LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1931, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The question of wage reductions was considered by the Waimato West County Council yesterday and it was resolved to reduce wages by Is. a day. Cocoa from Samoa was an important item in the cargo discharged by the Maui Pomare at Lyttelton at the end of last week. There were 80 sacks of cocoa beans, consigned to Dunedin from the Reparations Estates, where cocoa is being profitably cultivated. Members of the Manawatu County Council expressed surprise this week when a cheque for 15s. was received for “goldfields revenue.” None of the-coun-cillors had heard of gold being found in the county, nor of any prospective goldfields,

An extremely short civil list was heard by Mr. R. W. Tait, S.M., in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Only two cases were called. One was adjourned and in the other judgment by default w r as given for the plaintiff; the State Advances Superintendent, in a claim against F. P. Grundy for .£l3 16s. (costs £1 10s.). The alteration in the exchange rate between Australia aud New Zeajdnd'was brought home in decisive fashion to a Melbourne visitor to Christchurch on Tuesday, says the Press. Wishing to cash a cheque for £lO on his bank in Melbourne, through the account of a local resident, he ascertained that he would receive only £9 Is. Bd.

An example of the audacity of the weasel was given a Ballance (Wairarapa) farmer recently. One of the animals entered his cowshed and calmly commenced to lap up the spilt milk from the separator. So intent was it on its task that he was able to quietly walk up and destroy it by tramping on it. Weasels are fairly common in the district this year.

The fact that the unemployed men of New Plymouth are appreciative of all that has been done for them by the members of the unemployment committee was shown at last eveiling’s meeting. Mr. W. Hill, in the course of his remarks, stressed the good work that had been done', and there was clapping of hands and enthusiastic “Hear, heir’s” from all parts of the hall. Owing to the fact that nearly all available union watersiders were employed op the two overseas vessels Pakeha and Northumberland, at present working the port of New Plymouth, it was found necessary yesterday to take on a number of non-union men who were unemployed to unload the freighter Kahika. The vessel had a large cargo of over 800 tons, and the discharge of-this gave work to a number of unemployed. A sentence of imprisonment with hard labour for three months was imposed by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., at the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday upon Alexander Edward Skeillifig, who had pleaded guilty the previous day to charges of obtaining credit with intent to defraud and of obtaining goods by false pretences. The magistrate considered that Skeilling’s list of previous convictions for various offences could not be overlooked.

Despite what upsets it might epuse in the world’s finance the announcement of the new rate of exchange between Australian and New Zealand banks came as joyful news to one New' Plymouth resident. He was due to pay-an annual premium of about £44 on an insurance policy issued by an Australian insurance house. His practice was to pay direct to Sydney and his pleasurable surprise can be imagined when lie discovered he would have to pay only slightly over £4O into a New Zealand bank to effect a credit of £44 in Sydney.

According to a private letter received in Now Plymouth from an Auckland man well known in hospital board work, it would appear that there are numbers of .men from Australia who seek charitable aid from hospital boards soon after arrival hi New Zealand. It is believed that several of these men have called at New Plymouth for relief, while the position is far worse in Auckland. In the opinion of the writer, the relief provided under the Unemployment Act has not yet been the means of reducing applications for charitable aid from hospital boards. Lissaman’s Manimitis Paint Sales in 1930 were three times greater than those of 1929. Hundreds of satisfied customers all over New Zealand write Box 63A, Kaponga.

People passing up and down - Queen Street on Wednesday morning, says the Auckland Star, must have been surprised to sec a queue of boys, in column of fours or fives, stretching from the main doors of the Civic Theatre about halfway up the block. The management of the theatre advertised for 50 boys. Some 300 boys arrived, of all heights, of every description, and all keen. They passed remarks to one another, and to those passing, and when a photographer arrived they greeted him with vociferous and prolonged cheers.

A large sunfish has been captured in Whangarei Harbour. A party of people fishing off the Parua Bay foreshore saw its huge bulk appear and then splash back into the water. Captain McCowan and Mr. Williams rowed to the spot, and upon the fish making its reappearance, they harpooned it. Two other dinghys went to their assistance and the catch was towed to the short. From the nose to the end of its body the fish measured seven feet. Its cross measurement was nine feet, and its weight about 9 cwt.

The growing popularity of ensilage making on farms in the Manawatu was strikingly illustrated by Mr. J. W. Deem, Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, who informed a Standard reporter that where there, was one stack of this feed stored last year there were 50 or 60 this year. Many farmers were doing away entirely with the practice of making hay, which had been found to be unnecessary on farms where good quantities of ensilage were available, said Mr. Deem.

