LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20081, 9 August 1937, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Entertained to Dinner. After the Peace Cup challenge match on Saturday, the visiting Paeroa team was entertained to dinner by the Thames Union. Arbor Day Celebrations. Arbor Day will be celebrated in Thames on Wednesday by the planting of a row of pepper trees in Queen Street. Mrs. J. Thorn will plant the first tree at 3.15 p.m., and others will be planted by school children. Football Supporter Faints. The excitement at Bhodes Park to* wards the end of the Peace Cup game on Saturday, when Thames drew level Avith the challenging Paeroa team, was intense; so intense, in fact, for one lady supporter that she fainted. A St. John Ambulance officer rendered firstaid. "A Now Broom." A deep interest in the work of the Labour Government in New Zealand was shown by Mr. Charles M. Maclean., an American businessman who is making a tour of the Dominion. "I wonder how the legislation will eventually work out?" he commented. "New brooms sweep clean, but the point is, how long will the broom last?" There's Many a Slip! "We've got it in the bag!" shouted a Paeroa enthusiast on Saturday at Rhodes Park, as the scoreboard read 9-nil. "There might be a hole in the bag!" said a Thames barracker—and there was. The Peace Cup slipped out of the hole and stayed in Thames.

St. George's Church. Visitors to St. George's, Thames, aro always impressed with the size of the building. Actually, it must be tho largest parish church in the provinco outside of Auckland. Its interior has a dignity in design which appeals to most people, nad if money could bo spent on stained glass windows, etc., tho whole effect could be made most beautiful.

Plenty of Vocal Support. The Paeroa Rugby representatives brought a large contingent of supporters with them on Saturday, and they gave their team plenty of vocal support throughout the match. Their hopes were high right until near the »nd, when Thames drew even. Milk Cartons. During his visit to England the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, inspected, a process for making cartons for the delivery of milk. The cartons, made of waxed paper, are non-returnable. The hygienic nature of the process, together with the apparent saving in distribution costs, were points that impressed Mr. Savage, particularly in view of the extension of free distribution of milk to New Zealand school children. Japan Exports Butter. It is not generally known that Japan recently sent a consignment of butter to England. Commenting on this, Mr. W. Laffan, a dairy officer avlio examined it, said the manufacture and packing were good, and the quality, he thought, would be equal to a good sec-ond-grade Australian butter. The consignment impressed him as being remarkably good, considering it was tho first consignment from Japan. Dogs at Rhodes Park. The ramifications of tho stray dog tribe in Thames have extended to Rhodes Park, and spectators paying to see a Peace Cup match had an additional attraction provided on Saturday in racing dogs careering about the field. The variety, size and breed of the variour animals gave the spectators something to discuss, and the chances that one of the strays would upset a player as he was running for a try was considered at even-money prices several times during the game. Free Apples for School Pupils. For a fortnight every child at the Bcckenham School has been enjoying a daily apple from an anonymous gift of sufficient apples to provide one each day for each pupil for a month. The gift was made through the Canterbury Education Board, and warm appreciation has been expressed by members of the school committee. The headmaster, Mr. F. W. Garland, said that only a little trouble was caused at first through cores being thrown about, but ho was surprised how much of an apple could bo consumed.

"Busman's Holiday." A brief "busman's holiday" was enjoyed by two members of the Springboks team in Palmerston North. Two of them, A. D. Lawton and P. J. Lyster, are engaged in the profession of law in South Africa, and they visited the Supreme Court on Tuesday last, where the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, and a jury of four, were hearing a case. They found considerable interest in the forms of legal documents used.

Might Be Useful. The long hours being worked by Ministers of the Crown have frequently been mentioned by members of deputations as a contrast with the Government's policy of a 40-hour week for workers, and when the matter was raised at New Brighton last week, the Minister for Labour, Mr. P. C. Webb, remarked that the shorter hours might be useful to the Ministers when they were- kicked out of office and had to go back to their ordinary jobs. Mr. Webb remarked that Ministers wore working 16 to 18 hours a day in their efforts to improve the lot of the people of New Zealand.

Arithmetic and Apples. An arithmetical proposition of more than purely arithmetical interest to orchardists was demonstrated by a speaker who, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation at Wellington, urged that the consumption of fruit by school children should be encouraged: "400,000 children, 200 school days; an apple a day, 80,000,000 apples; 444,400 cases, 4/6 a case; £99,990 —as my children would say, 'Oh, boy!' "

A Maori Painting. Many years ago the well-known Maori, Ngakapa, was photographed and painted by a well-known Dominion artist. The picture was placed on view at Foy's, in Pollen Street. Someone told old NgaTsapa and he came along and inspected it. He demanded to know the price, and when told went off to the bank, and bought the picture, which was in a large gilt frame. He hired a cab, and, sitting alongside the driver, drove up and down Pollen Street holding the picture for all to see. He then went to Butt's Hotel (now Shortland) and hired a room, charging 1/to go and inspect his likeness. At Che end of the day he spent the money so taken in lavish hospitality at the bar. Willow Menace. "The willow problem is one to which attention must be given shortly," said the Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr. W. E. Parry, ad'ltessirig local body members at Gisborne. "We have in this country some problems arising from the introduction of plants and animals which were thought to be a blessing. Tt is going to cost tho country hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear up this question of river blockage by willows. We put the willows there as an asset, but in a few years they have become a living menace to us. The problem is one which must be tackled on a national scale. With river erosion, it presents one of the most difficult tasks the Government has to face, and there' are going to be a lot of headaches before it is dealt with finally."