LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 13 October 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■District news will be found on

P;iges Olio and Four to-day; a.so commercial reports and the Board of

Trades' recommendations regarding

he pru.e of butter

A firing squad oil the Marsden Defence Ivifle Club, under Corporal Baker, engaged in a practice competition at. the Otaika. range yesterday afternoon, over tlired distances of 200, :!(.Mi, and 500 yards. The results were as follow: C. Baker, IR—i r, —i 5, '1C; T. Clark 1 fi— -12— 1.3, 41; D. Patterson, 15—10—14, 39; B. Button, 18—16—3, 37; E. Young, 15 —11—7, 33; A. Gossett, 12—2—12, 2fi; G. Marshall, 12—8— 6, 2fi; G. Cooke, 6—7 —4, 17.

Whangard Thinkers. Kindly ask Stationers and Storekeepers ior The Thinker brand Writing Tablets. Prices 15il and Is each. Also Thinker Penny Notebooks. 13est for everybody.

Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., {he successful contractors for the electric light installation of the Whangarei Hospital aild Cottage Home, have commenced work. The dairy farmers of Taranaki are agitating for the establishment of a model dairy farm in the Stratford district, where useful erperimental and education work might be carried on. Several tables were, occupied last night at the penultimate euchre social of the Catholic series. Mrs Tpbin won the ladies' prize and the gentlemen's trophy was captured by Mr Hayward. The booby awards fell respectively to Miss Florrie Wood and Mr Michael. The Auckland Railway League has arranged to hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, 18th inst. A cordial invitation is extended to all those interested to attend. No delegates from this district have yet announced their intention of attending, but the proceedings will be followed with interest. There was a good muster at the Drill Hall, Walton street, last night, on the occasion of the final social connected with the serieg. promoted Iby the band of the 15th (North I Auckland) Regiment. In view of the departure for camp next Tuesday of Band-Sergeant J. Dobson, who has been a most capable secretary of the series all through the season, the function waij specialised as a "long i night," dancing being kept going • until 2 a.m. to-day. The band ac- ; companiment was in accordance with i previous high repute, fhe floor was in ; splendid order, and the ceremonial i duties were admirably conducted.

There was a (satisfactory attendance of some 50 peope at the final monthly social of the Parochial Hall series last night. Dancing and card games were the chief items of pastime, and the proceedings were kept up joyously until midnight. A recherche supper was handed round at the 10.30 interval. Messrs G. iWoolley and. A. Harden were the ceremonial directors of the occasion, and the musical accompaniment was m the expert hands of N Mr Vv r . R. J. Moody, The social committee is to be congraiulaed on the success of ths season's promotions, the funds of the hall having appreciably benefited thereby.

The Native Land court opens its sittings in Whangarei on Tuesday, October 31, and there are 236 applications set down for hearing, comprising a formidable list. Judge T. H. Wilson will preside. During the sitting of the court a large amount of money—probably about £10,000 will be paid out. The Tokerau District Maori Land Board has notified the natives that a sepcial officer is being sent here to do the paying out. This officer will be immediately under the direction of the president (Judge Wilson). The payments for the Mangakowhare and Mimituruarei blocks and several small in connection with other dealings will be handed over to the vendors.

A proposal has been mads by Dr. Levinge, of Dargaville, to obtain potash from sawmill waste, but it does net appear to have met with much encouragement from Government or commercial men. In the course of a report upon the scheme Prof. P. P. Worley made an interesting statement with regard to sawdust as a manure. He said he "thought a better use for sawmill ashes would be to apply them directly to the land, for they contained quantities of lime and phosphates, both of which would be \a.;t if potash alone was extracted. Sawmill ash as a manure wns worth several pounds a ton_ It was important, to his mind, that farmers should know of the exact value of wood ashes as manure and that sawmillers should be instructed how to deal with their wood waste and ashes."

Shortage of fundi;, is not altogether a novel complaint of New Zealand local bodies, but it is certainly a complaint which has been aggravated and intensified by the war conditions stopping tWe flow of grants and subsidies from the Government fount. In this respect the Whangarei County Council, in common with other such bodies, is confronted with the dilemma of County works requiring urgent attention and financial inability to meet the demand. As Government assistance must be left out of the reckoning, the only recourse is an appeal to ratepayers to help themselves and the Council at the same time by paying in rates that are due as early as possible; otherwise operations may be deferred until after next winter. The County ratepayers have the responsibility of the position in their own hands. j

As a sequel to the announcement made in the "Advocate" of the new regulations respecting the registration of fruit trees, the Whangarei post office officials have been assailed by inquiries for the requisite forms. The post office, however, has no obligation in th e matter, and the difficulty of securing forms, except per medium of some orchard inspector or by special application to the departmental in Welling-

ton, is creating some concern to many residents who fear that they may not be able to register in time to escape the liability of paying a fine, which may be anything up to £20. It is urged by some fruit-tree owners that local facilities for registration should be established by the department, and that in the meantime orchard inspectors should be appropriately branded in order that responsible owners may be able to identify that particular mean's of keeping within the four corners of the law.