LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 1 September 1934, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"There are between ■ 14,000 and 10,000 men and women in New Zealand devoting themselves and willingly to service on school committees,” remarked Mr A. A. Roberts, president of the New Zealand Federation of School Committees, when speaking at Christchurch. “I do not think that the Government realises how cheaply its primary school administration is carried out,” he said, in pointing out that members of school committees were not paid for their services. More than that, the school committees of the Dominion had raised between them about £50,000 for school purposes.

“It is remarkable that with all this talk of quotas on farm products that 40 new; milking and separator motors have been added to our load during the. month," said the chairman of the Franklin Electric-Power Board, Mr J. Dean, at a board meeting, when the engineers report was received. The secretary, Mr S. P. Day, mentioned that the board new had 1672 of this class of motor connected, whereas a few years back there had been only 850. • This year’s opossum trapping season in the Gisborne and Const districts has been a record one, and about 7000 skins had been handled in Gisborne with still a week to go.

The bar on the Builer river is practically non-existent at present l , there being- something like 27ft of water there at high water spring tides. Boats which formerly had to wait for the top of spring tides before leaving, have been able to take their departure on. neap tides. Nature, dredging and tho breakwaters have all played their part in bringing this improved state of affairs about.

“11:0 Auckland:” has a huge surprise up its sleeve for Thursday next. The biggest bargain event for years. Watch “The Mail” daily for details.*

A community sing will be held in the Riwaka Hall on 'Tuesday next in aid of the Motueka 11.5. A. Distress Fund. The leaders will be- Messrs Fred Hamilton and Gordon Burk. A free bus service has been arranged to leave Newport’s and Duncan’s Cornel's at 7.15 p.m.

The reference in the ‘‘Westport News” to the Buller river as a gold dredging proposition recalled to a citizen the cccasion when a few years ago, a phenomenal spell of dry weather was experienced on the Coast and the Buller river was then at a record low depth. Fossickers got down in the river bed and collected quite a lot of gold—some fine samples and others almost small nijggets. One fossicker produced a bottle containing his finds, between 200 and 300 pieces of gold, and it made quite an impressive display. Yet the Buller, except the upper reaches, at Murchison, is neglected as a gold dredging proposition. It is observed that more people in Sydney are talking of the Centenary (writes the Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne ‘Argus”). There is still some uncertainty about the pronunciation of tlio word, but since both the British and Australian broadcasting commissions employ "Cen-TEEN-ary,” that doubtless will be the ultimate selection. Generally a safeguarding phrase is attached, as: —"The Centeenarv, or whatever you call it.” The death’s-head design has provided some publicity and the Centenary stamp more. There is continued argument. The stamp is declared to bear a mistake. It is claimed that it is not the Centenary of Victoria that is being cele brated but tho Centenary of Melbourne. There is citation of history in alleged proof thereof. Most people do not bother. All they know or care is that there will be a Centenary celebration in Melbourne, and that the festivities will be such as to make it worth while to be in Melbourne, for a month or certainly for a fortnight. One item of discussion is the liquor to be provided at the Lord Mayor’s ball. Publication of the wine list evoked varied comments. All the talk has value as publicity. “The interest that is being shown overseas in the question of redu’eing traffic noises focuses attention on the subject here,” states the latest message of the Canterbury Automobile Association. “In London the authorities have adopted the rule of forbidding the sounding of horns within five miles of Charing Cross between the hours of 11.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. While it is not contended that our streets are noisy enough to demand such a prohibition it must be admitted that some drivers are not as discreet as they ought to be in sounding the warning device. There are instances of quite unnecessary hornsounding ; there are instances of a .loudly sounded horn for unreasonable speed at intersections. If the speed limits when approaching intersections are obeyed the use of' the warning devices in compliance with the by-law is of secondary importance to the possession of effective brakes. When the horn is sounded the volume of sound should not he of blasting, nerve-wracking character. Good drivers are known by the considerate, moderate use which they make of the warning device. Between intersections drivers should show the utmost consideration for pedestrians. If a warning honk is needed it should be sensibly given. It rot infrequently happens that a loud blast of a- horn suddenly panics a pedestrian into acting dangerously, even causing a pedestrian to jump into the track of the vehicle When overtaking and passing other vehicles motorists should not sound the horn unnecessarily loud. Horn-sounding is a matter of cominonsense and courtesy. That applies particularly to the use of motor-vehicles, motor-horns and motor-cycles near publi; or private hospitals, and in residential areas by day as well as by night.”

