NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11248, 28 June 1922, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Defence Department advises that No. 11484', William Johnston, who, prior to enlistment in tile New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was a member of the Public Works Department, died at Trentham on Saturday, as a result of war service. The funeral is timed, to leave Wilson’s mortuary chapel at 1.30 p.m. to-day (Wednesday). The soldier’s birthplace was Brunnerton, and hie relatives are now residents of Greymouth.

In the fine black sand washed up by the sea in certain parts of the foreshore of Te Wae Wae Bay, traces of gold are to be found. Some years ago a plant was erected at Orepuki for extracting the gold, but after a short trial tho works were closed. Recently two Maoris wlith- a miniature p(lant joommenoed working the sand at a spot on the Tuatapere side of Bluecliffs, and the results evidently a*re tenoourbging. About three weeks ago they sold £2B worth of gold to the Tuatapere Bank, and last week they came in with another parcel.'

During the visit of the Hon. D. H. Guthrie (Minister for Lands) to the soldier settlements at Westmere and Poroporo, in Wairarapa, it was mentioned that footrot in siheep is giving a lot of trouble in the district. Mr A. D. McLeod, M.P.. remarked that once footrot was introduced on to land it was almost impossible to eradicate it. He had never had footrot among his sheep. He did not purchase sheep unless he knew they were absolutely free from the disease, and he always refrained from buying in a saleyard, unless he was certain as to the vendor, and that the sheep were free from footrot. By this means he had kept his land clean.

The recent discovery of glass-making sand deposits at Mount Somers was a matter of pure accident, says the Ashburton “Guardian.” Prospecting operations liad been carried on for about twelve months with a view to locating coal seams within easy access of the Government railways. It was not until a 7ft drive had been made to a length of 400 ft thiat it was proved beyond doubt that an immense body of silica (glass sand) was present. When the suhstance was first enoountered it was looked upon as an obstruction to the coal-seeking operations. The Government Analyst has reported that tho sand is almost pure silica —in fact, it contains 99 per cent, of that commodity. Such a percentage has probably never been recorded in any part of the world. Experts from glass manufacturing concerns have also examined the sand, and doclnro it to be the finest they have seen. The deposit is to be exploited, and when this industry is working alongside that of limestone and coal mining. Mount Somers dis. f.rl/O. nhonld' 1-e -(>- lut’q r, i c vd‘

The Board of Health, established un, der the Health Act, 1920, meets to-day at 10 a.ill.

The Woodrille “Examiner” states: — “Hard times, indeed! Included in the collection at the local church last Sunday was a double-headed penny.”

The erection of a war memorial and national museum and art gallery by the Government are strongly urged by the Central Progress League in its annual report.

The Taranaki grocers have been advised that the wholesale price of butter has been advanced. From Moil, day morning the retail price has been Is lid pats and Is lOd bulk.

The shortage of owes is going to ho a very serious matter in the South Wairarapa and Martinborough. On Saturday, during the Minister for Lands’s tour, Mr A. D. McLeod, M.P., stated that there were some people without a hoof on the place.

“Have you any complaints to make?” asked the Minister for Hands of a soldier settler on the roadside at Te Ore Ore (Wairarapa). “No,” came the prompt reply. “Drive on quickly; we have met another man who has no complaints!” said Mr A. D. McLeod, M.P., amid laughter, in which the set. tier joined.

A branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, Ltd., has been opened as New Plymouth, making- the twelfth branch this bank has opened in New oealand since October Ist, 1912, when they fivist extended their operations to the Dominion. The hunk has purchased freehold property ,in the four centres, and their business is steadily growing.

Reference was made by the chairman of the Southland Education Board at its last meeting to teachers declining appointments for which they had applied. It placed the board in a very awkward position, as it was sometimes very difficult to fill the positions later. He hoped the suggestion that those who had l applied should not receive another appointment for at least twelve months, would be given effect to by tlie Education Department.

A neat monument in the form of an obelisk in Italian marble lias been recently erected in tlie cemetery at Jolinsonville to commemorate the late Dr. Saunders. The memorial was subscribed to by his many friends and admirers in and around Johnsonville, and also his medical friends in Wellington, as an indication of the esteem in which he wae held, and of how much hie kindly acts were appreciat. ed.

Many people have no idea of the vast quantity of rolling stock belonging to English railway companies. If the Great Western Company were to join up all its locomotives in one train, how far would it reach ? From Dunedin to Balclutha. If the Midland Company were to join up all it® rolling stock into one train it would reach from Kingston to Invercargill, from Inveroargil to Dunedin, from Dunedin to Cnrisfychurch, (from Christchurch to Amberiey, and 50 miles further on.

A fire occurred at the Club Hotel stables, Waitara, as a result of which the building was badly burned. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Tlio property was owned by Mr Fairweather, late of Waitara, and now of Inglewood, and was insured in the British Traders Co. Two motor-lor-ries, the property of the Waitara Garage Co., were also destroyed. These were each' insured for £4OO. Details of the other insurances are not available.

