NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 66, 22 March 1929, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

NOTES FROM ALL PARTS THE DOMINION DAY BY DAY. SERB, THERE, AND EVERTWHERJ r ______ "Are You a Mason." "You know how often we have been misrepresented;;" safid Bishop Sadlier, of Nelson, in the course of his sermon at the Masonic service in the Cathedral at Christchurch on Sunday afternoon, reports "The Press." "We are told that we are a sercet society and that there is something occult, that we are ashamed to reveal. What is the real truth? Any rivial secrets we may possess are the insignia of our ancient traditions and have no hearing, but the big things, the great things of our Order are open to all the world, if only they have eyes to see and ears to hear. We have embodied in our Order those very things in life, and our 1 teachings are open to all who have minds to think."

Short Run Only. That there, is a distinct shortage of rolling stock on the Auckland section of railway and ample demonetra" ted on Saturday, says the 'Star.' For some time past this state of affairs has existed, and it was thought that Would improve When the new Otahuhu, workshops were staffed at th© New Year. Passenger and other traffic has been steadily increasing, and in order to cope with th© former on Saturday, in addition to special excursion trains to Ngaruawahia and Paeroa, five extra cars had to be attached to the Eotoruia express. trains naturally suffered, and one of these had to be made up of six cars which had to be brought out 0 f the'shops half painted and partly repaired. All of them had labels attached" stating, that they were to be. used on a shorfc run only.

Old and New Maize Crops. With little doing! in the maize market at present, and a large amount of last season's 'grain still in Poverty Bay, growers are faced with the problem of what is to be done with their new. crops if the remaining stocks of old maize are not cleared before the new grain is re.ady for picking, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." The opinion has been expressed that picking will be delayed somewhat at Gisborne this year if any quantity of the past season's cereal remains in the cribs by the time the new cobs are ready to come off the plants. Picking usually commences in May, when the very early crops are garnered, but the main part of the.wor£~is not started till the following month, while shelling i s not advisable until some weeks after that. Growers, therefore, have a few months yet in which to dispose of their old crops, but it is feared by some that there is at present too much in the district to be absorbed in that time, particularly in view of the fact that picking is expected to be done early in the Bay of Plenty. It is recalled however, that the same opinion was expressed last year, but that! the whole of what had been held was disposed of.

Not worn Out Yet. "What becomes of all the old motor cars?" is a question which occasionally perplexes the consciousness of the casual observer. Vague theories suggest that they are boiled down to'make new ones, but the constant stream of imports discounts that idea. The fact is that the "trading-m" process moves them on through successive stages to dissolution. At various car cemeteries in the backblock s there may be seen abandoned derelicts —sans hood', sans engine, sans wheels, sans everything except the bare skeleton of what was once the pride of the road. Midway to this extremity some old models still servo as transport facilities—of a kind. The outstanding example of living car decrepitude waS observed in » Bay of Plenty township. A "Liz" of the original vintage, with engine uncovered, she wheezed along on three tires and a "rimmer." Garage experts reverently uncovered as she passed —a relic of a bygone age. All wondered by what magic she was started, but the marvel of that miracle was surpassed by the fact that the car still ran, and her pilot proudly steered her on her clattering way. The question was, "How was she stopped 1 ?" The question was easy. A large size Maori on the off-side carried an old anchor, and when the driver gave the signal, his mate "heaved the hook" on to anything that promised a good hold, and brought "Liz" up all standing, panting and spluttering, but, nevertheless ready for a fresh start without jthe ministration of a crank or any 'new fangled starting device.