LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3756, 15 May 1936, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu was a very busy place yesterday, there being an unusually large assemblage of farmers and their families doing business in town.

The Waipa County clerk, Mr T. Grant, informs us that the County Council will not meet as usual, on Monday next, but that the ordinary meeting will be held in conjunction with the statutory annual meeting on Wednesday.

Te Awamutu Orphans’ Club members will be interested to learn that the Cambridge Orphans’ Club will be in recess this winter as the result of a decision reached at the annual meeting last Wednesday evening. The president, Mr T. H. Hampshire, ‘ presided over an attendance of about 24 members, and after considerable discussion the motoin was carried by a majority of three.

The story goes that a southern family travelling by train on the Main Trunk line to Te Awamutu asked the guard what time the train would reach Te Awamutu. Perhaps mistaking the name for Te Kuiti he replied, “Three thirty.” At that hour one member of the party hustled the rest off the train—only to find that they were stranded at Te Kuiti. After a hurried, and perhaps heated, conference in the cold it was decided, as the train had to hire a taxi to bring them on to Te Awamutu — thus adding to the cost of the trip, but it solved the difficulty.

Before Messrs G. A. Empson and W. Swain, justices, at the local Court on Thursday morning, 1 Maori pensioner, Taumanuka Maniapoto. was charged with the theft, on or about llth May, of a stove valued at £2, ihe property of Bellam and Murray, at Tokanui Cross-roads. Constable 11. Shaw, of Kihikihi, said complaint was made to him that the stove had been removed from a whare at Tokanui, and his investigations led him to Maniapoto’s place, where it was found. The accused said he thought it was abandoned, and as he could use it he took it home. A conviction, with a fine of £2, was imposed.

The possibility of Saturday being made a compulsory universal holiday, was the subject of a statement by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Mr Savage said it was not proposed to legislate for a compulsory universal holiday on Saturdays. Provision was already made in the Industrial Com dilation and Arbitration Amendment Bill that the Court of Arbitration In fixing maximum weekly working hour at 40 should endeavour to fix the daily working hours so that no part of the working period fell on a Saturday. The legislation would result In a five day week being adopted in many industries.

A local resident, who takes a very keen interest in old editions of bibles, commenting on our paragraph last issue to the effect that a “ Breeches ” Bible, dated 1589, is in the possession of a resident of Te Awamutu, expressed the opinion this morning that the ancient tome is not especially valuable. Had it been a first edition 'of the “ Breeches ” Bible the value would have been very considerable, he said, explaining that the first edition was published in 1560, and between that date and 1589 over two hundred editions were published, the mistake, “ breeches ” for “ apron ” being perpetuated throughout. The first edition was only a small one, and copies nowadays are exceedingly rare; but there are many hundreds of copies of later editions still extant.

During the last financial year (states the Monthly Abstract of Statistics) there has been some improvement in the unemployment situation. Returns of unemployed males issued by the Labour Department, show the following totals in March of each of the last four financial years:—March, 1933, 45,459; March, 1934, 37,621; March, 1935, 35,568; March, 1936, 32,019. It will be seen that a material improvement has taken place since 1933, and that there has been a decrease of approximately 10 per cent during the last year. A further immediate improvement in the unemployment situation should result from the recently-announced decision of the Government to commence, without delay, a programme of public works construction.

In connection with the increasing interest in membership of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, notable in respect to some branches, the figure.s supplied by the Dominion secretary to the Te Awamutu branch and perused with interest at last night’s meeting of the executive, make interesting reading. The financial membership as at March 31st, 1927, was 6671. A year later it had in-' creased to 7267, or by 9 per cent. In 1929 it grew to 7893, an increase of 8.61 per cent. A year later it was 9221, an increase of 16.82 per cent. At March 31st, 1931, the total was 11,375, an increase over the previous year of 23.36 per cent, and a year later it was 12,765, an increase of 12.22 per cent. By the end of March, 1933, there was a big increase to 18,609, representing 45.78 per cent, and in 1934 it was up to 21,640, or 16.3 per cent. March 31st, 1935, saw an increase to 24,451, or 12.99, per cent, and in 1936 the total went up to 26,828, or an increase of 10.28 per cent.

The exemption of small dairy factories from the provisions in the Factories Amendment Bill restricting employment in dairy factories or creameries to six days of the week is under consideration, according to a statement made by the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, when moving the second reading, of the bill in the House of Representatives. The Minister indicated that factories granted such exemption would be required to give their employees time off on full pay at the end of the season equivalent to the extra time worked. Mr Armstrong said no reasonable objection had been taken to the six day week in dairy factories, particularly in the larger ones, but it had been pointed out to him that there would be some difficulty in the way of giving effect to the proposal so far as the smaller factories were concerned. These small factories did not employ sufficient hands to enable a six day week to be operated, nor would it be practicable or possible for them to secure an extra hand when required. The Minister said he had discussed the matter with representatives of the dairy factories.

district experienced one of the'worst. fogs for a long while, and.traffic on the roads was hampered considerably. It is reported several accidents and some very narrow escapes from accident resulted.

