THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 24 March 1939, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of the Wellington Municipal Milk Committee paid a visit to Otaki on Wednesday. After a meeting and an inspection of the factory, etc., bowls were indulged in on the Otaki green.

Directly due to the suggestion that exports would be made to Australia, prices for potatoes in Auckland have risen sharply by £3 a ton in the past fortnight. The current value of £ls a ton, through store, is the highest level which has ruled tit this period for a considerable number of years. At this time last year, potatoes were selling at £7 10s to £S a ton. Housewives will resent this further burden on the family budget, particularly as it seems unwarranted, for it is doubtful whether more than a few tons will be shipped to Australia. Auckland supplies are short, and merchants arc experiencing extreme difficulty in meeting the demand.

The Milford Track will be closed on April 18tli, according to advice received from the Government Tourist Bureau. The track is usually closed a little earlier than this date, but it is being kept open to enable holiday-makers at Easter to make tiie trip. The popularity of the track has been well maintained in spite of the bad weather in January and February. Quite a feature of the season was the increase in the number of Australian tourists leaving the Maunganui at Milford to walk to Te Anuu. A good deal of formation work has been done on the track, and several bridges have been built between the Pornpolona Huts and McKinnon Pass. These improvements will make tho Milford Track even more popular.

The second craft to be completed of seven Maori war canoes which are being constructed by Princess Te Puea for tho Centennial celebrations next vear, made its appearance on the Waikato River at the Ngaruawahia regatta on Saturday. Built in three massive sections to give it an overall length oi PSft., the canoe is carved with the grotesque imagery of Maori symbolism and, manned by several score oi natives in their tribal costumes, it furnished a striking spectacle as it swept along the river.

The mutton bird season will be opened on April Ist, but already preparations are being made by -the Maori families at Bluff, Riverton, and Colac Bay to travel to the islands in Foveaux Strait, and (lax kits and other equipment are being prepared. Several families are now ready to sail. It is understood (says the Southland Times) that fewer families will visit the island-' this year than previously. Better economic conditions arc suggested as one reason for this. Prospects are for a very good season, and, because of the sinalle r number making the trip, the birds should command a good market when they come to hand. It is expected that the young birds will be found in good condition.

Counsel was setting forth at length in the Auckland Supreme Court the state of nervous prostration into which a. wife had been driven by a husband's alleged domineering insistence on imposing his will in the methods and materials empdoyed in running the home from the drawing of the blinds to tho washing of the dishes, and the wife’s choice of dress material. The position was intensified, declared counsel, by the husband’s retirement from business when he was left wealthy by his father’s death, and consequently spent more time at home, having no business with which to occupy his mind. Later the wife’s advocate read from a letter written by the husband, in which he made reference to having taken part in the championships. “What championships?'’ inquired His Honour, Mr. Justice Lallan. “The golf championships; he occupied himself in golf and other sport,” replied the barrister. “Oh, T thought you said he had nothing to occupy his mind,” commented his Honour. “Surely I have heard something of the neglect of wife and home by men who play golf, and of ’golf widows.’ Thfi must be an exception.” Two unfurnished rooms are to let. An Overland tourer is for sale at £35. Notice is given in this issue that property in Otaki is open for selection. A house, about five rooms, is wanted by a reliable tenant. Private family and children’s washing is desired. The annual meeting of the Otaki Miniature Rifle Club will be held on Saturday night at S o'clock. A full attendance is requested. Tenders for booth rights in connection with the Otaki Maori Racing Cluo will close on Monday. A big carnival dance will be held at the Railway Theatre oil Saturday night j when a number of Wellington artists j will give items. A free bus will run from Otaki Railway. | i.~ . & y

Violets are being picked in Otaki but' not in payable quantities. Lilac and other trees are also in bloom.

A collision between two cars occurred at Raumati on Tuesday when Mr. Short and another car. came into contact, mainly through the smoke from the peat fires. The baggage box of one car was damaged but no one was injured.

Representatives of the Tourist Department visited Otaki last week and took a number of interesting photos of beauty spots in and around the district, including pictures of Forest Lakes, etc.

As is known, nothing was done in Greytown to celebrate “Fitness Week,” yet a letter was read at Monday night’s meeting of the Borough Council, from the Internal Affairs Department, thanking the council and citizens upon the success of their elforts. Smiles lit up the council table.

