LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3898, 7 May 1937, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Acceptances for the Waipa Racing Club’s winter race meeting next week close this evening, and indications point to a splendid response from owners and trainers to the handicapper’s invitation.

Already several horses from a distance intended for competition at the Waipa Racing Club’s winter meeting on Saturday of next week have arrived. and they have been exercised at the local track, which is reported to be in very good order.

At the conclusion of the second week of fhe campaign, the aggregate of the subscription lists opened by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Ernest Davies, and the two Auckland newspapers. on behalf of the King George V. National Memorial Fund, yesterday passed the £lO,OOO mark. The actual figure up to last night wa's £10,007 5s 6d. the principal additional donation (£180) resulting from the collection made by the students of Auckland University College in conjunction with their procession.

“The branch has recommended to the New Zealand executive that a national day should be held for cripples annually, and it is understood tha; this proposal is now being considered,” states the annual report of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society, which will be submitted to members on May 10. “An endeavour will be made during the coming year for a talking picture to be made illustrating the aims and objects of the movement. It is hoped that other branches will join in this proposal, and that the film will be available for national propaganda purposes.”

A memorandum from the Education Department to the Auckland Board on Wednesday stated that school for the first term would finish on 12th May (Coronation Day), when the children would attend school in the morning to hear special addresses. The second term will begin on Monday. 24th May. Schools in the Auckland education district which will be closed for the New Education Fellowship Conference will break up on Friday, 9th July, and resume on Monday, 19th July. A school holiday also will be observed on 9th June in celebration of the King’s Birthday, instead of on the actual date (14th December).

An artist’s little dodge to build up a radio reputation has been found out. He was engaged at one of the national stations in New Zealand, and it was not long after his songs went over the air that letters of appreciation were received from all parts of New Zealand. They totalled in the finish twenty-five, all in different terms, but with the same object. Courteously the station concerned answered all twenty-five letters. A week went by and the station director’s replies began to come back through the dead-letter office. In due course the twenty-five letters had been accounted for in this way, and now make a neat little pile in the records section of the station.

The season for pea sticks is over, commented a member of the local Beautifying Society this week, when directing attention to the fact that in December last over 100 imported bamboo canes were used to stake dahlias planted in the society’s very beautiful flower plots near the local War Memorial. The fact that earlier in the v.eek when the canes were to be collected for storing until next season only two could be found was commented upon, and when it was suggested that perhaps school children had helped themselves, he pertinently asked: “Do you think they took them to school for the use of the masters?” In any case it is to be regretted that the canes have been wrongfully removed, especially as they cost upwards of £1 to procure.

A very representative party of farmers from the Tauhei and Mangataparu districts visited Te Awamutu on Wednesday for an inspection of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co.’s model pig farm on the Paterangi Road. The visitors, who* were in charge of Mr H. J. Ballantine, of Tauhei, were accorded a. cordial welcome by the farm superintendent, Mr H. J. Webber, and shown the very up-to-date -equipment and stock of pure bred and cross-bred pigs—suckers, weaners, porkers, baconers and breeding stock. Great interest was evinced, especially when Mr Webber gave a ten minute chat on approved pig raising for the market at Home and locally. His remarks were listened to with keen attention, and at the close a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded him and the company for making the visit possible.

A London correspondent advises that thousands of copies of the official souvenir Coronation programme are being ordered, from the King George’s Jubilee Trust, by commercial organisations with interests in all parts of the world. The programmes with a specially printed presentation band, will be distributed to customers of the organisations which represent many branches .of commerce and industry, including banking, chemicals, insurance, wireless, films, shipping and telegraphs. Arrangements have been made for every patient in Eng lish and Welsh hospitals to follow the Coronation ceremonies by the free distribution of programmes. This has been made possible by the Philco Radio and Television Corporation, who are meeting the entire cost. The specially designed overseas edition of the programme is on sale in all parts of the Empire, price 2s.

A fine gesture was made yesterday afternoon by Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P. for Marsden, on his arrival in Te Awamutu. Knowing that Mr Broadfoot was absent in England, he called on members of the local committee of the National Party and extended his ccujrtesies to (hem its “a member of the other side.” Needless to add, Mr Barclay’s tactful action was naturally reciprocated.

That New Zealand pay;s per head of population twice as much as Canada for defence purposes was asserted by a member of the Australian Federal Cabinet, Mr Hunter, at a social function in Brisbane recently. He claimed also that Australia spent more, in proportion to population, than any other part of the British Empire except Britain. Australia spent 22s per head, New Zealand 12s, Canada not quite 6s, and South Africa under 4s.

