LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1928, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

From 6 p.m. on Sunday to 7.30 a.m. yesterday the rain gauge at New Plymouth registered 2.28 inches. Rain fell solidly for four or five hours, and was accompanied by a north-west wind which at times reached almost gale force.

Over £l2 was raised for the purchase of a new communion set for St. Andrew’s Church, New Plymouth, at a well-attended concert given by the junior Bible class girls on Saturday night. The Rev. J. D. McL. Wilson presided. The programme was opened with miscellaneous musical items, these being followed by a playlet entitled, “The Burning Question.” The artists -were Misses C. Campbell, M. Abram, I. Jasper, D. Eliot, D. Jelliman, E. McKay, D. Savage, 11. May, M. Hamilton, E. Geddes, G. Y'ounger, N. Buttimore, Mrs. Warren Bush and Master W. Geddes.

The Rev. A. J. Seamer, superintendent of Maori and home mission work for the Methodist Church of New Zealand, conducted a special service in the Whiteley Church, New Plymouth, on Sunday. Associated with him were Te Aho te Rangi Pihama, a Waikato chief, and several other Native representatives of leading tribes, who sang a number of songs in their own language. Te Aho Pihama gave the address at the evening service in which he presented the Maori view-point towards European civilisation, and expressed in eloquent language the appreciation of the Natives of the work done among them by the church missionaries. Madame Winnie Fraser took part in the evening service, at which she sang two solos.

“We are inclined sometimes to look towards America for our ideals, but they are not British ideals, and it does us good to look back on our mighty heritage in literature, invention, science and discovery,” said Rotarian Percy Hutchison, of England, in the course of a stirring patriotic address to Rotarians in New Plymouth yesterday. While he had the greatest respect for the people of America, he did not think that New Zealanders should be dominated by them. From America they got their motor-cars and the fuel for them, and even the surgical instruments used were manufactured there. He admitted that Britain must be more alive than she had been, but he appealed to those in the Dominions to look more towards the Old Country that had produced so many illustrious men who had led the world in the sciences and arts and in achievements of daring.

“Most people say the object of the league is to prevent war, but the covenant says it exists to maintain peace,” said Mrs. Denton Leech, Dominion secretary of the League of Nations Union, when speaking at the Rotary Club luncheon in New Plymouth yesterday. The union, she said, existed internationally, sometimes under the name of society and sometimes association, but the objects were always the same —to bring the average man and woman details of the work being performed at Geneva. In this Dominion the union was trying to familiarise New Zealanders with what was being done by the league. Endeavours were made to bring the peoples of the world together and consequently such questions as health, finance and social work concerned the league. The union realised that public opinion must be educated and with' that object sought . to place before the people the resolutions of the league and to show how they could be carried out. Rotarian Percy Hutchison (England) said that as a traveller it was amazing to observe the work the league was doing in all parts of the world. He recommended the people of New Plymouth seriously to consider the formation of a branch of the union. “I have only one fault to find with the league,” proceeded Rotarian Hutchison. “I compare it io a great play produced by a brilliant company, but one of the leading actors, America, is always absent.”

Money can be saved by having your suits, costumes, dresses, gloves, felt hats, etc., renovated by the latest Dry Cleaning Process. We have been Steam Dyeing and Dry Cleaning for 20 years. It will pay you to let us have your soiled garments to renovate equal to new. Our address is J. K. Kawkins & Co., Corner Liardet and Devon Streets, New Plymouth. Telephone 685. Stratford Agent: Mr. W. Rudkin, “Everybody’s,” Broadway, Stratford. Residents of Ratapiko and district are notified that Mr. Polson will deliver an address in the Ratapiko Hall to night at 7.30 p.m. Lady readers are reminded that the Melbourne’s first display of new season’s frocks and coats will be made at New Plymouth to-morrow. New fabrics for the coming season will also be shown. Everyone cordially invited.

Portions of the main road between Awakino and Te Kuiti are in a very bad state, some sections being full of pot-holes. Men are engaged on maintenance work, but with the heavy amgunt of traffic on the road it looks as though it will be impossible to keep the roads in good order until they are sealed with bitumen or some other such material.

Discussion of the law of contract was concluded by Mr. F. T. Davis, A.R.A., before tlie New Plymouth Accountant Students’ Society last night. The lecture was commenced last week and proved so popular that Mr. Davis was prevailed upon to continue it last night. A general and informative talk followed. It was announced that on October 9 Mr. G. M. Spence would lecture on hire-purchase agreements.

