LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1931, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To be the youngest surviving veteran of the Maori War of 1869 is,_ says the Auckland Star, the claim of Mr. W. Delany, now 75 years of ago. Bugler Delany was attached to the New Zealand Native Contingent, and was in action at Ngatapa when he was 11 years of age. Mr. Delany has a vivid recollection of his soldiering days.

The Taranaki County Council’s stall and plant are engaged reconditioning the macadamised surface of the Main South Road deviation at the Timaim. Owing to money not being niade available for bitumen sealing this deviation as soon as it was metalled, the surface has become very rough and the smoothing effect of the scarifier and roller will be welcomed by. users of the road. The New Plymouth Boys’ High School paid its tribute to fallen old boys at the memorial gates at the school on Anzac morning. Wreaths of poppies were placed on the gates and when the school cadets were assembled and ready to march to town for the procession they were halted at the gates and stood to attention while the buglers sounded the “Last Post.”

“The place wants a new roof, liew walls, fresh floors and possibly now rafters,” said Dr. F. W. W. Dawson, Medical Officer of Health, giving evidence on an application for a demolition order in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch. “Would you say the laces were all right? The soles and the uppers have gone,” asked Mr. Louglinan. “I will not say anything is all right in that building,” replied the witness. In Ute Legislative Council recently the Hon. R. Masters stated that the tunnellers on the Public Works had been on a great wicket. They liad been earning us much as from £1 10s to £2 5s a day, plus house rent of 3s per day and 19 days’ holiday annually on full pay, representing another 3s a day. On a railway line, of ten miles, the housing alone cost the Government £3OOO a mile for building the railways. “I have the figures relating to wholesale prices of imported goods,” said the Hon. R, Masters in the Legislative Council. “Taking the index figure in 1913 as 100, they arc: In 1925, 161; in 102 D, 133; in .lune, 1930, 113; in December, 1930, 98.7, or lower than the pre-war price.” iMr. Masters went on to say that there was not a town in the Dominion that was not over-shopped, and the competition would protect the public from exploitation. People in the Auckland district lately have been intrigued by a new departure in commercial enterprise. Under arrangement with the Railway Department, an Auckland hardware firm has secured the use of a railway carriage,, end has mid it fitted up as a very attractive sample-room. This car, bearing the name of the firm in huge letters, is shunted into sidings at various places along the line, and there is visited by the local tradespeople.

The presentation of a handbag for her services in visiting the returned soldiers in flic New Plymouth hospital was made by the returned men on Anzac afternoon to Miss Winifred Sole,

Attendance at school for six years without having missed a single day is the proud record of Douglas Waugh, a pupil of the Maiingawhau School, Auckland. The annual repor of the school committee states that more pupils are gaining good attendance certificates yearly. In 1928 the number was 105, in 1929 it was 128 and last year the number reached 176.

’l’lie decision of the Agricultural Department that stoats and weasels may be destroyed in areas containing not less than 50 acres of natural bush was welcomed at a meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, the president remarking that this was the most noteworthy achievement of the year's work. The society proposed to oiler u reward of 2s Gd a head.

During the drawing of the Lucky Dog Art Union at the Town Hall Concert Chamber at Wellington on Wednesday the secretary, Mr. Neil McArthur, went to and fro across the stage 153 times Calculating from the width of the stage, he walked a mile and a quarter all told. .His time for the distance, adds the Dominion, was two hours and seventeen minutes.

At the annual meeting of the Returned Soldiers Association at Urenui last night Mr. E. K. Blundell spoke in appreciative terms of the address given at the Urenui Anzac Day service by the Rev. A. L. Dixon,. Presbyterian minister at Wajtara, which the speaker characterised as the most inspiring he had ever heard. It was unanimously resolved to forward a letter of appreciation to Mr. Dixoh.

One is never too old to be a golfer, judging from the remarks made by Mr. William Smith at the annual meeting of tiie Queen’s Park Golf Club, says the Southland Times. He stated that he played his first galnc of golf at the age of 58 years and, 22 years later, ho went round the course last Saturday in 88. “I am now entering into my second childhood and by the time I reach my majority I hope that my score will be 100—a stroke for every year of my life.” Mr. Smith concluded amid applause.

