LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1930, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Four pigeons were liberated by Corporal Smith, mechanic on the “Cutty Sark” flying boat, at Nbw -Plymouth yesterday. One by one the birds were cast off. They circled until the quartet was complete, then turned once more and flew towards Paritutu sugar loaf. Evidently they had not found their bearings for they were bound for Auckland. A novel by Mr. W. Graeme-Holder, New Plymouth, has been accepted by The Bodley Head, London, and will be issued almost immediately, lhe novel is called “The Decker” and is a story of finance and crime. The Bodley Head has also stipulated for the first oiler of Mr. Holder’s next three novels. At present he is working on the last chapteis of his second book.

Spring has brought little rejuvenation to the frost-scorched puriri and taraire trees in the Mangakahia Gorge, North Auckland, says the Northern Advocate. On many there is not a green leaf, and considering that some of the deadened, or dormant, trees—it is hard to tell which—are 2ft. Gin. through at the bole, the severitiy of the cold may be imagined. t Among those who watched for the arrival of the seaplane Cutty Sark at New Plymouth yesterday was an elderly woman who usually wears spectacles. The flier appeared from the north, circled gracefully round and landed on a housetop! The old lady rushed indoors, secured her glasses and then discovered that the “seaplane” was a seagull.

In aid of the funds of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union a concc.t, arranged by Mr. W. L. Hay, was held in St. Andrew’s hall, New Plymouth, last night. An overture was played by Messrs. W. L. Hay and A. W. Hay. Vocal solos were given by Miss M. Hay, Miss Cocker, Miss McNeill, Mrs. T. B. Pointon, Miss D. Burgess and Messrs. Lc-n Kerr, A. W. Hay and W. L. Hay. A recitation was biven by Miss RThompson and vocal duets by Mi». Pointon and Mr. W. L. Hay and Misses Burgess and Q. Ramshaw. His decision having been reversed on appeal, Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., yesterday entered judgment for the iaranaki County Council on its claim for rates against A. J. Alack for £2B 19s and costs £lB Is, including those incurred in the Supreme Court hearing. At the original hearing in the lower court Mack had successfully resisted a. chiini lor ra-.es en the Rewa Rewa rille range leased iy him from the Defence Department foi grazing. His defence was that he did not have sufficient occupancy to bring. him within the provisions of the Rating Act. !

The Wanganui Harrier Club is to visit New Plymouth on Saturday week, when a teams race will be run against inc New Plvmouth club.

To validate grants made by local bodies to the cancer campaign fund and the obstetrical fund a clause is to be included in this year’s Finance Bill. Advice to this effect was received by the Newmarket Borough Council from the Minister of Internal Affairs.

In the past year the method in radium treatment has altered materially, lhe treatment used to occupy about a day; now it frequently extends into a number of days or even weeks. Ihis information was contained in a report by the hospital committee of the North Canterbury Hospital Board this week in recommending an altered scale of charges for use of radium.

Who would be responsible in the event of a child being injured through falling on a slippery floor of a school? waij a question asked the Canterbury Education Board by the committee of the Kumara school. The appointments committee advised the board that the state of school floors was the responsibility of the school committees.