It is reported this morning that a car coming from Otorohanga left the toad in the dense fog late last evening, sustaining considerable damage, but the driver escaped unhurt. The flace where the capsize occurred was just south of the bridge over the Puniu river.

A representative of the Courier, in conversation with postal officials yesterday, learned that the plans for the new post office additions at Te Awamutu are now in the hands of the Public Works Department, and it is expected that the work will be put in hand before many weeks have passed.

Whilg driving his service lorry home from Hamilton late yesterday afternoon, Mr .T. Coupland experienced difficulty owing 'to the dense fog prevailing, and when near Rukuhia hie vehicle left the road, toppling over, and spreading the consignment of mixed goods on the roadside. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the lorry back to the road again, but it was. little damaged, and Mr Coupland escaped without serious Injury.

Every now and again some enquirer addresses to a newspaper the not unnatural question, What is the origin of the phrase about, "Setting the Thames on fire?” The explanation has been given that the "temse” was an old-fashioned horsehair corn sieve used for sifting grain after it had been ground. Good workers would sieve vigorously, and sometimes the friction would cause the horsehair to but a lazy worker would never “set the temse” on fire.”

Damage to his V 8 car occurred when Mr W; G. Neill, of Te Kawa West,, was motoring home from Te Awamutu yesterday afternoon With four passengers. All went well until within about ten chains of Mr E. Hopping’s homestead, where, at a bend, a,collision occurred with a P. and T. Department light truck. The latter struck Mr Neill’s car a glancing blow: inflicting considerable damage, but the driver and passengers escaped with a shaking and bruises.

It does not seem to be generally known in New Zealand that in cases in which the King has knowledge of the pending anniversary of diamond weddings or the attainment of 100th birthdays of any of his people throughout the various parts of the Empire, His Majesty sends a message of congratulation to those concerned. -■ In New Zealand the correct procedure is for a relative or friend of the person or persons concefned to- writt?’’to His . Excellency the Governor-General at least seven days beforehand' giving partidilars of the coming event, and expressing a wish that: His Majesty might be graciously pleased to send a message on the’'occasion. The question of school text books Involves a matter of policy,” said the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Education, in the course of his address to the teachers’ conference on Wednesday at Wellington. “There is the question of the kind of books, who will write them, who will print them, who will qwh them, and the matter of free text books. The question of free books has been referred to by Mr Lambourne, Director of Education, in his report, and it will receive consideration, I understand that we are among the most backward countries in the world in this respect.”

The South Auckland provincial of the Women’s Division, Farmers’ Union, held, its annual conference at the Parish Hall, Te Awamutu, on Thursday, Mrs F, X Ryburn, president, presiding' over a very represen-, tatiye attendance of delegates. Many interesting subjects were dealt with, notably consideration of improved cc..ditions of dairy farming to permit of relief for farmers’ wives and families. Mrs C. K. Wilson, of Pio Pio, also delivered a comprehensive address, wthdeh included reference to the suggested amalgamation of the Women’s Division with the Women’s Institute. Detail? and decisions will appear in our next issue.

“ You will have to help in hammering out an alternative,” the Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, said to school teachers, who were in conference at Wellington on Wednesday, when he referred to'the grading system “clung to in desperation by the teachers.” The mechanical operation of .the. grading system on the one hand' arid on the other the local oppression .of Bumbledom had to be considered, the Minister continued. The teaehers-had to. have some-pro-tection against' the latter, and so the grading system was evolved. No one could say to-day that the grading system was to the. advantage of the child. The Minister said he had noticed some proposals by' the New Zealand Educational Institute designed to modify some of the graver evils of the grading system.

The April issue of the P.L.A. Monthly, the official organ of the Port of London Authority, states that during the month of February supplies of New Zealand produce reaching the Royal Docks included 500,000 carcases of frozen muton and lamb, 10,000 quarters of chilled or frozen beef, 23,000 carcases of frozen pork, large quantities of “meat sundries,” 383,000 boxes' of butter, '96,006 crates of cheese, 27,000 cases of evaporated and dried milk. During the same period London forwarded to New Zealand 544 tons of woollen, silk and, cotton goods, 16 tons of, boots and shoes, 220 tons of linoleums and carpets, 30 tons of earthenware, 80 tons of wallpaper and 2ftp. tons, of paint. A curious item in the iriter-trade exchange was 89 boxes from New Zealand containing crayfish tails!

Break away for “ a change " if you may, Don’t delay till the close of life’s Tour the world o’er oceans away, With a suitcase, a rug and a “Zeiss.” Don’t be hampered with trunks “ under hatch,” Travel light and full freedom assure—-’ For the colds you.are certain to catch Carry Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.