The tea trade had been in the hands of Scots almost from the earliest times, said Mr R. W. D. Robertson, when addressing the .New Plymouth Round Table Club. Tho early tea planting in Ceylon was undertaken by Scots from Edinburgh, and most of the planters there to-day were descendants of cadets who went out for the early Scottish companies. One’of the best-known men ir. the trade was the late Sir Thomas Lipton, whose name at one time was a household word in England. When he was in Ceylon .Mr Robertson was struck by the number of signs opposite holdings inscribed “Lipton’s tea gardens.” There was an affinity belwen tea and dai'.y produce of which Lipton’s liad been one of the largest buyers, absorbing enormous quantities of butter. Mr Robert son pointed out that there was a large number of specialised stores in England that sold only butter, tea, eggs and milk They we re careful about the quality of the goods sold, and their trade had multiplied to an enormous extent.

Questioned us to whether the society intended to apply for an extension of the opossum trapping season, which is scheduled to close on Ist September, Mr It. A. Graham, secretary of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society stated that the season had been so successful that, as far as South Taranaki was concerned, an extension was unnecessary, Th-, season was a record one, 3840 skins already having been stamped, which total was well over double that of the previous year. In one instance a trapper in the Opaku district had secured 760 skins, which was a remarkable pi rtormance. Ho anticipated that there were between 500 and 000 more skins vet to be stamped. There were over 20 licenses mid 30 per. rnits issued to trappers during too season, said Mr Graham. Many farmers were engaged in the trapping as a sideline, as it could ho carried out in the course of their ordinary work. The iSuter Art Society’s exhibition will open to-night with a private view for members and their friends. From Sunday 2nd, until Monday, 10th September, inclusive, the exhibition in the gallery will be open daily (hours are advertised) to the public. The work is from many well-known artists in Hew Zealand And judging from accounts of exhibitions in Auckland, Wanganui, Palmerston North and Napier where these pictures have already been shown, Nelsoniaiis will find much to interest them. When the exhibition closes here tho pictures will go to Wellington for the Society of Fine Arts exhibition, and then to tlie Dunedin exhibition. Mr W. H. Allen’s lantern lecture on “Modern Art” on Wednesday evening is being looked forward to. or .»

The steamer Arahura, which has been on the Picton-Welliugton run while the Tamahino has been undergoing annual overhaul, will return to the Nelson-Wellington service next week. She will leave Wellington for Nelson next Monday night.

Attention is drawn to the dance being held in the Velma Hall by the St. John Ambulance Brigade to-night, when an enjoyable evening la promised all patrons. On Monday evening next the pupils of Miss P. Aydou and other Nelson performers will give a concert in the Cathedral Sunday School. The proceeds will be in aid of the St. John Ambulance brigade.

The attention of orchardists is drawn to the notice inserted by th 0 mycologist of the Cawthrop. Institute in this issue concerning the state of development of the fungus causing brown rot in stone fruit.

It is notified that nominations for the Tabunamii Town Board election will be received up till noon of Thursday, 6th inst. The election will be held on Wednesday, 19th inst.

There’ll be big doings at “The Auckland” next Thursday. Watch ‘The Mail” next week for further details.*

Approximately 7500 dozen eggs-.were to be shipped to London by the Rangitano from Auckland yesterday. This was the first of the season’s shipment of c ggs for export, ana from now on till about the middle of November further shipments will be made. Next month it is expected over 27,000 dozen eggs will be shipped from Auckland province alone. An experiment is being tried with yesterday s shipment in that the eggs are packed in a new stvle of container made of pulp. Each egg is in a separate compartment and the containers are placed in the crates, each of which holds 30 dozen eggs. The exporting is done bv the egg export committee, a body representing the producers of the province. A member of the committee informed tile “Star” that eggs were very plentiful at present, and the object of exporting to Eu'dand was to regulate the market and see °that the producers in Auckland received a reasonable price for the local supply.

