LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4187, 18 September 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The interesting fact is revealed in an American publication that while Japan is on a war footing the Japanese private car-owner has his petrol consumption restricted to twelve gallons a month. The restriction has been imposed in Japan not because of any fear of not being able to obtain adequate supplies, but because of the difficulty of obtaining oversea credit for the importation.

The medical and dental examination of recruits in the special military force, which was commenced in Hamilton on Friday night, was continued on Saturday and nearly 100 were dealt with. There was a high percentage of passes. There will be five medical boards operating in Hamilton to-day, while others will work at Te Kuiti. On Tuesday boards will sit at Huntly, Te Awamutu and Taumarunui. Men from Te Akau and Te Kauwhata will be examined at Huntly.

Speaking at the Jersey breed demonstration at Mr Hamilton Allen’s farm near Kihikihi last Friday afternoon, Mr H. J. Lancaster, of Glen Oroua, Manawatu, said that an indication of the popularity of the breed could be obtained from the fact that the first volume of the New Zealand Jersey Herd Book contained particulars of 117 males and the last volume 98,763. In the first volume there were also 177 females; the latest had 144 814. As a mater of interest, he also said that 82 per cent of the products from butter-fat and wool went out of the Dominion, so that New Zealand’s wealth really came from the land.

The lower part of Herbert Street is at present in a very pot holey condition, and a load or two of filling would effect considerable improvement.

Only one Waikato player, W. J. Phillips, of Raglan, is included to play the South Island fifteen at Wellington next Saturday. The Taupiri player, J. M. Taylor, is a reserve.

At the Avondale Jockey Club’s races on Saturday Mr E. H Cucksey’s colt Beau Leon ran a creditable third in the Avondale Stakes, four furlongs, the first two year old event in the Auckland province.

Advice has been received by the secretary’ of the Te Kuiti School Committee, Mr W. F. Seeker, from Mr D. W. Dunlop, secretary to the Education Board, that tenders are being called for the erection in wood of a new school building containing three classrooms at Te Kuiti.

As a result of further enlistments on Saturday, the number of recruits for the Dominion’s special military force has now advanced to 4224 in the Auckland metropolitan and country areas. The district figures show that 1880 men have enrolled in Auckland, while Hamilton has contributed 972, Paeroa 828 and Whangarei 544.

There has been a big rush generally in the Auckland province recently to purchase seed potatoes both in Small and large quantities. The household amateur, the market gardener and the farmer have bought larger quantities than usual. There is also a bigger planting than usual in the gardens of the Morrinsville district. These would seem wise operations.

An indication that many people are intent upon making vegetable gardens better this season is the statement of a commercial grower of seedlings that already he had disposed of sixty thousand onion plants. Another retailer said the firm he was connected with had sold nearly thirty thousand lettuce plants. Seedmen also report a stimulated demand for potatoes, peas, beans, etc.

A well-known storekeeper-farmer at Te Hoe (a little settlement near Ohinewai) recently, together with his wife and daughter, spent a holiday in Sydney, and while strolling one day about the city he purchased a ticket in the State lottery conducted by the New South Wales Government. That ticket happened to entitle the holidaymaker to first prize, and he is now richer by £5OOO ! Truly a profitable and vrell-spent vacation.

When a group of pedestrians were walking along the main south road at Horotiu last Saturday evening, they were overtaken by a car which ran into them. A Maori, Mr Tonga Moke, aged 21, received severe head injuries, including a possible fracture of the base of the skull. A boy of nine, Whaka-ara Tihama, received a fractured left arm. Both were admitted to the Waikato Hospital. Mr Moke’s condition is fairly serious, but that of the boy is not serious.

A touch of humour, a firm statement of his intention and a strong belief in the cause for which he offered his services, were all contained in an application received at the Te Kuiti army office for inclusion in the New Zealand special force. The application, in w’riting, read as follows: “I, , do hereby declare that 1 wish to enlist in the army. I am 23, have had three years’ drill and rifle training at Nelson College, and am at present engaged in the manly pastime of cowspanking. Yours in a just cause, .” The concise brevity of the application caused no little interest among the staff of the army office.