The opinion was expressed by some of the members of the New Plymouth Harbour Board yesterday that there ‘would be an increase in the importation of fertilisers this year, as compared with last year. During the past three .months there had been a substantial increase in the quantity of phosphate rock imported, and a shipment of 1100 tons of slag Was expected soon. The chairman said he understood increased shipments of slag had been ordered this year. Mr, W. T. Wells expressed gratification at this fact, remarking that if the importations of fertilisers were to decline so, too, would the exports of produce, which had shown an increase. Approximately 200 farmers in all parts of Southland received free samples from the Department of Agriculture this season of a quarter of a pound of the imported variety of swede seed known as Kerning’s, for trial purposes in clubroot control, states the Times. This variety has been found to resist the ravages of club root very strongly, and has been sown on badly-infested clubroot country by the farmers receiving samples in alternate rows with the main crop seed. The results of this trial will be awaited with much' interest, as the disease has caused tremendous losses to farmers in Southland during recent seasons.

Not many children have deliberately tackled a rat single-handed, says the Dominion. A little girl, daughter of wellknown Wellington people, saw a large rat making toward the kitchen larder, and she grasped it by, its tail. The rat became vicious apd bit her severely on the finger. She was quite unable to shake it off, and two of the neighbours had to kill the rat in order to release her. The bite proved quite nasty and needed medical attention, but happily the child is getting on well. How many grown-ups would tackle a rat!

“In travelling about the country districts of Southland I find that a totally wrong impression is current among many of the farmers in regard to the Unemployment Board’s No. 2 scheme,” said the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, Minister of Internal Affairs, in his reply to a deputation of the unemployed. “Many farmers are under the impression that the subsidy which the board is granting towards reproductive work done on the farms has -to.be paid back, to the-board-This is quite wrong, and I want to make it clear that the subsidy is an absolute gift to the farmer and does not require repayment. The farmer will also receive an allowance of 15s. a week for food supplied to men engaged on work under the scheme.”

Much time was spent by the University Senate on Wednesday, states the New Zealand Herald, in considering, in committee various complaints regarding unsatisfactory features in recent examination papers. A motion was carried to draw the attention of the 1930 examiners in certain subjects to the great importance of accuracy in setting and checking the papers, and to the very great inconvenience and discontent which is caused by mistakes when they occur. It was further'decided to issue a .memorandum to all examiners, pointing out the trouble caused by mistakes in examination papers and impressing upon them that failure on their part to see that the final proof was correct would be considered a serious matter.

Two young Invercargill ladies were trying their luck from the edge of the Bluff wharf on Sunday afternoon, but time passed, says the Southland News, and their enticements were being ignored by the fish in .general. Then suddenly there was a big tug, and, with the aid of two obliging spectators, a 4« feet shark was hauled out of the water. . Unfortunately, the lino snapped before it was landed — and, true to type, the shark has been growing at an alarming pace ever since. A few minutes lato.-, a wriggling octopus was hooked and dragged up on to the planks .of the wharf. It, too, proved too elusive, however, and 1. -de its getaway through a hole in the planking. The ladies concerned are going back again, next Sunday for some more sport. When the hefty New Zealand cricket captain, Toni Lowry, went in to bat for his club, Moawhango, on Sunday, six men were back in the pavilion (?) with 22 runs up, writes the Auckland Star s Taihape correspondent. Exactly half an hour later the whole side .was out, but the total was 159. Lowry was in skittish mood, and after making a paltry 50 in a quarter of an hour, decided to have a hit. It took two more overs for him to reach his century, 25 runs exactly coming from each over. He went two sixes later, having taken 25 minutes for 113 runs. With great presence of mind, the opposing skipper, Dr. Sinclair, by putting a fieldsman on the stockyard rails and another over the brow of the hill, prevented the only ball from being lost. Deaths due to earthquakes in New Zealand total 24, according to the latest Year Book, in the 80 years between 1848 and 1928 only seven deaths were recorded as having been due to the cause mentioned, but the total rose sharply as a result of the Murchison earthquake of June 17, to which a toll of 17 deaths was attributed. The shock of October, 1848, threw down a wall in Wellington, and three people were killed. On January, 1855, a death occurred in the same place, recorded as “accidental death from the falling of a chimney.” The big earthquake took place during the night of January 23. On November 16, 1901, a child was killed by the Cheviot shock, and on April 12, 1913, a Maori was killed at Masterton by material falling from the post office, due to an earthquake. In the Gisborne earthquake of October 7, 1914, a shepherd lost his life.

Intimation to the effect that it would be wise for them to call at the Government Labour Office in New Plymouth, as well as at the borough office, at least every two weeks was conveyed to the men who attended the unemployed meeting last night by Mr. A. Shippey. The chance of employment might be missed if the Government office had not heard from a man for some time. It would naturally be assumed that he had work,.