LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Waimate West County Council at its monthly meeting yesterday halved the record for brevity set up this week by the Egmont/Council. Egmont’s time was two hours while Waimate’s business was finished in an hour. Little forward selling of dairy produce is taking place in Taranaki at present, a Daily News reporter was informed yesterday. He was told that the London market was dull and that the latest cabled advice reported butter at 78s, white cheese at 48s and coloured at 51s. Sheep worrying has been rife in the Tuhua district, Ohura. Mr. A. Renner recently had 25 young ewes killed. At the Ohura County meeting on Wednesday Mr. Renner, a councillor, said that the worrying was done by two unregistered dogs. It was pointed out that the keeping of unregistered dogs was a criminal offence, and it was decided to authorise the registrar to institute prosecutions.

The Ohura County Council has decided to strongly supported the Whangamomona Progress League in urging updn the Government the necessity for metalling the Moki Saddle and the Tangarakau Gorge Road, which would create an all-weather route of both local and national significance and would remove the appalling road conditions evident every winter.

A number of New Plymouth motorists will probably be called upon to explain to the magistrate their reason." fcr parking too long in Devon Street and for parking in King Street and near the corner of Egmont and Devon Streets, as the result of an inspector’s raid yesterday. “Stickers” were attached to fully a dozen cars. Other drivers were approached for parking over fire-plugs in many parts of the town. Th. raid was made in continuation of the inspectors’ determination to better New Plymouth’s system of parking and to teach the drivers that the • regulations and by-laws must be obeyed. A raid on drivers for the scrutiny of their licenses has already been made and offenders are now coming before the court.

Of 175 applications made in Christchurch for the Unemployment Boards building subsidy, 80 have been already granted, including a contract for a new Roman Catholic orphanage in Lincoln Road, Halswell, at a cost of £40,000. Other works include new houses and additions to buildings.

During the past week or two Timaru fishermen have been considerably hampered in their operations by the presence of large numbers of jellyfish on the fishing grounds. On several occasions the nets have been pulled in filled with these unwelcome visitors, and to avoid these happenings shorter tows have been necessary; with consequent inconvenience. It is stated that jellyfish usually visit Timaru waters about this time of the year and stay for about six weeks. Fire broke out yesterday afternoon in a house in Morley Street, New Plymouth, occupied by Mrs. E. May. The brigade confined the outbreak to the sittingroom, without extensive damage being done. The fire apparently started behind the mantelpiece in defective brickwork. It had been burning some time and had destroyed boards an inch thick before it was discovered. It is understood that the house is insured for £5OO and the furniture for £3OO. A resident of the King Country who proposed to remove to Ohura wrote to the Ohura County Council asking to be advised whether electricity was likely to be put -into use at Ohura. There were various conflicting rumours, he stated, and as he had a number of electric appliances he was in a quandary as to what to prepare for. Though the main transmission line from Arapuni to Stratford passes through Ohura there appears to be little prospect at present of the district being reticulated. Any misconceptions which a Dunedin business man may have had of the climate of the country of Iceland were removed when he received from a tourist a postcard showing a view of the capital, Reykjavik. The harbour is free of ice, and many wooden and galvanised buildings are shown. The postage stamp depicts girls picking flowers on the hillside, and the tourist enthusiastically writes: “How I wish I might ship a skyful of this glorious Icelandic springtime to you!” A suggestion was made at a meeting of the Auckland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Unioh in Hamilton on Tuesday that samples of crushed limestone in ragwort-infested areas should be taken by the Agricultural Department over a .period to ascertain if the seed was carried in the lime. It was further suggested that the seed should be placed in the crushers to determine what effect the crushing had on the germinating qualities of the seed. Mr. V. Simms strongly opposed the suggestions, and said they would make the union the laughing-stock of the country. No action was taken.

“This is a particularly valuable organisation,” said Mr. A. Grayson, president of the Automobile Association, at a meeting of the council of the association, when advice was received from the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters that there had been organised throughout New Zealand an emergency corps of amateur transmitters, who held themselves in readiness at all times to operate their stations for the benefit of the general public in an emergency. Tire letter pointed out that in the short time the corps had been in existence it had proved its value on several occasions. Some criticism of the practice of releasing children from school in order to attend matinees or other afternoon gatherings was voiced by members of the West End committee last night. It was pointed but that the ultimate effect on the children’s work was not good and it was decided to express strong approval of the protest by the Headmasters’ Association against continual requests for the release of children from school early to attend matinees and similar gatherings. The headmaster (Mr. W. A. Brown) said it would be gratifying to the headmasters to know they had the support of the parents in this matter. The Kemp orange tree, planted on August 10, 1818, by Mrs. James Kemp, a member of Marsden’s mission party, was uprooted in a storm on July 3. Steps have been taken to put the tree in position again and give it a chance to take fresh root. The old tree has been in good bearing for over 100 years and just before the gale the 1233 crop was picked. Two young orange trees worked from ihe Kemp tree two years ago were planted last March by the Governor-Gen-eral at Waitangi at the first meeting of the Waitangi Trust Board. The present owners, the Misses Kemp, live in the old home built over 100 years ago by their grandfather, the house being the oldest wooden house in the Dominion. Alongside is a pear tree brought from Sydney over 110 years ago; it is 60ft. high, with a great spread and is over 3ft through 4ft. up the trunk.

Favourable reports of mining prospects in South Westland have been received by the County Mining Executive, states the Hokitika correspondent of the Christchurch Star. The reports state that 46 men are engaged at the Wataroa River and some are meeting with a good measure of success. Practical proof has been given by one prospector who secured six and a half ounces in less than two weeks’ actual mining on one of the beaches. A sample of the gold is typical of the gold of the high country, and it is proposed to search for the source of supply while conditions are suitable. Difficulty of access and other hardships are being contended with/ but the men are working industriously and are now securing something tangible' and remunerative in the locality to encourage their activities. The Wataroa River bed has been a producer for many years, but the Wataroa Valley is notoriously rough and difficult country. “Some of the decadent mining towns of the South Island, for reasons of local pride, still retain their mayor, councillors, and all the trappings of borough status,” said Dr. E. P. Neale in an address upon local government before the Auckland Economic Society. The speaker instanced Ross and Kumara, with 450 people each, Roxburgh with 430 and Arrowtown with only 280. The reductio ad absurdum, he said, was Naseby, which had but 200 inhabitants, equivalent to an adult male population of about 60. As Naseby was the seat of Maniototo county and contained the Maniototo hospital, not many males in the borough could be unconnected with local government. Evidently there was not a very wide field left from which to choose a mayor and six borough councillors. Such tiny boroughs should be merged into the surrounding counties or made into dependent town districts.

Travelling to Australia by the steamer Waihemo, which arrived at Auckland from the Pacific Coast on Sunday morning, are 19 head of Zebu cattle from Texas (states the Auckland Star). The animals, which are the humped-back Bos Indicus tropical type, are much favoured in tropical areas owing to their resistance to tick and tropical diseases. The consignment on the Waihemo, comprising ten bulls and nine heifers, is being introduced into Australia by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and by a group of pastoralists with cattle runs in tropical North Australia. All the animals are young, none being more than two years of age. Included in the shipment is a red bull, the progeny of six generations of selective breeding on the King Ranch in Texas. The owner of this property claims that since this type was produced the Yearlings have increased 1501 b. in weight, and the three and four-year-olds by as much as 2501 b. The Waihemo is due at Wellington on Friday from Napier.