Inspector Shearer gave a very interesting address to the Otaki State School children yesterday morning, and he received a most attentive hearing. He spoke on matters of interest to the children while on the roads, gave them advice as to the correct thing to do, and demonstrated road safety in general. It is hoped that the address will bear fruit.

To win a £SO wager a Mildura man built himself a £35 caravan, put his wife and three children on board, harnessed to it his bull Billy, and drove 400 miles to Melbourne in 73 days. The bull which wore iron shoes, still weighed a ton at the cml of the trip. “We lost money,” said the man, “but it was a tine outing. I may drive back. Billy can-take it.”

A remarkable escape from serious injury was experienced early yesterday by two men, when their car crashed through the side of the Waitoliu Bridge and fell into the stream below. They were: Messrs W. T. Goodwin (the driver) and D. D. Limn, both of whom were returning from Wellington to Rongotea. Neither suffered injury, but tho car was almost wrecked.

An endeavour to interest American capitalists in the investment of money in Australian industry is tho purpose of a visit to the World’s Fair in New York now being undertaken bv Mr. C. It. Hall, of Sydney, a through passenger who arrived by the Niagara. Mr. Hall is secretary of the New .'South Wales Chamber of Manufacture, and he intends to spend three months in New York in connection with the Australian exhibit tit the fair. Unless relief was forthcoming they would be forced to cut out their telephones, said some speakers at .Monday’s meeting of the Wnirarapa provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, when the action of the R. and T. Department in removing concessions granted in 1931 to country telephone users and making further rental increases was criticised. Mr. .1. Andrew said that in his district the annual cost of a telephone had risen from £lO ISs to £IS 13s Id. Last year he had paid £ls 17s (id and this year he •..•ns expected to pay £27 l"s. A new member elected at Monday night’s meeting of the Carterton Foot ball Club was Mr. G. L. Cliatwin, and he was later elected a vice-p«c.\Jc::t o' the club. The mover of the motion mentioned that Mr. Cliatwin had been secretary of the Bush Union. Mi. Chatwin created some amusement by stating that he was still secretary of the Bush Union (until such time as his resignation could be accepted). lie was also a member of the Wellington Club. “.So," he said, “If I can be secretary of the Bush Union, a member of the Wellington Club, and a vice-president of the Carterton Football Club, I will be doing fairly well.” Mr. Cliatwin was for some time a resident of Otaki.

The valuable cup donated by the ilorowhenua A. and P. Association is now in the hands of the headmaster of the Otaki State School (-Mr. Adams), it having been won by three of the pupils (Masters Blake, Fogden and Lutz), their ponies having been considered the best at the recent show. Poroutawhao and Manakau have been successful in tlie past. Mr. Adams, on the arrival of the cup, took the opportunity of congratulating the boys on their win, and trusted that they would be successful on other occasions. Tho cup will be kept at the school. Later ail enlarged photograph of the winning team will be on exhibition.

A treat is in store for those who attend the dance at the Railway Theatre to-morrow night, funds raised to be for the Pakeha King. Miss Thelma Anderson, a very clever young toe and tap dancer and a pupil of Miss Dorothy Daniels, will be among those who will contribute items. The dancing of this young lady should be a feature of the evening’s entertainment. Miss Griffiths, of Wellington, will be partnered with Mr. Darcy Parata in an exhibition of modern dancing, while Mr. Glenuing should delight with his tap dancing. Another who should please is Mr. Weatherstone, a ballet dancer of standing. Miss Hakaraia and Mr. Winterburn. local vocalists, will contribute songs. How electric power difficulties are overcome in Western Australia, where the streams become pools in the summer and there are no hydro-electrie scheme, with one small exception, was described in Wellington by Mr. B. M. Holt, an old boy of Wellington College, who is now a consulting engineer in Western Australia. “There are no hydro-electric schemes in Western Australia,’’ he said, “except one small one that does not supply anything except a small portion of the power used. There are no rivers inland, and the majority of what rivers there are do not flow in the summer, but leave great pools of beautiful water. The power plants are run by Diesel engines and coal. Right inland some of the power stations have producer gas plants, as wood is very cheap, and the freight on crude oil is verv high. The majority of the power stations along the coast are Diesel! ’’ An advertisement appears in this issue stating the times of the Harvest Festival services to be celebrated next Sunday, March 20th, at All Saints’ Church, Otaki, St. Margaret’s, Te Horo, and St. Andrew’s, Manakau.