LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The New Plymouth Harbour Board yesterday decided to extend its congratulations to the Wellington Harbour Board on celebrating its jubilee. The chairman of the board (Mr. C. E. Bellringer) was- appointed to represent the board at the function.

An historic house is situated among the trees off Smart Road, New Plymouth. It was a house which once had a leaden roof. During the Maori wars the rebel Kimble Bent instructed the Maoris to take the roof and taught them to melt it down for shot.

An inspection was made yesterday of the handwork at the New Plymouth Technical School by the Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong, and Mr. N. T. Lambourne, accompanied by members of the Taranaki Education Board. Later a conference was held at the board’s office on general education matters.

2YB New Plymouth began transmission again on Wednesday evening, after having been silent for three weeks. The repairs to the generator, which was struck by lighting during a reent storm, have been completed. Though the staff still has several minor adjustments to make to the plant, reception is as good as ever.

Judging by the number of visitors at the evening social sessions of the summer school, the impromptu programmes seem to have become very popular in New Plymouth. Last night there was an attractive programme of community singing, recitations, instrumental music and a lively haka performance coached by Mr. Atua. One of the tragedies of the civilisation of the Maoris was that many of them did not consider their own language even remotely worthy of interest, said Mr. P. Smyth, in an address to members of the teachers’ summer school at New Plymouth yesterday. He advocated greater attention to the Maori language in native schools. It seemed,

he said, that the Maori language would be saved by Europeans and not by Maoris.

A request for samples had been received by the Education Department from Professor Paget, of the Liverpool University, who was conducting a worldwide survey of the untaught drawings of children of different races, said Mr. Lambourne, at the summer school at New Plymouth yesterday. The department was able to send 990 drawings of a hen and a man riding a horse by Maori children. A noticeable feature of the Maori drawings was that most were profiles. On the other hand, of the 18,000 drawings of American and English, the majority were full face. The percentage of profiles by tho American and English children was: —’Children five years of age, 5 per cent.; six years, 18 per cent.; seven years, 28 per cent.; eight years, 32 per cent. The corresponding figures for Maori children were: Six years, 57 per cent.; seven years, SO per cent.; eight years, 88 per cent. In the case of Maori children who drew profiles in only about 12 cases did the child put in two ears or eyes. Professor Paget asked whether the Maori drew what he saw or what he knew. To test this a class was asked to draw a boy who was placed with his back to the class. With one doubtful exception all the pupils drew the back of his head. In other words they drew what they saw, not what they thought. Compared with New Plymouth, Wanganui, says the Chronicle, may be accounted particularly fortunate in the number of swimming baths available for the public. In addition to the Huatoki Domain swimming pool there is only -the municipal salt-water bath at Kawaroa Park. Hero seating accommodation is rather limited, there being room for but 509, though tho provision of temporary seats and the utilisation of the roofs of the dressing-sheds by tho children enable the centre to seat a couple of hundred more.

A reminder is given of the gala at Waitara on Saturday afternoon. It takes place on the seaside society’s seserve commencing at 1.30 by selections in the town from the Highland Pipe Band, which will afterwards be motored to the beach where a programme of Highland dancing, tug-of-war, in which several teams are taking part, treasure hunt, children’s sports, pillow push and other items will be gone through. Dancing on the green to the pipe music is sure to be a popular feature.

•‘The increasing proportion of urban population in recent years is plainly manifest,” states the Official Year Book of 1939. “It is noteworthy that the ‘urban’ drift,’ either non-existent or quiescent up to 1906, in that year commenced a swift rise, which is rapidly gaining in momentum.”

The unseasonable weather experienced lately has been the cause of fairly bi’g losses of sheep in the Waipawa district. Several farmers in the Ruataniwha and Onga districts have lost a number of newly-shorn sheep through the cold, and wet weather, says the Napier Telegraph.

Three life-saving teams were standing on Milford beach, Auckland, on Monday, in readiness to commence a competition ■for the Laidlaw Cup, when a canoe capsized sixty yards from the water's edge. The occupants were three girls, one of whom was unable to swim. Her companions managed to get her on to the upturned canoe -while a life-saving team was rushing to the rescue. Just as the beltman reached her she collapsed. The remarkable growth of Taupo still continues. Thirty new buildings were erected last year, states the Napier Telegraph. Next year it is hoped the hot water will be brought from the old sulphur spring to the main street. This will make the baths more accessible than in any hot spring town in New Zealand. At present the nearest baths are over a mile and a-half from the post office. A service car driver employed on the Wanganui-Marton run witnessed a battle royal between five magpies and a hawk last Saturday. The battle was fought at a great height and the verdict went to the more numerous fightci's. The hawk had no chance.