Te Awamutu enthusiasts who journeyed to Hamilton on Saturday to see the touring Fijian Rugby team meet, and defeat, the New Zealand Maori fifteen —the scores were 14 to 4 —were very impressed with the Islanders, who play very bright and solid football. They were a heavy team, with plenty of pace, and their tackling was a revelation to the spectators—and to their opponents, too, it seemed. It is suggested that next time a team comes from Fiji it should be pitted against the teams from the major unions in New Zealand. The way they beat the minor unions’ teams indicates that they jvould be worthy opponents for the best provincial fifteens.

Workmen made a start this morning in Bank Street preparing the highway for the long-overdue widening of the sealed surface. This work had been authorised a considerable time ago, but various circumstances caused delay. It is the intention to widen the sealing to the full width of the street from in front of the War Memorial to the top of the rise just beyond the boundary of Victoria Park. Whether this work is to be completed at once or just temporary improvement effected will transpire as the work proceeds. In any case, the roadway was definitely unsafe as the shoulders of the old sealing had been worn to a depth, in some places, of five or six inches.

Mr H .J. Lancaster, of Manawatu, who gave a demonstration on the points of a Jersey cow to a keenly interested assemblage of farmers at Mr Hamilton Allen’s farm at Kihikihi last Friday, said in the course of his address that estimated total production of New Zealand for the season ended 31st July, 1938, included 165,200 tons of butter, 88,300 tons of cheese, 948,295,000 gallons of milk, and 7,000,000 boxes made from about 30,000,000 feet of timber, besides cheese crates, etc. The consumption average per capita over several years was 40 lb butter, 7 lb to 9 lb cheese, and 20 to 25 gallons milk. ’ He also quoted the following dairy cow population at 31st January, 1938: In milk only, 1,763,775; in milk and dry. 1872,797; average production from cows in milk, 238.05 lb fat; average from cows in milk and dry, 224.19 lb, with an average test of approximately 4.3 per cent. Dairy produce exported for the year ended 31st January was valued at £16,520, 226 for butter and £5,935,061 for cheese. The tonnage and value of butter and cheese consumed within New Zealand was quoted by Mr Lancaster as: Butter, 26,500 tons, at Is 2Bd lb, £3,586,333 6s 8d; cheese, 3410 tons at 73d lb. £246,656 13s 4d. Where, he asked did all this start, ?—and Mr Lancaster assured himiself by asserting: “From a blade of grass.”

j The touring Fijian Rugby team- ■ completed their tour at Hamilton on Saturday, and by defeating New Zealand Maoris by fourteen, points to four maintained an unbeaten record.

The action of the chairman, Cr S. C. B. Macky, in telegraphing to the Prime Minister a fortnight ago offering the full co-operation of the County Council in the war emergency, was approved by the Council at that body’s monthly meeting to-day.

A meeting is to be held at Pirongia this evening to consider certain matters concerning Te Rore district settlers who are participating in the special water supply scheme serving Te Rore and neighbourhood.

Official notification that summer time will commence at 2 a.m. on Sunday, September 24, and continue until 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 28, 1940, is contained in the Gazette. The time will be advanced 30 minutes as from the first date.

Cr G. S. Hall reported to to-day’s meeting of the Waipa County Council that he had interviewed settlers along Bond’s Road m connection with the proposed improvement to that road, but none of them was prepared to subsidise county or riding expenditure.

The engineer Mr W;. G. Macky, told the Waipa County Council to-day that it might be economical to arrange for metalling the approaches to all road-side cream-stands. All trucks going to cream-stands broke down the roadway by running in and off the sealed or metalled roads to get to the cream-stands. Councillors instanced cases of damage to roadsides by farmers. It was suggested that arrangements be made with all farmers to have the metalling done. The engineer undertook to investigate and report to a later meeting.