NEWS OF THE DAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19803, 3 December 1938, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Heavy Hangaroa Rainfall Almost double the amount of rain has been experienced at Hangaroa for the past II months compared with the fall for the same period in 1937, 08.71 having been recorded this year against.36.33in. for the 11 months last year. For November 2.14 in. of rain fell on 16 days, nine days’ rain for the saifie month in 1937 totalling 2.C8 in. 143 Pupils Absent Daily from School “The attendance has been bad this past month and in the primary departments there have been on the average 143 pupils absent daily for November,” stated the headmaster of the Wairoa District High School, Mr. E. E. C. Boys, in his monthly report. "Fortunately the epidemic of measles is now waning and I am able to conduct the annual examinations for promotion this month.”—Special.

Sale of Meat An agreement has been reached between Messrs. Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Limited, proprietors of the Waitara freezing works, and the New Plymouth Master Butchers’ Association whereby the association agrees to take the whole of the meat formerly sold at the company's’ retail store at Waitara. In future it is understood that the Waitara works will retail meat only to employees. Record Bookings Reservations of travelling and boarding accommodation in the Christmas and New Year holidays are described by the Tourist Department in Auckland as a record. In both the North and South Islands accommodation at most of the wellknown resorts is fully booked. Every seat in many North Island Main Trunk trains in the period is already reserved.

More Marriages in Hastings A striking increase in the number of marriage licenses issued in Hastings during November, compared with those issued in the same mttKh last year, was a feature of the vTtefi statistics for the month. In all the registrar issued 29 certificates, and performed seven of the marriages himself, whereas during November, 1937, 12 licenses were issued and the registrar was not called on to officiate at all.

Electrification of Signals The electrification of the signalling system at the Hastings railway station is being carried out, and a gang of men is engaged in converting the former kerosene lighting system into an electrical one. Within a week or so it is expected that the whole of the Woodville-Napier line will have been changed over to the modern system. The work is long overdue, for a start with the electrification of the Hawke’s Bay area was made ovor 10 years ago, but was stopped as an economy measure a few years ago

Maoris Fined for Fighting On charges of fighting in front of the Gaiety Theatre, Ruatoria, Horowai Morete and Timi Heihi were fined on Thursday by Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., in the Ruatoria Police Court. Morete pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined 10s and costs 17s. Heihi did not appear and was fined £1 and costs 17s. Constable V. L. Bagge, who had seen the two fighting, separated them with difficulty, after which they went away without any further trouble.

Pakihiroa Rainfall

Although Pakihiroa station, on the lower slopes of Mount Hikurangi, experienced 14 days with rain in November, the total for the month was only 1.00 in., whereas 9.G9in. was recorded for 12 rain days in the corresponding month last year. On November 2 ,G2in. of rain was gauged, this being the heaviest day’s rain for the period. The recorder reported that the country was still very dry and rain was much needed. For the 11 months of the year to date Pakihiroa has had a total of 134.03 in. of rain, compared with 92.82 in. in 1937.

Christinas Shopping Hours For the Christmas holidays, the majority of the shops in Whangarei will close at ..noon on Saturday, December 24, but will remain open until 10 p.m. on the Friday evening. Butchers and probably bakers will remain open till 4 p.m. on Saturday, taking the half-day on the preceding Monday. By 20 to seven, the Business men of Cambridge decided’at a meeting to observe the late night in the Christmas and New Year shopping weeks on Friday, and to close as usual at noon on the Saturday. Tuesday will be a holiday in each week. Hamilton Bicycle Traffic. The first of a series of arc-welded steel bicycle racks has been placed in position in Victoria street, Hamilton, and has proved an immediate success. The bicycle problem is a serious one in Hamilton, where a very large number of machines are in use. Parking them along street kerbings and against verandah posts interferes a good deal with traffic, and many are damaged by cars. The racks are placed four feet out from the kerb, and each holds 18 machines. Cars are not permitted to park where the racks are placed.

“May Come Out on Top” Speaking in Dannevirke at a meeting of the Southern Hawke's Bay provincial Farmers’ Union, Mr. H. S. M. Quigley, provincial secretary, suggested that members should watch the progress of the Government's social security legislation next year and also the action of the friendly societies in connection therewith. “The friendly societies may come out top dog before it is finished,” he said. “The friendly societies are a very powerful organisation,” remarked the president, Mr. J. C. Bolton. It was up to the Farmers’ Union to let the Government see that the Farmers’ Union was also a strong organisation, and it was also up to the farmers to show by their support that the farming community was still the backbone of the country.

Tiraaru Harbour Scheme As a result of representations made by the acting chairman, Mr. F. R. Flatman, and Mr. G. R. Lee, business agent, to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash), a loan of £65,000 will be made available on December 20, which will solve the problems which threatened the cessation of work under the Timaru Harbour Board’s £242,000 harbour improvement loan plan, which was approved by the ratepayers at a poll conducted several months ago. Mr. Flatman informed the members of the board that the negotiations with the Minister and representatives of the State Advances Corporation at Wellington had proved very successful from the board’s point of view. To meet the additional repayment of capital required by the corporation the board decided to increase the charges on shipping by 10 per cent over all.

Sickness at School “Unfortunately the prevalence of measles, influenza, and other ailments during the past few months has been a very considerable hardship upon pupils' preparing for university and other examinations," said the headmaster of Wellington College, Mr. W. A. Armour, in a report to the Wellington College Board of Governors. ‘‘ln my opinion almost as much consideration should be given by examiners this year as was shown last year when the school year was curtailed owing to t)he epidemic of infantile paralysis. An unfortunate feature of this year has been the incidence of measles among senior pupils, many of whom have lost weeks of work owing to illnesses of various kinds. These deserve lenient treatment by examiners, as often it has been found impossible by them to complete the whole of the prescription in some subjects of study.”