Visitors to Ratana have commenced the football season early (says the Wanganui Herald). The other day they had the goal posts up and were enjoying a strenuous game of Rugby. No doubt they were either -working off the Christmas fare or getting in good, trim for tho harvest.

Two young women in evening dress, evidently bound for a cabaret, got out of a car the other night in Queen Street, and. walked across the road smoking freshly-lighted cigarettes, went into a Chinese fruiterer’s, made a purchase, pulling the while, and calmly walked back to the car. People turned round to look twice, says the Star. The broad area of wheat and oat crops at tho Ratana settlement near Wanganui looks particularly promising. Cropping a lot off the same area two years in succession may mean a lighter yield, but at the same time the results are expected to be particularly good. The Maoris undertook the clearance of a big area of gorse, and a recent observer says they can show ma y pakehas points in cultivating. Immediately fronting the pa is also a big area of potatoes. “You have in the Dominion a splendid Press which, even at this far distance, keeps you and me informed of the most important matters occurring not alone in the British Empire, but in all parts of the world. It surpasses, I think, even the English Press, which is tending to become too politicalised,” said Viscount Craigavon, speaking at a reception at Invercargill. It is often contended that the pedestrian is prone to regard every motorist as a road-hog, but the action of one driver of a motor car on Saturday, says the Wanganui Chronicle, would warrant an even stronger epithet being used. As an ambulance van was proceeding along Guyton Street towards the hospital with an urgent case aboard, a ear shot out from St. Hill Steet and swerving dangerously to avoid a tram, dashed across in front of the ambulance, the driver of which was compelled to jam on-Iris brakes to avoid a collision. The patient in the ambulance and other passengers received a severe shaking. Few people in the towns and cities have any idea of the strenuous nature of the bushmen’s work. As an indication a Southland News reporter learned in casual conversation that at one mill in Southland, in summer time the men set out for the scene of operations at 4 a.m., walk four miles, climb a hill of 1090 feet, and start at 6 a.m. on an eight hour day with axe and saw. They carry lunch with them and at 4 p.m. begin the return journey to the mill. They have no spare time for tennis, golf, bowls or pictures and soon aftei' the evening meal are ready for repose. The axeman is probably the healthiest man in New Zealand and he certainly needs to be.

A doctor’s certificate puzzled a complainant in an assault case heard in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington, and it was also not clear to Sub-Inspector Lander. “Did you get a certificate from the doctor at the hospital?” the complainant was asked by Mr. Lander. “Oh, I got one all right,” replied the complainant, “but it is all m Latin or something.” Read it yourself,” suggested the accused’s counsel (Mr. J. Meltzer) to tho sub-inspector. Mr. Lander took the certificate and started to read: “I found him suffering from a contusion of the left eye, er, with —” but he go no further. “I think I shall leave it to your Worship,” said the sub-inspector to Mr. T. B. McNeil, S.M., with a smile. A Cliristchurch business man who spent the holidays shooting in the north bad a fortunate escape from serious injury when his gun exploded (states the Press). Ho had with him a few cartridges which were of too small a bore to fit the gun, and accidentally placed one in tho breech. Thinking that it had passed right down the barrel and dropped out, he loaded the gun with a cartridge of tho correct bore, and later discharged it. Both cartridges exploded, and the barrel was burst open, the stock also suffering from the double charge. Tho only injury suffered by the shooter was a badly injured middle finger. It is generally admitted that the axeman is a hardy and virile type of man, and tho possessor of admirable stoical qualities. At the Mataura sports the other afternoon, in the final bushcraft event, a typical instance of an axeman’s indifference to an injury was displayed when a competitor cut his toe, severing half the nail, but continued chopping until the log was cut through (says the Southland News). He then casually remarked to a bystander that ho had cut his too slightly, and the latter, after glancing at the foot, promptly secured the services of a medical man. The doctor dressed and bandaged the injury, and soon aftei' the man took part in the second bushcraft event, winning a second place in his heat.

Bargains are easy to pick up at the Melbourne Ltd’s special show room week now on. Solid reductions have been made on tennis frocks, bathing costumes, lumber jackets and cardigans, sports blazers, summer coats of all descriptions and dress and tennis skirts and afternoon, evening and race frocks.

Its no good crowing unless you have something to crow about. >See McGruer’s advt. Secure the values offering arid you will crow with delight.

