LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Three bankruptcies were recorded in the New Plymouth district in November as against two in November, 1931. Local bodies have been advised by the Unemployment Board that it will make labour available to farmers for the eradication of ragwort.

Mount Egmont was the subject of an interesting address by Dr. George Home to members of the New Plymouth Round-table Club at their luncheon yesterday. Dr. Home dealt with the geological history of New Zealand and the origin of the mountain on the same lines as in previous addresses recently delivered.

Although no large buildings were erected in the New Plymouth borough in November of either 1931 or 1932, the total value of permits for the month just ended was £4055, as against £4426 in 1931. Details, with figures for November, 1931, in parentheses, are: Dwellings, 5 (6), garages, sheds, additions, alterations, etc., 11 (13).

You can lead a calf to the playground, but you cannot necessarily make him step out daintily to show his paces after you have got him there. This was the experience of several of the children displaying calves in group 11. of the northern division of the Boys’ and Girls’ Club calf-rearing competition yesterday. Particularly at Lincoln Road school the animals became somewhat stubborn and prompted the judges to remark that a few lessons in leading were an 'essential part of the education of any wellbred calf.

Appreciation of the park’s beauty and of the progressive policy of the Pukekura Park Board was expressed in a letter received by the secretary from the general manager of a well-known insurance company who visited New Plymouth recently. This appreciation was expressed in a tangible form, the business man asking the board to accept an annual donation of £1 Is. towards the maintenance of the park. This action by a visitor -was greatly appreciated by board members.

Rapid progress is being made in the preparation of the large Blue Bath, Rotorua, for the opening which it is intended shall take place prior to the Christmas holidays. The bath proper has already been plastered and with the fitting of the glass into the submerged lights, will soon be almost ready for use. Plastering work is also being quickly carried out in the dressing-rooms and general cleaning-up work is being prosecuted.

During the electric storm which burst over South Canterbury on Saturday morning, lightning struck a house at Temuka, owned by Mr. W. Benbow, tearing the iron from the roof and extensively damaging the rear of the building. No one was injured. Friends and neighbours assisted the occupants to extinguish the .fire which broke out. At the Temuka sub-station of the South Canterbury Electric Power. Board the wife of the manager (Mr. David Stewart), received a shock while answering the telephone. Fortunately she was not seriously injured. « “The cities often have jokes against each other, but they are usually well meant,” commented Mr. H. Mandeno, of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, at the annual meeting of the Auckland branch. Mr. Mandeno referred to a story about the measures taken in the design of an Auckland building to shut out the clangour of tramcars and motor traffic in Queen Street. “You have these noises in Auckland,” he said, “but in Dunedin we have the bagpipes.” “In the present machine age the use man makes of his leisure is one of the pivotal factors in the success or nonsuccess -of civilisation,” said Mr. Frank Milner, C.M.G., Rector of Waitaki Boys’ High School, in an address to Rotarians at Timaru on Saturday. “There is need for sound international education for leisure. If boys and girls are taught to have aesthetic tastes, useful hobbies, and wholesome recreation, civilisation can be saved. Primarily, education must be liberal and humanistic, and only on this foundation should vocationalism be built. A wider endowment of vision and leadership is required.” The first high climb of the season from the Franz Josef Hostel was accomplished on Tuesday (says a correspondent) by Mr. Goodfellow, of the English Alpine Club, with Guide J. Cox, when the Minarets and the de la Beehe, both over 10,000 ft., were climbed. The ascent was made from the Aimer hut. The weather and the snow conditions were perfect and splendid views were obtained. The party had a wonderful ski run back from Graham Saddle to the hut after finishing their climb. On the same day Miss Theomin, of Dunedin, with Guide Peter Graham, also ascended the Mount Drummond and St. Mildred peaks.

The remnants of an Australian fortune, estimated to be about £40,000, until considerably reduced as the result of litigation, are likely to revert to the Crown unless substantiated claims are presented within 100 days from October 1. The money concerns the relatives of James Morrison, formerly of Islington, who was successful on the goldfields SO years ago. His bequests were made to the Morrison, Fraser, Sandy and Alport families, some of whom lived in London and others in New Zealand. Unless good and sufficient reason is made to the contrary within the time stated, the corpus of the estate will go to the Crown.

An Auckland resident well acquainted with wool conditions says that there were two factors in connection with wool clips this year that should improve the farmers’ finances. In the first instance, wool this season was much cleaner than it had been for several years, due, he said, to the excellent winter we had experienced—a circumstance that had made the sheep healthier, as reflected in the excellent lambing season. In the second instance, those farmers who had withheld selling their clips for the past two or three years, waiting for better prices, were now putting their clips on the market, and thus could realise on them. Commenting on this latter fact, he said very often the farmer was no better off, because an fistute woolbuyer could usually “pick” the old wool, and would bid low. accordingly,

Some months ago the Wanganui River Trust Board decided, in its capacity as a Domain Board, to have the caves above Pipirlki made accessible for tourists. It was reported to tho last meeting of the board that tracks had been constructed at the caves and rustic bridges erected. A stream runs through one cave, coming from the back and running out of the mouth. At the annual meeting of the Westport Coal Company the chairman said the gradual decline of the industry, due to the spread of oil and electrical power, was again reflected in reduced output from 241,147 tons to 174,701 tons, a decrease of 66,446 tons. On the West Coast 50 mines were now competing for business, which a few years ago was catered for by half a dozen, and then the demand was greater than to-day. “There is a wonderful future for us, for it is a growing town and a growing church and congregation,” said the Rev. J. D. McL. Wilson at last night’s annual meeting of the congregation of St. Andrew’s Church, New Plymouth. lam certain that in the quietness of their own lives members of the congregation are thinking serious thoughts, making definite adjustments in their modes ot living and showing a sincerity of ,worship that augurs well for the future. “One knows perfectly well that a father’s responsibility does not cease when a child reaches 16,” said Mr. Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court at Auckland, when it was suggested in a maintenance ’ case that a father’s payment for his daughter should cease when she reached 16. ”1 submit that it does, sir,” said Mr. Slipper, who appeared for the father. “The moral responsibility does not at any rate,” replied his Honour, “whatever the financial position may be.” . .

