LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 18 January 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Considerable interest has been shown in the return cricke match to be played between the team of ladies and the men's eleven, th e latter sida having been defeated very decisively on Thursday last. The return match will be played at the High School ground on Thursday, when if the weather is fine, there should be a large gathering to witness an interesting and amusing game.

On e privilege which has been extended by the Government to th e Returned Soldiers Association has been free postage up to a fixed limit to all branches for purely Association mat. ter. However, the concession granted did not cover as much time as was anticipated and the result is that the Minister of Internal Affairs has asked fo r a report with a view to extending the privilege to thos e Associations which have exhausted their grant,

When the Whangarei Soldiers , Club was wound U P * n e proceeds of the sale of furniture were earmarked fo* division between the Y.W.C.A. Hostel and a nucleus fund for the promotion of a Young Men's Christian Association .branch in Whangarei. A restriction was imposed that the campaign for provision of the latter institution should be commenced within twelve months. In furtherance of that movement a preliminary meeting will take place in the County Council Chambers this evening, at which the promotion of a Y.M.C.A. Club, with the promised privileges to the R.S.A. will be discussed and the initial steps for a campaign launched.

Sharks in th e Whangarei Harbour this season have interfered considerably with the schnapper fishing available, an<j when th e tide is out and the edible fish go off the banks into the deeper channels the sharks become particularly annoying to anglers.. However, some good sport with the sharks can be assured to all fishermen. During this week-end many of the usual five and six-footers were secured, while the crew of the Roful hooked a fine deep-sea shark which was fully 14 feet in length and of unusually largg girth. The monster darted away with over 40 fathoms of line as soon as it was booked, but after a 20 minutes tussle it Tyas drawn alongside. An effort to gaff and secure th e prize resulted in the shark making a final effort and, by fouling the anchor line, it brpke away with the hook and several yards pf stout chain.

A country storekeeper in the Gisborne district was to-day fined £30 for giving a keg of beer to a party of Maoris at Christmas time.

Two Gisborne district settlers, named Traiford and Hunt, have been lined £:i each io>- ;t breach of th> railway regulations in that they took on the irain a quantity of blasting powder which recently occasioned a sensational explosion.

A representative of a Canterbury mercantile lirm in a letter to a memoer of the Wanganui "Herald ' stalf states Uiat Dusmess has pulled up very exhausted alter the scurry we r.av e had since tile signing of peace i'he banKs have all said io the stock rirms: "Keduce your overdrafts, my ooys,'* and the linns have passed it on to the clients by saying: "Keduce your overdrafts, my lads.'" The re. auit is that a good many of the firms nere (in Canterbury) are feeling uncomfortable. The larger firms will weather the gentle zephyrs, but some of th© ali-embracing concerns will feel they are riding in gales and probably hurricanes before a change comes for the better.

W r c have been informed, says the '' Dominion," by a local resident who sought aid of .Ratana, the Maori healer, that although large numbers of Europeans have travelled considerable distances to secure the aid of Eatana — some, it is said, came from Australia— he resolutely refused to consider a single case of a pakeha until all the Maori sick had been attnded to and he had rested. It was strongly urged by our informant that his f&iiiily for three generations had ministered to and aided the Maoris, and that he could therefore surely claim that he ranked as a Maori, but all this did not avail; and he now feels that publicity should be given to the decision of tihe Maori healer, to prevent expense, suffering, and disappointment to people who would otherwise journoy to Uatana.

In conversation with a well-known breeder of purebred pigs a Wanganui "Herald" reporter was informed that new blood in pige was needed in the Dominion. Very few importations of purebreds had been made during the last few years and with the New Zealand breeders sending their stock all over both Islands, there was now a danger of too near relationship in the progeny. Either breeders would have to import on their own account or ask the Government to send a representative Home to make the necessary purchases. Past experience nas shown that it was unsatisfactory in many cases to trust to tho honesty of breeders in other lands to send satisfactory stock when ordered by mail. Recently a farmer on this coast ordered some purebreds from Australia, and on arrival these! proved to be of a very inferior type.