Travellers who have passed through the Waikato and Thames Valley districts lately state that they have never seen the pastures looking so well. There have been a remarkably mild winter and an early spring, and these, together with the large amount of top-dressing carried out, to which tlie country so readily responds, have had marked influence on the pastures. Practically every factory reports an increase in the milk yield.

That part of the Motor Vehicles Regulations relating to the fitting of red rear reflectors on motor vehicles is made more specific by a supplementary regulation notified in the Gazette. It is specified that the reflector shall have an area of not less than two square inches, shall be Bet perpendicularly and be capable of reflecting to the side up to an angle of 40 degrees, and shall reflect under normal atmospheric conditions a light which shall be visible up to 150 feet.

While the crowd at Westmere (Wanganui) was waiting for the arrival of the airmen on Sunday, a hare which a dog chased out of a nearby swamp, created a diversion. Through a small opening at the top of the field it ran into the huge space bounded by a living wall of humans. Shouts sounded from all sides and the terrified animal plunged into the erowd to be smartly seized by an onlooker. The odds, jvhich were about 10,000 to one, were rather too great for the hare.

In conversation with Mr. A. M. Paterson, M.R.C.V.S., in ' reference to the lambing season, a Timafu Herald reporter was told that many cases of ante-partem paralysis are occurring among ewes in the South Canterbury district, indicating that sheep-owners are feeding too heavily on turnips and neglecting to exercise their flocks sufficiently. Those who had reduced the turnip ration, and were giving their ewes regular daily exercise, green feed and a lick composed Of glauber salts, were having no trouble from this disease. Mr. Paterson added that if ewes were given glauber salts now, losses from pulpy kidney in forward lambs would be greatly reduced. Some sheep were reluctant to take glauber salts at once. A sprinkling of common salt, however, overcomes this difficulty.

It is reported that there is now a decided shortage of relieving teachers in Hawke’s Bay. On the reopening of schools after the last term holidays it was not possible to fiM all the positions where relieving teachers were required. At the beginning of the year it was reported that the board could not possibly absorb all the local teachers, who at the beginning of the year were seeking permanent positions. It is stated that there is no reason now to modify that statement. The absorption has not taken place in Hawke's Bay, but in other districts. Only a few of the local tecahers obtained positions in the Hawke’s Bay district. Practically the whole of them have been appointed elsewhere. There are still a considerable number without permanent positions, but these are continuously employed in relieving positions. A Dunedin delegate to the recent conference in Honolulu, writing to a member of the staff of the Daily Times, says: In many ways Honolulu is much more advanced than any city in New Zealand. Here the bread is never touched by hand, but is sold in sealed wax paper. The milk is never delivered and poured into open jugs or billies, but is left at the door in bottles sealed with wax. The motors coming on to the main street from a side street have to stop at a white line marked on the pavement, and continue only if the way is perfectly clear. Nobody can jump off the trams while in motion, for the doors are controlled autom tically, and open only when the tram stops. There is also a curfew bell —a loud-sounding siren—at eight every night, and all children not accompanied by their parents have to be taken in off the streets, or they are taken in charge by the police. This would be a good innovation for every New Zealand eity to follow.

The amount of information on meteorological subjects furnished on request to private individuals and Government departments, states the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, shows a marked Increase. The Director of Meteorological Services, Dr. Kidson, states that the most urgent need at the meteorological service in New Zealand is the establishment of properlyequipped stations, on permanent sites with satisfactory exposure and the ensuring of continuity of observations. A beginning could then be made of the collection of homogeneous and reliable data such as are needed in connection with an ever-increasing number of social activities. The accomplishment of this object in a young country where there are few leisured men and where towns are growing rapidly is a difficult matter, which cannot be brought about all at once. It will not be possible at all without the interest and assistance of local bodies and individuals.

The following communication from a Dunedin resident has been received by the Star:—“My great-grandfather was one of the crew of the Shannon in the duel off Boston on June 1, 1813, and you may be interested in a few particulars that I have gathered at various times. The vessels were fairly well matched. The Shannon was 1066 tons, the Chesapeake 1135; each carried 2o broadside guns, the weight of the broadsides being 5381 b for the Shannon and 590 for the American; as to crew (men only), the Shannon carried 306 and the Chesapeake 376. The fight was the outcome of a challenge by Captain Broke, who was returning from a three years’ cruise. Captain Lawrence promptly sailed out to meet the challenger, and Boston people went pretty well in a body to see the combat. After a cannonade of 11 minutes the Chesapeake fell foul of the Shannon, and Captain Broke led a bearding party which settled the business in four minutes. Captain Lawrence was killed early. When the American prisoners were about to be secured it was found that the Shannon’s handcuffs were too small, and the Chesapeake’s store was rifled for her handcuffs.”