NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11910, 18 August 1924, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Speaking at the official opening of the Waihakeke cheese factory Mr F. J. Hull, branch manager of the Bank of New South Wales, isaid he considered -the joint and several guarantee was a good thing not only for the bank but for tne factory. There was often a tendency for suppliers to leave a factory for a rival concern on a temporary offer of a small increase in the price of butter-fat. The “joint and several” was a decided check on this.

Oranges ripening in Christchurch in August I That seems about- as likely as pomegranate trees in ' the Square, out, - nevertheless, one oan vouch for the truth of the statement (says the “Press”). Four or five tempting yellow oranges have ’been picked -within the last few days from a tree that -grows in the open at “Roycroft Inn,'’,’ Cashmere Hills. The fruit is edible and sweet, and it says much for the mildness of the printer. The tree is in a sunny position, being sheltered from all the cold easterlies and southerlies. It did not bear last year.

A resident of Invercargill, who recently returned from Australia, writes in reference'to the statement made to a “Southland Times” reporter by a member of the Jugo-Slav Orchestra last week, that he was surprised to find the '“lnvercargill” March unprocurable in ■lnvercargill shops. The correspondent states that near Bateman’s Bay, on the -New South Wales coast, he heard three aboriginals playing the march by blowing through gum leaves doubled under the upper lip. On being questioned they said the local band played it often. The Invercargill visitor later met the conductor of the Bateman’s Bay band, who told him it was one of the finest march ■competitions he had seen.

The Axawa tribe (Rotorua), to which the Government has to pay £6OOO every year as compensation for the forfeiture of all rights to the Rotorua lakes, has | decided upon a wise scheme of disposing of the large sum instead of distributing it among the members of the tribe. It has decided, to spend the money for some tribal objects. £IOOO is set aside for the improvement of the settlements, £760 for educational, £6OO for pensions, £6OO for workers’ dwellings, £IOOO for agriculture, £SOO for the relief of the sick, £SOO for encouraging Maori art, £6OO for sundry objects, and £760 is reserved-. A board of management has been formed. The secretary receives a salary of £230 a year.

A recent tally showed that about 4000 vehicles Crossed the Paxkvale bridge at Eketabuna in a fortnight. The Salvation Army Band played in I the Wellington Hospital grounds yesterday. A collection taken up realised £4 112 s 2d, i which goes to hospital purposes. The Mangatainoka Dairy Company paid out Is 3d per lb. for butter fat during last season. Additional payments axe to be made when final re- . turns are available. * “Our wool is faulty; there is not the slightest doubt,” said Mr W. Perry in addressing a meeting of farmers in Masterton, “and the only solution of the problem is a definite study of wool fibres and! a theory followed out to improve , their character. ’ ’ I “I have no sympathy with a judgment summons being held over a man’s head as it is apt to be used as a means of extortion,” stated Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, at Invercargill, when dealing with an application for adjournment.

A resident of Hastings haß made the suggestion that the hockey shield presented by Lady Carroll should he forwarded to the Wembley Exhibition or to each town visited by the Ail Blacks, saying it would be a splendid advertisement) for New Zealand.

Mr Bert Short caught a pure white weasel on a farm near Feilqing. A white specimen of *.his animal is rare. Mr Short reports that wild ferrets and weasels axe flourishing along the river banks, and they ate doing good work in keeping down the rabbits.

According to Mr W. Perry, who lectured to a meeting of farmers on wool growing at Masterton, the growers of Patatgonia have made a t/howuEfci study of the Home trade requirements ar.d were confining their attention to the quality of their wool and trouoling out little, comparatively speaking, about their meat.

“When the riro riro begins to song, then summer is nigh”—so runs the qld Maori proverb. The riro riro is the tiny grey warbler and its protmeted thrilling whistlo has been heard frequently in gardens in Wellington. Another tbeoiy is that when the riro riro’s song is ' beard rain is only a few hours away.

A Palmerston- North resident has received a letter from, a friend at Dargaville, who stated that the rainfall has been so heavy of late that many of the paddock are flooded, and it is impossible to reach the cows in the pastures (states the Manawatu “Times”). One cannot go outside the .back door without having on gum boots, he states.

“There are over 30,000 Maoris in the North Island . under 26 years of age,” r raced viie Rev. A. 3. Seamier, at the Palmerston North Luncheon Club, “amd it is almost impossible for them to keep pace with us unless given guidance.” The speaker strongly urged the appointment of Government officials to further the industrial and domestio training of ' the Maoris, particularly in outlying areas. “The red pine mills . have ample orders to carry on with,” said the secretary of the Southland Sawmill Workers’ 'Union (Mr T. O’Byrne) to a “Times” reporter on his return from a visit to the Hokonni and Tokanui districts. “The white pine mills have been quiet, hut orders are -now coming in as a preliminary to the opening of the dairy factories which will be commencing operations again shortly.”

A conference of looal bodies in the Auckland province has been summoned to meet in Auckland on August 27th by the Mayor, Sir James Gunson, to discuss the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Bill. A special committee in Parliament will further consider the Bill in shout three weeks’ time, when the representations made by local bodies or by such conferences as that convened by Sir James Gunson will be discussed.

Something in the nature of a mystery man was described at the Patea Hospital Board at a meeting last week. He had done about £l2 worth of work at the hospital, and, according to all accounts, had performed it satisfactorily. When the account came before the hoard no trace of the person who authorised the work could be found. After some discussion the board came to the conclusion that the workman Would not go there on his own account, so they decided to pay the sum claimed.

“In dayß gone by farmers depended on their eyes when judging wool, but there is only one way out and that is to educate the hands to judge by touch whether the wool is good or not,” stated Mr W. Perry at a lecture on wool growing at Masterton. Mr Perry illustrated his point with lantern slides, showing firstly a view of some fine looking wool‘with good crimp, but a subsequent Blide of a longitudinal section of a fibre showed -it badly scaled and brittle.

The people of Waipawa are in trouble over the inscription? on their war memorial. There ate objections to the wording on sectarian grounds, and several of the churohes are protesting through their representatives. Others are rightly objecting that the memorial -s being used to glorify those who took part in the unveiling and dedicatory ceremonies to the disparagement of the soldiers: who gave their lives, and for whom, alone the memorial -was erected. Ihe Borough Council has been asked to deal with tho objections.

The public should be on their guard against counterfeit money, as there are evidences that some spurious coin is being circulated in Christchurch (says the “Press”). Two tram conductors, one on an Addington car and the other on a Riccaxton car, found on going over their cash at the end of their duty period that each had received a counterfeit half-crown. The coins were similar in appearance to legitimate half-crowns, 'but were lighter in weight. One was made of some lead alloy, and was dated 1913; il was light in weight, and the metal was so soft that pieces could he cut with a knife. The other was dated 1921, and was heavier and not so dull in appearance.

“On my first tour of inspection 1 found there was a total of 108 electrical installations ■ in Otago and Southland, half of which* were in Gore. To-day there are considerably over 20 000,” remarked Mr F. R. Shepherd, electrical inspector to the New Zealand Fire Underwriters, at a sAnd-off tendered to him at Dunedin. Continuing, be said, that the total number of installations in the whole, DomiuiAn did not exceed 2000 twonty-three venra ago, while now the number was appi oximately 130,000. In addition to the municipalities which axe supplying consumers there were now 36 electric power boards, covering an area of 56,414 square miles, which represented 66 per cent, of the total area of New Zealand. The population served was 661,567, or 50 per cent, of the total copulation, and she capital nvolved in the liydro-electric scheiaes to which tho Government- was committed was £13,000,000.