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Southland Times, Issue 22783, 8 January 1936, Page 4

An indication of the improved purchasing power of the farming community is contained in orders for basic slag in Taranaki for the coming year. Before the depression the fertilizer was used extensively on the pastures of the province, but two or three years ago importations dwindled almost to vanishing point. In 1934 only 500 tons were imported, last year the total was over 5000 tons, but for the coming year orders are expected to exceed 20,000 tons.

A clever alteration was made to one of the totalisator tickets presented at the recent races in Hastings, and the alteration was so well done that payment was made on the ticket, which was presented in a bunch with several others. There is little doubt, however, that had the ticket been presented by itself it would have been rejected. It was not until a clerk found out that he was short in his money that the fraud was discovered. The incident happened in connection with the second race and the small sum of 14/6 was involved. The figure 3 on the ticket was altered to 2, and underneath the word “three” was altered to “two.”

The disease known as strangles has broken out among horses in the Gisborne district, and has spread to farms up the East Coast. Strangles is not usually fatal, but is contagious, and is causing some concern among horse owners. Foals and young horses are mainly affected, and during the disease they lose much of their condition. The disease is an inflammation of the glands near the throat, nearly always causing an abscess. It usually occurs in the spring or early summer, and a season seldom passes without a.few cases being noticed in most districts, but it may occur at any time of the year. During the last week or so many cases have been reported.

A Rotorua shopkeeper, Mr H. N. Stafford, was the victim of a particularly impudent theft when a bag containing £7O in notes and silver was stolen from the till during the momentary absence from the counter of an employee. Some time before the theft, which took place at about 10.30 a.m., the money had been prepared and placed in a bag for banking. The greater part of the amount was made up of £5 and £1 notes, but £8 was in silver of various denominations, with a large proportion of threepenny pieces. The loss of the money was immediately reported to the police, who are ‘seeking information concerning any nerson or persons who may attempt to pass the threepenny pieces to shopkeepers or to exchange them for currency of a larger denomination.

From the activities of one small boy at Day’s Bay, Wellington, during the last few days it would seem that there is no lack of real business acumen among the rising generation. It is only those who are abroad at an early hour who may see this young “business man” at his work. Over the holiday period he has been visiting the Day’s Bay pavilion between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. He crawls alone the verandah on his hands and knees armed with two long, supple sticks. With his eyes closely scannir." the cracks between the floor boarding in a systematic manner, he is quick to sight any stray coins that may have been dropped by careless picnickers and with the aid of the sticks is able to retrieve them. Though non-committal himself as to the extent of the rewards for his labours, it is believed they are quite worth while.

To fulfil a promise made some time ago by Mr H. McCully, of Peel Forest, members of the Arowhenua Maori Women’s Institute have organized a pilgrimage to the ancient native camping ground on the south side of the Waitaki river, and Mr McCully has arranged for the transport of about 60 natives this week. The area comprises about 20 acres, and within the last 20 years native tools and implements, skeletons of the moa, and other relics have been found, indicating that this historic camping ground belonged to a people which camped there before the migration of Maoris from Polynesia. At present it can only be a matter of conjecture who these people were. The moa bones that remain round the large Maori ovens give rise to the belief that these birds were brought to near the coast line from the back country, as the habitat of the moa is known to have been in the ranges near the Mackenzie Country. The visit will be the first organized pilgrimage of Maoris to the camping ground, and is looked forward to by the natives of Arowhenua with more than ordinary interest.