Differences between red and white manuka from a commercial point of view were described by a valuer giving evidence in the Supreme Court at Auckland. Most of the firewood seen in timber yards was white manuka, he said, as the red manuka was of little value for firing. The white manuka had a rough, stringy bark, whereas the bark of the red manuka was smooth. Large white manuka was very rare now, as it was of very slow growth. The Travis Bequest Research Council advised the North Canterbury Hospital Board this week that with regard to the investigation of tuberculosis it was proposed to appoint a qualified tuberculosis investigator, this officer being assisted by a statistical clerk. With, regard to cancer, it was proposed to appoint a research expert, laboratory attendant and statistical clerk. The statistical clerk will act for both the tuberculosis and cancer investigations. There is some evidence that the prejudice again the waste pumice lands is breaking down, says the Auckland Star. Practical farmers from many parts of the North Island have lately shown the keenest interest in the work being undertaken, and they have expressed themselves as convinced that tremendous areas now lying idle can be brought into profit by following out effective manorial treatment. It is possible to-day to travel for miles through country which was at one time as barren and desolate as the Ngakuru blocks and now find profitable dairy farms. Pine trees about 25 years old are coming down in the grounds of the Lodge, Ilanmer, to make way for the foundations of the new building it is intended to erect. The other day the workmen felt their saw touch metal, and investigations with wedges showed 1 that a croquet hoop was embedded deeply in the tree, twisted well out of its original shape. Evidently it had been thrown up into the tree maybe 20 years ago, and lodging near the trunk had been grown over completely. The tree fellers say that they have found golf balls, and even bottles, grown into trees. “You people in New Zealand and other colonies must stick to England,” said the Rev. David Zadok, a deacon of the Syrian Church, to a reporter of the Christchurch Press. “England is the best country in the world, and’has the best Government in the world. I heard in Australia that some of them over there wanted to break away from England.. They do not realise what they would be doing. You stick to England. If you don’t, you will be very, very sorry.” , The threatened confiscation of the Akaroa school endowment was referred to at a meeting of the Canterbury Education Board. The appointments committee reported that it had been resolved to point out that the board had already protested against similar action in other places. It was decided by the board also to write to the department suggesting that the revenue from the endowment should still be devoted to the local school funds. The suggestion that while economy was being so much stressed by the Education Department schools on the old central .’corridor principle should be built instead of those on the much more expensive “orientation” plan, was made by Mr. J. J. Clark at last week’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board. Dr. J. W. Mcllwraith and the board’s architect, Mr. G. Powell, said that the central corridor plan killed ventilation and shut out sunlight, but Mr.' Clark replied that he had been educated in a central corridor school and he ventured to say he was just as healthy as t’he ( boys being educated to-day. “Orientation gone mad,” was his description of the erection of some of the present schools.

“It has been stated that the Educa-, lion Department needs a staff of clerks to correct the mistakes of local controlling bodies, but I think the converse applies,” said the chairman, Professor A. p. W. Thomas, at a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board, when a letter was received from the department admitting a mistake in computing the salary of a relieving teacher. The department previously disputed a payment mkde by the- board, and when its attention was drawn to a circular upon which the board had acted, the department replied that “the provisions of the circular were inadvertently overlooked.”

Some of the churches in Christchurch have decided, in view of the electric power shortage due to the situation at Lake Coleridge, to discontinue evening services and hold them in the afternoon. Two churches have been carrying out this policy since September 14, and it is possible tlnit others will fall into line next Sunday if the shortage is not alleviated. In most cases the matter has been left to the discretion of individual ministers, but many of them take up the attitude that in attending .the churches families effect a greater economy than would result from the cessation of the evening services.

“People will not buy motor-cycles these days—they want them given away,” said a defendant in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch, when asked by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., why he did not sell his cycle, as he had been out of work for six months. Defendant blamed the general depression for his being out of employment. “So long as you own a motor-cycle it •is deemed that you can afford to pay a fine,” said Mr. Mosley. “I will make it as light as possible.” A fine of 5s without costs was imposed. At Nelson on Tuesday, Thomas Livingston and Edward Fane, ’ both relief workers, were charged with vagrancy. Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M., sentenced Livingston to a month’s imprisonment and Fane to 14 days. Fane was also charged with buying three tickets in a lottery on a horse race to be inn at Sydney. On the magistrate being told that they were “Tatts” tickets found on the accused when arrested, he said Kane was no worse than a large number of people. He recorded a conviction and discharg’d accused on the charge.

Owing to the mishap io the flying boat Cutty Sark Flying-Officer Keith, who was to have left yesterday for Hawera io continue training club pupils, will not leave until to-day.

S. Lissaman, Box 63A, Kaponga.—“l bad the disease very bad in my herd last year and had to turn out five cows, but I cured all that took bad after that. Kindly find enclosed 11/- for two bottles of your Mammitis Pamt.” A Southland farmer.’”