LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Weather Bureau forecast for 24 hours from 9 o'clock this morning: — Westerly winds, strong to gale prevailing. The weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled. Much rain is to be expected. The barometer has a falling tendency. Sea, moderate swell on the coast, but tides and sea increasing. ■. The piece of land recently acquired by the residents of Hikurangi for a recreation ground has now been cleared and made ready for filling. It is estimated that the latter item will cost about £80. Daniel Healy, described as a bushman, was charged this morning, before Mr H. C. Hemphill, J.P., with burglariously entering on September 4, a room in McMahon's Hotel, occupied by Bart Van Veen and stealing therefrom the sum 1 of £4 7/ On the application of Constable Condon, accused was ren.anded till Monday next. Who Is William Wallen? The r. ost reliable watch m :J.'nr and jeweller. Successor to X \ -immons, Cameron Street, Whan£;sr< Charges moderate. —Advt.

Arrangements are being made for the holding of a bachelors' ball. A strong committee has been formed, to whom all details have been left. It is probable the function will take place in the Town Hall. The date has not yet been decided upon.

oaw-A North Island school Inspector's report contains the following paragraph: "A remarkable statement has been received from a country school teacher to the effect that the School Committee, by a majority, rejected a proposal that a school library should be formed because it might interfere

with the milking of the cows.''

During last year, states the annual report of the Lands Department, eleven new domains, comprising 655 acres, were brought under the Public Reserves Act, 1908. This brings the number of domains administered under the Act up to 531, containing altogether 83,332 acres (including a doniain of 33,000 acres on the banks of the Wanganui river). The boards controlling these domains are, generally speaking, administering them them in a satisfactory manner.

A hockey ball, given in honour of the team that won the White Horse Cup in Auckland, was held in the Drill Hall last night. About 140 couples were present. The floor was in splendid order and the music left nothing to be desired. During the evning Mr Baddiley, manager of the team, handed the cup to Mr W. A. Carruth, president of the Hockey Association for him to take care of for twelve months, and Mr A. L. Dixon, on behalf of the players handed Mr Baddiley a pipe, as a momento of the occasion.

The annual report of the Southlaiil Farmers' Co-operative Association says a Press Association message) shows that the loss for the year totalled £3396, mainly due to the C«'-e floods. In order to place affairs on a satisfactory basis it is proposed io write off £841 for depreciation and £2171 for bad debts, which, ow'cig to the unfavourable season, have been exceptionally heavy. "Accumulated losses" stand at £15,140, and the directors strongly recommend that steps be taken to wipe those off by writing /town the paid-up ordinary capital, and to allow the association to make a fresh start.

dome difficulty is likely to occur regarding the representation of .\*3W Zealand at the Australasian amateur athletic championships, which are to be held in Melbourne on, January 24th and 26th next. The American team of runners will be in New Zealand at that time, and it will be impossible for the New Zealand Council to send a team to this important gathering unless the dates are altei'ed. The New Zealand Council discussed this matter on Monday evening, and decided to write to the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association suggesting that the championships should be held during the first or second week in February. If the reply is ' not satisfactory, New Zealand will not be represented.

It is not generally known that the Old Age and Widows' Pension Department is prepared to make a search, to establish the age of applicants who cannot produce documentary evidence of age. In many cases the particulars as to the church of baptism and so on are sent Home to the. High Commissioner's Office, and a search in the' proper quarters frequently results satisfactorily. It would appear that, although the number of inquiries and examinations at the office is considerable, a great many persons who desired information were very backward in applying at the office, ana* often sent not very clear requests for information to the newspapers. These persons can obtain all information at the office, and the Department is prepared to make a search for particulars of age in New Zealand or in any-—< other British territory.

The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, in following up its efforts urging the minimising of dangers at railway crossings, found a widespread but erroneous opinion that there are obvious difficulties to be faced in the establishment of automatic signals. Reference to Mr Thomas Edison, the world-famed inventor, shows that no such opinion is held by him. He sees no difficulty in this connection. Replying to the Te Awamutu Chamber from his laboratory in Orange (New Jersey), on August 1. Mr Edison says: "Let me say in reply that there are many devices already in use where a train approaching a crossing rings a bell electrically. This is simple and any of your electrical engineers could apply to your crossings an electrical device which will automatically ring a bell at the cross-ngs long in advance of the train's approach.

That there is a hunger for land in the Poverty Bay district would appear from the fact that there are no less than 85 applications for section 4a, Te Arai settlement, containing about 103% acres. The section is being offered on renewable lease for 33 years. The eagerness of at least one applicant was demonstrated the other day (says a Gisborne exchange), when a young man, bespattered with mud. arrived at the Land Office about one minute before closing' time. Thqre had been something wrong with his application, and he galloped in from Puha to have matters put right. Some of the applicants are in the field for the first time; others have tried their fortune before, one having faced a ballot about 150 times without being successful. There are several who were in for the original ballot la connection with the Arai settlement; in 1908. There Is only one outside application, from Napier, all the rest being local.