LOCAL AND GENERAL

Northern Advocate, 8 November 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A report from Whakatauc states that an earthquake with a gentle rolling motion was felt at 1.1.10 yesterday morning. The High School old pupils, in conjunction with the present scholars, are holding a fete at the beginning of December. There is to be a meeting of old pupils on Friday evening to make arrangements. There has been a steep decline in the price of Pnkekohe potatoes whicn arc now quoted at from 0/0 to 10/0 per cwt., f.0.r., Pnkekohe, as against from to 17/0 la-t week. Supplies are plentiful and Iho grade of tubers has improved.

“in iS22 the bat t lelb-lds of Central Europe were scoured for bones, ami the resultant collection supplied practical)* all the bones used for fertiliser in Prance and in England that year,” said Air D. N, Campbell, when addressing members of the Wanganui Rotary Club. “The' enormous tonnage of 33,000 tons weight of bones was exported to England in one year. It is di Hi cult to believe that such a large amount, could have been collected i rein the battlefields, and it shows what bloodshed must have taken place,” he added.

Christchurch people who have grumbled recently about the weather can console themselves that there aro other people in other parts of tho world who are considerably worse off, according to Mr W. .1. Hnitim, speaking on the subject of “Rhododendrons” (says the “Press”). He said that where some of the smallest rhododendrons in the world grew, on the uplands of China, the weather was so bad that frequently the sun was not seen for months. Travellers related that when the sun did come out all the dogs in the district at oncj> commenced to bark!

'l'llo Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands, spent today visiting State settlement areas in the North. He has been engaged on a mission of this nature during the past fortnight, the object being to keep in touch with the important schemes of land settlement: which the Government lias in hand. Air Ransom visited the Orepn settlemont on the Rangitaike Plains, the Galatea Estate, the demonstration farm at Ngapnra, -111 miles from Rotorua, and the State forests and plantations In the Rotorua district. At Orepu four settlors have boon put on the, land and preparations are being made for others. At Ngapnra six sharemilkers tire installed and it. is hoped to increase the number to 12 next year.

‘‘Nauru Island envoi's an area of .12 square miles and there are 12 native tribes living there, each with its own particular dialect,” remarked Mr U. X. Campbell during his address to the Wanganui Potary Club (says the ‘‘Chronicle”). He said that'a native on one side of the island had great difficulty in understanding one. on the other side. The tribes led easy lives, contenting themselves with fishing and growing coconuts. The land-owners were paid a royalty for every ton of rock removed from the island. ‘‘lt is probably the smallest community in the world that has had the whole of the Pdble translated expressly for It, They are a, fine upstanding race, and are one of the few Pacific people who still preserve their own language,” added Air Campbell.

A story both good ami true is being told in select, circles concerning the ways of some men on unemployment work in a southern district. The “intelligence department’’ attached to this particular group reported that information had been received that on a certain clay his Worship the Mayor would visit the scene of operations and see for himself how the work was progressing. It was decided, in order that the usual routine of the group should not be iiniluly disturbed, and that anything in the nature of a. surprise visit should be guarded against, that scouts shenld be posted at suitable vantage [mints. The day name, a perfect dawn being followed by OVn- of those warm and soothing noons so productive of drowsiness. The sentries slept soundly at their [costs. The Mayor arrived at tin- works and found the army of workers in peaceful sleep. The court-mart in 1 has been held, but. the sentences have not yet been promulgated.

dTin. Stout White Damask', for Hid yard at Henry Wilson's. Other outstanding values are: Gtin. White Sheeting, worth 1/11, for 1/4J;, SOin. ditto, worth 2/11, for 2/d yard; Heavy Tea Towelling, 7Ad yard; Coloured Towels, 1/G pair; ITew Prints, !Md yard; Men's Heavy Black Shirts, d/.ll; Men’s White Coat Shirts, H/11; Boys’ ditto, 2/11; 'Men’s Sleeveless Singlets, )/-; and Combination Drill Overalls, were Kl/G, for G/Jl,

Oalv one case was set down tor trial at the Gisborne Supreme Court session which opened today. Mr dustice MacGregor congratulated the district on the compnrat.ive absence ot crime. ‘‘A Town Moved Inches,’- “Earthquake Havoc in New Zealand,” “Shocks Every Give. Minutes,” arc the big black headlines appearing in the London “Daily Mail” regarding tlie recent earthquake at Wairoa. j “1 don't think many people realise how many miles of streets the Citv Council is maintaining,” remarked Mr .1, W. Beanland, speaking to the Christchurch Citizens’ Association. “We are maintaining about 2-tS miles of well-kept streets,” he said. “You can see what a huge thing it is.” He j added that ,£2'!.nf)fl to 127,000 was spent annually in keeping tire streets clean, and that the area of the city was about 10,580 acres.

