LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 April 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“Jay-walking is an offence in Australia, and sooner or later Auckland will have to deal with the problem,” said Mr G. Grey Campbell on his return, a few days ago from a visit to Sydney. Pedestrians, he said, had to cross the main traffic streets at right angles at the proper places and follow the signals of the traffic supervisors. At each ol tlie more important intersections there wore three or four policemen controlling foot traffic, and those who did not comply with the regulations were prosecuted. There was also strict control of parking, and a- squad of men was employed day and night to see that cars did not park for a period longer than they Were legally allowed. "The traffic has become so huge in Sydney,’’ lieadded, “that it has been found necessary strictly to enforce the law.”

Last week A. Newman, the Nelson representative cricketer in two matches made 318 runs. Against Wairarapa on Alonday and Tuesday he compiled 52 and 57 mils in tin; respective innings, and against Marlborough on Friday and Saturday lie made 157 and 51 respectively.

Farmers in the Rangiora district wiio have not yet learned the aestljctic and utilitarian value of extensive tree-plant-ing are being set a good example at the Rangiora High School farm (says'the "Press”). Permanent shelter trees have been planted there practically for tho full length of the boundaries. Other small belts carry trees designed to provide shelter for stock and crops and at tlie same time to beautifv (lie locality. One of the aims of the farm is to demonsirate the utility of certain trees for various purposes, and with that in view more than 50 different varieties have been planted. One hedge contains practically all tlie popular varieties of hedge trees. Cows are apparently just ,as- much victims of habit as their masters. if was stated during an inspection of the Rangiora High School farm on Saturday that it had been found that the ideal path for cows from a paddock to the dairy yard was a narrow strip of concrete, only a few feet wide. In damp areas cows would invariably use such a path, clinging to. it religiously, and refusing to make any deviation. If pushed off by a more eager animal, a cow would wait its turn and regain a posi tion on tlie concrete. That fact had e" abled farmers in tho North Island, ui ■boggy localities, to overcome a great source of trouble, and in some farms in the Waikato the _ strips of coucretp path traversed their entire length.

Children nowadays disfigure school buildings and other property far less than they did in former years. Dr. J. W. McJlraiih, chief inspector of schools for the Dominion remarked on this to a Christchurch “Press” reporter, and added that children now had a far better environment at school than their parents had in their day. Tie had been greatly impressed by the beauty of (lie school grounds lie had just seen in Otago and Southland. In such conditions, lie said, the children were being accustomed to beautiful surroundings, and t!:ey would leave school with a last ing impression of the beautiful. Not ally were tlie school grounds more beautiful, but more was being done fo improve the .mpearanca of tlie classroon s themselves. ..Tie was confident that children who learned to love and respect beauty, as they would at such schools, would a.-> citizens have the same respect for beautifying work done by local bod ies. so that there should he less vandal ism.

Telephone boxes—both public and police—are now so plentifully studded throughout Greater London that police stations can he speedily communicated with, and it is because Londoners have become so telephone-minded that Lord Tronchard considers that the replacement of foot policemen bv mobile oflicers will prove a great success (reports tho “Daily Mail”). The “heats” now traversed once in about eight hours will be covered scores of times in the same period if necessary. Danger lies ahead for gangs who scheme suburban robberies.

“I wish people wouldn’t draw pictures of me. I was presentable once,” said Mr Bernard Shaw when'shown a pencil sketch that someone, had done while lie was entertaining a group of people on Saturday afternoon (says the Christchurch “Times' ). That recalled to Mr Shaw's mind that David Low was a New Zealander. “Jle once did a can enture of me and I thought it ridiculous,” he said “A lew days afterwards I was at a. reception at the house of i.adv Astor. There was a big crowd and' one figure in the crowd drew my attention. ‘That man is the image of Low’s drawing of me,’ 1 said to mysoll, and I walked towards him to se G who he was. Jle also walked in my direction. Tt was then 1 discovered that 1 was looking in a mirror.’’

In a discussion on signposting at the meeting of the Nelson Automobile Association hiss evening Mr 11. J. Sava<ro remarked that lie wondered that more people did not take the trip over !h e Dovedale hill. The chairman (Dr. S. A Gibbs) retorted that while he was going over the hill recently six cars passed during the short time 1m waited on the hill. He recommended the drive, if only to see the wonderful autumn tints of tlie foliage in that locality.

In view of Liie heavy indebtedness of some of the parishes in the Waikato ilioeese, Bishop Clicrrington lias sent i n appeal to the Waikato Diocesan Assoeia tiou in England lor £IBOO. eipuil lo about £SOOO in New Zealand at the prosent rate of exchange. Willi this sum it would be possible to reduce the heavy debts on the parishes of Fraukton, Tc. Kuiti, Tnumnvuiiui, Inglewood, Otorbliauga and Put arum.

In the cruise of a discussion at a. meeting at llnwo.ru of the South Taranaki provincial executive of t lie Farmers’ Union on the proposed <|Uota on dairy produce a member suggested that factories should allocate at least one pound of cheese to every supplier per week and that this should be charged to him and lie could do what lie liked witli it. Tlio cost of this would be taken from his returns at the end of the season and this amount of cheese would help to use up part of the quota.

Smart Costumes in Diagonal and Barathea Suitings. Well cut tailored finish Coats in two and three button styles, and Skirls plain or pleated. 95/ In £5/10/- at McKay’s.*

Boslyn Corded Suiting makes a very smart costume in Black or Nigger Brown. Double breasted coats and wrap over style skirt. Only 81/- rt McKay’s.*

Last night several welcome showers of rain fell in the city, and this morning the I'resii which was running in the Alailai indicated that, heavy rain fell over-night in the Alaitai Valley. The Cawtluon Institute recorded .38 of an inch for the 24 hours ending 9 o’clock this morning.

