NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11436, 5 February 1923, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Limousine sent to Hamilton the other day to the order of Hudner Bros, was destroyed by fire. ' Unfortunately there was no sand available at the spot where the car hurst into flames, and accordingly, Mr R. Hudner, who was driving at the time, was unable to cheek the flames. The car. Which cost £IOBS, is understood to be insured for £BOO or £9OO.

“In the old days we used to get three moderate meals and drive to church on Sunday m the same old cart that took the milk away and the manure round the farm,” remarked a Wanganui farmer recently. “To-day nearly everybody has a motor-car, hut if the slump had lasted a bit longer they would all have been back to the old cart of forty years ago.”

It is stated that the improvement in wool and dairy produce prices promises to have a beneficial effect on tlie demand for farm properties. Midsummer, of course, is an off season for land deals, but the prospects are good.’ It. is not anticipated that prices will fluctuate much, and the opinion "a held that they certainly will not rise to any extent.

The Te Puke Town_ Board has telegraphed to the Minister for Health protesting against the attitude of the Tauranga Hospital Board in refusing to sanction the erection of a new hispital .building at Te Puke. The Health Department has approved of a new building, and a deputation is to proceed to Wellington to urge that the decision in favour of the district be put into effect.

It is said that post offices are having an interesting time owing to tho inquiries received by telephone regarding the reductions that came into force on February Ist. The most frequent query was whether accounts, in which the envelope is not gummed down, cost 2d or Id postage. It will interest those in business to learn that these now go at one penny the same as circulars.

That she and her husband lived in an old fowlhouse because they wanted to pay off a debt, was the remarkable statement made by a witness in the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth. They now desired possession of the cottage, which they had rented to defendant, they said. Their present place of abode had no flooring or lining, and the only means of ventilation was the door.

What in the opinion of settlers resident in the district is the dreaded fireblight is leaving its destructive impress on the plantations in the Rangitikei. A visitor from. Parawanui told of gum and fruit trees on his own farm which had been stricken by the pest. At Westoe l he said, there is a bluegum plantation which looks just as if it had been swept by fire —a' blackened ruin. Tlie pest, he added, works with deadly celerity.

The value of the oil-bearing shale in New South Wales has been the subject of a letter to the Prime Minister of that State (Mr Hughes) from Mr F. H. Molesworth, public analyst and assayer. The writer asks, on behalf of the people of Australia, that the Commonwealth Government should make a thorough unbiassed inquiry into the whole matter, as he had seen estimates that the shale deposits would yield a big supply of oil for three hundred years.

Complaining that a number of culverts on the Urenui-Pukearuhe road were blocked, causing sheets of water to lodge in his paddock, W. G. Glassford wrote to a meeting of the Clifton County Council. “I object strongly,” the letter continued, “to having-sheets of water, chains long, in my paddocks simply because the culverts are blocked. What do I pay £B2 in rates for? I think.it would be a good idea if you shut up shop for a year or two and gave the ratepayers « spell.” “Those who advocate immigration,” said Mr H. E. Vaile, a well-known Auckland business man, “hold the view that true development and prosperity can never be experienced in New Zealand until ive have a larger working population. At present there is only one producer to five consumers, a position which condemns itself, and ‘lie Government is being urged to avail itself of the British Government's .handsome offer of half the cost of immigration under the Overseas scheme, bo that the natural resources of tlie country utilised.”

“j-iuring the past three months I have made 2s from poultry farming,” declared a member of the Manawatu Caility Poultry Association.

To-day (Monday) the first annual Instructors’ Refresher Class will be held under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction, Hamilton East.

Mr E. Rhodes, Clerk of Awards, notifies that the sitting of the Court of Arbitration, fixed for to-day (Monday) at 10 a.m. at the Supreme Court, Wellington, will now be held in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute, at the time 6tated.

As the outcome of a visit paid to a number of Pahiatua orchards by Mr Whelan, Government Orchard Inspector, the owners or occupiers are to he notified that the fruit will have to be destroyed, owing to the prevalence of the codlin moth.

One of the prettiest streets of New - lymouth, and one of the shortest, has been named “Incubator Alley” by an old resident there. The “Herald” states that he lately counted over 100 children whose parents lived in the street.

The Palmerston North Boys’ High School will this month celebrate the 21st anniversary of its establishment, which took place on January Ist, 1902. The roll number ha® grown from 40 in 1902 to 279 at the end of 1922, and the staff from 2 to 11 full-time and 2 parttime masters.

The issue of notices to pay income tax for the past year has been made, it being customary to divide the list alphabetically, though it does not follow' that “C” for instance is in the first lot. In respect of demands just made, payments are due at the office of the Commissioner of Taxes, Wellington, on Wednesday next, February 7th.

A big eel got into a pipe at the Lake Coleridge power station on Thursday and blocked the outlet. The blockage blew out the yalve, and the water spouted all over the power house. The whole of the machinery had to be shut down to make adjustments, and Christchurch’s power was off for several minutes.

Newspapers are being posted for praoes outside the Dominion with halfpenny stamps. This the chief postmasters point out is not permissible. The reduced postage applies only to papers to be distributed within New Zealand; all others must hear penny stamps.

It is reported that the shortage of sleeping oar accommodation, has been the subject of considerable complaints by travellers on the Main Trunk trains. Three cars is the usual number provided, and it is ©fated that frequently numbers of passengers are unable to obtain berths owing to these cars being fully occupied.

“In 18 years’ experience in Masterton,” remarked a well-known nurseryman to an *Age” reporter, “this is the freest season I have known for cabbage moth and fly. I have never known the gardens so clean, probably owing to the weather. Beds of seedlings this year have kept quite free of these pests without any spraying.”

There is a story in circulation to the effect that a Wainui resident the other day hooked a big schnapper in midafternoon and failed to land it until half-past eight in the evening. Coincidence enters into the case, as the schnapper when hooked broke the line, and was taken in the evening, with the hook still in its gills, by a spearing expedition.

A marvellous escape from a serious accident occurred at the Levin show. A family were picnicking under the trees which flank the showgrounds, and two small children were sitting on the ground just in front of a pony which was harnessed to a trap. The hooting of a motor-car horn frightened the pony, which jumped clean over the children, dragging the conveyance after it. Strange to say, the children escaped unhurt, although they were badly frightened.

A northern man met a Maori whom he had not seen for some time. The Native looked the picture of health, in contrast to his former appearance. On being questioned, he stated 'he had been having a holiday, and further questions elicited the fact that the holiday had been at the Government’s expense—some weeks in gaol for financial reasons. Asked if he had any means of now meeting his obligation, the Native said: “No; I suppose I go back again. Plenty kai; no work; that place, good enough for me.” Mr D. Seth-Smith, Curator of Birds in the Zoological Gardens, London, has written to Mr R. B. Owen, Christchurch, as to the best method of keeping white swans on the upper reaches of the Avon. Mr Seth-Smith wrote: “I think your best plan is to confine them <m a. small island for a month or two, if possible fencing in a part of the river on which they can swim. When they have thoroughly become accustomed to being fed at this spot, it is possible that they may stay when the fencing is removed. They may, however, find some food that they like further up the river, and if this is so I am afraid it will be impossible to prevent them from straying.”