LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Proof of the widespread influence of the R.S.A. was shown at the Urenui reunion last night, when the “roll call revealed representation of the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago regiments, the Imperial Army, the Royal Navy, the Machine Gun Corps, the Artillery, the Light Railways, the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Camel Corps and Engineers. Heavy seas were running on the North Taranaki coast before a noreaster yesterday. Fishermen whose launches were near the wharves put extra mooring ropes on their craft, to prepare for the night. Coastal shipping was able to work the port without difficulty, but heavy weather at Nelson has delayed the Opihi a day on its journey to New Plymouth.

Struck by a motor-car while he was walking on the road at fariki on luesday night, Mr. R. Marshall was cut on the head and hands and suffered shock. Mrs. Marshall, who was with her husband, was also knocked down, her arm being bruised. It was stated the driver of the car was dazzled by approaching headlights. The latest report is that Mr. Marshall is suffering mostly from shock.

Prospects pointed to a payment of 114 d per lb butter-fat in his district, on the average for the season, stated a Taranaki coastal farmer yesterday, though suppliers to some factories would be receiving Is a lb. Production had fallen off to a certain extent because farmers had stinted with fertilisers, trying to economise. This year, however, they were sinking every penny they could get in top-dressing, and he considered if prices were reasonable next sason the position of the Taranaki farmer should be much more stable.

In reply to a question from Mr. J. H. H. Holm at a meeting of the New Plymouth Harbour Board yesterday, the harbourmaster, Captain O. F. Mclntyre, stated that he did not anticipate any more dredging would be required until next summer. In any case it should only be sand drift, and it was impossible at present to estimate what this would be. With regard to the breakwater the foreman, Mr. J. E. Hawes, states that there was no apparent subsidence of the apron work on the seaward side of the wall.

At the National Dairy Association Conference at New Plymouth last year, when matters of grave importance to the industry were discussed, it was stated that everyone present voted, even though he might have been a townsman with no direct interest in dairying. Precautions are being taken at the conference to be 'held at Palmerston North this year to ensure that only accredited delegates, from factories vote. They are bein**provided with tickets which will to a special section of the conference hall, also with special badges, there being distinguishing colours for representatives of butter and cheese factories.

The strong connections that exist between Yorkshire and New Zealand will come as a surprise to many Yorkshire people who have believed that when Captain Cook discovered these islands the county’s interest finished there, says a recent issue of the Yorkshire Post. It is the proud claim of Sir Thomas Wilford, the High Commissioner for that Dominion, that ha has uot a drop of blood in him that does not come from Yorkshire. He was horn in New Zealand, it is true, but his parents came from the village of Brompton, near Northallerton. The High Commissioner has still relatives in Yorkshire. One of his uncles was the first chairman of the Brompton School Board, whilst an aunt served as organist for fifty years at Brompton Wesleyan Chapel, and he has another link with the county through Mr. Edwin Wilford, who was a woollen manufacturer at Birstall.

“I would suggest that night lights be granted to business firms to minimise the risk of burglaries,” stated the electrical engineer (Mr, J. H. Scott) at a meeting of the Hastings Borough Council. “The lights could be supplied at £2 for the first 60-watt lamp, and £1 for each additional 60-watt lamp per year, controlled from 10.30 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night. The circuit of these lights would be independent of the main lighting and could not be tampered with.” The proposal was adopted.

Through the deduction of 22£ per cent, from interest payments to be made in Australia on July 1, and with the exchange rate now ruling, the ManawatuOroua Power Board hopes to save over £3200 out of an amount of £ll,OOO.

Compared with the amount allocated for construction last year by the Main Highways Board in respect of three district councils in Canterbury, the reduction this year is equivalent to £lOB,OOO, and in respect to maintenance the reduction is £24,000, or a total of £132,000. “I was driving an unregistered car and had the lights dimmed so that the traffic inspector would not pick me up,” was the candid admission of a witness in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch this week. He was being pressed for a reason why he had not seen some cyclists on the road.

