Siftings

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 15, 12 January 1934, Page 3

Siftings

At June 30, 1933 the number of full blood aborigines in Australia was 60,101 and the half-castes numbered 19,467. Experts again ! Work is delayed on the new giant Cunard liner owing to the experts’ failure to agree about the design of its stern. After over 36 years in the Public Service *Mr. R. H. Hooper, editor of the Journal of Agriculture, is retiring on superannuation. He joined the Public Service in 1897. Dr. S. G. Barker, director of the British Wool Industries Research Association, has announced the discov-

ery of an unshrinkable wool fabric; also of bleaching ingredients preventing yellowing. It is officially stated that the placing of unemployed men over 50 years of age of sustenance is being tested as an experiment. The plan will be tested in two centres only, namely Auckland and Wellington. A shipment of New South Wales chilled beef arrived last week in London in good condition with only a slight percentage of mould and brought s£d a lb. This is 2d above the prevailing price for frozen beef. A comic postcard was recently circulated in Britain on which was depicted a woman asking a butcher, “Did you say this meat was imported or deported from Australia?” Australian authorities are endeavouring to suppress its sale.

“We are definitely in the process of recovery.”—Roosevelt’s optimistic note in his message to Congress. “The whole world is being run by experts that’s what is the matter with it.” Headmaster St. George’s Preparatory School, Wanganui. A total of £1,020,926 has so far been expended in the reconstruction of buildings in Napier’s business and residential areas since the earthquake in February, 1931. The death recently occurred at Tuakau of Mrs. Pare Te Putu, possibly the last survivor of the historic seige of the Rangiriri pa, which occurred at the outbreak of the Maori War in 1863. A Latvian trade delegation has arrived in London to open negotiations for an Anglo-Latvian commercial treaty. Goods in which Latvia is particularly interested are timber, butter and bacon, and Britain’s export interests to Latvia concern coal and herrings. Now we know. Basing his calculations on his study of the production of chemical fertilisers and their possibilities, M. Camille Matignon predicted to the French Academy of Sciences that the food supply of this planet is not likely to fail for at least 20,000 years.

Catalogues for the forthcoming Auckland sale on Monday next were closed immediately after the holidays. This will be the second Auckland sale of the current season and the offering will comprise 25,000 bales. There were 16 bankruptcies in the North Auckland district, excluding Dargaville, during 1933, as compared with 25 in 1932. The bankruptcies last year included two hotelkeepers, two farmers, two miners, a builder, a draper and a garage proprietor. The aggregate cheque accruing from the first Wellington wool sale of the season held on December 7 was even greater than had been estimated. The gross value of the 29,186 bales sold was £415,596, nearly three times greater than the amount paid out after the December sale in 1932. As a result of sodium chlorate with which his clothes were impregnated catching fire, Mr. Paul Bernard Hintz, aged 55, a farm hand employed by Mr. R. B. Griffin, of Tauwhare, Waikato, received severe burns to his hands and legs. He had been spraying ragwort with a solution of sodium chlorate, and while attending to a fire at which he was preparing his midday meal the chemical ignited. Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay sheep farmers are jubilant at the price realised at the Napier wool sale last Saturday. Determined and at times excited buying among German and French representatives sent prices upward, and at the close of the final catalougue it could be reliably estimated that prices today were 20 to 25 percent higher than the comparatively good rates at the December sale. “The Department employs directly nearly 15,000 men. With their dependents it may be estimated that 60,000 people are dependent on the railways. If to these are added those who are supported, or partly supported, by the £6,000,000 of annual railway expenditure, it will be realised how great a part the railways of this country play in the life of the nation.” —Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager N.Z. Railways.

Fishing with Mr. H. White Wickham, of London, from the launch Ozone, off the Bay of Islands, Miss Joan Caughey landed the first hammerhead shark of the season. It weighed 2491 b. Six Rarotongan chiefs, accompanied by their wives, arrived by the Makura at Wellington on Monday on a visit to their Maori brethren. They will be present at the Waitangi celebrations on February 6. Owing to the attitude taken up by the Canadian Government with regard to the importation of butter, no finality can be reached by Amalgamated Dairies, Limited, which made arrangements recently for the shipment of 20,000 boxes to Eastern Provinces of Canada. Owing to depression, due to the decline of English, French and German markets for dairy produce, the Dutch Cattle Board has decided to slaughter 4000 cattle a week for a year in order to piaintain the domestic price level. The slaughtered animals will be tinned, and the unemployed will be able to purchase 211 b of meat for a shilling. Although no appointment has yet been made it is understood that Mr. Leslie Lefeaux, assistant to Mr. Montagu Norman, Governor of the Bank of England, will be the first Governor of the New Zealand Reserve Bank. He is expected to arrive in the Dominion about the end of next month. The carbon dioxide gas process is to be used in carrying part of the shipment of 1100 quarters of chilled beef which is to be loaded at Auckland this week for London by the Blue Star Line steamer Sultan Star from the Westfield freezing works. The meat will form the first consignment of chilled beef sent from Auckland.