LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4050, 20 May 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A special Rugby match has been arranged for to-morrow afternoon at Albert Park, when Rovers thirds, having a bye in the local championship competitions, will be matched with a City team from Hamilton.

Land agents in the Northern King Country report the sale during the past month of a number of going concern dairying farms at prices satisfactory to the vendors and purchasers.

Quite a number or local and district sportsmen intend being present at Te Rapa to-morrow or on Monday, the principal attraction (according to them) being the presence of several fancied candidates for the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase at Ellerslie early in June.

A familiar landmark, that of the original Lichfield school, built over 50 years ago, has disappeared as the contractor for the removal of the building has finished his task. Some ot the ground plates and all of the joists were still in first class order. They are of heart rimu and totara.

The application of St. John’s Badminton Club, Te Awamutu, for affiliation with -the Waikato Badminton Association was granted at the annual meeting of the latter body at Hamilton on Wednesday night.

The local horseman, C. G. Goulsbro, who was disqualified for six months at Wanganui following his handling of the horse Catalogue at the Wanganui Club’s winter meeting last Thursday, has lodged an appeal to the Racing Conference.

Some time during last week-end the butcher’s shop of Mr F. Lake, Otorohanga, was entered by breaking a window at the back, and a small sum of money was removed by the thief, whose identity has not yet been discovered.

The settlers in the .Puahue and Chamberlain's Road districts appear to be by no means willing to rest in the matter of securing improved roads to serve their districts, and it can be expected that within the next month oi two representations will again be made to the Waipa County Council to assist them in a scheme for scaling several miles of reading.

In connection with the proposal to organise a seven-a-side Rugby tournament at Albert Park, on Saturday, June 4th, it may be of interest to local players and enthusiasts to note that the Maniapot o Rugby Union is promoting a seven-a-s de tournament at Te Kuiti on Monday, June 6th (King’s Birthday). Efforts are being made to obtain representation of teams from the Waipa and Kawhia Unions.

Arrangements have been made at Pokuru for Mr W' J. Broadfoot, M.P., to deliver an illustrated address in the Kakepuku Hall next Wednesday evening upon his impressions while visiting England for the Coronation several months ago. Mr Broadfoot gave his address at Korakonui recently, and it was received with very warm appreciation, the coloured part of the film being especially enjoyed.

AH northern Europe had experienced an exceptionally early spring, with the result that cattle were put on to the pastures four to six weeks earlier than usual, according to a letter received in Tv Awamutu from a Copenhagen business man. It was hoped in Denmark that the good season would continue. Unfortunately there had been a big drop in butter prices, but at time of writing (9th April) the value of butter had started to rise again. Prices for cheese had been stable and advantageous.

“It is extraordinary the number of petitions for divorce I have heard here in connection with which there has been no issue of the marriage,” commented the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, in the Supreme Court, Hamilton, yesterday. “I do not wish to make any adverse comment; the matter is one of great interest,” His Honor continued. “One wonders how far these things are cause and effect, and one wonders if there would have been a difference had there been issue.”

The Pio Pio Co-operative Dairy Company has had a very successful season, although the output is not as high as usual. This- can be accounted for by the fact that several suppliers at the beginning of the season turned over to sheep. The butter grading through the grade stores in Auckland has this season been exceptionally high, over 70 per cent, of the total butter manufactured receiving the Government premium of 7d per box. Only butter grading 94 points and over receives this premium. As the annual balance does not take place until May 31. the books are not as yet finalised. However, at the present time it is regarded as certain that a substantial bonus will be paid.

A district farmer, in town y esterday, when asked about the facial eczema and its ravages among sheep flocks in this part of South Auckland, said he could give no estimate - of the loss represented, but he doubted whether the aggregate of loss, at present disclosed and likely to result from the epidemic, would reach the figure quoted by some observers. He ex plained that practically every sheepowner in the district had had some losses —and some of them sustained very severe losses —but he could not place the loss for the whole of Te Awamutu district higher than £20,000 or £25,000, and on that basis the loss throughout the province would be nearer £lOO,OOO than £1,000,000.

