LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At a Taranaki dairy factory meeting recently a supplier suggested the directors should give their produce to only a purely British firm to handle. Another supplier remarked that he did not care whether the produce was handled by a Chinese or Japanese firm, provided they received the highest price for it and spent the money they received with the British. That, he said, was what counted. A decision to proceed with a loan conversion scheme which it was estimated would mean a saving of about £6O annually was made by the New Plymouth Fire Board yesterday. The saving that would be made would be a slight assistance to the ratepayer, said the chairman (Mr. W. C. Weston). “The ratepayer is feeling the pinch in everything, and every penny we can save him, the better,” he added.. An addition of about an acre was made to the Paritutu reserve by the New Plymouth Harbour Board yesterday in response to a request from Mr. W. H. Skinner, chairman of .the committee appointed for the purpose of beautifying the reserve. Mr. Skinner waited on the board and explained that a change in the boundary line would give access to the beam on the far side. The present boundary ended almost on the slope of Paritutu itself and it was essential that there should be access to the beach. The chairman of the board (Mr. C. E. Bellringer) commented on the keen interest the committee was taking in the reserve, which eventually should be very fine.

Practically every dairy factory manager in Taranaki takes a pride in the interior of his factory and plant. Too often, however, the surroundings of the factory bear a neglected appearance. The Waitoitoi dairy factory shows what can be done in the way of beautifying the surroundings, for as the result of the initiative and hard work of the manager, Mr. G. Woods, what was formerly a rough area in front of the factory has been transformed into a very pleasing spot. On each side of the drive there are well-kept lawns relieved by shrubs. On one side where the lawn slopes gently up to the road there are also some flower plots. The work of beautification is appreciated by the suppliers, one of whom referred at the annual meeting yesterday to the interest taken in his work by the manager. He referred to the fact that besides 'beautifying the surroundings the manager had painted the, roof of the building, which he did not’ think many managers would do. The supplier asked the directors to keep that aspect in view if they considered salary; cuts.

A credit balance of £836, which in view of the present financial conditions is considered very satisfactory, is shown in the report of the Auckland Trotting Club. Last year the club showed a loss of £570, and in 1931 a loss of £4870. The report states that the popularity of the win-and-place system of betting has helped considerably, and continued support in this connection is anticipated. “The landlord doesn’t own property now. The tenant does, as far as I can make out.” Thi remark was made in the Assessment Court at Wellington as a commentary upon the valuation of property, and the rents which are obtained from them. Instances were given of rent reductions to such an extent that the rates, insurance and other outgoings exceeded the rent received. “That a request should be made to the Government to amend the Police Offences Act to provide that notice of intention to prosecute for breaches of the Motor Vehicles Act and attendant regulations must be served within a reasonable time of the breach, not exceeding three weeks,” runs a remit to be sent by the Wellington Automobile Club to the annual conference of the North Island Motor Union. “It is quite a good thing for country teachers to come to town and ‘get their compasses adjusted,’ ” said Mr. T. U. Wells, chairman at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board. The comment arose from a request from the Ngunguru school, Whangarei, for permission to take the August holidays one week earlier this year, in order to allow the teachers to observe teaching methods in Auckland. Permission was granted. The large audience at the meeting of the anthropology section of the Auckland Institute on Wednesday evening had the very rare experience of hearing music from two different Maori flutes known as koanau and nguru. The instruments were played by Mr J. Witere, of Thames, who produced from them a rendering of one of Alfred Hill’s well-known airs. It was explained that he could not play the old Maori tunes as. these had been lost as the older generation passed away. The clear and mellow notes that he drew from the strange old instruments were warmly applauded. “I have no. further information than that already issued to the newspapers,” stated Squadron-Leader T. W. White in Christchurch, when asked about the Tasman flight. He added that he had received a telegram from the company in Wellington which attended ‘ to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s affairs in New Zealand, asking for permission to announce