LOCAL AND GENERAL

Northern Advocate, 17 February 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The following will represent the Thursday Trades Cricket Club in a match to be played on the Reclamation ground at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon: —Tupp, East, Kitt, Edwards, Jennings, Wakelih, Jennings, Shaw, Forbes, Parkcs, K. Edwards, Griffiths, Hill, Butterworth. Congestion of traffic about the lower end of Bank Street has unavoidably been entailed on account of the work of surfacing the road during the past few days. This work, it is expected, will be completed to the corner of Vine Street, the extent of the present operations. Vine Street is the next thoroughfare which will receive attention.

Imports of pianos and other musical instruments during 1925 amounted to £OOB,BII in declared value, and of this

amount £223,838 was accounted to

pianos. The rest would include gramophones, jazz outfits,, accordcons, mouth-organs,, trombones, bagpipes, ukuleles, ocarinas, and bombardons. For 1924 the imports of all musical instruments were set down £4f8,967. Many little scenes are enacted on the Wellington waterfont daily. The other evening as a bridal couple was being sent happily on their honeymoon to the South Island, an excited member of the party—a lady—produced from her coat pocket an old boot. Just as the final leave-taking was in progress she threw the boot yith- a merry yell, “Good luck!” The boot, unfortunately, struck the bridegroom on the nose, and before the boat left there were several crimson handker chiefs in the party, for the bridegroom’s nose bled copiously.

Mention in Auckland recently of a 'large sunflower has brought to light a 12ft one at Herne Bay. This tall p’ant is, however, 4ft shorter than the parent, which grew last year in the same garden, and had a height of 16ft, the flower itself being 16in in diameter. A resident of Takapuna has grown some fine specimens of a double sunflower. Two blooms measured over 12in across. - The seed cost fivepenee each in "Australia. The plant is of sturdy growth, from four to six feet in height, rather bushy in growth, and produces .a number of flowers of almost orange colour.

In consequence of a curious accident at Aramoho on Thursday Mr Andrew MeGonagle, a middle-aged man passed away at the Wanganui Hospital on Saturday. MeGonagle was working on a contract on Brunswick road and was on the ground, among several other workmen, when the violent gale which was blowing lifted a plank from the scaffolding surrounding a high portion of the buildings. The plank sailed across a wall and fell to the ground, hitting MeGonagle on the head. When picked up he was unconscious, and was found to have sustained a fracture of the skull.

The shooting of a sparrow-hawk on one of the islands in the Marlborough Sounds promises to clear up a long standing mystery to members of the Wanganui Pigeon Flying Club. Pigeon races from the South-Island to Wanganui have always been marked by a high casualty list and the mystifying part was that-birds were most often lost when the flying conditions were best. When the sparrow-hawk was shot there was ample evidence that the marauder had specialised in homing pigeons, ft had been known for a long time that pigeons flying to the North Island usually crossed the particular island and evidently, for “the pirate of the Sounds,” it was happy hunting ground.

For a few more davs onlv. Do not »• miss this opportunity of securing Model Frocks, Costumes, etc., at sale prices. On show- in Bank Street (next Palmer, photographer). 465

C. O. Eoseoe, Cameron Street, is now fully stocked with widc-mouth preserving jars in all sizes and the prices are right; Pints, 6/9 doz; Quarts, 7/9 doz; 13/ dozen. We advise customers to place their orders at once as these jars cannot be replaced to sell at above prices. So buy now from C. O. Roscoe, Cameron Street. Phone 101. 477

The opening of the Junior High School has had a marked effect on the Whau Valley School, the attendance at which has dropped from 180 to 127. As this may have an unfortunate bearing upon the grading of the school, parents in the vicinity with children of school age would be well advised to have them enrolled. There

is now no danger such as existed last year

of overcrowding

When the Borough Council paved a portion of lower Bank Street with concrete slabs, the difference in elevation left a hole at the entrance to the Post Office. In wet weather a pool of water was formed here, and proved a source of annoyance to pedestrians. This morning the council men at work surfacing Bank Street filled in this hollow, and henceforth access to the Post Office may be gained without the risk of people getting their feet badly wet.

