LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Whitebait were on sale in New (Plymouth yesterday, the succulent fish already 'having begun to run up the North Taranaki'streams and rivers.

OkaiaWa is only a small township but it is noted for one thing at least-— its footballers. This year the club has the distinction of entering ams in three grades and winning through to the Taranaki final in all three.

The latest in schoolboy “howlers” was received by the examiners at a repent Taranaki book-keeping test. In answer to a request for a definition of discount the examiner was informed that “Discount was something that we received for paying money honestly.” Owing to the work of widening the road on the Onaero Hill, near Urenui, only a narrow track is at present available for motorists, according to the report of the service officer attached to the Taranaki Automobile Association. There is a traffic-way sufficient for only one car.

The sum of £2l 19s Cd was received for the benefit of the unemployed as a result of the secondary school match between the New Plymouth Boys’ High .School and the Wanganui Collegiate School first fifteens at Pukekura Park yesterday. The New Plymouth Relief Association acknowledges the assistance of Mr. J. Johnston and his regular staff of gatekeepers, who gave their services for the match free of charge.

Great admiration of the way in which the "British people have been facing the crisis was expressed by Dr. Gladys Montgomery, of Auckland, who has just returned from a visit to England. “Dividends have shrunk to nothing, incomes have faded to mere ghosts of what they were and people are taxed almost out of existence, yet they do not grumble and repine as we do in New Zealand over bad times,” she said. “They give a laugh, shrug their shoulders and get to work to try and adjust things. ‘So long as Britain pulls through we can stand it,’ is th : r main thought.” The people were magnificently sporting, Was Dr. Montgomery’s summing up of their attitude.

The comment that apparently many motorists overtook cars at intersections without realising that they were doing so or were committing a breach of the regulations was made by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M-, at New Plymouth yesterday when a motorist wrote thpt she did pot remember overtaking a car, as alleged in the information. However, a constable give evidence that she had dune so, that her speed was 35 to 40 miles an hour, and that she had had to swerve sharply- to avoid an ing car.

Hearing a peculiar dragging sound in the roadway as he was ascending the hill past the Workers’ Social Hall en route to the inter-school Rugby" match at Pukekura Park yesterday a New Plymouth resident observed that one of the repr wheels of a four-wheeled, horsedrawn vehicle was not revolving. Crouching on the 'box seat in front of a load of pumpkins, the wizened Chinese driver appeared stolidly indifferent to what was going on behind him. “Hi,” yelled the passer-by, “your back wheel must be caught. It isn’t going round.” “Alice the same, the good brake; ha-ha,” replied the driver brightly, apd on he went.

{ Fruit, vegetables and poultry will be , offered at Npwtop King Ltd.’s Kapopga mart sale to-morrow.

A wonderful opportunity! Final clearance of ladies’ frocks, costumes and coats. Coats, former price £5/5/t, clearing at 29/6. Coats, formerly 65/-, clearing .at 19/6. Frocks, usual price £5/5/-, clearing at 25/-. Frocks, formerly 65/-, clearing at 10/6. Balance of our tailored costumes clearing at all one price, 29/6. As in most casees there are only limited quantities you are advised to come early to secure the pick of the best of the bargains.*

An unusual accident befell Mr. Hammond, of Wiltsdown, Putaruru. Mr. Hammond was using sodium chlorate in conjunction with lime as a top-dressing, and apparently some of the mixture worked into his boots. When he put his feet near the fire the socks immediately burst into flames, causing severe burns.

“The country would not be in the state it is in to-day if the farmers had not deserted the horse,” declared a councillor at a meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council on Monday evening, when a circular was received from the Trapsport Department asking the council’s views of the proposed exemption of farmers’ lorries from hepvy traffic fees. The council decided to reply that it was not in favour of any such exemption. Evidence continues to be afforded of a desire on the part of the landlords of business premises to assist their tenants towards the restoration of normal conditions. The lessee of a leading hotel in Dunedin informed a Daily Tinies reporter that his landlord had notified him of a further decrease of £4OO a year in the rental charged for the promises, making a total exceeding £l3OO a year in three progressive reductions.

The east-west Australian air mail plane, which arrived at Parafield aerodrome, Adelaide, on August 4, covered the distance of 1450 miles between Perth and Adelaide in 9 hours 40 minutes’ flying time. The previous record was 10 hours’ flying time. Captain Stanley Bfiearley, the pilot, said that a following wind, from Forrest had helped to establish the new record. At times the plane had travelled at 160. miles an hour.

