LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A start has been made with the metalling of the 2J miles of unmetalled road between the Ohura and Matiere townships, the Ohura County Council having let a contract to Mr. K. Kallel.

As the result of an appeal for assistance by Mr. C. P. Smith the New Plymouth relief workers’ Christmas cheer fufid benefited by £1 Is, which was voted by the members of the New Plymouth Round Table Club at yesterday’s luncheon.

The total fire loss in the New Plymouth fire district in the year ended on March 31, 1932, was £5366, of which contents to the value of only £lOO were uninsured. In population the New Plymouth district was ninth on the list in New Zealand, but in fire loss it was 12th.

Application for approval to establish a grade O school in the Oxford Road district is to be made to the Education Department by the Taranaki Education Board in response to a request from Mr. E. B. Corbett. It was stated at yesterday’s board meeting that a moveable school was available and could be used for Oxford Road. The Ohura Town Board has in hand the provision of a water supply to the township. For some time a portion of the township has been drawing water from the Public Works supply. The board has now arranged to draw sufficient water for the needs of the whole township, and the reticulation is- being carried out by a gang of men under the supervision of Mr. H. Syrup, Ohura county engineer.

“I impress upon motorists that if there is any doubt at all they should give way,” said Mr. J. H.' Salmon, S.M., in the Hawera Court yesterday when dealing with a breach of the right-hand rule. Counsel had pointed out that there must be a time when a motorist with a car approaching on his right could get across the intersectioh and was entitled to do so. The only obligation was to give way when there was likely to be an accident.

The Auckland City Council, in forwarding a set of the city by-laws as requested by the Waitara Borough Council, requested the sum of 3s Id in payment for the by-laws and postage. The receipt of this communication at the monthly meeting of the Waitiara council last night caused amusement and comment concerning an “extravagant” city council. “I think if Auckland asked us for a copy Of our by-laws we might let them have it free,” commented the Mayor (Mr. J. Hine). In urging that there was no evidence proving the identity of the driver of a car connected with a breach of the traffic regulations counsel acknowledged in the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday that it would be a pity if the man were really the guilty party and escaped a fine. “However,” he observed, “there are indirect ways through which he may pay. lam not appearing for him for nothing.” This did not appeal to Sergeant McGregor. “But that’s nO good to the Crown,” said he, with a smile.

The possibilities of forming a New Plymouth branch of the Y.M.C.A. for joint work with the Y.W.C.A. were discussed at a meeting called last night by Miss M. Greenwell and attended by about 16 men and boys. A flying visit was paid to New Plymouth by Mr. R. M. Brasted, national general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in New Zealand, for the purpose of addressing the meeting, and he talked of the aims of the movement and discussed the possibilities of joint work with the Y.W.C.A. The meeting was an enthusiastic one, but no definite step was taken.

The Maori is terrified of frogs and the like. In his mind they are associated with taniwhas and evil spirits. In mentioning this at the New Plymouth Rotary luncheon on Monday Rotarian George Home referred to a joke played upon some half-caste Maori shearers by his cousins at Tokaora in his younger days. They tied a frog to the stirrup iron of the saddle on a horse belonging to one of the shearers. He jumped into his saddle, saw the frog on the off side, and collapsed, sliding on to the ground while the horse, now thoroughly frightened, careered around the field. The boys thought it was a good joke, but after that no Maori would shear on the station —it had become makutued (bewitched) by the frog.

Acknowledgement of unbroken records of attendance by the pupils attending schools in the Taranaki Education Board’s district was placed on record by the board yesterday and special certificates will be awarded the three pupils. The pupils, with their records of attendance, are Joyce Herbert, Korito (seven years), Ivy D. Schneller, Finnerty (eight years), and Joan Milne, Toko (nine years).

