NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1933, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

To replace pines that are being cut out of King Edward Park, Stratford, 200 native trees, 2ft. 6in. to 3ft. high, will be purchased for replanting at a cost of £2O.

A hei-tiki and pendant presented by Mrs. Binnie, New Plymouth, and a walking stick from Mr. Perrett, Eltham, have been acknowledged by the New Ply" mouth Carnegie Institute and Taranaki Museum.

Duplicates of the original passenger lists of the early Taranaki pioneer ships lodged in the Early Colonists’ Collection at the New Plymouth Carnegie Institute are being made. The special ruling and detailed writing necessary causes it to be slow and tedious work.

Scaffolding on sewerage reticulation work on which William McLeod was engaged at Carrington Road yesterday collapsed. Mr. McLeod suffered minor injuries and was admitted to the public hospital. He is progressing satisfactorily.

In a recent return to Parliament, the following figures are given of the public expenditure on hostelries for secondary schools and their furnishing: Wellington College, £50,000; Nelson College, £47,000; Napier, £30,000; Wanganui Technical Hostel, £28,000; New Plymouth £16,000, etc.

A Mokoia batsman' had attempted a boundary shot in a cricket match at Manutahi but the ball was coming slowly to rest some yards off the objective. An obliging dog picked up the ball in its mouth and carried it the necessary distance. Amidst the laughter the umpire signalled a four.

Issues of books from the circulating library at the New Plymouth Carnegie Institute during the 26 working days proceeding December 13 totalled 11,733, including 873 from the children’s section, a daily average of 451. Twentytwo new subscriptions were registered and 42 subscriptions cancelled during the period. Books numbering 143 were added to the collection and were classified as follow: Religion 1, fine arts 4, biography 5, sociology 8, history 3, fiction 78, useful arts 2, travel 12, children 30.

Care of the grass on the sides of the roads was a subject of brief discussion at the meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night, the Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour) in reply to Cr. F. S. Grayling's question stating workmen were attending to the grass and would cut it on all roads in the borough. Crs. P. E. Stainton and J.„ W. Darby said that the residents of Fitzroy and Westown respectively were attending to the grass themselves. “If you .do it yourself,” added Cr. Stainton, “it is surprising how pleased you are with the job. But if anyone else does it it is a very bad job.”

A fracture of the left hip was received by Mrs. Marion Foote, Maunu, Whangarei, when she tripped over a cat and fell at her home. She was admitted to the Whangarei Hospital. It must be one of the finest views in the world the District Governor, Rotarian T. C. List said at yesterday’s weekly Rotary Club luncheon referring to the unique view of the Heretaunga Plains obtainable from the beautiful property of Mr. Mason Chambers, Havelock North. Hawke’s Bay at this time of the year had never looked more verdant than it was to-day, said Mr. List. The realm of astronomy was brought within the understanding of the juvenile mind yesterday by Mr. H. W. Insult, secretary of the Taranaki Education Board, when he addressed standards five and six pupils at Moturoa School on the subject. The talk was illustrated with pictures from books on the subject. Mr. Insult also gave an advisory talk to standard six pupils who will be leaving school this year.

Yesterday was the day for the halfyearly payment of Native rents to the Maoris of North Taranaki, the payment being made at Waitara in the morning and at New Plymouth in the afternoon. The occasion attracted a large number of Maoris to New Plymouth, many expressing disappointment at finding most of the shops closed for the half day. Some business premises that were open, however, appeared' to be doing good business.