The following passengers left by t&e Manaia for Auckland to-day :~ Messrs Hoeken, Main, Given, Brabazon, Wood, Bowker, Hawks, Russell, Alison, C'hisholm, Blumhardt, Col. HoUgate,. Lev, Williams, Ross, JBroomfield, Mackintosh, Rishwor,th, Digann, Twidle, McKenny, Aley and child, Mitchell, Carter, Bnamley, Han sard, Miller, Alison, Collins, Oliver. Mesdames Given, Bowker, Hawks, Hay, Levy, Mclntosh, Cousins, Armstrong, Crawford, Wells, Foiwler and child, Dignan, Cowan, Thomas, Bay, lis, Aley, Middle*on, Dickens, Phillips, Wakelin and child, Ross, Broomfield, Carley, Dinniss. iMiases Wright, Cousins, Furness, Slater, McKay, Edwards, Bardshaw, Boyd Woolley, Miller, Robinson, Findiay, iSefllar, Stetphenson, Philips, Fraser, Mitchell, Siddalls, Freeman, Andrew, Gammell, Dickson, Alcorn, Nurse, Ddnniss,

;■ iA little Ibefoye 6 p.m. one day last week the s.s. Tremeadow pulled out into the stream from Jervois Quay, Wellington, preparatory ito sailing for (Melbourne. Later, the police boarded the vessel to make their usual search. When they got aboard they discovered the ship in a perfect pandemonium, for the firemen and greasers had had a merry time ashore, and w&re hilarious and. inclined to horseplay. Some of the men wer e on [the (bridge with the captain, others liwere sprawling about the deck, and there were spirited discussions, buffoonery, ami bad language. One fireman, in a display of bravado, jumped overboard and made for the Taranaki fStreet Wharf, and just as fee landed h e was caught by a policeman. He was returned to the vessel about to p.m., and the ship got away at midnight, Iby which time everything was shijpsihape.

Speaking to a prominent football enthusiast who has been in touch with the New Zealand Rugby Union, an "Advocate" representative learned that the decision of the Whangarei Borough Council to levy a rental of 10 per cent, of the gate money for use of Kensington Park has seriously jeopardised the chancy of the N.Z.R.U. agreeing to inclusion of Whangarei as on e of the places to be visited by the South African team next season. When th e New Zealand Rugby Union made the inquiry concerning the ground available it was hinted that there was a risk that prospective patronage to a match between South Africa and North Auckland might not warrant inclusion of the North in the itinerary being arranged. The imposition of the ten per cent, levy by the Borough Council has added to that risk, and the demand may b e the final straw to prevent so important a fixture taking place at Kensington j Park next winter.

New 25ealand's emancipation Hm washlboard slavery was brought about through the scientific discovery of "No RulWbing ,, Laundry Help together with the hearty co-operation of Whangarei housewives and all enterprise ing grocers, 3

'"The Christmas and New Year holiday u-aftie on the railways for 19201921 constituted a record," stated the Prime Minister tiie other day. "The number of passengers carried on. the North Island lines was 482,000, and on the South Island and Westland sections 407,000, a KRal of 889,000 passengers. The long-distance traffic has been a feature ol" the business, and it is pleasing to report that all the demands made on the Department were satisfactorily met. Generally speaking, the trains maintained punctuality, and the only accident recorded occurred to a passenger who attempted to board a moving train at Bluff, .with fatal results. The heaviest passenger traffic was in Wellington district, Auckland coming next, and the Ghristchurch and Dunedin districts following. A iarge number of special passenger trains was run. to meet local requirements, and additional express trains were ruu on all lines, both in the North' and South Islands. I congratulate all ranks of the railway service on the satisfactory manner in which Christmas and New Year business was dealt with."

Th're is a reason for the demand upon iLe services. of Debson, the Piano Specialist.