A survey of Mount Messenger, on Te Awamutu-New Plymouth State Highway, with the object of obtaining data on which a tunnelling decision will be made, has been finished by the Public Works Department at Stratford. Plans would be forwarded to the head office of his Department at Wellington, said Mr F. W/. Lindup, district engineer at Stratford, last Wednesday. Then the plans, together with traffic analysis figures, the saving in mileage represented by a tunnel compared with the existing road over the saddle, and a comparison of maintenance costs on the same basis, would be submitted to the Main Highways Board to whether the tunnel project was warranted now or J whether the scheme should be deerred.

A local resident stated yesterday that he had evidence of the unusual season in his garden, where a plum tree has dozens of blossoms upon it.

“Although Gippsland, the farmingarea near Melbourne, is similar to ours I do not th'nk it has an equal carrying capacity,” wrote Mr D. V. Bryant, of Hamilton, who is in Australia in the course of a world tour, in a letter received in Hamilton.

In connection with the visit to Te Awamutu on Thursday, June 9, of the English Ladies’ Hockey Team, a number of local residents have offered the Waipa Ladies’ Hockey Association to extend their hospitality to the visitors during their stay in this town. The Association has gladly accepted their offer and will be grateful for further invitations of a like nature.

A tour of the North Island by North Taranaki farmers is being arranged by the North Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union. At a recent executive meeting, it was stated that the number in the party would be limited to 75. It was proposed to commence the tour on Tuesday, June 21, and to proceed to Hamilton, Rangitaiki, Te Awamutu, Rotorua, Napier and Palmerston North. The tour is being planned to last a week.

Farmers are permitted to regard time off taken by employees between milkings as a half-holiday, the only condition being that it must be with the approval of the worker. Advice to this effect was received from Dominion headquarters of the Farmers’ Un'on at the last monthly meeting of the North Taranaki provincial executive. The chairman (Mr H. E. Blyde) pointed out that workers would still have their annual holidays whether they agreed or not to regard time-off between milkings as a halfhcliday.

The dearth of teachers is being acutely felt by the Auckland Education Board. Although 40 positions were filled by the Board at its meeting on Wednesday, it has approximately a further 50 vacancies which have been advertised and for which no applications were received. Probably there will be nearly 100 vacancies next mjonth. Ten resignations were received at Wednesday’s meeting. Three of the teachers concerned have obtained positions with other boards and three women teachers are leaving the service to be married.

Several recommendations made to the Waitomo Power Board by its engineer, Mr N. A. Davidson, were adopted by the Board on Monday. These recommendations included a hire scheme for ranges, the endeavour to secure a universal community lighting system in the shopping areas of Te Kuiti and Otorohanga; improvement of the street lighting systems in conjunction with the local authorities concerned; the provision of up-to-date electrical appliances in schools to make people “electrically-minded;” and the setting aside of an annual sum out of profits for load development purposes.

The opinion of a doctor that the accused’s condition was due to the effects of a local anaesthetic was accepted in the Hastings Magistrate’s Court in a case in which Francis Arthur Hull was charged with being intoxicated in charge of a motor vehicle. After nine witnesses had previously stated that in their opinion Hull was intoxicated, Dr R. L. A. Kitchen gave evidence, based on two examinations, that accused’s condition was caused by reactions, toxic in nature, setting in after the injection of a local anaesthetic. Hull had had a tooth extracted the day before his arrest. The charge was dismissed by the Court.

The extent to which the law operates in criminal cases was explained to the jury in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North by Mr Justice Blair when summing up in a case involving charges of theft and receiving stolen goods. His Honor pointed out that, in law, a man was guilty of burglary if he stood in the street 100 yards from the scene of the actual crime to give warning of the approach of the police. Similarly, in law, a man was guilty of forgery if he lent a fountain pen to a forger, knowing it was to be employed in commission of the crime of forgery.