WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1913. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 21 May 1913, Page 4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1913. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Says the North Auckland Times. Mr J. B. Pulham of Mangakahia, has sold his holding and purchased a property of some 100 acres at Ahuroa, on the Railway route about 19 miles north of Helensville and he will occupy his new location in the course of a few days. The disabilities of being half a day's ride from the nearest post office and isolation from main road convenience, were influential factors in Mr Pulham's decision to change to a more accommodating vicinity.

Mr C. F. Morgan, son of Mr C. E. Morgan and brother to Mrs F. Bowman, has like many of the Mahurangi Heads boys heard the call of the sea, and we are glad to chronicle his appointment as fifth engineer on the P. and O. liner the S.S. Beualla when she left the builders yards in Greenock, and his promotion to the fourth position on the steamer's arrival in London. Mr Morgan served his time at the Clyde Ironworks Onehunga. About fifteen months ago he left the Dominion for the Old.Country to study marine engineering. After serving three months on the P. and O. staff in London, ho went*: to work at dairds' shipbuilding yard!s. ;'s,t Greenock, the same yards in which the Benalla was built. The new liner is on her maiden tri£ to Sydney, where she is due to arrive on the 6th proximo. She is a twin screw steamer of 11,120 tons, fitted like the rest of P. and 0. boats with wireless. Mr Morgan, senr., intends crossing the waters to meet his son at Sydney.

At a meeting of the Bible-in-Schools committee, held at| the Methodist church, .last night, \';, w«s resolved to.invite lCro;;*loy 'to visit Warkvforth and give an address on the subject. Reference was made to the bringing forward of the Nelson system as akin to an agitation for rival routes of railway, which often blocks what all the agitators agree is a necessary work.

Formerly if there was a fault on the telegraph wires, Linesman Wait after finding it, had to return to the nearest office to report. Now he carries a small telephone, which he just hitches on to the wire and rings up the office without any need to travel. The capabilities of such ■an instrument would make it of service on farms. If a wire • was run along the fences, no matter where the farmer was working he could connect the instrument to the wire, and ring up the homestead to ask whether dinner was ready.

On Monday morn we passed through Messrs Morrison and Sons orchards, past the autumn tinted foliage of the fruit trees to the nurseries. The orchards have grown to something like 110 acres, and the nurseries have also increased in size. Even though it is early for tree planting, thousands of youug trees have already been despatched to customers, though it were hard to say from whence they were taken, so full do the rows remain. The firm has issued a new catalogue which contains hints to planters, both on planting and spraying. A list of some 3.36 varieties of trees tested at Red Bluff, but not now propagated for sale make interesting reading. Of the number 174 are apples. The catalogue, which in illustrated, may be obtained for the asking.