his name in connection with the flight. He gave his consent and was now awaiting further particulars. SquadronLeader White mentioned that Sir Charles would shortly be leaving for England and that the flight would be in December. “I think the day is .not far. distant when, there is going to be an improvement, despite what is happening in London,” said Mr. J. McLeod, chairman of the Pukekura Park Board, speaking yesterday at Mr. Horton’s tea to relief workers at the kiosk. He was referring to economic conditions. He suggested there had been a tendency to rely on others to get out of the difficulties, but now that the discussions in London appeared to be breaking down New Zealand had to look after itself by. seeking a way to improve its own position, as America was trying to do. It had been done before, and he felt that if the Dominion tackled the position properly a considerable improvement would be effected. The children of the Owairaka School were much amused by an unrehearsed incident at their tree-planting ceremony on Arbor Day. Mr. R. A. Falla, ornithologist to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, was addressing them upon native birds and their dependence upon honey and berry-bearing trees. After telling of the tui’s sweet song in the season of kowhai honey, Mr. Falla gave an excellent imitation of .it. The notes were immediately. echoed from .a house across the road by the hoarse screech of a parrot, which was clearly trying to imitate the imitation. When the children’s laughter had died down and he had recovered his gravity, Mr. Falla gave the tui’s song again, with exactly the same result. The case of a boy who found farming dull and among other things intends to be “a. dare-devil automobile racing driver” was mentioned at the last meeting of the Auckland Boys’ Employment Committee. As an indication of what farmers had to put up with, the secretary. Mr. N. G. Gribble, quoted a boy who had left his position without giving any other notice than a letter- which was found after his departure. The letter read as follows: “I am leaving, as this sort of dull life is getting on my nerves. I am a person who needs an extra lot of excitement; I intend to be a dare-devil automobile racing driver, also to have a ‘buck’ at motor-cycle speedway racing and finally to be a ‘barn-storming’ stunt flier. Nothing else is worth living for and I am sure I will not get any further toward this ambition by stopping on this farm. I seem to nave a natural instinct toward anything that moves mechanically.” With a new name under another flag, the former Norweigan steamer Penybryn, which raced to the rescue of the Union Company’s liner Tahiti' when that vessel was foundering in the Pacific in August, 1930, is back in New Zealand waters. The vessel, which is now the British steamer Fife, berthed at the King’s wharf this morning to discharge a cargo of sulphur from Galveston, Texas. When the trade depression was at its worst, two years ago, the Penybryn was laid up for some time in a Norwegian port until she was acquired by B. J. Sutherland and Company, Ltd., of Newcastle-on-Tyne. At Sunderland approximately £5OOO was spent in co/iverting the freighter’s engines to the superheating type, in order that she would be more economical to run. Another period of idleness followed until the ship was chartered for her present voyage. After leaving England the Fife, which now boasts a yellow funnel, with a band of red and blue triangles and a black top, experienced an uneventful voyage. The only excitment that we have had was catching dolphins and tunny fish in the Pacific,” said one of the officers. “We trailed a piece of white rag oyer the stern, and the fish went for it in good style. And they are fine eating,” he said. A prominent Maori of the Main Trunk district stated to a Wanganui Herald reporter that the Maoris resident in that quarter are very much concerned at the operation of the provisions of the recent relief legislation. He said that to-day the Maori owners seemed to have no right to any consideration whatever, only the tenants. Tenants can . let their rent get into arrears, and the more the arrears the more they will cut off. Some manage to make arrangements to mutual advantage, but in most cases the first thing a tenant does is to let his rent slide, then send in his application, and then sit back till the Commission comes along. He still squat-, on the property while the owner has to starve and grin and bear it. With his income from land taken away “how is the Maori going to live and pay his debts ?” queried the Maori. Not knowing much about the grievance, which nevertheless seemed to be a real one, the reporter could only make a note of it. It was hinted that an influential deputation would shortly be proceeding to Wellington to have it out with their father the Native Minister (Sir Apirana Ngata) to whom the Maoris look for protection when such matters are being considered by Cabinet. “What about the trip to Geneva, then ? ’ —but the spokesman was not biting.