Last week the Oamaru police received an envelope through the post constaining an unsigned letter and a several-stoned diamond ring. The letter read: When passing through Oamaru about seven years ago the enclosed ring was found. At the time it was put aside and forgotten. The sender regrets this, but sincerely trusts that you may find the owner.” According to the police records no such ring was reported lost.

Exaggerated reports of the rioting that took place in Queen Street on April 14 are still filtering back to Auckland. At a meeting of the Auckland Transport Board on Tuesday Mr. T. Bloodworth said that ho had read in a Toronto newspaper that “during the riot drinkmaddened women pulled down the walls of a theatre, and the occupants of the amusement house were forced to escape by the back door.” . Counterfeit half-crowns arc again in circulation. Last week two complaints were received by the police, both from newsboys, says the Auckland Star. One boy received a bad half-crown on Wednesday, and another was on Friday night handed a poor imitation of the real coin. The police have possession of both bogus coins, together with the description of one man. The coins ar» not nearly as good as the counterfeit llorins circulated some months ago, and can easily be detected. In a motion, of which notice has been given for the next meeting of the Christchurch City Council, Mr. E. A. Armstrong proposes that the maximum salaries of all the council’s officers shall be £5OO a year. On a previous occasion, about six months ago, he submitted a similar motion, in which he proposed that the money saved should be used to provide additional employment; he now wants the amount saved devoted to providing food and clothing for those in distress.

As an example of keenness in competition in the building trade it was stated last week that between the highest and lowest of 12 tenders received for the alteration of Queen Street (Auckland) premises, involving about £OOOO, there was a difference of only about £BOO. A case of even closer tendering is reported by Mr. R. Thorrold-Jaggard, of Palmerston North, who stated that for a business block there only £9O divided six tenderers in a £6600 contract, while £3OO represented tho difference between the highest and the lowest of ten tenders.

*T will not tolerate this sort of thing. Anyone who interferes with the police in the execution of their duty must expect to be dealt with severely,” said Mr. J. H. Salmon, SIM., at the Wanganui Police Court when sentencing Ralph Fletcher Voyce to fourteen days’ imprisonment for assaulting Constable Willetts. It was stated that Voyce, a wharf labourer, called at the homo of the stevedore and complained that he was not getting enough work. He was advised to leave, and when he did not the police wore called. When Constable Willetts arrived Voyce struck him s» blow behind the ear.\ Is the arrival of twins in a family—like an outbreak of fire—a disaster, a risk to be insured against? Some people, says the Press, must regard it in this way, for the manager of one Christchurch insurance company said on Tuesday that his firm was prepared to provide a cover against the risk of twins. The rate was low, but so far no such policy had been taken out here, and he did not think that there had been any in New Zealand. However, the fact that such policies had been taken out in England might be regarded as indicating a different view on the subject of twins. “The current financial difficulties have resulted in a greatly increased interest in the activities of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research,” said Dr. E. Marsden, Secretary of the department, at Christchurch on Tuesday. There had been a great number of requests for information, and these in general had shown a desire for full information before embarking on a new enterprise, where formerly the people concerned had been content to trust to luck that certain factors, on which the department could give information, would work out all right. Recently the department had been asked to advise concerning humidity and other factors at sites where 'the erection of new factories was contemplated.

“Trophies are the curse of sport,” said Mr. F. Jennings at a farewell dinner to Mr. A. Bullock-Douglas, one of the All Blacks, at Wanganui, on Saturday night. He considered that sport would be cleaner and brighter if all trophies were buried. He mentioned that the Primary Schools’ Rugby Union, of which he was president, had wrapped Up all the trophies won and forwarded them to the Education Board for safe keeping. Mr. Jennings considered that trophies were the ruination of many sports—the game should be played for the spirit of it and not for what could be got out of it. A plan of the cottages to be built on the small farms, which the Government intends to establish throughout the country for the unemployed, shows that these buildings will contain two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. Every inch of space will be utilised so that there will be no waste. Steps lead up to the living room in which there is 'built an open fireplace, the room being 14ft by 9ft. In the kitchen, which is 10ft by 7ft 9in, there is a range, a sink, tubs and a copper. The two bedrooms are lift by 9ft and there is a casement window in every room. It is estimated that each cottage will cost about £l6O to erect.

