NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11665, 1 November 1923, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mr R. A. Wilson, engineer and Surveyor from the Wellington office of the Public Works Department, has commenced the work of surveying tlie proposed route of the Paerbh-Pbkeno railway. The silrvey commences at Puke, about one Utile from Pneroa.

A Putaruru resident, who recently returned from England, reports that New Zealand butter was selling ih the provincial towns at Is 7d per lb re tail, and was regarded as the best_ on the market. It was sold from 56VL boxes, in weights as required. Nb pound pats or Cartons were noticed.

When the concrete building in Queen street, Auckland, lately occupied by the Bank of Australasia, was offered for sale by public auction, the highest bid received was below the reserve price, and the property was passed in. Bidding started at £25,000, which figure Was £3OOO below the City Council valuation for rating, ahd rose to £33,000.

Cases of children who had been on rin average to two or three schools a year were mentioned by Dr J. W. MeIlraith in his address to the Auckland Rotary Club, when speaking of the amount df Work, done by school chip dren on dairy farms. One girl said ehe had been to 12 other schools, and a second gil'l claimed 11 others. Their parents bad nibved about oii different share-milking contracts. A teacher once said to him when he Was inspecting, “They are milkers. Don’t pny too much attention to them.”

What is probably a record for New Zealand has-been established by a five-vear-old grade Shorthorn cow, owned by Mi A. Devcicb, of HikUtaia.. Last year this cow gave birth to three calves, fill of them dying soon after birth. On Thursday last the same cow gave birth to no fewer than, two heifer and three bull calves within a. few hpurS. _ Unfortunately four of the calves were vety small When born, ahd have died. One bull calf is norm S-l in Size, and is alive arid healthy. Thd edw is milking well, arid is in normal health.

“The farmers oh the fiaUraki Plains are not yet over thfeir difficulties,” said Mr W. Harkness Government cheese instructor df Hamilton. “They hrivd had a terrible winter, and the condition df the stock ia pitiablq.”, Mr Harkness said that the Hauraki Plains settlers have lmd the severest winter since the plains were opened up. Rain had fallen iilrribst drily fdr Wfeeks; arid everything was bf tlib sairie colour, mud grey. The stock had great difficulty in finding dry places in which to lie, and were suffering acutely. The milk supply_this year had dropped considerably dii the plains, added Mr Harkness.

The tough weather that lias been prevalent of late has kept back shearing operations in the Wanganui district, and consequently the catalogue of wool for the first Wrtrigdriiii wdol sales, to be held On Ntiybmber 28th, may not lie rio large aS last yeax. It must also, tie remembered that the amount offered fbr sale at the corresponding sale in 1922 was considerably augmented by the carry-over tliat was urisold in the previous, year (says an exchange). This year there will.be very little wool to be sold that lias bebii cairied over irbrit last year. A number of farmers also wait fdr thb Jantlrirj sales, although it is open to question whether thfey gain any advantage by ddiiig so.

MTien ih Lojidon a .tew ihdhths ago Mr Adam .Wilkie, of Wanganui, spent a good de-ril of time in tlie Sinithfield markets, and made fairly, exhaustive inquiries concerning New Zealand ,produce. , He was anxious to seb if ho could Ideate any Wanganui meat there; blit in this he was UnsiibfceSSful. He noted sdme df the Wellington Meat Export Company’s lamb and mutton, the fdrhter Selling at Ilia fffir lib Wholesale. It lobked Very godd, lie said, much superior to the Argentine artd dthcr mutton that Whs on said, and appatently the retail sudjia were making a good thing out of it, judging, by the disparity in the whollesale and retail prices. Mr 'Wilkie also Observed that New Zealand butter was being freely used in tlie hotels.

Art incident that oddnrted tb him while in Los Ailgelos was related fey Mr W. B: Lejrlarid tit tlie Auckland Rotary Club. Mr Ldyland said he Was riding in a street d4r tvheh about the only than lib had Seert in America ‘‘halfrieds over,” said to him, “Are you a leper?” “No,” replied Mr Leylahd. “Why?” “Well, look at your hands.” Mr Leyland explained that the skin oh his hands was peeling with the heat, as he had just come through the tropics from New Zealand. “From the tropics,” repeated the man. “Are you a cannibal ?” The mart’s evident belief in New Zealand as a pagan country was borne out fey his final question. “Say, whore did you learn to speak U-S.A.?” Mr Leylaud replied that his language was spoken before U.S.A. was discovered.

