LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ten members of the Taranaki Alpine Club will leave for Mount Ruapehu this morning. They will join the Ruapehu Ski Club’s party, and will be at the Chateau Tongariro until August 28. Aspects of mountain craft and the special training and methods with which alpinists should be acquainted were outlined by Mr. L. W. Lovell when he addressed a large attendance of Taranaki Alpine Club members at New Plymouth last night. All phases of winter climbing were dealt with. Mr. A. D. S. Duncan, the well known golfer, will speak on the game from 2YA, Wellington, at approximately 8.49 p.m. to-night. Mr. Duncan is the “grand old man” of the game in New Zealand, and as late as last November beat all but A. J. Shaw in the open, championship.

“This is going too far,” said Mr. J. B. Murdoch in reference to the interference with a high-tension line by a schoolboy reported to the South Taranaki Powei" Board last night. At his suggestion it was decided to ask the police to assist in warning children of the danger of the practice.

A donation of £7 Is, representing half the proceeds of a carnival held by the Mokau River Canine Club, has been received by Mrs. R H. Quilliam on behalf" of the New Plymouth Poppy Day fund from Messrs. A. McA. Sutton and C. N. Page. Over £35 from the relief fund organised by the Mayor of Inglewood has been spent so far in giving men extra days of work. 'Die men have had preference in proportion to the size of their families and the scheme has operated in both town and country. Another entertainment has been arranged to benefit the fund.

After sitting 44 days the Supreme Court at New Plymouth disposed of the criminal trials by 1 o'clock yesterday. The retrial of Dominik Sisarich on charges of bookmaking resulted in an acquittal. The Grand Jury no-billed the murder charge against Bella Thompson, a Maori, who subsequently pleaded guilty to concealing a birth and was admitted to probation for 12 months. Leonard Bicheno was acquitted on a charge of negligent driving causing injury. The only verdict of guilty was found against Frederick John Cowling, whom the jury convicted of knowingly receiving stolen property. He was sentenced to six months’ hard labour. At the direction of Mr. Justice Ostler two charges of perjury against Itedo Radich were dismissed by the jury without the defence being called upon. The jury disagreed on charges of incest against C. A. Putt and a new trial was ordered for next session. A married woman whose name was suppi'essed was admitted to probation fox" a year for making a false declaration under the Post and Telegraph Act, an offence to which she had pleaded guilty in the lower Court.

Fishing in the Wairarapa Lake recently, two Featherston, anglers landed 92 flounders in a little over an hour. It is also reported that another party caught a similar number. ■ -

A petitioner in an undefended divorce case in the Supreme Court at Auckland said she had been deserted by her husband. “He wanted to lead a double life,” she added. “A single life you, mean,” remarked Mr. Justice Herdman. A record amount of sawn timber was despatched to all parts of the North Island by rail from National Park during last week, over 253,000 feet being trucked. The cause of the unusual activity from this area is stated to be the direct result of the Government building subsidy. The six sawmills which are located within a 15 miles’ radius of the station are operating at full capacity. With reference to the recent announcement in the Gazette of the promotion of three pilot officers in the No. 2 (Bomber) Squadron of the New Zealand Air Force to the rank of Flying Officer, and the subsequent cancellation of this notice in a subsequent issue of the Gazette, it is understood that the original notice was a little premature owing to a misunderstanding, but the the promotions have been authorised and will take effect in November.

Sales of early season's butter have been been made in Taranaki this week at 10 5-8 d for finest grade, the highest price reached so far for the new season’s manufacture. The price, f.o.b. at New Zealand ports, is equivalent to nearly 91s Gd on the London market at the present rate of exchange, indicating that the present prices are expected to be maintained for some time.