The erection of a first-class bath house on the Napjer waterfront in the neighbourhood of the intersection of Emerson Street with the Marine Parade is upder consideration by a few who are interested in the progress of Napier. The scheme, which will require a capital of £50,006, of which a large proportion is already available, will occupy an area of approximately two acres, and an application has been made to the Borough Commissioners for the necessary concessions ipvolvjng a lease of the land, 'for the purpose from the Borough Council.

The attention paid by a cow to the contents of a baker’s delivery van at Ngongotaha on Friday caused considerable amusement to paSsers-by and, says the Auckland Star, anxiety to the owner of the van. While the baker was deliv? ering orders, the cow evinced a liking for bread, and, the van doors having been left open, decided to satisfy its desires. A very surprised roundsman returned to find the cow enjoying the feast, its head being inside the van. >lt was some considerable time before the _ cow could fl? persuaded that there are " better things to eat than bread.

A remarkably close balance betweop tli© numbers of males and females in the South Island is shown in the estimates of population as at June 30, published in laSt week’s Gazette The South Island population is shown as 540,644, of whom 270,406 are males and 270,238 females, a difference of only 168 between the sexes. Excluding Maoris, the piafgin is even narrower. Males total 268,807 and females 268,786, a difference Of 21. The estimated population of the North Island is 984,277 (males 507,426; females 476,851), and the Dominion, excluding dependencies/, 1,455,028 (males 741,465, females, 713,563).

The success of the policy of canvassing retailers individually in order to encourage the sales of ’ New Zealand butter is strikingly demonstrated by a return prepared by the Empire Marketing Board. For six months personal calls were made on every Wholesaler and retailer of butter in the principal towns of Lancashire. As a result of these visits, the proportion of shopkeepers selling Empire butter rose from 56 to 73 per cent. The retail market surveys of the demand for butter have Shown that in certain districts the consumption of the New Zealand butter has more than doubled in the past two years.

Defendants in claims for damages following accidents are, says the Welling, ton Post, often asked, “'Did you go to see the plaintiff in hospital?” or “Did you think of making inquiries about the plaintiff in hospital?” When a question of this sort was asked in the Supreme Court Mr. Justice Ostler expressed his disapproval by remarking to counsel, “What is the _ object of this question—to make the jury angry and get them to give more against the defendant? Questions like this have nothing to do with the, accident.” Counsel apologised and said that he had heard similar questions put to defendants previously without exception being taken to them. “I know that,” said His Honour, “but they ought not to be allowed.” Young hooligans on the Cashmere Hills on Sunday found a senseless pleasure, says the Christchurch Times, in snow? balling passing motor-cars, but as a result of their actions, a young man, Mr. John Lam'b, of 81, Dean Street, St. Albaris, will probably lose tho sight of one eye. The windscreen of the motor-car which Mr. Lamb was driving was shattered into small pieces, one of which hit him in the face, practically severing one of his eyeballs and cutting liis cheek very badly. Luckily he had the presence of mind to stop the car and pull into the side of the road. Mr. J. G. Lamb, father of the young man, said on Monday he had been told that the injured eye would have to be removed.

The cost of the New Zealand delegation to the Ottawa Conference will be about £4OOO, in the opinion of the Minister of Education (the Hon. LMasters, M.L.0.), as expressed in Christchurch. Mr. S. Baird, chairman of the East Christchurch School Committee, in making a claim for a new building, said that the Government could find the money if it wanted to. “They can find £40,000 or £50,000 if they want a little trip, or anything like that,” he said. When the Minister replied he stated that if it was the Ottawa Conference My. Baird was referring to lie could get it out of hi? mind that it would be anything'ijke that. Mr.'Masters said he was doubtful himself if it would cost even £4OOO.

“Until we get a warm northerly rain, that will melt the low-lying snow on Mount Egmont and on the Pouakai and Kaitake Ranges the frosts, are likely to continue,” was the opinion expressed by a coastal farmer to a Daily News representative. “In the meantime cows are coming to profit quickly we are in urgent need of grass, he continued. The farmer pointed put that generally speaking herds were in fairly good condition because of plenty of winter hay, ensilage and swedes and the absence of wet apd cold Wl **dy weather. This class of fodder, yni being of great feeding value to etocK, did not induce a milk flow frosh spring grass. The frosts, however, would be very beneficial to the land as a ‘‘sweetener” and would also P materially in killing ineocts that attack the pastures in the summer and autumn.

An unreserved sale of 10 sows close to farrowing and 10 sows with weaners is advertised in the auction columns on behalf of Messrs. Burwell Bros., Kaimata. The sale will be conducted by Messrs. Newton King, Ltd., at 1 p.m., next Monday on the farm about one mile from the Kairnata township.