LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 5 June 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of *he No. 1 Platoon of the Whangarei Defence Rifle Club met last evening, and considered a number of matters in connection With shooting locally. The vicepresident, iMr D. Patterson, who resigned office, presented the .platoon with a trophy for competition. Mr A. Drever was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by tihe resignation.

Adverse comment has been made in several quarters concerning' the action of the Whangarei Sub-Pro-vincial Farmers' Union executive's decision to employ an auditor from Auckland for the forthcoming season. It is contended that there are several recognised and capable accountants in Whangarei whose services were obtainable at the same remuneration as that which the executive agreed to allow the Auckland auditor and that, in such cases, the position ought not to go beyond them.

A local resident, who saw H. May; of Whangarei—who defeated J. Kail, o»f Dargaville, so. easily in the lightweight contest at the Town Hall recently—fight in Auckland laslt nignt, states that the Whangarei lad won all the way, and scored rapidly in every round. His exhibition was loudly acclaimed, and the comments of spectators bore out the general contention that Mr Palmer's most apt pupil has a promising future in amateur boxing circles.

It was not until noon that the Emergency Committee of th e Rugby Union gave its ruling that fixtures for to-day be postponed on account of the weather. Waikiekie had previously notified their intention of forfeiting to Hikurangi. As Maungakaramea intimated their preparedness to play on their own ground, the Union officials remained firmly in opposition to the United club's overtures that the latter should not be made to journey to Maungakaramea, until a further deluge justified them in cancelling all fixtures.

Referring to the cases of influenza from Portland, one of which has proved fatal, Dr. Buckley stated that the symptoms were identical *with ■those of the serious epidemic of two years ago, death occurring as an outcome of development of double pneumonia. All members of the family at Portland were affected and three of the children have been placed in the Whangarei hospital. Ther e are a number of cases of influenza amongst the Maoris in the Pakotai district, and one death occurred at the beginning of this week, but otherwise it is believed that the present epidemic is on the decline.

Extension of the date of closing of entries for the Witner Show until today has produced very satisfactory results. The fruit entries will be fully 50 .per cent, better than anything previously exhibited in Whangarei, garden and farm produce entries constitute a record, and all other classes, with the one exception of numlbers of exhibits of cooking will 'be better than those of previous years. Poultry should be interesting, and in one class of Black Orpimg'tons t over twenty birds will be shown. Returned soldiers' work, including exhibits from Auckland Hospital and the Kamo Sanatorium, wi'l also be particularly good.

Instructions have been given the local defence authorities that more drastic measures are to be taken in connection with absentees from military training. The new year in military matters began on the Ist inst., and the instructions referred to have been given as an outcome of a decision to put the military service regulations on a stable footing, after the unsettled conditions of the pasit few years caused by the intervention of the war. Trainees who absent themselves twice from parades without permission will be prosecuted in accordance with the regulations of the defence legislation.