It was but natural that aft experienced New Zealand farmer like Mr Adam Wilkio Should have been particularly interested hi Hie agricultural and pristbial pursuits bf Germany Whfen bn Ill's recent Visit to the country (says the Wanganui “Herald'’). He'described it as a “bedutifully cropped country,” rill the way through from Cologne to Hamburg. Tlie principal products appeared to be barley, ryb, potatoes and silver beet, artd Mr Wilkie Was greatly impressed with what lie Saw. The holdings were ris a rule very sriia.ll Compared With the farms in New Zealand, 50 acres being regarded as a Very fair area, and the ahsfehce of feHoba Was a distinctive feature. The farms were as a rule worked by families of the owners, or lessees, and the land was what might he termed Intensively cultivated. About 50 miles Horn Hamburg the allotments were principally held for dairy farms, and Mr Wilkie was greatly interested hi the ttiagiiiftceht herd* bf Freoians he eaw on route.

Members of the Arbitration Court will meet in Christchurch on Monday next for the purpose of sittings in that city.

Tho paring gang was yesterday oceup..’.i .a jattcr ntreet, and to-day moves on to Willeston street to commence paving operations there.

Okoia Dairy Company expect to pay Is 4d per lb for butter-fat tc suppliers for the curient month. The factory i' lia.virig a very satisfactory run this season Last month the pay out was also Id 4d.

The Dunedin City Corporation has completed a hew reservoir with a holding capacity of 70 million gallons of water at a cost of £51,820. This gives the city an additional 50 million gallons.

“I am afraid that too many business men do not realise how much money has been invested in hydro-elec-tric Bthemes.” said tho president of the Alatitertnn Chamber of Commerce at a recent meeting of that body.

“Did you lose any hairP” queried defendant's counsel in an assault case at the Police Court, Wanganui. “How do I know ?” said the female witness, sharply; “I haven’t counted the hairs of my* bead.” The spectators laughed audibly at this quip.

It is estimated that dairy farmers situated mi the Wanganui river aro sending double the quantity of cream to the factories compared with last year. Supplies come from above Pipiriki, bill the hulk is obtained at the various stopping places 'below that point.

Since tile advent of the dental clinic at 1.-ower ITutt 1600 cases have been treated. An endeavour is being made to establish the institution, and with this end in view entertainments are being organised to augment the funds. This week a picture entertainment was given, which whs well attended.

A motor-car belonging to Sir Francis Bell moved off of its own. accord yesterday afternoon when left standing at the BOiveii stffeet entrance to Parliament, House. It gathered speed on the decline, and ran over a bank, but yens brought to a standstill by a tree. The ear did not appear to be seriously damaged.

This evening in the Town Hall an entertainment jii aid of the Rev. T. Feilden Taylor’s boys’ hostel will be given. Included ill a well-chosen programme are a series of magnificent tableaux vivants by the Aliases Yotimans, and representation of “The Wheel of Life” by leading business firms.

The second groiip of the Shannon reticulation scheme in connection with tlie Hbrowhenua Power Board’s operations, lias riotv been closed with 50 lighting installations and seven milking plants. These are mostjy within the borough, where there are now 140 houses incorporated in ,tlie two groups, or over 90 per cent, of the total number of houses in the town.

“Perhaps tlib reason why we British people miike such , good colonisers' is due to the fact that we easily adapt ourselves to the conditions in which we are placed. The immigrants we have in this country succefed because they find it easy ,to adapt the nisei ve® to the conditions of life out here.”—Mr C. H. Young at vestefday’s meeting of the Gharribef t>f fcoiritriferbe.

“tbeie isti’t ds hutch in it as some people think,” fciild a Wangariiii butcher when aiseiissiiig liis own trade. He recorded how recently a line of two twotooth Southdown ewes was consigned in mistake to the abattoir, likewise how a recent purchase of four pigs saw the whole lot condemned. He said that tho general impression with the public was that because an animal weighed so much it was drily a mathematical calculation to arrive at the profits.

“Ars soon as Die last instalment is paid on the family perambulator everyone nowadays goes off to purchase. & riibtor-fciir,” said Air O. T. J. Alpers during the lioaring of a case iri tho Sutird;he Court at CliHritufitirfch . “1 dm abbot. tlie duly- practising barrister arid .olicitor in Christchurch who does not own, a par,” he said, ‘No,” added Mr IV. J. Hunter, who was also appearing in the case, “you always ride in a ta.xii”

At tlie annual mfeeting of the Wellington Automobile Club last night attention Was drawn to the jrreat dangeT of serious accident Occurring at the ilitersectibr! of Vivian street add Cambridge terrace oil accbuht of the view of motor.’s. , and otlieih being blocked by tramcati stopping at tlie corner. The suggestion was made that the tramcarb should be required to stop some distance short of the corner, .so as to leave as. clear a view as possible; and the incoming committee was instructed to take up the matter with the City Council.