Mr J. G. Banclay, M.P., in the course of his address at the Town Hall on Thursday evening, was proceeding to make some reference to the radio broadcasting services, and when he mentioned the Hon. Adam Hamilton, someone in the audience, in a flash, audibly commented: ‘"rhe Minister for the Friendly Road!” obviously referring to Mi; Hamilton’s attitude just before the last General Elections when IZB station was “jambed.” The audience acknowledged the wit with a burst of laughter.

Quite a number of local business bouses are actively preparing their premises for decorations in connection with the universal observance of Cor onation Day on Wednesday next. Plans for celebrating Coronation Day locally on Wednesday next, include the public reading of the Proclama tion during the morning, and for a community assembly in Alexandra Street in the evening, when music for dancing in the street will be provided, and a night of merriment is planned, providing the weather continues favv ourable.

Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P. caused merriment in his address at the Town Hall last evening when he referred to a Scheme 4A man, who had been offered work clearing flax at £2 per acre. The man was very indignant and_told the speaker that he could not make wages.. “Why,” he declared: “the flax there is as thick as the hairs on your head.” Mr Barclay called the meeting’s attention to the fact that he himself is “rather thin on the top,” and said he had advised the complainant that if there was no more flax than that he should easily be able to make good wages!

A professional heavy-weight wrestling contest between “Lofty” Blomfield, 16st 101 b, and Tommy Mead 15st 51b, in Hamilton last eveningended suddenly in the seventh round, in which Blomfield was disqualified after kicking his opponent, out of the ring. Mead fell heavily on the boards below the level of the stage and had to be assisted away. Blomfield was hooted by the crowd. The first fall occurred in the second round when, following a series of flying tackles, Blcmfield pinned Mead with a bodypress. Mead evened the falls in the sixth round, in which Blomfield submitted to an Indian deathlock. Mead was awarded the decision in the seventh round when Blomfield leaped and kicked him down as he was returning to the ring.

Instancing the freedom accorded by the present Government for expression of opinion, without the previous Government’s restrictions on Public Service members, Mr J. G. Barclay caused merriment during his address at the Town Hall on Thursday evening by saying that in his home town, Whangarei, he had walked into the post office in the old days, and chattily inquired from the official behind the counter the customary: “How are you?” The reply he got was “I’m not allowed to tell you!” Nowadays, added Mr Barclay, he could inquire, and be sure of a hearty reciprocation, indicating that officers of the Government are allowed to greet friends and acquaintances without fear of reprimand or dismissal for friendliness with a Labour man.

Our representative bad opportunity afforded him on Wednesday of perusing the financial statement in connection with the annual floral fete on February 27th of the local Beautifying Society. Receipts totalled £94 17s 9d, including gate takings £22 11s, tulip bed £lB 5s 9d, R.S.A. takings £l2 17s Id, produce stall £8 8s lOd, sweete stall £7 8s 7d, jumble stall £3 2s, Madame X £1 13s 6d, weight guessing (lamb) £1 12s 9d, crown tops £1 2s 6d, entry for flower show 14s 3d; besides £l6 Is 6d as donations for sports prizes, and £1 for refreshment booth rights. The expenditure was: Prize money £8 5s 6d, advertising and printing £6 12s, hire of grandstand room £1 10s, cocoanuts 12s 6d, affiliation fees for cycle events 10s 3d, and cartage ss; total £l7 15s 3d. Thus the net profit from the fete is £77 2s 6d—a very gratifying result of the community effort to provide the society with funds to carry on its splendid work.

Illustrating the fact that the Dominion is in a better position than a year ago the Hon. P. Fraser, acting Prime Minister said in Wellington the other day that exports during the twelve months ended March 31st amounted in value to £60,235,000, compared with £49,676,000 in the 12 months ended March 31, 1936, an increase of £10,559,000. Imports amounted in the 12 months ended March 31, to £47,621,000, compared with £37,440,000 in the previous 12 months, an increase of £10,181,000. The savings bank business was another indication of progress. Deposits for the year ended March 31 were £30,677,000, and withdrawals £27,042,000, an excess of deposits of £3,635,000. The amount standing at the credit of savings bank depositors at March 31, 1936, was £52,916,000. With the excess of deposits, and interest on March 31 amounting to £1,514,000, the amount at March 31, 1937, was £58,065,000, an increase of £5,149,000 over the 12 months.