‘lntellectual snobbery is as much to be deprecated as social snobbery,” remarks the headmistress of the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, Miss E. M. Johnston, in her annual report presented at the annual breaking-up ceremony. “And, in any case,” she continued, “boys and girls who Show no special ability at school often prove, in later life, excellent citizens.” ‘

The Western Federated (N. 1. Flying Club machine ABS was flown from New Plymouth to Auckland by Mr. K. Martin on Tuesday, Mrs. A. Carey (Auckland) being the passenger. The New Plymouth aerodrome was cleared at 4.10 p.m. and the machine landed at Mangere at 5.55 p.m. The return flight was made yesterday, Mr. Martin leaving Auckland with his brother, Mr. T. Martin, at 5 a.m., arriving at New Plymouth at 7.10 a.m. Good flying conditions ruled on both trips.

A quantity of machine guns and rifles, captured from the Germans during the Great War, were resurrected last week from their resting place under the Greymouth Town Hall at the instigation of the Police Department. It is understood, states the Grey River Argus, that the object of the search was to find a machine gun and a rifle that a man, who once had possession of them, said had been handed over to the borough council. The war trophies, which had been under the stage, in the basement, had been almost forgotten, and were in an exceedingly bad state of repair.

The Te Awamutu Dairy Company is making a cash advance payment of 8d per lb butter-fat for finest quality cream supplied in November. Shareholders will be credited with an additional halfpenny per lb. For the seven months of the .season to date, the company has made 560 tons of butter, compared with 402 tons for the same period last year. The highest point of the season was reached on November 22. The Mercury Bay Dairy Company has decided to make a payout of 8d per lb butter-fat for superfine : cream supplied in November, The employees of the company have agreed to accept a 7J per cent, reduction in wages. What attitude should be adopted in judging calves for condition was discussed by Boys and Girls’ Club supporters at an informal meeting at the field day at Waiwakaiho yesterday. The consensus of opinion was that the judges should not look for a fat beast. In South Taranaki it was contended that there was heavier soil and if a calf put on fat it had a tendency to remain fat when dry weather followed. In North Taranaki the soil was lighter and such was not the case. What was required in the calf-rearing competitions was not a beef-producing animal but one of good constitution and a frame that would best aid the calf as a dairy animal. Some amusement was caused at the last meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council when the question of granting permission to the Auckland Boys’ Military Band to play carols during the Christmas season was discussed. “I think we should decide which is the most musical section of the borough and grant permission for that area only,” said the Mayor, Mr. W. F. Stilwell. “Personally, I feel that everyone’s musical sense is affected according to the hour of the day or night,” remarked Mr. V. A. Coyle. “My appreciation has been small when I have been awakened at three o’clock on Christmas morning.” Permission was granted to the band.

Owing to its seasonal nature, not much has been heard lately of sardine-fishing in the Hauraki Gulf. However, results that have been obtained in the past, two months by Mr. F. S. Petrie confirm all the earlier hopes of establishing a new and profitable industry. Last summer very satisfactory catches were secured by Mr. Petrie, who gained his knowledge of night sardine-fishing many years ago off the coast of his native Dalmatia. He used a specially-imported incandescent kerosene lamp of 2000 candle-power mounted upon a launch, and a fine-mesh-ed net 1000 ft long and 100 ft in depth, operated from two large dinghies. “Our experience has proved that the unemployed boy problem is by no means as serious in the Waikato as it has been in other parts of the Dominion,” said Mr. W. Fraser, principal of the Hamilton Technical High School, at the annual prize-giving ceremony. Mr. Fraser added that in individual instances he had found difficulty in placing boys, but generally this, had not been the case. The number of pupils leaving the school last year, 227, was a record 1 one. During the present year 141 children had found employment. This number was considerably in excess of last year’s figures. The consequence was- that the year was closed with -a seriously depleted senior school.

With the intention of journeying home after a pleasant afternoon spent at the Gore Show last week, a farmer repaired to the spot where he had parked his car. He arrived just in time to see his car, which was being towed by another, disappear round a distant corner. A local business man offered to drive him in pursuit. Many miles were covered without result and reluctantly they gave up the chase. Subsequently it was ascertained that the car was safely housed in a garage. The garage proprietor had received a telephone message to pick up a certain car at the showgrounds for repair, but owing to a misunderstanding he took the wrong one.

