LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 962, 1 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The rainfall in Te Awamutu as recorded by Mr W. Jeffery during the month of June was 10.48 inches. A large crowd is expected at the fancy dress dance to be held in the Ngahinapouri hall- to-morrow evening.

The Auckland Observer remarks': “ There are twenty-two land agents in Te Awamutu. There is also another ; business man.” It is notified in another column of this issue that the Te Awamutu Municipal Band will give a recital in Victoria Park next Sunday afternoon. A collection will be taken up in support of the candidature of. the soldiers’ candidate in connection with the Domain Queen Carnival. It is reported that during the past few days there have been phenomenal clearances of whisky from bond at Wellington in anticipation of an immediate increase in duty on spirituous liquors. A Press Association message from Dunedin also reports big clearances from bond. At the conclusion of the Schools’ Sports Association’s tournament on Saturday, when Te Awamutu had been beaten, Mr S. Walker, the headmaster, remarked to Mr Power, who was up with the Te Kuiti teams :

“ You’ve beaten us this time —but after we’ve had practice—look out. Kia Kalia is our motto !” “Yes,” answered Mr Power, “ and ours is Semper Parates !” This means “always; ready’—the retort courteous. Discussing Australian conditions, Mr A. S. Wallace, of Te Awamutu, who returned earlc in the week from a tour of Australia, says it was pitiable to see the effects of the drought. Beasts in the fields were suffering 1 terribly, and it was impossible'to estimate the loss. Crows perched on the fences, watching bullocks which struggled to keep their feet; when an animal fell the birds pounced upon it. From a farmer’s viewpoint the country was parched to a degree that New Zealanders could not imagine. “ We do not know the meaning of the word drought,” said Mr Wallace, who, in his own words, was “ thankful to see again the green fields of New Zealand.” The Dunedin Star understands that some of the active grain merchants of Dunedin, and also some of the mov- j ing spirits amongst the farmers, are endeavouring to have the evil of the forward selling of “paper oats” taken up by the various branches of the Farmers’ Union throughout Otago, Southland, and Canterbury. It is said that 164,000 sacks of these “ paper oats” were gambled with last season; so the operations of Auckland speculators are on a considerable scale. The evil has grown to such proportions that millers and shippers find it hazardous to collect stocks so long as * the pernicious methods of the gamblers are allowed to continue, and unless something is done to check this gambling .there is a possibility that the established firms will operate only for hand-to-mouth requirements, thus . paving the way for wild speculation and chaos—-a state of affairs that would certainly not be in the interests of bonafide producers.