In a reserved judgment on an unusual case herd in the Magistrate's Court at Carterton on Tuesday last, in which Gladys Helen Wilson, of Carrington, claimed £52 10s as damages from William Charles Deller, of Carterton, the magistrate, Mr. J. Miller, to-day found for plaintiff for the sum of £47 10s and costs. The claim arose out of a collision at Carrington on th'e afternoon of November 1, 1932, when the plaintiff, who was riding home from school on a bicycle, received injuries which necessitated her staying away from school. She thus lost her opportunity of sitting for her Senior Free Place, which entitled her to another two year’s free education. Reserved judgment for the defendants in the case in which E. Jackson and Son sought £6B 5s from Thomas W. Cook and £46 5s from M. F. Bradley was given by Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., at New Plymouth yesterday. The amounts were claimed to be commission on the exchange of farms between Cook and Bradley. The claim was based on the submission that the plaintiffs had introduced the parties first and on the terms of the “authority to sell,” while for the defence it was submitted the exchange had been effected through another agent. Judgment was given for the defendant in each case. The question of costs was reserved. At the hearing Mr. L. E. Sowry appeared for plaintiffs and Mr. P. Thomson for defendants. A total of 105 men applied for the position of meter-reader in the Timaru Municipal Electricity Department, the final selection for which was made by the borough council recently. The applications came from as far abroad as Auckland and Dunedin, and the variety of occupations which the applicants formerly followed tells its own pathetic story of unemployment, Returned soldiers who sought the position numbered twenty-two, married men thirty-two, single men thirty-eight and others thirteen. Among the occupations given in the applications are clerk, painter, bandsman, plumber, draper, storeman, valet, motor driver, mechanic, motor trimmer, salesman, gardener, carpenter, superannuated postal official, accountant, butcher, engineer and draughtsman, restaurant manager, lift operator, cloth designer and bricklayer.

The general idea that bananas will not grow to maturity under New Zealand conditions is challenged by a number’ of the fruit hanging in bunches from a cluster of plants on Mr. Allan O’Neill’s property, ’O’Neill’s Avenue, Takapuna. Several of , the fruit are at present gaining a healthy yellow hue and compare favourabley in taste with the imported variety. The 30 plants resemble large maize stalks and are not like the big variety seen in the public gardens. Mr. O’Neill stated they were approximately 25 years, old, and have not been cultivated to any extent, existing in loamy soil in a sheltered and warm spot in the garden. A hibiscus as well as a rubber tree which exudes a sticky substance when attacked with a knife, are among Mr. O’Neill’s collection of tropical vegetation, while two varieties of taro are grown.

Over the signature of “Never Again,” a correspondent writes as follows to the Christchurch Times:— “Being on the verge of leaving your city, I hope for ever, I desire to take this opportunity of saying that New Zealand is the most puritanical country on the face of the earth, and Christchurch is the worst city in it. Intolerance never got a country anywhere. If, puritanical authorities and newspapers were any good to a country yours should be, the most moral on earth, and it is nothing of the kind. Your people go about smirking, but are they any better than other people? I think not. They are only thinking about four things—wool, meat, butter and being proper. They do not even know they are alive. Why don’t they wake up and give visitors a fair run and a reasonable welcome instead of making one feel he is an outsider? Even the small towns of Australia are better than, this, and I thought they were bad enough.” A motion favouring the lifting of the embargo on imported stock was passed by the general committee of the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association at its last meeting. In introducing the matter Mr. F. S. Veale stated that a motion had been carried by the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association supporting its removal and it seemed that all breeders were in favour of the move which was opposed only, he alleged by the Farmers' Union, whose members were “on the whole not breeders but agitators.” Mr. W. Newell contended that with the present restrictions that were placed on the exporter there was no possible danger to New Zealand. Mr, Veale’s motion in support of the lifting of the embargo was carried unanimously.

“One thing that strikes a visitor to England is the excellence of the pastures in the better farmed areas,” said Professor R. E. Alexander; of Lincoln College, in an address to the conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association ac Christchurch. “War conditions were largely responsible for the improvement. When stock was at famine prices and labour scarce the farmer concentrated on stock raising and pasture improvement, with a result that he now knows which grasses and clovers grow best on his land and the best proportions of each to sow in a mixture. Unfortunately the war had a reverse effect in New Zealand. The Dominion was dependent on her own resources fox' grass seed and, in consequence, the price of seed soared to famine level—anything sold. Temporary grasses are high seed producers and gave the best yields and were, of course, grown. The seed was saved, sold, and distributed, with a result now so well known to all farmers.”

Manoys Ltd., Stratford, arc advertising outstanding specials for Saturday only. See advertisement on page 8?