LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20073, 30 July 1937, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Fire Station's New Tower. A start has been made with the erec tion of the new tower at the Fire Bri gado Station.

Peace Cup Elimination. The venue of the Morrinsville-Mata

niata Peace Cup elimination game will be decided after the Finlay Cup game, to be played to-morrow.

New Courthouse Survey. It is understood that a start was made with the survey of a section opposite Hauraki Stores, Ltd., yesterday, presumably for the new Courthouse.

Ambulance Postings. St. John Ambulance postings for Rhodes Park to-morrow will be: Supt, P. J\ Hosking, Hon. Sergt. 8. 1. Williams, Ptes. F. H. Hall, J. P. Loydoii, K. McLiesh.

Basketball at Central School. The Thames Basketball Association's teams matches against the Paeroa representatives to-morrow will now bo played at the Central School courts, and not at the South courts, as previously arranged.

Not Consistent. Not practising what they preach has been applied many times during the last 50 years to all shades of politicians. Even to-day the 40-hour week, considered important enough to make compulsory on struggling manufacturers, is not carried out by those who advocated it, in very many cases.

An Orange a Day. An orange a day is quiet as healthy for the children as a pint of milk, according to the Roto Manu school committee (Canterbury). The suggestion that school children in Canterbury should each receive an orange daily evoked no enthusiasm at a meeting of the Canterbury Education Board, and the letter from the committee was received.

Kiwis Plentiful. Kiwis are reported to be plentiful on the Wanganui River. Wekas, on the oilier hand, have completely disappeared. Mr. George McGregor has a theory that the love of swamp country, with

its uninviting dampness, is the cause of kiwis continuing to hold their own against stoats and weasels. Tho woodhen, on the other hand, frequented the country which was congenial to these natural enemies of wingless birds.

Charges on the State. A striking example of what can happen if immigration is carried on haphazardly was given by Air. W. E. Leadley at a Returned Soldiers' Association conference in Christchurch. "When 1

was secretary of this association a man came to me for assistance the day after he landed from England," said Mr Leadley. "He had with him his wife and 11 children. He and members of his family have been charges on the State ever since."

Raids on Cyclists! A raid conducted by 15 traffic inspectors of the Christchurch City Council last Friday night, chiefly to enforce tho regulation making red reflectors on bicycles compulsory, resulted in notifications being given to about 1;/! eyclists that their equipment must be put in order. Similar raids have been made recently, and the traffic department of the council intends to see that all cycles fulfil the regulations governing brakes, bells, reflectors and other equipment.

Afforestation. A plan to plant 10,000,000 young trees on Italy's denuded Mils has been launched by Signor Mussolini as one way of celebrating the acquisition of that country's new African empire. Nearly 6000 acres of Italian hills are estimated to need reafforestation. The plan calls upon the forest militia, in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, to start a national campaign to contribute seedlings for this purpose. Volunteer squads of propagandists will be formed to stir up public interest in the plan.

Wheelbarrows Sack. "This action is in direct opposition to the declared policy of the Minister for Public Works (Mr. R. Semple), who promised to use up-to-date machinery on all public works and abolish wheelbarrows," said Mr. W. Puddle, at a meeting of the HawkVs Bay branch of the Farmers' Union, when registering a protest against the Government granting the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board £30,000 to complete river diversion works by manual labour instead of ma- ( chincry. - "It now appears that wheelbarrows are going to be rescued from the scrap heap and used by the Rivers Board," said Mr. Puddle.

Strange Companion. Man has some strange companions. An old man passed along the Duuodin streets last week with a strangely clean and groomed goat, which showed all the docility and devotion of a domestically trained dog. Remembering that an old goat is "never the more revered for fils beard," pedestrians who had to share The pavement with billy gave

him a wide berth and 'beat fast to windward when their courses threatened fro cross. Bilty, however, had none of the peculiar traits which make "old men of the mountains" identifiable at a long distance when the hunter gets to leeward of them. His keeper hjW apparently bathed and combed him before taking him on his stroll through the city.