunday was somewhat boisterous but sunny.

A forced landing, without damage to the pilot or the machine, was made at Brixton, near "Waitara, on Saturday afternoon by Mr Don Carlson, of Okoroire. The machine left Hamilton at 12.45 o’clock in fair weather, but the pilot soon ran into thick, misty rain. At Brixton, at 3.30 p.m., the petrol gave out, and the pilot luckily brought the machine down safely with its tail to the wind.

“The impression I have gained on my visit is that England to-day is exceedingly prosperous—the culmination of several years of steady recovery, based upon old traditional lines,” said Sir George Shirtcliffe, of "Wellington, in the course of an interview on Saturday on his return from a health trip abroad. Many trade and industrial concerns were paying dividends of 10, 15 and even, in a few cases, up to 25 per cent., he said.

Stated to have driven at a speed of 45 miles an hour for three miles a ten-wheeled lorry on the AshhurstPohangina Hoad, Frank "Watson was charged before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, with driving the lorry at a speed in excess of the 25 miles an hour specified for this class of vehicle. The traffic inspector (Mr W. Berry) stated that the lorry, with its attached trailer, came within the ten-ton limit, the maximum speed permitted for which had recently been increased from 15 to 25 miles an hour. The Magistrate fined defendant £3, with 10s costs. The view that British buyers were bound to resent being prohibited from buying for future shipment or arrival and that their wishes could not be ignored without the risk of creating an unfriendly market, was expressed by Sir George • Shirtcliffe, of Wellington, commenting on the reception of the New Zealand Government’s guaranteed price scheme in Great Britain in an interview on his return from abroad on Saturday. 'That might well be disastrous, he said. “The announcement of the Government’s guaranteed price scheme and its early commencement somewhat perturbed the market, which, with the early arrival of the first shipment under the scheme, weakened rapidly, falling from about 122 s a cwt. to from about 96s to 100 s,” Sir George said.

A yearling bullock broke away at the Wyndham saleyards and in a mad gallop crashed into a jigger driven by Mr A. Robertson, and then charged into a motor-car which was parked nearby. Mr llobertson, at tlio time, was driving cows to the yards in a long-shafted jigger, drawn hy a three-year-old gelding by Worthy Bond, which he is preparing for light-liarness racing. As it neared the yards, the yearling, which was one of a mob driven through from Mokoreta the previous evening, broke away on its own and tried to race down Redan Street. Intending to stop it, Mr Robcrston drew his conveyance across the road. Instead of stopping, the steer charged under the shafts of the vehicle, which, as the result, were broken. Mr Roberstoii was tipped out, but did not suffer any injuries. The beast continued at a blind gallop, and ran into the car, scrambling over the rear portion of it and making several large dents. The horse, a splendid type of tliree-year-old, will take some time to recover from the shock of the accident. Interesting information as to the inception of the Manawatu Drainage Board was placed before the monttily meeting ot the board to-day, when the clerk (..Ur N. I. Nielsen) produced the minutes of the first meeting of the board, held on October 22, 1894. Those present at the meeting were Messrs S. Sanson, R. Mathieson, W. Knight, R. Were, S. W. Luxtord and R. S. Abraham. Mr Abraham had been elected chairman and the meeting date fixed as the first Monday in every month (on which date the board meets now). Mr Nielsen also produced the original copy of a letter sent by the late Mr W. Rutherfurd, as secretary of the “Drainage District Committee” to the Colonial Secretary, on July 27, 1894, which read: “I have the honour to forward herewith a petition by 123 ratepayers in portions of the Manawatu Road District and the Borough of Palmerston North praying that a drainage district be constituted to be called the Manawatu Drainage District. There are 200 ratepayers in the proposed district, therefore there is a clear majority of 18 in iavour oi the proposal.” -