The Franklin memorial to the late Mr W. F. Massey is to take the form of an endowment to provide scholarships for annual competition by students at any school in the Franklin oi< Man.ukau electorates. This includes districts which were within their boundaries at any time during Mr Massey’s term as member for Franklin. The number of scholarships to be awarded annually will be dependent upon the amount of the fund. It is proposed that they, should bo tenable for two years at any secondary school or technical college or university college, while the trustees arc to be empowered to grant extensions for further two years to scholars.

There is evidently something in the fertile soil at Whakaronga ("about four miles' from Palmerston North) that induces mushroom growth, as this district has for many years past been noted for the quality and quantity of this delicacy at certain seasons. Just now the mushroom-picking boom is at its height, and so plentiful are the crops that it is quite a common sight to see the rear seats of motor cars stacked high mith mushrooms. Motor cars, motor cycles, cycles and horses, and in fact almost every known form of transport, may be seen in the early mornings of suitable days carrying enthusiasts to the dewy fields in search of this appetising breakfast food. It is said to be an easy matter to fill a kerosene tin in a few minutes.

Some time ago Mr I. M. Martin, secretary the Whangarei Egg Society, wrote to Mr E. C. Jarrett, poultry inspector of the Department, asking if it could be arranged for Mr F. C. Brown, the chief poultry instructor, and Mr Jarrett to visit Whangarei and deliver lectures and give daylight demonstrations. .In reply, Mr Jarrett has written that the Auckland Poultrykeepers’ Association has arranged for Mr Brown and himself to deliver a series of lectures and demonstrations in the Auckland district, and WJiaugarei has been included in the programme. They will arrive in Whangarei next Monday, and will deliver a public lecture in the Friendly Societies’ Hall at 7.30 p.m. On Tuesday, in the Maungatapere Hall, at 2.30 p.m., they will lecture on poultrykeeping.

“My remarks-to the Hon. A. D. McLeod might lead to the inference that I was advocating a settlement scheme, for gumlands in general/ ’ said Mr D. J. Finlayaou to a “Northern Advocate’ ’ reporter today. He explained that such was not the contention of either himself or the Whangarei A. and P. Society, on behalf of which organisation ho had interviewed the Minister. Mr Pinlayson realised that with labour and money at their present price any such general scheme of settlement would fail, aS inexperienced men would flock *on to the gumland areas, and a great deal of Government money would consequently be wasted in loans. What. Mr Pinlayson aimed at was the making of more liberal land laws, simply to encourage people to take up ’ gum country and to enable suitable and handy to market areas to be settled and developed gradually. It will be remembered that when the question of a Soldiers’ Memorial ■was under consideration a number of people expressed a wish that this should take the form of a clock placed at the junction of Bank and Cameron Streets. Although it was Anally decided to erect the memorial at its present site in the Triangle the spot where it was mooted a clock should be placed, singularly enough proclaims its suitability as a meaqS of telling the time in a manner other than that originally contemplated. This is nothing more than the shadow from an electric lamp hung above the streets at the point of intersection. As soon as the sun appears above the shops in Cameron Street the shadow of the lamp falls upon the road and gradually gets nearer the “silent policeman” as the hour of noon approaches. A Whangarei resident, who has noticed this circumstance has been much intrigued in calculating the time from the position of the shadow.

It will be noticed in our advertising columns that D. W. Jack and Sons, Ltd., are bringing their summer sale to an end on Friday and Saturday next. To judge by the special attractions offered there will be a big rush on these two closing days. 495

Ladies’ hats may be had without charge all this week. Full details may be read in Messrs. David Meikle and Co.’s advertisement on Page 3 of this issue. Needless to say such an offer will be widely taken advantage of and early selection is ref commended. 50

Dobson’s, Kamo Eoad, is the place for all your seasonable requirements. Famous for low prices. 735