There were several workmen who had unenviable experiences on. Wednesday, says tile Napier Telegraph, when the earthquake swayed the district. Two men working at Dr. Moore’s hospital on the Marine Parade narrowly escaped a portion of the roof which fell in, while men working on the formation of the Breakwater Road around the huge slip declare that tile whole hillside appeared to be coming over. Only a small slip occurred, however, just beyond the Breakwater.

Numbers of loquat trees in Gisborne are already in blossom, while many others are ready to burst into flower. Orchftrdists remark that they have seldom noticed loqtiats bloom so early in the winter, and consider, says the Poverty Bay Herald, the trees are a month or more ahead of the usual time. The opinion is held by some residents that the early blossoming of these trees is an indication of a mild winter with an almost entire absence of frosts.

“We used to hear a lot about the ‘one man, one job’ plank in the Labour Party’s platform,’’ said the Citizens’ Association Mayoral candidate at Christchurch (Mr. W. Hayward) in his opening address. “Now it appears to road, ‘one man as many jobs as he can catch,’ whether he can carry out the ditties or not.” Answering an iiiterjector, Mr. Hayward said that he believed in ‘one man one job.’’ “Then why not put some of the unemployed on the council?” asked the man.

New forms for declarations under the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act, passed a few days ago, have been gazetted. The applicant for entrance to New Zealand must answer a number of questions regarding his health and personal character, and must give reasons for his intention to settle in the Dominion. One question relates io the amount of English currency in possession of the applicant, and any intended business or occupation must be indicated.

A witness modestly admitted in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch the other afternoon that he was the champion horseman of the world. He thought he was also champion driver of the world. When he said in the witness box that he was over 80, although he could not. remember his exact age, the opposing counsel asked if he had not been over 80 during his Cotlrt appearances in the last six or seven years. “Well, I’m over 80 now,” declared witness.

Tile fame of the All Blacks has spread far and wide, and even in tile distant Mediterranean island of Corsica the inhabitants know of their success on tlie playing fields of the world. Miss Evangeline Worden, an old girl of the Wanganui Girls’ College, related on her recent return to Wanganui that when she told the Corsicans she caine from New Zealand they replied, “Oh, yes—Nepia!” They knew mote of the famous fullback than they did of any other New Zealander.

Utterly contemptuous of the conventions, elderly Maori wahines sat on the kerb in Robe Street yesterday afternoon, smoked their back, short-stem-med pipes, arid gossiped about the latest scandal in the pa. Their laces were wrinkled with age, some had their lips tattooed in the old style, and their copiously-fitting clothes disclosed the innate native love for colours find tartans. They wfere waiting their turn to be paid, for it waq “rent day” at the courthouse. Contrasting strangely with these survivors of an older generation were the young nleh and women, most of them smartly dressed and fairly well acquainted with the proprietaries of street conduct.

Arrangements have been made by Auckland yachtsmen to welcome the crews of the yachts Teddy aiid Raiigl when they return to Auckland from Sydney. The Teddy is now due, but the winds have been light, and so far she has not been reported off the coast. If the Teddy shows up of Auckland, it ig proposed to tow her in, but until the vessel has been cleared by the Customs she chniiot be boarded by visitors. It is proposed that the Rqngi shall call at Russell on the way down the coast to be cleared. A number of Auckland yachtsmen intend to go to IttisScll to welcome the crew.

When an application was made at the Nelson Police Court for an order suppressing froin publication the naine of, a person charged with shop-lifting, Mr. 1. E. MaunSell, S.M., said he doubted the stuteliielit made by counsel that sliopliftilig was not prevalent in Nelson. Of course he had iio knowledge one waj of the other, but he had a very definite impression that it was an offence veiy difficult to detect. He must impose a fine. “As to the suppression of the name,” he added, “L shall say quite definitely that I will never suppress the publication of any name in connection with shop-lifting. Publication of the name will be a greater deterrent to shoplifting than anything else.” A large number of applications were received by the New Plymouth Lawn Tennis Club for the position of groundsman. At a meeting of the executive last evening it wa* decided appoint Mr. H. Hall, F.R.H.S., to the position. Extensive top-dressing operations are being undertaken by the club with specially selected soil from South Taranaki.