LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4055, 1 June 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A New Plymouth firm recently received a cheque for fivepence. Threepence had been spent on stamp duties and postage of the cheque, which, now framed, hangs on the wall of the office of the company that received

How long is the life of an electric - power pole ? Thames Valley Electric Power Board reports that the number of poles replaced during last year was 455, and the total number to date 2592, or about 5.42 per centum of the total poles that have been erected since 1920.

Good progress is being made with the erection of the new factory at Roto-o-Rangi, which building is to replace the structure recently destroyed by fire, and the contractors (Messrs Lovell and Rawlinson) confidently expect to have the job completed in a month’s time. Up to the present the frame has been erected, and it is hoped to get the roof on next week.

The difference between a Maori’s spiritual outlook and that of the pakeha was neatly illustrated by Mr Te Ari Pitama in an address to the Christchurch Business Men’s Club. The Maori, he said had a greater fear <»f the invisible than the visible.

*• With the pakeha it is quite different,” he said. “He goes on doing a thing until he is found out.”

Andy Moen, the American wrestler at present touring New Zealand, needs no introduction to the dairying industry. His father owns a large dairy farm in the State of Minneapolis, and when the wrestling season is finished Moen works on the farm. The guaranteed price for butter-fat was something which he thought the American farmers would consider to be “just all right.”

Holding that the Farmers’ Union was no longer non-political, Mr F. E. Jansen announced at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa provincial executive that he had re tired from the chairmanship of the Featherston branch. Party politics had crept into the Union to such an extent that it was no longer non-political, Mr Jansen said, and the organisation, in his opinion, was not working in the best interests of the farmers.

A recent report that the Franklin Electric Power Board had approved electric fences for stock was commented upon by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, last Saturday. The Minister said that his Department was not yet satisfied as to the safety of fences charged with electricity, and it was unlikely that such fences operated from power mains would be permitted for some time.

“ We really are a nation of hypocrites,” remarked Mr J. R. L. Stanford at the annual meeting of members of Marton Jockey Club. “We all know that the bookmaker exists, but few of us know the huge sums bookmakers handle. The majority of bookmakers are decent, law-abiding citizens, and although legally they are non-existent they pay income tax and employment tax like ordinary men. Surely such an anomaly should not be continued,”

A recommendation that Putaruru should observe the weekly half holiday on Saturday in place of Wednesday, as from Monday, 13th June, has been forwarded to the Minister of Labour as a result of a resolution carried by the Town Board at a special meeting last Thursday. The Board considered it desirable that the change over should be made as speedily as possible in view of the decisive nature of the result of the* poll, but thought there was little possibility of a change being made before that date.

The screeching of a parrot which kept up a running fire of penetrating prattle became a disturbing element to the proceedings of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth recently. Counsel intimated that ‘1 the noise outside the Court ” was preventing the jury from hearing what was. being said. The judge suggested appropriate action and an official left the Court to make the request. From subsequent events it appeared impossible to quieten the bird, but he was removed to a place where his patter became less penetrative.

I whole-heartedly disapprove of carping criticism directed against farmers who buy new cars,” said the P ' C ' Webb at Hawera last week Why should not they have up-to-date and comfortable cars? They aie isolated, many are a long way ii om a doctor and the conveniences of a town, and the dairy farms of the country form its most important industry. I hope the day will soon come when every farm-house is connected with electricity and there is a metal road to every home.” At Ha*X eia ’ Webb said, there was more than one car registration for each house in the borough-

The reason why the Government has not lowered the rate of exchange alter having, when in Opposition, O pS h th '- Si l* g ° f was referred to bv the Minister of Labour (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) , n his address in Welling on Thursday night. Critics sav now- that we ought to put the rate back where it was before,” Mi* Arm in'J” 1 ? Th “ We . o PPosed the rais-' g of it because it was wrong and because it was going to bankrupt hundieds of good people in New Zealand to help another section of the people. l aT attem Pted to put it back again suddenly we would bankrupt another lot of people, and w-e are not a bank, ruptmg Government. (Applause.) 1 here has been less bankruptcy this year than in any other year in the history of New- Zealand, proportionately to the population,” he said.

Rainfall registered in Te Awamutu during the month of May by the ofii cial recorder, Mr W. Jeffery, totalled 4.38 inches. Rain fell on 13 days, the heaviest precipitation occurring on 4th May, when 1.19 inches fell.

A film which should prove of considerable local interest will be shown as a short at the Regent Theatre tonight and to-morrow. It portrays the shots in the polo match at Sydney, whereat the New Zealanders, which included Te Awamutu and Cambridge players, won the Gold Cup against New South Wales.

There was a big congregation of motor vehicle owners at rhe local post office yesterday, all seeking reregistration of their vehicles. Even last evening there was a number of people belatedly attending to a duty imposed upon them by authority. By law new number plates should be affixed to motor vehicles to-day.

The fact that motor vehicle num-ber-plates must be changed by the end of May seems to have been overlooked by several motorists, but the forgetful ones can claim to be in good company, for this morning a Government departmental car was seen in Te Awamutu bearing the old numberplates. A reminder was given the driver by the pointsman on duty opposite the post office.

Some delegates of the provincial conference of the Farmers’ Union in Auckland considered that parents were not anxious to have children, as they were merely required as cannon fodder. One delegate, however, stated that it was just as intelligent to refuse to raise children because they might be required to take part in warfare as it would be to refuse to raise sheep because they might contract facial eczema.

During an address on “ The Geology of the Waikato,” given in Hamilton, Professor J. A. Bartrum, of the Auckland University College, said without doubt the pumice deposits in Taupo area were the greatest in the world. American geologists had told him that they were astounded at the extent of the formation, and had never seen anything to approach it. Professor Bartrum said that pumice rock was, initially, frothing rock formed when the Waikato was being subjected to severe eruptions.

Speaking at Bulls, the * Hon. R. Semple made reference to the shortage of steel, which was causing delay in constructing additional railway trucks and was also holding up the Government’s defence policy. Supplies, he said, were exceedingly difficult to obtain from - England. He also had found that in Australia itself suppliers were seven months behind in orders from their own people, but in spite of that he obtained a contract for 7090 tons.

Regarding the shortage of railway trucks for the transportation of fertilisers, a matter which formed the subject of discussion at the last meeting of the Te Awamutu branch of the New Zealand Farmers Union, the gen-eral-manager of the railways (Mr G. H. Mackley), in the course of a reply to southern representations gave an assurance that the department was making every endeavour to meet the abnormal demands placed on its rolling stock. He mentioned that during last year an extensive rolling stock construction programme was started, 500 new wagons of large capacity being* placed in traffic. Continuation of the building programme had unfortunately been interrupted because the necessary materials had not come to hand from overseas, but they were expected in the near future.

Private advice has been received in Dunedin of the death of Dr Joseph William Mellor, aged 68 years. Originally a boot clicker in Sargood’s Dunedin factory, he won renown in Great Britain’s chemical world, becoming a world authority on ceramics. While following his humble occupation he studied chemistry at Otago University under the late Professor Black, and won an exhibition scholarship, which enabled him to go to England. He applied his knowledge to the pottery industry, becoming consulting chemist to leading fiirms. He retired three years ago. He was author of a monumental work of sixteen volumes on inorganic theoretical chemistry and several other works. During the war Dr Mellor’s knowledge proved very valuable to Great Britain, particularly in steel manufacture. For this work he took neither pecuniary nor titular reward. He is survived by his widow, to whom he was married the year he left Dunedin.