LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 23 February 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The weather in Nelson continues to be broken with heavy showers falling at intervals. Yesterday a heavy local downpour must have fallen in the Maitai Valley for during the afternoon there was quite a fresh in the river. The back-country is also experiencing heavy falls and yesterday there was a considerable fresh in the Wairoa river at Brightwater. The Wai-iti river remained normal. In the City .33 of an inch fell last night. This morning just before noon an exceptionally heavy shower was experienced the Cawthron Institute recording .67 of an inch in 25 minutes. The heavy fall, however, was confined more or less to the city area for the road at Bishopdale was diy at lunchtime.

The liner Akaroa, on her first visit lo New Zealand under the flag of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, was to leave Port Chalmers to-day for Akaroa, The population of Akaroa is small, and trade does not warrant merchant ships of any size calling there, so the Akaroa will probably be the largest overseas merchant ship to enter the harbour. Akaroa is occasionally visited by the units of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. The Akaroa will be visited by the Mayor of Akaroa, and other officials. The liner has no cargo to discharge or load at Akaroa, the visit being a courtesy call, and lasting only a few hours. Akaroa is an historic settlement, and the fact that the liner bears its name constitutes a link between the town and the ship. There used .to be a sailing ship in the New Zealand trade called the Akaroa. She was one of the Patrick Henderson Line ships that (lev tlie Shaw, Savill flag after the amalgamation of the two lines.

Mr K. Anderson, a member of the Wellington Aero Club who Hew a Gypsy Motli ’plane to. Nelson on Tuesday evening, made the return flight to Wellington late yesterday afternoon.

The unusual scene of 90 persons gathered together on the summit of Mount Eginont at one time was witnessed on Sunday, when climbers took advantage of the ideal climbing conditions and made the ascent from three angles, North Eginont, Stratford and Dawson Falls. At the suggestion of the Stratford Alountain Club, members of the three alpine clubs in Taranaki met on the top to exchange greetings. The Stratford contingent numbered 24, and they made the trip from the Stratford Plateau in time to prepare tea for the other club members. The Alount Egmont Alpine Club climbers numbered 23, some of them coming on from the Symc Hut, where the night had been spent. The Taranaki Alpine Club members ascended from North Eginont, the party numbering 27. The top was reached shortly after one o’clock by the latter party, and the alpinists from the other two clubs were awaiting them. Several private parties made the total on the summit over 90.

The opinion that Americans, and by that he meant the thoughtful Americans, were heatrily sick of snarling European politics and competitive armaments was expressed by Mr E. C. Wheeler, a New Zealand journalist who recently returned from a tour abroad, when peaking at the Wellington Rotary Club. Air Wheeler said that if we sometimes became impatient with the attitude of the Americans over the debt question, we should remember that they were doing it to force disarmament. They were putting the screw on and they were the only people who were in a position to do so. The Americans themselves were very friendly towards Great Britain.

It seems likely that another dominion will win most notice in the great festival promised for early April (states a Sydney writer). New Zealand will stage real novelties, and just as the Maori war cries of the football teams of long ago led to every team of sportsmen having war cries so it may be that these novelties will be copied. A real Alaori war canoe may be brought to Sydney, and carried through the streets on a float with a crew of Alaori athletes seated in it, chanting the ancient songs of their race. If the canoe is not thus carried through the streets there will be a great floral representation of it, with perhaps 40 Alaori maidens sitting in the places of the paddlers, and displaying their perfect dentition as they carol songs of their land which, though mainly mournful, have some blithe exceptions. The natives will be in the garb of tiie ancient Alaori, with the addition of the European bandeau which has in recent years been adopted by the guides of Rotorua, but was unknown to the original guide, -Sophia, heroine of the Tarawera eruption. Sydney is pleased with the announcement by the New Zealand women’s association at its party commemorting the treaty of Waitangi, which terminated bloodshed and brought natives and whites into brotherhood.

The white butterfly competition arranged by the “Taiimaruiiui Press” among school children in the Taumr.runui district resulted in 4208 butterflies being sent to the “Press” office last week. As each white butterfly is reputed to lay sixty eggs a day the children can be said to have reduced the pests in the. Taumarunui district by at least 240,000. The task of counting the butterflies was by no means an enviable one. Some of them were decidedly “ripe,” and a generous use of disinfectant was necessary before they could be approached. Some of the parcels contained live butterflies which were immediately on the wing when the tins were opened.