In explaining to the New Plymouth Rotary Club that few Maoris in the old days ever suffered from dental trouble, Rotarian George Home instanced the case of a Maori at Okato who had a swelling in his neck arising from sepsis in a tooth. The doctor told him that he would require to have the offending molar out before he would be rid of the trouble, so he produced his forceps. This was too much for the Maori; he did not like the idea of the instrument being inserted in his mouth. Thereupon the doctor said he would lance his neck instead. The Maori readily acquiesced, and stood up while the operation was performed and unflinchingly bore the pain involved, after which he nonchalantly invited the doctor into the hotel to take liquid refreshment with him!

Interesting information regarding eels in the Waikaka and other, streams was contained in the letter of a Gore sportsman received at a meeting of the council of the Southland Acclimatisation Society. The writer stated that on a recent evening, fishing on the Waikaka at Kore, he had pulled out eight eels and inside three of them had found the loins of young grey duck and the remains of feet. Another large eel contained three one-week-old ducks. His sons had taken about 700 eels out of the Mataura in the past two years by means of the two traps sent up by the society to Gore. The reason he obtained a good bag from one lagoon every year was because he and his companions had taken about 200 eels out of it, while other lagoons were full of eels and the ducks would not stop in them. On a lagoon behind his property where he had cleaned the eels out it was a pleasure to see the ducks bring out up to ten young ones and lose none of them. Before the lagoon was cleaned out, the ducks would finish up with only one or two young ones out of a clutch.

Reduced admission charges for the summer meeting at Ellerslie have been decided upon by the committee of tne Auckland Racing Club. The matter was under consideration previously ana, in view of the depression, the committee decided to reduce the admission charges as follows: Grandstand: Men, 10s, instead of 12s 6d; women, ss, instead of 7s 6d. Leger: Men, 4s; women, 3s; instead of ss.

The highest pinus insignis tree yet measured by the Canterbury College School of Forestry was one which reached 123 feet, said Mr. F. E. Hutchinson in a lecture to the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. The tree was 45 years of age. Mr. Hutchinson said the growth rate of pines in Canterbury usually culminated at 35 years, while physical life ended ordinarily at 45 years. “I think the economic depression has tonded to make the older girls more serious and earnest in their work, and the younger ones more thoughtful, stated the headmistress of St. Cuthbert’s College, Auckland, Miss L. Clouston, m her report at the annual prizegiving ceremony. “I have noticed also that some are realising what sacrifices their parents have made for them, and are in consequence not demanding so much as their right.”

“When a man goes to New York he is asked how many dollars he has,” said the Rev. E. T. Cox, at a Methodist Synod gathering at Invercargill. “When he goes to Boston he is asked what degrees he has. When he goes- to Philadelphia he is asked what family he belongs to. When he goes to Chicago he is asked what he has done. But when a man comes to Invercargill he is asked ‘Do you play bowls?’ ” Explaining that he had been under the impression that he was allowed a week in which to procure the document, a motor-cyclist, who had had his machine only two days when he was caught, told the magistrate (Mr. R. W. Tate) at New Plymouth yesterday why he did not possess a license when accosted by the inspector. “Is the idea Of a week’s grace prevalent among motor-cyclists? asked Mr. Tate. The chief borough inspector (Mr. R. Day) said he did not think it was. In fact, he had not heard of it before. As the offender had taken out his license as soon as possible after the inspector saw him, he was fined only 10s, plus 10s costs.

In order to speed the air mail service between Europe and South America, the first floating air station in mid-Atlantic hasbeen planned. The North German Lloyd Steamship Company has decided to equip the liner Westfalen as a ‘mother ship” for trans-Atlantic mail planes. The liner will be stationed permanently between Bathurst (capital of the British colony of Gambia) and the . island of Fernando Noronha, off the coast of Brazil. The Westfalen is to be equipped with a landing platform, stores of fuel and spare parts, and wireless equipment. It is expected that the scheme wifi solve the problem of making the trans-Atlan-tic mail service pay. The space which has hitherto been required for carrying fuel will now be available for freight.