Students attending Lincoln College, Canterbury, in 1931 numbered 72, of whom 67 were enrolled for the whole year, stated the director’s annual report to the Board of Governors this week. “This enrolment,” added the director, “was in excess of that for 1930 and constitutes a record for the college. This very large attendance, together with thp applications for 1932, can be taken as an indication that the training offered by the college is meeting with full approval, and there is the further indication that agricultural education is recognised as a necessary preparation for farming.” There were twelve B.Ag.Sc. students, of whom five completed the course, thus being the first lot to qualify for the new degree. Diploma students numbered 60, of whom 13 second-year students qualified,

The Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. A. Hamilton) has agreed to waive the Government’s share of the taxes from the trotting meeting to be run by the Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ Association at Addington on July 16, in aid of the Christchurch Relief Fund. The fund will benefit to a considerably greater extent as a result of the Government’s action.

No attempt is to bo made, says the Press, to salvage the steamer Kaponga, as it is considered the work would be too costly. The ship therefore will remain on the north tiphead, at the entrance to the Grey River, to be broken up by the sea. The ship appears to have moved slightly up on the apron of the north tiphead, with the bow almost submerged and the stern ’ high out of the water.

Condemnation of the small farm scheme was voiced at a meeting of the Marton Unemployment Committee. The following motion was passed: “Tha/b this committee would be failing in its duty to the country if it neglected to draw the attention of the Unemployment Board to the futility of the ‘ten-, acre scheme.’ Several instances in the Rangitikei district can be quoted where experienced farm labourers of capability, and who are milking up to eight cows on ten acres, are now coming on the unemployment scheme through the inadequacy of their earnings.” A significant recent move in the provisions market throughout New Zealand is the decided drop in the prices of canned beef and mutton, says the Dunedin Star. Campers, holidaymakers, and men who work in out-of-the-way places will welcome this concession. Its effect will also enable overworked housewives to further economise. The reduction is attributed to the fall in the price of meat and the lowered costs of preparation. Nearly all the canned beef and mutton seen in the shops is produced in the Dominion.

Business in real estate in Christchurch was better than had been expected, Mr. Owen Baker, president of the Canterbury and Westland branch of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, told a Sun reporter on Wednesday. The number of inquiries which were being made for the purchase of properties showed that some measure of confidence was returning, and some sales were going through—though nothing like the normal amount of better times, of course. Where vendors were prepared to meet conditions by lowering prices, they could find a market. ' Th© unemployment gold mining camp at Maggie Creek, in the Hophouse district, known as the old Golden Hope field, at present contains about 100 men, states the Nelson Mail. "The men are working on a tail race and have not yet commenced operations on their respective claims Howevez, the washing of the spoil from the tail race is being carried out and a washup of this will be made, probably next week. Any such return will be shared by the men. Much interest was aroused the other day when one of the men turned over a stone and encountered a slug weighing one pennyweight. Owing to the boisterous weather that prevailed yesterday the Okato Axemen’s Carnival and sports was postponed until to-morrow. A number of competitors from as far as Ratapiko and Uruti, who had made the trip in the hope that the weather would clear and enable the sports to be carried out, signified their intention of returning to-morrow. It was decided to carry on the euchre party and dance as arranged last night, and another dance will be held to-mor-row night also to conclude the sports. The following replies to advertisements are awaiting collection at the Daily News Office, New Plymouth: “Thoroughbred,’’ “Grate,” “Country,” “Skates.”