. The magnitude of the hop industry ip the United States can he judged by figures quoted by Mr F. Hamilton, who acted as adviser in regard to the hop industry to the New Zealand delegation at Ottawa, in his report to the Hopgrowers’ Association. The total area in hops in the United States for the seasons 1929V30 and 1930-31 was approximately as follows: Oregon, 17,000 acres; Washington, 2500 acres; California, 5000 acres; and the average production 18 millions, 5 millions and 9 millions pounds weight, respectively, making a total of 32,000,0001 b, or 100,000 bales, each averaging 2001 b. The areas Mr Hamilton visited were situated in sheltered valleys and the soil seemed to be extremely rich and up to the past year or two required very little fertiliser. All the hops were grown similar to theirs, on overhead wires, ranging in height from 10 to 18 feet from the ground. Invariably the stringing was. done by lowering thewires to the ground and the labourers, who were chiefly Japanese, did the work on a contract basis, tied the strings to the wires when on the ground, running three to four vines to the hill and these were afterwards hoisted and hooked to the cross-wires at intervals, the ground end of the string being firmed into the soil by the use of a wooden peg. Thousands of children of New South Wales are “black” (writes the Sydney correspondent (of the Melbourne “Argus”). They are in the same category as the beer of Western Australia. The Labour party, speaking through its metropolitan conference, has declared without dissentients that Boy Scouts, Wolf Cubs, Girl Guides, and all associated bodies are to be regarded with disfavour. The children of trade unionists are not to be permitted to join. This will mean, if the resolution is honoured, that thousands of children will have to resign and mournfully pack away their uniforms in the hope of the dawning of a brighter day of more intelligence. Some tears will damp the packing. The limit of the farce was reached when the Junior Red Cross was added to the list. The children who are members of this beneficent movement were ruled out as being “a national menace.” One , voice only was raised on their behalf. Any delegates whfi considered the motion to be foolish held it wisdom to be silent. Thus it is recorded that the motion' requiring members of trade unions to forbid their children to join anv of the organisations mentioned was “carried on the voices.” No divisions were called for, because it was seen that the conference was determined to administer a blow to “these subtle undermining influences.” No Labour conference has ever asked members of trade unions to refrain from sending children to Communist Sunday schools.

The postponed Sunday School picnic of All Saints’ parish will he held in the Botanical Reserve, Nelson, on Saturday next, beginning at 2 p.m. iherti will be sports and games and tea for all parishioners and children. If wet, the children are asked to assemble at the Parish Hall at 3 o clock instead * Half-Crown Day to-morrow at McKay’s. Doors open 9 a.m. See windows to-night !* Ladies’ Printed Cotton Tub Frocks, fast colours, short and no sleeve styles, S.W. and W\, 7/11 for 5/11 To-morrow at McKay’s.* Half-Crown Day at McKay’s! Balance of Ready-to-wear Hats. Formerly 19/6 and 22/6. To-morrow only 2/6 *

Ladies’ Vedonis Vests, Lace and Braid bound necks, no sleeves, W. size, 4/9 for 2/6 to-morrow at McKay’s.*

The difficulty which the average human being has in adjusting himself to artificial teeth was mentioned during the hearing of a disputed dentist’s claim in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington (reports “The Dominion”). An expert witness said that teeth had occasionally to be adjusted even after payment had been made. A dentist gave service and teeth, and hoped to be paid in time. Patients were sometimes bard to satisfy; some of them wanted to Jin prove on nature. Some customers came back, and complained that the teeth lid not fit. “It is a hard life a dentist’s life,” he added, with conviction. Even if a patient were fussy, four readjustments would be reasonable. He had had one patient for whom lie had had to put in nine different shades of teeth in the one plate.

As a result of heavy rain in the Takaka district on Tuesday and early yesterday the Takaka river was running bank high yesterday afternoon. On the Takaka Hill yesterday morning motorists had an unenviable experience when it rained so heavily that it was difficult to see many yards ahead. One driver described it as a cloudburst and when the rain was at its heaviest it was impossible to see more than a car’s length in front. The water was coming off the hill on to the road in torrents and the culverts across the road could not carry the water which was running about six inches deep down the roadway in places. Near the top of the hill the large basins in the granite formation were filled, and the large basin below Hawk’s Crag resembled a lake. “I’ll never forget the experience,” commented the driver who was interviewed.

