LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The first fall of snow on Mount Egmont was visible yesterday morning from Hawera when the clouds cleared after obscuring the mountain for the past couple of days. The dry spell of weather and mild temperatures have made the arrival of the “first fall” later this year than usual. It happened at Waitara. Some men had been engaged to grub gorse. The day was pleasant, and a quiet game of euchre behind a sheltering hedge was after all a much better way of passing time than gorso grubbing. So this was the setting on to which the employer entered as he rounded the corner unobserved. “I’ll go alone,” said one of the players. “Ind.eed you won’t,” observed the new arrival, “You’ll all go together.” And they did.

Central Waikato, especially the district around Cambridge, has had a very unfortunate dairying year, said a .Waikato farmer in conversation with a News representative yesterday. A very long spell of dry weather had put production back seriously, he said, and though some Taranakians thought the season had not been all it might have been, they did not realise how lucky they were. The coast near Opunake seemed to have had insufficient rain, but the district further north had apparently been much better served., March was an exceptionally busy ■period at the New Plymouth Hospital. Patients admitted numbered 238, compared with 187 during corresponding month last year, and 198, the previous highest number of admissions. The superintendent (Dr. G. F. Rich) reported to the board yesterday that tho highest number of patients for one day last month was 175, compared with 156. Patients remaining in hospital totalled 174, compared with 154 at the end of March last year. Mr. R. J. Dears said he could not understand why this hospital should have more patients than those in other districts, in some of which it was reported wards were being closed. “Our hospital is more full and we ate mournful,” said Mr. H. E. Blydc. The weight of the lamb, the weight of which was to be computed on the second day of the Tarata dog trials was 991 b. Mr. R. Paterson’s rose bowl for the maiden dog scoring most points in classes 1 and II was won by P. Topping’s Fly. Mr. S. George's rose bowl for maiden dog scoring most points in class IV was won by J, Hirst’s Glen,

The Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday decided to protest to the Hospitals Boards’ Association against the recommendation of the National Expenditure Commission to reduce or cancel pensions of various descriptions.

“You can’t even sack a fireman these days,” said a chief engineer in evidence at the Arbitration Court at Wellington on Thursday. “In the old days you could impart a little moral persuasion with a spanner,” suggested counsel. “That is, if you were big enough, rejoined witness.

To be issued in September, an album of New Zealand Birds is being prepared to the order of the Native Bird Protection Society. In his presidential address on Thursday evening, Mr. R. A. Anderson, C.M.G., stated that a tender had been accepted for the preparation of the album. The cost would be £695, of which £l2O would go for the painting of the pictures and £575 for the printing.

“I have seen a stoker sitting down crying because he could not get . up steam,” said a witness in the Arbitration Court at Wellington on Thursday. “Crying for no other reason ?” asked counsel. “No; he was as sober and steady as a judge,” answered witness. Mr. Justice Frazer: “He .must have been more emotional than a judge.” .Witness, with a deprecatory wave of his hand: “Oh, I beg your pardon.” “These abominable boom times are followed as night is followed by day, by slump periods,” remarked .Sir Andrew Russell, speaking to a Napier audience. “I do not think that any measures which might be taken to stabilise currency, or any other means, will ever take the place of hard work, plus eco ' nomy—true economy, because, thrift can be carried too far,” added Sir Andrew. ‘’Success depends on our own efforts, which will make either men or women of us, or mites.”

One annual meeting in New Plymouth recently refused absolutely to bow to the depression. The meeting, which found itself with a substantial credit balance, was considering the honorarium of the secretary. One member proposed that it be raised from two guineas to three guineas. Another proposed that it should be five guineas and the meeting decided unanimously to adopt that course, making a rise for the secretary of 250 per cent. The “anti-depression-ists,” needless to say, were almost all young people.

Increased quantities of vegetables were on sale at the auction marts in New Plymouth yesterday. Auctioneers stated that most of them had been grown in and around New Plymouth. People were supplementing small incomes by marketing their produce. One client had marketed cut flowers so successfully that it was expected in the next spring and summer to have a section of the auction sales for these. Prices had varied for produce, said an auctioneer, but on the whole they were on a profitable basis. Gisborne has been comparatively free from prowling molesters of women and girls, says the Herald, but cases of molestation have been reported within the past few days from Whataupoko, the most serious occurring on Tuesday evening. A young woman emerging from a private gateway was attacked by a man, who had evidently noted her approach, and whose features were indistinguishable in the darkness. Fighting the man off, the young woman screamed, and thus frightened her assailant, who disappeared after a short struggle to prevent her calling assistance. Had the victim of the attack been less able to take care of herself the consequences of the incident might have been tragic, for the man left bruises about hexthroat. f

“You promised to give me 5J and 5J per cent, on my debentures for ten and 20 years. The Government has now passed a law reducing the interest of those debentures,” stated a lady holder of corporation debentures in a letter to the Invercargill City Council on Tuesday evening. “If the Government can break their agreement I am entitled to break mine. When you applied for these loans you were quite prepared to give the amount of interest. I have more money to invest, but certainly do not intend putting any more into your loans. As soon as this law 1 has passed you can get my money ready, as the agreement will be broken.” The Mayor stated that he knew the writer and had drafted a letter to her in reply. The literary vandal who delights in defacing books with inscriptions is at large again in the Canterbury Public Library, according to the report of the librarian, Mr. E. J. Bell, for the month of March. Mr. Bell states in his report that the margin-scribbler is at work again. A book is borrowed, and then, to gratify some craving for notoriety, the reader inscribes his opinion of the book or the author on the margins or the title page, thus spoiling the pleasure of future readers. The library staff, however, have strict instructions to watch for this public pest, and it is hoped to put a stop to the nuisance. A controversy arose in Christchurch' recently because it was suggested that the New Zealand Geographical Board proposed to change the name “Arthur’s Pass”-to “Arthur Pass.” Mr. Johannes Andersen states that the board’s proposal was merely to drop the apostrophe, thus placing Arthurs Pass on a footing with such established place names as Hawkes Bay and Banks Peninsula. The board, he added, had given the name “Arthur Pass National Park” to the new park area including the pass, but did not suggest dropping the “e” from the old-established name of tho pass itself.

Cheques to be distributed among dairymen of the Gisborne district this month will be substantially larger than for the corresponding period last year, states the Poverty Bay Herald. This is not the result of better marketing conditions, but because of the remarkable recovery the dairy herds have made since the copious rains following the breaking of the drought brought away a remarkable growth of grass. The Kia Ora factory was thus enabled to manufacture twice as much butter last month than during March last year, while the Okitu factory’s increase was nearly 200 per cent. These figures are eloquent testimony of the ability of the Gisborne country to recover after severe dry spells. There was an impressive scene at the Auckland Domain at the conclusion of the secondary schools’ athletic championships. While boys were scurrying everywhere, carrying hurdles, tables, forms, trestles, pegs and other gear to the sheds on the far side, the Auckland Grammar School’s Band struck up the National Anthem. Immediately, says the Star, every boy dropped his load, turned about to face the pavilion, removed his cap, and stood to attention. The only inconvenience caused was to the student who happened to be carrying the 161 b. shot used for the putting event. Anticipating that tho music would cease at the usual three bars, he “stood by” (meantime holding tho weight with both hands), but when the band proceeded to finish the first verse he dropped his burden, reached for his cap, and stood bareheaded to the end.

Thrift is the passwoixl for every housewife to-day. When shopping you always try to make the pound go further, but what is the advantage if you do not get genuine value for your money. So it is well to bear in mind 'where you can get the best value. McGruer's are noted for their better value. See our advertisement.”