LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 24 April 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The big Home steamer Tokomaru, > will visit Whangarei Heads to load frozen meat on the 26th inst. During next month another large steamoi, will call at the Heads for the same purpose. j The Weather Bureau reports: —North- f erly winds, moderate to strong and freshening. The weather .appears likely to be cloudy-a-nd unsettled at times. The barometer has a.falling'tendency. Tides good; sea, moderate' swell. Speaking at Kawakawa last night, Mr Massey said that legislation would be introduced during the coming session in the direction of making the . Upper House elective. Possibly by the following election in 1917 the members of the second chamber - would be placed there by the yote of the people. Mr Massey did not break any fresh ground at Kawakawa last night during the course of his speech in th« Kawakawa hall. His address was'on the same lines as his Whangarei • speech. The Premier received, a very good hearing, but there was decidedly more life in the meeting compared' with the other Northern centres visited. Mr Massey spoke with enthusiasm of the- possibilities of the' fruit industry last night at Kawakawa, andhe remarked that the land at the big fruit-growing centre of Moutere in the South Island did. not apepar any better than much of the gum land in the North. Formerly it could be purchased at £ 1 an acre, but now it was selling up to £40 an acre. "It does'not look a. bit better than some of the land between Kawakawa and Ohaeawai," concluded the Pre- . mier. Brief reference was made by Mr Massey at Kawakawa last night to a cheap loan secured by the Liberal Government a few years ago-;—the . / facts are on record—and the fate which befell it. "The Timaru Borou&n Council- —a. wealthy- -body secured £116,000 at.3J per cent. Between £60,000 and £80,000 was secured by Auckland suburban local bodies. This money should have been available for county councils and road boards, said the Premier. In fact, some of thjose local bodies banked the money. He contended that the state* of affairs wasrespon-, sible for a bad financial,position..";. . \

Complaint was received at the Harbour Board meeting to-day that rats in the shed on the Maungakaramea wharf were causing shippers considerable loss. The Board approved yi. the necessrry expenditure to deal with the pest. A meeting of the Hospital Demonstration Committee will be held at 8 in the secondary M_sd«« Hall, to make arrangements in connection with the picture benefit at the Quean's Theatre next Thursday night. The secretary of the Whangarei Hospital Board' desires to acknowledge with thanks the sum of 30s through Mr F. Wakelin, being balance left over in connection with presentation and farewell to Mr Leversedge. With the Government subsidy the hospital will benefit to the extent of £ 3 6s.

The folloAving; team lias.been chosen to represent Ngapuhi in the hockey match to-morrow against the Whangarei Cliib:—S. Long, C. Hawkens, Manners, F. Cameron, G. Poppieton, Taplin, T. Ryan, T. Sullivan, A. Drever, and T. Cameron. The game, will be played at Mander Park, commencing at 3 p.m.

It seems that the shooting season has opened in the district, judging by remarks made at the Harbour Board meeting- to-day. It was said that one of the buoys on the harboiK had sunk, and ■ the chairman added the opinion that the mishap was due to larrikinism —boys shooting at the buoys with* bullets. "We shall have to take severe measures to stop this practice," he concluded.

Something like a record —for North Auckland railways—-was put up by the special train which brought the Premier and his party down from this morning. The full distance to Whangarei was accomplished in 1 hour 37 minutes. There was a couple of stops en route and at Whakapara the special had to wait for the up train to pass. The actual running time of the special was less than 11 hours. Commenting on the Premier's visit, at the meeting of the Harbour Board to-day, the chairman (Mr J. R. Reyburn) expressed', great, satisfaction, with the attitude of Mr Massey in regard to'the Kioreroa Bridge span, and he ventured to think, that the widening work might be authorised during S.e coming session o| Parliament. Mr orey said that he was sorry that thequestion of-a grant for the Parua Bay wharf had not been raised, and in reply the chairman said that he feared that the matter had been overlooked. The treasurer of the Hospital Demonstration .Committee (Mr Sword) has - already banked £6 2 as part of the proceeds from demonstration i sources. The amount includes £30 5s lid taken at the gates of the sports ground, £6 18s from the refreshment booth, portion of the picture benefit share, and £ 6 Is 6d earmarked for a cot. When outstanding amounts representing sales of badges and tickets have been paid in, with the revenue from next Thursday's picture benefit, it is anticipated that the estimated total of £ 100 will be reached. The Whangarei Harbour Board went to considerable expenditure in order to survey the entrance of the pert so. that Home boats could call at the Heads to load frozen meat, and in this connection it was thought that the new trade would greatly benefit farmers in the district by providing an outlet for their stock. Mention was made at the Harbour Board meeting to-day that the Freezing Company was getting a lot of its supplies from Gisborne and other southern places, and as,the Harbour.Board does not receive wharfage dues from the shipments it is felt that the industry is not altogether proving the asset which it was thought would be the case.

Nelson, Moate and Co. have been advised that they have received first and special prizes for blended teas, against all competitors, at the Auckland Exhibition; also first and special prizes for their collection of Ceylon, Indian, and China teas, and first prizes for their Nelmoa coffee and cocoa respectively. So far back as 1882, at the New Zealand ..International Exhibition, this firm was awarded the only gold and first silver medals for blended teas, in competition with Australasia. The house of Nelson, Moate is now in the 35th year of its existence, its headquarters being in Wellington, and there are branches in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, Hobart, and Colombo. Mr H. Nelson, the founder; still takes the leading part in its management.;