NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 62, 26 May 1928, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES FROM ALL' PARTS. _ !J SHE DOMINION DAY BY DAY. n . i „;.. . ■ A Tip For Councillors. , ' A tag on the Eastbourne Borough" Council's annual balance-sheet stated that the cost of the provision l of supper for councillors had been wrongly charged to the borough account. In reply to a councillor the Mayor (Mr. H. M. Jones) said that the supper expenses could not oe met out of unauthorised expenditure. "I am afraid it is looked on in the nature of a tip," he said, amidst laughter, "and we will hav© to make good the 25s ourselves." *** * % Grateful to the Dominion. "Fiji always looks upon New Zealand as a friend," declared Sir. Henry Scott, 'K.C., M.L.C., in Wellington, when talking about the islands where he resides. More than once the Fiji Government had been grateful to New Zealand for assistance. This was especially the case in the matter of education, tho educational system now in • operation in Fiji had been largely modelled upon the New Zealand system, an 3 . had proved a success. Assistance and advice had also been given in dairying matters. Fiji was now able to supply all her own butter and to have a} small surplus for export. Fiji's sugar crop this year had eclipsed previous records and everything pointed to a very prosperous season.

** * * Arapuni Works. '■[ ' ' ' The laying of the foundations; for one of the big turbines at Arapuni is completed, and generally the work is progressing satisfactorily, according to Mr F. T. M^'Kissel,'chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, who arrived at Auckland from Arapuni during last weekend. "No unexpected difficulties are being encountered, and better progress is being made than we anticipated," isad Mr, Kissel. '"I am very pleased indeed." In reply to a question, Mr. Kissel said he would not like to predict when the work would be completed. In the course of his tour Mr. 'Kissel visited Waikaremoana, aiid he stated the Work on the hydro-electric scheme there was progressing very satisfactorily. It was hoped to have power from there by Christmas.

Flying in Kew Zealand. Accompanied by Captain JU : . M. Isitt, second i n command of the New Zealand Flying_ Corps', Mr D. Mill, who had made several successful flights from Auckland in his Moth aeroplane, is visiting various centres throughout the Dominion, and it is understood that there is a prospect of their coming to Napier. Their object is" to seek suitable lauding grounds with a-view to the establishment of a regular air service covering the whole of the Dominion. "The venture is purely a private one," said the Director of Air Service,' Major Wilkes, when the matter was brought under his noticein Wellington. "All landing grounds are subjetc to approval by the'air authorities before being used for commercial purposes, and Captain Isitt is accompanying Mr Mill With > advising the department as i suitable landing grounds."

«« 4 « Unoccupied Houses. . J liuinours to the effect that a number of properties in connection with which the State Advances Department has advanced up to 95 per cent. Of the security value have recently fallen back into Hie hands of the Government were referred to by Sir John Luke, M.P., at a meeting of the Reform League in Wellington on Friday nig'ut. He asked how far the rumouors were correct. The Minister of Lands (Mr A. D. McLeod) said he did not think that up-to-date figures were available, as the returns were made quarterly. However, he did not think there was any cause to worry about the-.-number of unoccupied' houses erected unaer the advances scnelne. •: No doubt there was a proportion of arrears'in payments. It was said that a considerable number of houses had ueen abandoned in Auckland and Hamilton, but that migTTt mean only one or two houses in every hundred. He knew definitely that houses had been abandoned in Wellington, and perhaps i n other towns, "but he felt safe in saying that the percentage was very small indeed.

** * * lotions. * A young Dunedin man has returned from a Central Otago sheep station vowing that he will never return to the "high country." While he has no fault to find with a shepherd's life he is loud in his criticism of shepherd's food rations —at certain times of the year at least. On one occasion, he told a Daily Times reporter, a party of eight was left with a supply of bread with instructions that it must last for over a fortnight. At the end of that time it was green with mildew, and the men had to be content with the hard crust. Their only other food was mutton, and tiiey had no butter and no milk or sugar for their tea They were provided on another occasion with a "stew," which consisted of mutton and rice boiled together. They had no other food for six days. Their lot, however, was not so unenviable as that of a ploughman, who was working in a lonely part of the huge station. Food was to be brought to him by the musterers, but they were delayed for a. fortnight by rain. During 'that time the ploughman's three daily meals consisted solely of bread and treacle.