Driftwood

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 5, 6 November 1931, Page 2

Driftwood

Mr. A. J. Blomfleld, who was brutally murdered in his shop at Wellesley street, Auckland, on Friday night, was the father of Mrs. W. Jack, of Oruru. The Associated Motorists’ Petrol Co., Ltd., has been registered in Wellington with a capital of £IOO,OOO to import petrol in bulk and sell it to motorist shareholders. As evidence of the revived interest in gold prospecting over 400 miners’ rights were issued at the Warden’s Court, Greymouth, in the last few months. The West Coast unemployed are seeking gold at its source. Some people profit by the low price of wool. The Mosgiel Woollen Co. is paying a dividend of 10 percent after providing £SOOO for depreciation, placing £2OOO to reserve and has £9759 to carry forward. On February Ist of this year the banks raised their minimum overdraft rate of interest from 6a percent to 7 percent. This week they have returned to the 6a percent rate. Every little helps. The Dargaville W.D.F.U. has resolved to adopt the housekeeper scheme to supply help to families in their district in times of emergency, a scheme that has proved of great value in other places. A giant rata tree, measuring about 10 feet in diameter and estimated to be not less than 1000 years old, was noticed by a party of the Egmont National Park Board during an inspection of the Kaitoke Ranges. The Highways Board has notfied local bodies that while it may be advisable to accept tenders other than the lowest for work on a highway, the consent of the Board’s district representative must be first secured. The Prime Minister indignantly denied in Parliament that any promises of appointment to the Legislative Council had been made to secure the withdrawal of political aspirants. Which disposes of a whole crop of rumours to that effect. One of Auckland’s many women politicians enquires pathetically when the first woman is to be returned to our Dominion parliament? And seeing that women have had the franchise for 38 years and have always steadfastly refused to vote for one of their set, Echo can only answer : When? The Farmers’ Union are very suspicious of the Alsatian dog in the neighbourhood of sheep, it has too much wolf in its ancestry for their liking. But the Government declines to prohibit the importation of Alsatians, though their behaviour is to be closely watched, to see if they justify their bad name. The English cereal chemist, Dr. James Jones, while giving an address to the N.Z. Institute of Chemistry, said that white bread was good for some people and brown was good for others. Brown bread eaters who induced white bread eaters to make brown bread their diet were doing deliberate harm. The old adage that “the whiter your bread the sooner you’re dead” was a foolish idea. Persons not on the parliamentary electoral roll are reminded that registration is compulsory though voting is optional. The main roll isi printed, but the supplementary roll will not close till some time this month. The qualifications for voters are being a British subject by birth or naturalisation, twelve months’ residence in the Dominion, and three months in the electorate.

The Woodville Borough Council appointed a new ranger, and his first job was to seize the poundkeeper’s stock for straying on the roads. At the recent Anglican Snyod one member made his maiden speech after five years’ silence, and another after 19 years, holding back his eloquence. Charity stamps for 2d and 3d, of which a penny goes to the fighting fund against tuberculosis, are now on sale at all post offices. Seemingly unaffected by the hard times, the Bank of N.Z. has declared with the usual monotonous regularity its interim dividend of 1/4 per share. The jockey who rode Ammon Ra in his win on the Australian Derby, “earned” £344 4/ as his fee in a few minutes. How long does it take a farmer to earn that amount? Dr. H. Chesson has retired as medical officer of health for the North Auckland district and Dr. T. J. Hughes, late of the Central Auckland area, has replaced him. “If the right-hand rule were strictly adhered to, three-quarters of the motor accidents would not happen,” said the Magistrate at Hamilton when fining a young man for infringing it. The Wanganui Magistrate sent one drunken motorist for seven days to prison and fined another £SO and cancelled his license for three years. “I am not going to wait till some child is maimed by a drunken lunatic to stop this sort of thing,” said Mr. Salmon. “Women who taken an intelligent interest in politics have far more influence than men,” said Mrs. A. E. Harding at Kaitaia. “Men talk about politics among themselves, but women talk to their children as well, and so powerfully influence the rising generation.” “The revolution through which the world has been passing,” said Professor Copland, of Melbourne, at Wellington, “has been caused on account of the fall in the price level.” How thankful we should be that we have learned professors to explain these profound mysteries to us. They are a kindly folk round about W ellington, and the residents of Karori were troubled when they learned that a worthy young girl needed a set of false teeth, and being unemployed, could not procure them. So they held a bridge party and raised enough to pay the dentist. This is a new form of dental “bridging.” Here is a hint for School Committees. Roused by complaints from parents as to the cost of paper used by the children in school, the Aranui School Committee purchased a quantity of newsprint paper, had it cut into handy sizes, and distributed it to the children free of charge. Newsprint is cheap. Asked at the police court how he came to give the complainant a blackeye and damaged nose, defendant replied : “It was this way, yer wash-up. This ’ere bloke ’e ast me fer a match. Mindger, I didn’t know ’im from a bar er soap. Then ’e tried to ram it down my neck that there was no nicotine, or ’ardly any, in Noo Zealan’ terbacker. Well, one word let to another, an’ I gave ’im what for. Mindger ’e fair ast fer it.” “You had not right to assault the man because you differed in opinion,” frowned the bench, “besides, he was absolutely right. New Zealand tobacco is practically free from nicotine, because it’s toasted, and the toasting makes it quite harmless. Case dismissed. But don’t come here again.” His worship knew all about it! Toasted tobacco is quite harmless. It has a captivating flavour and a delicious aroma, too. There are only four brands manufactured : Riverhead Gold, Navy Cut No. 3, Cavendish and Cut Plug No. 10. 216