NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1934, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A blaze in a barrel of vaseline at the back of the shop occupied by Mr. S. Feaver, Opunake, was responsible for Opunake residents being awakened about one o’clock yesterday morning by the clanging of the firebell. A few buckets of water sufficed to extinguish the blaze before any other damage was done. Holding a can of milk in his hand, a boy cyclist on Avenue Road was thrown heavily off his machine yesterday morning through striking a stone. He landed. on the grass by the roadside and with remarkable presence of mind kept the can upright, scarcely spilling any of the contents. Not before he had walked deliberately up to the offendmg stone and given it a vicious kick did he remount his bicycle.

Fire totally destroyed a five-roomed farm house, occupied by Mr. Ronald Buckly on Newall Road on Monday. The outbreak was first discovered near the ceiling, and is believed to have been caused by a defective chimney. Neighbours gave willing assistance and saved a good deal of the furniture, which was not insured. The building was insured for £3OO with the New Zealand Insurance Company. The Noxious Weeds Amendment Act, giving local bodies power to assume responsibility for the administration of the Noxious Weeds Act and to levy rates for clearing noxious weeds was before the Egmont County Council yesterday. Realising the necessity for careful consideration before taking any action in the matter, the council appointed a subcommittee comprising Crs. J. S. Tosland, G. Gibson and A. J. Lilley to peruse the amended Act and report at the next meeting, when the matter will be i fully discussed.

Shearing is in full progress in the Wanganui district and preparations are being made for the first woo. sale of the season in January, states the Chronicle. The market opens at Auckland on November 27.

•Vandalism was still prevalent, reported Mr. T. H. Horton, park superintendent, to the Pukekura Park committee last night. Every effort was being made to prevent a continuance of the mischief.

“The fernery is looking as well now as ever, if not better,” said Mr. F. Amoore at a meeting of the Pukekura Park committee last night. He said many improvements had been effected and the staff was to be congratulated. In one class of 39 pupils at the Central school, New Plymouth, 24 have bank accounts, according to the headmaster, Mr. D. P. Evans. The total sum in these accounts is £348 4s 2d, an average of £l4 10s 5d per child. Three have balances of over £5O.

The story of a man who was lecturing his son in regard to depressions was told by Dr. W. G. Fern in the course of an address at Timaru. The man told his son that depressions usually lasted three pairs of trousers. “I am on the third pair now,” he said, “and if I sit on a penny, I can tell whether it is heads or tails.”

If suitable arrangements can be made it is proposed to hold a conference in the Marlborough Sounds early next year of members of the Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch Rotary Clubs. Inquiries are being made as to the possibility of chartering the steamer Tamahine for the occasion.

“Boats like those seen at Venice and Naples” were suggested for use on the lake at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, by a New Plymouth resident who sought to lease the boats, improve their appearance and ply for hire on the lake. The offer was not accepted by the park committee at its meeting last night. An incident occurred on the Waitara bowling green on Saturday last which might have proved fatal to a composition bowl. A cigarette end had been thrown in the ditch and the bowl came to rest on it, with the result that a thick smoke was seen rising from the ditch. On investigations being made it was found that the bowl was on fire. Any proposed alteration in the voting qualification for county elections, particularly with a view to the introduction of the universal franchise system, will be opposed by the Egmont County Council. At its meeting yesterday the council decided to support the Waimain County Council in opposing any such alteration.

A wonderful riot of colour has been witnessed by many visitors to the Taupo district during the last. few weeks, where broom, which grows in profusion, is in full flower. From the hill approaching the township of Taupo from Wairakei the countryside as far as the eye can see in some directions is clothed in brilliant yellow. Many overseas visitors as well as New Zealanders who have been fortunate enough to see it have been impressed with the beauty of the countryside.

The return of notifiable diseases for October in the Taranaki health district shows that 14 cases have been reporte , comprising scarlet fever 4, diphtheria 3, pulmonary tuberculosis 3, acute poliomyelitis 3, sceptic abortion 1, eclampsia 1 and lethargic encephalitis 1. There have been 33 cases of diphtheria reported since the beginning of the year, 28 cases of scarlet fever and 28 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Scarlet fever shows an increase of four cases over the corresponding month last year, but there are fewer cases of diphtheria.

Few parents could give the correct answer to a question appearing in a civics paper that was last week set primary school children sitting for th® proficiency examination. It was quite a simple question, namely: “What is the maximum charge for a 12-word telegram in New Zealand?” Its value as a test of general knowledge is apparent, but it was so far removed from the school curriculum that quite a few teachers were unaware of the answer until they had communicated with the post office. The answer is Is 3d. This is the charge for telegrams from Auckland to places in the South Island. Mr.' G. E. Hawkins at the annual conference of the South Island (New Zealand) Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association, gave a startling case of chicken mortality. The meeting was discussing the poor quality of pollard sold in New Zealand. Mr. Hawkins stated that a poultry farmer hatched out 500 chickens and all but 15 died. A post-mortem disclosed that death was due to impure pollard which included a liberal percentage of wild tares. 'Die meeting immediately carried a motion that pollard and bran should be brought within the regulations of a Stock Food Act.

It is known that a proportion of the New Zealand butter which is exported to the United Kingdom is blended with inferior butter and, to the detriment of the Dominion product, sold as New Zealand. It is probable that the proportion of New Zealand butter that is so treated to considerable. A Dunedin resident forwarded to the Times an instructive extract from a letter from his sister, who resides at Blackpool. “I must say,” his sister writes, “that the New Zealand butter tastes awful over here. I’m sure it is mixed with some other brand. I have meant to mention it before, but forgot. It is sold at lOd per lb.”

A case which attracted some notoriety over a long period was recalled in the Supreme Court at Gisborne, when an application for a public examination of Thomas Martin Goodall, bankrupt relief worker, was adjourned until next session, Some months ago, after a successful civil action against Goodall and another member of the executive of the Freezing Workers’ TJnioiij Goodall filed a petition in bankruptcy, and during his examination it was disclosed that he had drawn some hundreds of pounds from the savings bank. Bankrupt asserted that this sum had been dissipated at “two-up schools” and in other forms of gambling, but he was unable to give any details as to his losses, or with whom he had gambled. . The result was that he was charged with contempt of court and committed to prison. When the case was called the other day, Mr. L. T. Bumard, representing the offical assignee, explained that bankrupt was still in gaol for contempt of court, and for this reason an adjournment of the application for a public examination was desired.

The delay in the conversion of its loans formed the subject of considerable discussion at the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday. 'Die chairman, Cr. W. C. Green, stated that the delay was due to the want of unanimity on the part of the council. A resolution had been passed by the council to the effect that the loans should be consolidated, but a petition had been made by ratepayers of the south riding objecting to the consolidation of the loans on a county basis, but favouring consolidation on a riding basis. The chairman suggested that the matter should be placed before the Local Government Loans Board, which should be asked to give a decision on the matter, each party agreeing to abide by that decision. It was decided to write to the Loans Board asking if it would be prepared to accept a deputation from the council, and in the event of a favourable reply a deputation representative of both parties will go to Wellington to place the position before the board with a view to reaching a decision on the question