In the course of an article entitled: “Here’s a World View; it Laughs at Depression,” Philip' Kinley writes in the Chicago Tribune: New Zealand has been called the “long white cloud” because its snowy ranges come into view first. Here, surely, is a land where depression abides. Is it not bankrupt through socialist ventures? Did they not have riots in the streets of Auckland? This is true enough, but the animal “depression” itself still retreats. The store windows are all mended, and the streets are filled with well-fed, prosperous looking people. The sun is shining upon beautiful hills and parks and there are noble buildings to see. The city soon ends in the country and this seems a paradise indeed. So many neat homos and farms; firm, rosy cheeked children playing by the roadside or skylarking along on (he way to school. Sturdy men dressed in sheepskin coats ride along on shaggy horses betl'nd a herd of fat cattle on the way to market. On the green hillsides sheep brouse. Flowers bloom in doorways and bright hedge, rows after the pattern cf old England. The state may be broke and the farms mortgaged but life goes on somehow and a good deal better than somehow in lovely New Zealand. Austral.a, to-., is at grips with the black beast, accoiding to the economist and bookkeepers. But Sydney is a whirl of life, with thousands of pounds . going into the bookmakers’ satchels at the race tracks every day.

“Rabbits are increasing at such a rate that they will drive the cattle off the land,” declared Mr J. Henry at a meeting of the Franklin County Council. 'He said that in the Waiau Pa districts settlers ■were becoming alarmed at the increase in rabbits. He added that since rabbit skins were realising such poor prices trappers were not operating, and in consequence rabbits were unchecked. The county clerk intimated that the Department of Agriculture proposed to enforce the provisions of the Rabbit Act, and that already a number of notices to destroy bad been served. This applied to the Bombay district, where, it-was stated, rabbits were also on the increase.

During an application by the Auckland Clothing Trades’ Union secretary to have, an industrial . agreement converted into an award at the Arbitration Court, Mr Justice Frazer was endeavouring to ascertain, from the woman secretary in the ■witness box to what, category corsets belonged. “It seemS that corsets are neither clothing nor shirts. Well then, what are they?” “They are wrap-ons,” explained the general secretary for the various clothing trades, Mr J. Clark. ‘Well,” said his Honour, “I am afraid that I am none the wiser yet.”

The Methodist Conference at Auckland considered a committee report upon the young people’s work of the church (reports the “Star”). The committee, which sat for 18 months in Wellington, brought down proposals for the co-ordination of Sunday schools, young people’s Bible classes and all young people’s societies. Mr R. S. Maunder, chairman of the committee, said that for some years there had been a suspicion that all young people’s societies had not worked harmoniously together, and this was an effort to put the whole on a proper footing. The new proposals included a youth board of 25 members at Wellington, and the establishment of district and circuit committees, all to work under the control of the conference. To give effect to these proposals the present general secretary for the young people’s department is now designated youth director and will work under the youth board to give’ especial attention to Sunday school work. The Rev. E. P. Blamires was elected by acclamation to the new position. Mr Blamires then presented the report of the department. Net increases were reported of 10 schools, 808 scholars and Bible class members, 149 teachers and leaders, 1713 children enrolled in societies, 323 Bible class members in Church membership, 229 junior Church members and 420 infant members.

The precious art of Maori carving, often lamented as if in danger of being lost, is being preserved by the skilled native workers at the Maori Arts and Crafts School at Rotorua. A good example of present-day achievement is the carving for the meeting house at Otaki, with which the school has been entrusted. From solid blocks of totara, each specially selected from trees on the sunny side of the forest, the skill of the native has fashioned a hundred pieces, each with its ornate and symbolical design. The work is all done by hand, for the only tools to be seen in the school are the adze, chisels of different sizes and shapes, and mallets of solid whale-bone, which do their job very effectively. Among the workers is tin old Maori who carved at the Christchurch Exhibition in 1906-07. He has no superior with the adze. Most of the pieces for the meeting house at Otaki have been completed and now await transport. The Ngati-Raukawa tribe at Otaki can claim descent from every tribe in New Zealand, the Arawas'and the East Coast Maoris predominating. Maintaining their ancient pride in lineage, the carvers have embodied this tradition in the design for the house. It will be what is known as “universal.” The next big task will be the carving for Te Ante College. The wood is already seasoned for this. It is probable, too, that the school will be entrusted with the carving for the meeting house at Waitangi, which is to be erected before the centenary celebrations in 1940.