A surprise awaited a Blockhouse Bay (Auckland) resident, Mr. E. R. Cross, who hooked a huge stingarec while fish’ ing with a schnapper line in the channel. After half an hour’s fight, in which a gaff was used to combat the monster’s struggles, it was hauled ashore and was found to weight four cwt. and measure six feet in length and four feet eight inches across. The top of the tail was fully a foot in diameter.

Several farmers in the Otorohanga district have abandoned hay altogether as a winter feed, owing to the difficulty experienced in preparing it during the wet weather. One farmer has stacked 90 acres of green, which makes 300 tons of ensilage. He contends that ensilage is an ample feed, without hay, and has the added advantage that it may be prepared during bad weather by utilising every fine spell for its preparation. A Rangitikei farmer, who lately visited the Wairarapa district, says that all the grown cattle in New Zealand could bo grazed for tho next six months there without over-stocking. Throughout Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay rough feed predominates with the result that sheep, especially lambs, are not doing quite as well as they should. The constant rain has also told against fattening lambs in those districts.

A passenger by ono of the South Island expresses last week told of an alarming experience whch befel passengers in ono carriage. When passing through Middleton, near Christchurch, a loud report was heard, and the next instant a piece of iron, Tin in length, smashed through the carriage window. It then cut through a passenger’s boot and inflicted a severe cut on her ankle. It was not know whether some irresponsible person committed the act .or whether it was caused unwittingly by several men who were working in a shingle pit.

On her first visit to Auckland is the new steamer Australind. Tho present steamer is the third of the name. The first ran for a number of years in thQ coastal trade on the north-west of Australia. The second vessel, built in 1904, was engaged trooping during the Great War and she landed the New Zealanders at Gallipoli. In tho latter part of the war she was employed as a night ferry across tho English Channel. Old Anzacs may like to know that she has been sold and is now registered as the Colbert. Captain A. Hunter, who was in command when she landed the New Zealand troops at the Dardanelles, is in command of the new Australind. He has just completed twenty years with the same com-< pany, the Australind S.S. Company (Trinder, Anderson and Co., London); “Though wages are high in America,’* declared Mr. D. F. Donnehy, of Christ-: church, in an interview on his return from a trip abroad, “the people seem, to have difficulty in making ends meet, because so much credit has been giverl on time payment, particularly in re*, speet of motor cars, radio sets, and houses. It has been estimated that it will take approximately two years for the population to clear off its present commitments. This statement has been mado repeatedly by economists, and shows the extent of the credit Business people are going to extremes to prevent a crash which generally does, and in this case would have, followed & collapse on Wall Street.”

“Is it true that all Quaker ladies wear red flannel undergarments?” This was ore of the questions asked Air. A. Douglass, the new headmaster of tlie Friends’ tSchool, at Wanganui, shortly' after his arrival in New Zealand. Mr. Douglass re? plied that as far as he knew ladies of the Society of Trends did not make their lingerie of this material. As a matter of fact they dressed just as sensibly aS anyone else. If the lady had seen a num* ber of snapshots that adorn the wall of Mr Douglass’ study, depicting gatherings of Friends, she would have seen that ths women and children were dressed nd differently from herself. , “The motorist is undoubtedly reap* ing the benefit of the taxation he has been paying for sonic years in the improvement of all main tourist routes throughout tho North Island,” says ths Wanganui Automobile Association in its annual report on road conditions. “It, is probably the elder motorist who ap-. predates to the greatest extent tlhq changed conditions. To-day we can gd from Wanganui- to Auckland by twe allweather routes — tho West Coast via' Mokau (the terrors and broken springs* of the Mokau are a thing of the or via Parapara, Taupo, Tirau, wherq there are no fears of stoppages now or the need for putting on chains.’’

Entries for amateur athletic and cycling and professional cycling for the Caledonian sports close to-morrow, Saturday.

Warning to the public of New Plymouth that “Passion Cup,” Sydney’s favourite drink, is real passion fruit juice, and is only obtainable from the sole agent, R. Sanders, Confectioner, Devon Street, opposite Every* body’s Picture Theatre. The public is warned to beware of all other, so-called Passion Fruit drinks.*

THOSE YOUNGSTERS WON’T BE LITTLE LONG. Let us take a new portrait of your boy or girl ,to keep the record of childhood. Our Portraits . will please you and our prices are exceedingly low. Oakley’s, Hash Building (upstairs),! Devon Street, New Plymouth, 7.