An amusing scene was witnessed outside the Wanganui Meat Freezing Company’s retail shop. A cat was sitting between the tram rails watching a dog, and evidently did not notice the approaching tram. The motorman dropped the safety fender and scooped up the cat, whifcli was tossed clear of the rails. The feline evidently thought she had been attacked by the dog, for she stood for a while with ruffled fur and in a defiant attitude, and then, seeing the coast clear, boiled for safety.

Conditions have become very desperate with some people in Auckland (states the “Star’’), and much thieving has taken place in the porches of the churches during the evening services. A well-known public man of Devonport lost an eight-guinea overcoat from the outside porch of one of the oldest city churches on Sunday, after being assured that nothing had ever been stolen from the hat-pegs during the long history of tlie church. The gentleman’s hat and stick had been left, but the coat had been stolen during the service. Some of the churches have taken the precaution to warn worshippers not to leave their coats in the porches of the church, as thieving had become systematic in several parts of the city.

Curious slips at inopportune moments have not infrequently endangered the dignity of solemn occasions, whatever festivities may attach to a wedding breakfast, or in these days the more fashion-able wedding supper, the religious portion of the marriage ceremony is -always invested with a solemnity proper to its devotional nature. But even here humour will sometimes obtrude. At a wedding which was solemnised in a leading city church the other day, states the “Otago Daily Times,” the officiating clergyman made a slight mistake in the number of the hymns, and as a result the -astonished congregation found that instead! of the familiar “Voice That Breathed O’er Eden,” they had! been asked to sing “Courage, Brother, Do Not Stumble.” Tho timely intervention of a watchful organist averted what might have been an awkward situation, and the congregation eventually lent their voices to the more appropriate words and air.

The fact that the Auckland Farmers’ Union Trading Company spent £12,000 last year on advertising evoked discussion -at the annual meeting of shareholders (says an Auckland correspondent). One thought there was a little too much of the American hustle system in the giving away of a new £l4 10s sewing machine to stimulate competitive pan-chasing. Another questioned tho value of full page displays in relation to sales. The giving of sowing machines and the system of rewards to jiurchasers was stated by another shareholder to be a “very near relative to the totalisator.” After a lot of desultory discussion, more in regard to the metli-ods adopted than the amount expended, the general manager pointed out that the latest American reports justified the expenditure of from 2 to 4 per cent, of the retail sales on advertising to get still more sales, and it paid. The company's sales last year totalled £1,236,000, and some £12,000 was spent in advertising, or only 1 per cent, of i-t« sales. That was exceedingly economical. They could not possibly send out commercial travellers under an expenditure of 5 per oent. of the total sales. He was afraid that if the company were not to continue advertising it would have to get a new manager. He was perfectly satisfied that advertising paid

Til <3 Wellington Farmers’ Meat Company is now turning out six ton? of soap a week at the Waingawa works, and three tons of soda.

The adjourned meeting of the Hu-tt Licensing Committee will lie held at the Lower Hutt court at 12 o’clock to-day.

A conference is to take place next Friday between the Hawke’s Bay sawmillers and the Hawke's Bay County Council on the subject of closing certain roads to all heavy traffic during the winter months.

The “run” of spawning trout in Wairnrapn streams has almost ceased, though stragglers will continue for some time to make their way upstream. To date, the manager of the MaStt.-rton li at eh cry has collected about 1,.5010,000 ova, half a million over the expected catch.

The Wairarapa P'ower Board has received the consent- of Cabinet to raise a loan of £-10,000 for reticulation purposes. This is the £40,000 which was already arranged for hv the chairman, hut as reinvestment was not forthcoming meantime, only £20,000 has been taken.

The official inquiry into the death -of Mr Charles Bowles, a retired farmer, who -died suddenly at his home in Derwent street, Island Bay, on Sunday evening, was held yesterday morning by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M. The medical evidence was to the effect that death was due to a sudden syncope, and the coroner found accordingly.

Last week Hawke’s Bay experienced exceptionally heavy frosts. So severe was the cold that water-pipes burst. At- Waipukurau milk left in utensik overnight was found to be frozen in the morning. Many flowering shrubs were killed, but the frost had a beneficial effect in destroying orchard pests, in addition to improving the soil.

A Wanganui business man received a letter from a relative in Leicester in which he supplies some interesting particulars regarding the prices of houses to rent. The rental of an 8roomed house is £SO per year. The restrictions in regard to rents will not be removed until next June, and in the meantime he is letting a cottage a-t os 6d per week.

A portion of the bush on the Glenside estate near Gladstone has been acquired by the Wellington Farmers’ Meat Company to- be milled for boxmaking purposes. The area acquired is about 120 acres and .a royalty of a penny per running foot will be paid. A contract has been let by the company for milling the timber, and the milling plant is now being erected on the site. It is expected the timber will last for about two years.

“There is too much of the ‘you have me, and I’ll have you,’ about the farmer of New Zealand,” said Mr Foar, organiser of the Dairy Farmers’ Union, at a meeting at Levin, when speaking -of “robber” cows (reports the Levin “Chronicle”). Farmers quitted their cull cows, probably giving a full guarantee, and the buyers, after using them for twelve months, passed them on. This went on from season to season, involving hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cows in the country to-day. It meant- a great loss all round, and steps should be taken to put a stop to it once and for all.