An adventurous voyage, during which the Waiau Liver was navigated from Lake To Anau to Clifden on a raft, was accomplished by three residents of Southland —Messrs 11. 11. Twemlow, his son George, and Air J). Peterson—during the Easter holidays (states the "Otago Daily Times”). It was a hazardous feat, and they had thrills in plenty as their craft swept througa rock-infested cauldrons, but not once did their stout conveyance fail them, nor did they once feet that, they were in leal peril. So confident are they .jf the strength and buoyancy of the raft that they are looking for fresh waters to conquer, and will probably tackle the Clutha in the near future. “When we set out 1 did not think that there was any danger to life,” MrTwcmlow, sen., informed a “Soutliland J inies reporter, “and this proved true. At the. same time it was easily the most exciting experience of my life. We lotmd that four hours a day on the river was quite enough for our nervous energy. The excitement and the strain of keeping a constant look-out proved exhausting. Though the oars gave us a. lot of control over the ratt, tneie were times when the force ol the current caused the river to take chargi of us and not we of d. . • here was, however, not a moment during the trip when we regretted the venture.

Frequent applause and laughter punctuated the speech ol the Govcri. c. - General Lord Bled,sloe, when l e • seated the Kirk-Wmdeyer Cup to tho winning New Zealand team at land on Saturday afternoon. Aftei t New Zealand captain, Mr 1. H. rloiton, had been carried to the clubhouse shoulder-high, his Excd ency was we - rnined bv Dr. Milsom, the cub piesi dent His Excellency said that when Sly minutes More Ire »« W* carrying notices bearing the wpiu “Silence >” and there were also notices |S '"Slop!" >'« ' tSS i Jt , |as fate on tins occasion to bal d over the trophy without saying anythine While congratulating New ZeaBun its Victory, he hoped that, unlike the Oxford and Can 'j , ™J g “ bp . race there would not be a Luge gap in, tween the conmctitors in years to^conm. lio was pleased to welcome the * ban"captain, Air E. Apperly, becawj not only was he a great man, but t rune from Gloucestershire, where h s Excellency came from. The Australia s fcfca «*&*!*- kept clean.

In rcnlving to an official welcome upon lire arrival &MU *?£ Plymouth, Rear-Admiral Watson said the New /calami Division of the Royal Navy was becoming and more'manned by New Zealanders, to the exclusion ol Imperial mem "Slowly but surely tlm Division is becoming New Zealand in personnel as well as in name,” be said. ‘ln a few years I hope there will be no more Imperial men in the Now Zealand Division. At present 50 per cent, of the complement, of the Dunedin and 75 per cent, of the Diomede are New Zealanders. Tt is not that we. want to do away with the Imperial representatives.” lie continued. “In fact, wc have found the. combination of New Zealanders and Imperial men lias been a singularly happy one. The two are on the best of terms, and the New Zealanders arc afforded an opportunity of learning soipe of the broader aspects of the Navy."

The March “Abstract of Statistics” notes that the outstanding feature of the prices statistics for the month of February is the-sharp vise in tho export price index number for wool, which is now 1,441 (on the base: average price ruling during 1909-13 = 1000), an increase of 31.1 per cent, on export prices of .this commodity in 1914. Despite recessions in the index numbers for dairy products and meat (he “all groups’’ export prices index rose from' 1003 in January to 1109 in February. The index number for the meat group, which rose sharply be tween October and November, is stiil —despite the fall between January and February—the highest individual index number of the pastoral group. The whole sales prices bid ox number continued its gradual upward movement, the February index dumber 1339 (on the. base • 3909-13 —1000) being three points higher than, the January figure. Retail prices statistics relating to 15th Feb ruary show that the index number of food prices has advanced slightly since January —mainly owing to an increase in retail prices of meat. Statistics as to house rents, clothing, drapery, and footwear prices, and of prices of miscellaneous items of household expenditure were collected in February, the allgroups index number showing an in crease of four points, or 0.5 per cent., since the previous compilation (in November last). The February index number of house rents, which is compiled only twice a year (in February and August). was three points, or 0.4 per cent., lower than the August, 1933, index. The decrease in this index between the last two collections is considerahi v less than lias been recorded a t successive collections for three jenis previously.

Th e boys in training at the Auchian.l Bovs’ Employment Committee s farm at St .John’s l'iivc just harvested thenfirst crop of tobacco, which is now being packed ready for dispatch to the curing factory (stater, the “Star I lhc m:r*under cultivation yielded 700 pounds of leaf which will make up into Id bales. The’3o3o plants on the area were grow i under tiie dii ict-ior. of Mr C. 1' • huwe tobacco instructor to the Department of Agriculture, and the whole worn has been carried out bv the bovs. the ground at St. Johns is suilaWe for tobacco cultivation, and Mr Lowe is of the opinion llint, the leaves compaie favourably with other commercial crops grown in tlm province During tl mat year the committee has carried out •i more ambitious policy at the farm, and among recent successful cropsthe area of maize grown under co.iti ac. for the Auckland Agricultural am las toral Association to Iced stoik at the recent Hoy a I Show Experiments have conducted with severs, varieties ol 'ova beans to gather lata regarding terminal growth and their sm-.ab.nty as a. supplementary forage crop. In addition to this work crops ol vcgcta.ile.j are produced throughout the .year, and , used for.the mid-day meals, lh, „ow in hand for the clearing of • ' m-Ll 'cM- ten acres of govse. to increase the area of (lie farm to about <o sues. This' work will 1m done bv older boys than those generally employed at A Crepe de Clime Iflonsms to J ' with a costume Verne, Berne JSn and Maize. 23/6 to 27/6 .t McKay’s.*