The works committee and the borough engineer were authorised by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night to wait on the Harbour Board to request it to have the sand from the dredge discharged closer inshore than at present and immediately opposite the railway station. If this could be arranged it is thought that the sand would accumulate under Woolcombe Terrace and along the East End beach. High Street, Hawera, is not to be decorated with fems this Xmas as it has been in the past. The matter was discussed at last night’s meeting of the borough council and the Mayor (Mr. J. E. Campbell) opposed the decoration with fems on account of the destruction of bush it entailed. Other councillors were opposed to it on account of the untidy appearance of the town next day and the work of cleaning imposed on the borough council staff. The value of agricultural instruction to boys intending to follow farming was illustrated by the Rev. H. K. Archdall, headmaster of King’s College, at the prize-giving ceremony. He related the experience of a farmer with two sons. One had gone straight to practical farming after primary education, while the other went to a secondary school to take general subjects, to train the mind while learning the principles of scientific agriculture. The farmer had candidly confessed that he had been wrong in sending, his first son straight to farming. He was still working as a farm labourer, while the other was a farm manager. Mr. Archdall said it entirely justified the approach to agricultural problems which had been adopted at King’s College. News has been received in Dunedin of a new record for the crossing of Canada by car, the journey from Halifax to Vancouver being covered in the amazingly short time of five days five hours and 40 minutes. This achievement is rendered all the more remarkable by the fact that the driver, a Canadian aviator, was unaccompanied. The total distance covered was 4250 miles, of which two-j thirds was over rough roads and the car used was a small machine. The average speed was 34 miles per hour, and only 86 gallons of petrol and three quarts of oil were used on the entire trip. The driver carried a flask of Atlantic water which he poured in the Pacific at the end of the journey to signalise his success. Just one flash of lightning, one peal of thunder, and Thomas Wilson, aged 18, lay dead at Billabong Creek, Parkes, New South Wales. There was no more lightning that day. Wilson’s horse was dead, but 60 sheep recovered after lying motionless on their backs for many minutes. Wilson was found lying dead on the ground beside the horse. Half his head was untouched; the lightning had burned the hair from the other side. Half his face was charred black otherwise he did not appear to be injured. His clothes were burning; smoke rose from the smouldering cloth. The horse was apparently unharmed. It had evidently been killed by the shock. Writing to a friend in New Plymouth, the editor of the “Autocar” of Great Britain, says:—“America’s misfortunes in the automobile industry are Great Britain’s opportunity, and I do hope that our manufacturers are not only pegging out claims all over the world, but are taking steps to see that they consolidate such claims for all time. Of course, trading conditions in Europe are desperately difficult owing to the innumerable countries in which credits are frozen, and the almost panic-stricken tariff wars every country seems to think necessary. Indeed, if this persists I think seriously that we shall all be reduced to living by taking in each other’s washing, as the old saying has it. In the meantime, general trsMe conditions in this country are undoubtedly improving and there is a regular and considerable fall, month by month, in the numbers of the unemployed, while shipping is showing distinct signs of picking up.” One of the most interesting of his experiences during his recent tour of the East Coast of the North Island had been the initiation of the Bishop of Aotearoa, the Right Reverend F. A. Bennett, as a Rotarian, the District Governor, Rotarian T. C. List related at yesterday’s weekly Rotary luncheon. Bishop Bennett had commenced his ministry in the Maori Mission at the Bell Block and Waitara district, and as an old friend of Bishop Bennett it had been doubly pleasurable to be able to initiate into Rotary a man of such influence not only among Maoris but also among pakehas. No man was held in higher esteem in the ministry in Taranaki than Bishop Bennett, continued Rotarian List. His Grace Archbishop Averill, Primate of New Zealand, an honorary member of the Auckland Rotary Club, and Bishop Sadlier of Nelson, a very active member of the club there, were also present at the initiation.

It was reported by the secretary to the Wanganui Automobile Association (Mr. F. J. Hill) last week that the Wanganui-Raetihi Road is in quite fair, condition. A good deal of work has been done on the route by the employment of relief labour, and Mr. Hill estimates that at least ten minutes’ travelling time has been saved in the journey from Wanganui to Raetihi. At the 35-mile peg important reformation work is in progress and in the event of wet weather the road will want some watching at that point. This road provides the shortest route to National Park for Wellington, Palmerston North, Marton and Bulls travellers. Motorists from Feilding, because of the Tohunga deviation between Ohakune and Horopito, will find the Waituna West, Rewa, Vinegar Hill, Mangaweka route the shortest. Mr. Hill stated that the Wangaehu Valley Road, which provides easy, access to Karioi, and is metalled all the way, is now in quite good order. Regarding the River Road, he warned motorists not to attempt to proceed further than the Ruapirau bridge at present. “In fair order, but very dusty,” was his comment on the Desert Road.

Brisk business is reported by Scanlan’s Ltd. at the Melbourne Comer. All departments of the store are sharing in the increase of over 25 per cent, over and above last year’s December takings. This is a clear indication of the growing popularity of the well-known corner as a shopping place for drapery and ladies’ apparel.