LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6449, 21 November 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Poultry Market G. D. Shepherd and Co. report that all poultry offered yesterday sold on a par with previous weeks. Heavy' table birds were in short supply and most birds offering were light. Prices realised were as follows:—W.L. hens 4s to 5s 6d, W.L. roosters 3s 6d to 4s 6d, 8.0. hens 7s, 8.0. cockerels 6s to 7s 6d, ducks and drakes 2s to 3s, 8.0. cockerels (small) 3s.

Impetuous Elks The use of domesticated elks as substitutes for horses is being seriously considered in Moscow, as a result of successful experiments in harnessing these powerful beasts. About 20 elks at an experimental station Moscow have been trained to take the bit. The main difficulty 7 arises from their impetuous speed. One elk recently covered a mile in about 90 seconds.

An Old Term “The word ‘spiv’ isn’t a new one. I heard it used by the London police long before the war, as a term to describe any underworld character. Its origin, I believe, dates back to one of the Vagrancy Acts of Victorian times which make reference to ‘Suspected Persons and Itinerant Vagrants.’ The Police condensed the phrase down to its initials; and thus the word ‘spiv’ was born.”—Macdonald Hastings, in the BBC’s North American Service.

Britain’s Coal Position Showing an increase of 14,800 tons the output of British coalmines reached 4,258,200 tons of a recent week, according to the National Coal Board. This was the highest week’s output since December, 1942. The statement added that output figures in the year to November 15 stood at 172,300,000 tons. Britain requires 200,000,000 tons by the end of the year to maintain her industrial and domestic supplies. Organ and Piano Recital Members and supnorters of the Te Awamutu Community Arts Service will greatly appreciate the'recital of piano and organ music arranged by Mesdames Martin-Smith and M. Sullivan, for Wednesday next in St. John’s Parish Church, at 8 p.m. The programme, comprising works of Bach (1685), John Bull (1562), Handel (1685), Brahms (1833), Beethoven (1770) Purcell (1658), is of infinite interest, charm and originality. We especially recommend this recital to the music-loving section of the community.

The Battle for Britain Commander Noel Gaylor, of the United States Navy’s special devices centre, told a group of civilian scientists that only 20 per cent of the small force of R.A.F. fighter pilots in the Battle for Britain ever shot down a German plane. “ The 80 per cent remaining fighter pilots hit nothing and served only to spread the return fire,” said Commander Gaylor. His figures came from an analysis of the films taken from the camera guns of R.A.F. planes which were engaged in the battle, he added.

Te Awamutu Fire Board Statistics The following statistics of the Te Awamutu Fire Board are attached to the annual report of the Inspector of Fire Brigades, Mr R. Girling-Butcher, as presented to both Houses of the General Assembly:—Population, 3210; rateable capital value, 31st March, 1946, £1,094,185; insurance company’s premium income for year ended 31st December, 1946, £3647; number of fire calls, 25; fires involving loss of property, 9; insurances on properties involved in fires, £12,650; insured fire loss, buildings and contents, £638; uninsured fire loss,’ buildings and contents, £6293; total fire loss, £6931; authorised expenditure for year ended 31st March, 1946, £7OO.

The Royal Wedding Many residents of Te Awamutu and district, in common with an untold number of radio audiences, listened in from 11 o’clock last night to an early hour this morning to the broadcast of the Royal wedding. The reception was excellent and the responses of the Royal bride and her bridegroom were distinctly heard. Flags were flown on several buildings in the town yesterday, in addition to the particularly fine display of excellent photographs and plates in Armstrong’s. One of the windows of the Times Book Club looks particularly attractive, the initials of the Royal Couple, together with a crown, have been artistically done in white flowers. Groups of wedding photos give another appropriate touch. >

“Make Bad Roads Good.” “My only complaint against the Main Highways Board is that, instead of making good roads better, they should devote more attention to making bad roads good,” said Mr W. A. Lee, chairman of the Waitomo County Council, at the meeting of that body last Friday. A plea for the outback settlers was also made by Cr H. Houghton—much more should be done for these men and women. He instanced the Mokau River settlers, climbing on a wire over the Mokau River since the last war. Perhaps Waitomo County roads were not as good as the Council would like them to be, but it was perhaps notable that growlers were not to be found amongst the pioneers—-men who packed iron and other material for the building of their homes along tracks that men to-day would not tolerate on their farms.