Some bright repartee was indulged in by delegates at the annual meeting of Ihe New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association during a discussion on the question of tennis “shorts,” (states “The Post”). One elderly speaker maintained that “shorts” were not an appropriate costume for tennis. “A woman in ‘shorts’ looks a woman, but, she is no lady. . . A man in shorts’ doesn’t look indecent, but he looks a- bounder,” he said. The chairman. “We can leave the matter to the management committee. It will be safer with them.” “I move that no ‘shorts’ under two feet long be worn,” said a delegate from the back of the hall. The chairman promptly: “The motion lapses for want of a seconder.” (Laughter.) The State sawmill at Mamaku ceased cuting timber at noon on Wednesday and within a fortnight, when the yard has been cleaned up, the last of the men will leave (states the Rotorua- correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald”). The mill will stand as a monument of another deserted State enterprise. Interviewed, the foreman. Mr Knutzen, said the mill was, definitely closing. At present the number of employees is 54, while the total number of people dependent upon the mill is 189. In the yard at present is 1.000,000 feet of timber—nOO’OOO feet is being kept to season for the Otahunu Railway Workshops, approximately 200,000 feet is ordered and about 300,000 feet is stock for sale. About 160,000 feet, including 17,000 feet of weather boarding, has been rushed 1 hrough at ihe last minute for the Waikato Land Settlement Society scheme The property consists of 53 acres in the mill section, 847 acres of New Zealand Railway bush and two blocks of State forest.’ The value of the mill and bush plant is approximately £30.000 Tins includes 5-J, miles of train line and two locomotives. The opinion is expressed in many quarters that there seems no apparent reason why this mill should be singled out for such harsh treatment, as the department still requires timber and the mill can still supply such orders with advantage to the department. The bush under review some of the best rimu grown and all bush and mill operations are especially organised to supply the department’s requirements.

An agreement between employers and employees by which no work at all is done on Saturdays has enabled workers in a number of Sydney factories to enjoy a long week-end and go long distances from the city. Mr E. V. ChafFey, who has returned from Australia, remarked that although this system might appear expensive to the employers, actually it was not, because it cost them practically as much with a steam plant to get their machinery into operation, and because in addition to this, they lost a considerable amount of time through the employees discussing the races or football they were going to see in the afternoon (reports “The Press”). An agreement was usually reached whereby the few hours lost on Saturday were made up at various times during tlig week.

England’s largest plane tree —a giant measuring 40ft round the butt and 120 ft ni the length of its timber, was felled as Hackbmlge, Surrey, -in June. Its only rival, the plane at Ranelagh Club, Barnes, now stands unchallenged as the largest, tree of its kind in Britain. The Hack bridge monster finally measured its length on the nieadowland upon which it is popularly believed to have stood for nearly' 1000 years after four days of work with axe and saw by Mr Alt' Knight, of Merton, the tree-feller, and his four stalwart sons. Mr Knight, who is 68, has spent more than 50 years in felling giant trees. “This old fellow wc have just cut down I have known for at least 30 years,” he said. “Year after year I have watched him grow bigger and bigger in girth, extending his branches cadi summer, until they cast a cool shade for scores of yards around. It was a real pity to put the axe to the old chap. He was good for hundreds of years more, and I wish he could have hen kept standing like his old rival at Ranelagh. But there is a demand for houses on this meadow cite and it just happened that he stood in the way ,of what is to be a new street. Tree lovers tried to save him, but it was no good. There are still fine oaks, poplars and other trees to show’ that we once grew real large timber in England. But they arc going fast owing to building and there will never be another plane like this one at Hackbridge,’ ' The advance guard of Centenary souvenirs has arrived, and even now (says a Melbourne paper) there would be ample oportuuity for the “compleat” visitor to equip himself. He could dry iiis face on a Centenary towel, appropriately coloured, and bearing the tag “Souvenir, Melbourne Centenary, 1824-1934. Grown, spun, and woven in Australia.” Wattle blossom decorates tlie inscription. He could make his notes with a Centenary lead pencil in a Centenary notebook, and then smoke a cigarette from a Centenary cigarette case. lie could keep his .Centenary stamps i:. a Centenary stamp container, [.ml play bridge with Centenary cards while he scored on a Centenary scorer. Meanwhile he could eat any one of 30 oi more varieties of Centenary chocolate, taking care not to displace his Centenary neck!is mater lie could coral; his hair with a Centenary comb. Not all the souveniiv, which have appeared so far hear the' official badge. An official in a shop explained that the manufacturer had to pay £5 for the privilege of using the badge on each distinct type of article. Some of the articles bear the coat oi' arms of Melbourne cr Victoria. Seme avc simply marked “Centenary, 1834-1934.” Many souvenirs have been made from Australian wood, seme decorated with poker work depicting Batman, Fawkner, Lord Melbourne, native bears, lyrebirds, kookaburras, mid kangaroos. There are wooden plaques, notebook covers, cruiun trays, hearth brushes, rorvilettc rings, eggeups. paper knives, trinket cases, teapot stands, ash trays, boomerangs inkstands, and nut bowls. One firm has nk'oac’y rcld cut one. consignment of metal badges showing maps of Australia and aeroplanes in the Air race.