When Mr E. .). Bell, librarian at the Canterbury Public Library, caught a small boy red-handed in the act of cutting crossword puzzles out ot a Sydney newspaper in the readingroom, the offender got more cross words than lie bargained for. There has been a great deal of cutting from newspapers in the library lately, resulting in considerable ineon venieuce and the assistants have* been keeping a careful watch fsavs the Sun).

“If requested, 1 can produce a set of accounts, audited by careful men, and at present deposited in an exceedingly safe place,” said a witness in a case at the f’hrisl church Supreme Court. “May I say where that plat" l is?” he asked Mr A. T. Donnelly, the Crown Prosecutor. “You can if you like,” replied Mr Donnelly. “Well, it’s in your own ollice, ” said the witness. “Oil, well, that’s safe enough, all right,” rejoined Air Donnelly amidst laughter.

A parly of Eltharn residents who recently at'.ended a dance in Ha were discovered an amazing example of the resource of youth (says (lie “Argus”;. They left the dance rather earlier than the majority and were startled to observe someone crawling about under their car, flashing an electric tore]). .Strenuous action by the males of the party brought to light a very sma II and very dishevelled boy. “What wore yon up to?” was the query. “I was looking for bottles,” came the reply. The youngster went on to say that he had already gone home that night with two sacks o; bottles from outside that dance-hall and had almost filled his third. Did they smite him? No, no. They pro duced a couple of “dead marines” from the interior of their car and pro sealed (hem to the youth. A hoy who will stay out till 2 a.m. collecting bottles, at a dance-hall will surely attain wealth some day.

An Invercargill resident who returned recently from a visit to Groat Britain informed a * * Southland Times'’ representative that everyone in Great Britain is playing yo-yo. In business establishments employees may be seen trying a scarcely surreptitious “east,-” in the street, women can be observed making the yo-yo climb the string like a monkey, while everywhere schoolboys and schoolgirls endeavour to manipulate a yo-yo in both hands simultaneously. Yo-yo is played with a metal or wooden wheel device which is attached to a length of string. The string jis tied round a finger, and the toy •when thrown downwards returns up i the cord to the hand. Authorities differ (concerning where the game originated. Some say it, came from Canada, others state that, it first saw daylight in tho P.S.A., and the Philippine Islands have been named as harbouring the first yoyo expert. Tf the credit for the revival of this kind of top-pastime redounds to North America there seems to be some reason for thinking that it spread first to Buenos Aires, where the Prince of Wales tried it for the first time. The present is apparently tho second yo-yo period; The first period extended from about 1700 to IS.IO. In those days the game was known as bandalore. The definition of this word can be found in any good dictionary.

A humorous story, fold at the reunion of the Otago and Southland Association, in the Town Hall building at Creymonth, bad an ending even more effective than the story .justified. The narrator was Mr. .1. Kay, and tho story concerned an old miner and his dog, the scone being Otago, in tlm pioneer days. The old man died, add his friends decided that it was better that his dog should die also, rather than live in loneliness. Dynamite was a new arrival in those days, and it was resolved to use the explosive as a quick means of ending tho dog's life. A small tin was prepared, and hung around the dog’s nock, after'which tho fuse was ignited, and the “execution party’’ made themselves scarce. The dog had liis own ideas, however, and promptly followed the party, with the “bomb'’ tied 1o his neck, and the fuse hissing. Boeing the dog chasing them, the men made for shelter, negotiating, a fence on (heir way, and waited lor (he worst. Meanwhile, the dog readied the fence, the string round its neck broke, and (ho tin of dynamite was left behind, unknown to tho men. While the narrator describod how they were waiting for the explosion to blow the dog and themselves up. (lie required touch of realism was forthcoming— there was an explosion in the Borough Council! vards.