The sixty-ninth anniversary of the opening of the first railway station in New Zealand falls to-day. It was on December 1, 1863, that the line, about five and a-half miles in length, between Christchurch and Ferrymead, on the Heathcote River, was officially declared open by the Provincial Superintendent of Canterbury, Mr. S. Bealey. The opening of this section of line was the first step toward the completion of the Lyttelton tunnel, which was opened on December 9, 1868. The .Maori land development scheme in the TaUranga district is progressing satisfactoi’ily, says the Poverty Bay Herald. The scheme includes the greater portion of the Kaitimako block, which is only about a mile from the borough boundary. The block was overgrown with gorse. A total of 650 acres has been ’cleared and ploughed. Four hundred acres have been planted in maize and 120 acres are being sown in turnips. Nearly eight miles of fencing have been erected, two miles of drains have been dug and li miles of road formed. The total cost to date, including implements, seed and manures, is £4 6s 8d an acre. The land is of good quality and will soon be yielding a return.

■Whether Australia is “round the comer” or not, a number of Sydney people are in agony lest the Government forbid tin hare racing at night, Writes the Sydney Morning Herald. “Nobody in this community can be so blind to what goes on all day long and every day as not to know that ‘tin hare’ racing is no more a poor man’s sport than horse-racing, pony-racing, or the lottery. Each in turn has used that plea. The ‘tin hare’ companies’ enterprise is simply a competitor with these others for the poor man’s spare cash, and too often more than his spare rash- There is no more valid argument for .racing dogs after an electricallypropelled bait at night, than for racing ponies and horses at night.”

Dunedin business generally has suffered as the result of the exchange agitation, but trade is likely to tales. an upward trend before Christmas in view of the definite reply of the Bank of New Zealand to high exchange agitators. The bank’s policy is encouraging to those importers lyho purchased in greater quantities than ever before in tile English market. Owing to adverse exchange rates Continental and American manufacturers .have lost many orders, the United States particularly being a heavy Loser of trade, which has been diverted to Britain. Most of’ the articles now displayed to catch the eye of purchasers of Christmas gifts bear the mark “Made in England.” “The first step in any campaign which may be inaugurated to brighten cricket is to wipe out all records and execute anyone who attempts to make out a fable of averages, states an enthusiastic subject of King Willow. “As played nowadays, cricket, particularly big cricket—is not so much, a gamp as a mathematical mess. There are records of best individual scores for every partnership from the opening pair to those who made the last stand, for the team, and other totals of all international, interstate, county, and club games. There are records for matches played in England and’ for matches played in Australia. And ‘dreary, soul-killing, and very often misleading, averages are always with us, sapping the grand old game, of its village green vitality and making it little less than a joke among all who have not played or seen cricket before the keeping of statistics became such a craze or who have not been brought up in the true atmosphere. Keep figures in their proper place, and there will be no need to brighten the'game by tinkering with the rules.”

Reference to the transport difficulties facing the police force 30 years ago in the discharge of their public duties was made by Inspector J. Hollis, of Auckland, at Otahuhu on Saturday evening, when attending a gathering to. honour Sergeant A. E. Rowell,* who has retired after 40 years’ service. A toast to the members of the police force was jointly proposed by Mr. R. W. F. Wood, of Otahuhu, and Mi-. F. W. Schramm, M.P., of Auckland. In reminding the public of the onerous duties facing the police force, Mr. Schramm said it was interesting to recollect that the cost of maintaining the department in New Zealand was 5s 5d per head of population, while in Australia it was 10s per head. Mr. Hollis related some experiences common to several of the police staff present. Referring to the arrest of a man in an outlying part of the King Country over 30 years ago, Mr. Hollis said that it took four days to travel from that locality to Auckland. In those days many a constable tramped from 15 to 20 miles a day over inaccessible country in pursuance of duty. He recalled, with amusement, an adventure with a piebald pony and trap and the remonstrance of an outback settler that in fairness to the animal the prisoner and the escort should have reversed the position and hauled the pony over the rough tracks.

The Welboum Anglican Church committee will hold its annual “bring and buy” afternoon to-morrow at Welboum Hall, Avenue Road. This effort is to raise funds to pay the debt on the Hall, and it is hoped that there will, be a good attendance. There will be homemade bread, cakes, produce, flowers, sweets, ice cream and soft drinks on sale, and the committee would be grateful for any contributions to the stalls. Members will be in attendance at the Hall on Friday evening from 6.30 to 8 p.m. to receive donations, or donations could be left at the hall on Saturday morning. Avenue Road bus stops at the Hall and leaves town at 2.5. and from then on hourly. Admission to the grounds is free, to Hall, adults 9d, children 6d, including afternoon tea and a programme.*. /