LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume XXVI, Issue 1313, 20 January 1949, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Tirau Plunket .Society has been granted permission by the Matamata County Council to hold a street collection and stall.

Mr Jo e Lowe, of Lichfield, reports that he has a maiden sow which farrowed a litter of 13 last week. Eleven of the litter survived and are doing well.

Colonel H. G. Wilding, D. 5.0., E.D., of Okoroire, has been offered the position of colonel commandant. Royal New Zealand Artillery (Northern Command), by the Defence Department under the new Territorial schme.

The clerk and engineer of Matamata County Council have been authorised to make representations when in Wellington to get the present 30 miles I*er hour restriction area on motor cars passing through Tirau extended a few hundred yards further from the school along the Matamata and Cambridge Roads.

At the thoroughbred yearling sales, which opened at Trentham on Tuesday, Mr R. E. Allen, Tirau, was the purchaser of a brown colt by Pictavia from Marble Fox at 290 guinerts. A bay colt by Admiral s Luck from Sky Queen sold on behalf of Mr R. Holmes, Matamata, realised 230 guipeas.

No fire warnings have_ been issued in the past few days by the State Forest Service. “ Conditions are now satisfactory in all parts of New Zealand, and there is no immediate risk of fire,” said an official at Wellington. Recent rains in both islands had eliminated the previous danger, but when the present large growth in the grasslands had dried off the first risk would again be substantial. A fortnight of warm weather would be sufficient to do this.

The New Zealand Meat Producers Board announces that minimum schedule prices now ruling for the highest grades in each class are as follow : Lamb, North Island 12 3-Bd, South Island 12 3-8 d; wethers, North Island 7 5-Bd, South Island 7 3-8 d; ewes, North Island 5Jd, South Island sd; ox beef, North Island 51s per 1091 b, South Island 51s per 1001 b; cow beef, North island 41s 6d per 1001 b, South Island 41s 6d per 1001 b; boner beef, North Island 31s per 1001 b, South Island 3ls per 1001 b.

“ A stamp collector went to his local post office to buy a sixpenny Olympic Games issue, and, when be picked it up, realised that he’d bought the dream of every collector—-a blank stamp, one the printer’s ink had missed, and that his sixpenny worth may be worth hundreds of pounds just bow many hundreds he can’t tell until it’s discovered how many freaks there may be in the issue, but in the meantime his lucky buy is safely reposing in bis bank !” - Georgie Henschel, speakng in the British Broadcasting Corporation Service series “In Britain To-day.”

The wettest place among the larger centres in the North Island during last year was Waihi, with New Plymouth and Rotorua in second and third places, according to a report issued by the Meteorological Office. Whangarei and Auckland, however, had a greater number of wet days than any of these places. The driest spots were Napier and Hastings. The wettest place among the larger centres in the South Island was also the wettest in the whole country. This wag Hokitika, well ahead of Greymouth and Westport, which had the most wet days in the year. Alexandra, Oamaru and Christchurch were the driest spots.

The 12 Daimler cars which were to be used for the Royal tour of New Zealand, and which arrived at Wellington on December 29 in the liner Horofata, were unloaded last week and are now stored in a Government shed at Aotea Quay Wharf. Six of the cars had been purchased by the Government when the decision to postpone the tour was announced, after the Hororata had been at sea for 12 days. The other six cars have been put at the disposal of the Government by the Daimler Company under the condition that they can ultimately he purchased or sold by the Government in New Zealand, and until a decision Is reached about these alternatives the cars will remain in store unassembled. .Several private firms have approached the Government about buying seme of them.

A spreading work of interdenominational character is being carried out by the Auckland Sunday School Union with its mobile unit established nine months ago, many isolated country districts having been visited. Many schools of all denominations have been strengthened, new Sunday schools established, assemblies of day schools addressed and adult meetings organised. Many letters of appreciation have been received, states the general secretary, Mr W. E. Archer. During the last nine months areas such ‘as Waikato, King Country, Hawke’s Bay and North Auckland and South Auckland have been concentrated upon, and during this year it is intended to widen the area. The unit, which was at Putaruru some months ago, is in the form of a large motor caravan equipped with comfortable living quarters for two and carrying the latest educational aids, visual aids, sound projectors and over 500 books.