GENERAL ITEMS.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1281, 15 August 1922, Page 7

GENERAL ITEMS.

It is stated that at least 30 families are in receipt of charitable 'aid in Dannevirke, where there is much unemployment.

“ Totara is not used for telegraph and telegraph posts in New Zealand because there is noc enough of it,” said the Chief Post and Telegraph Engineer to a Wellington reporter. “ It is the only native timber suitable for this purpose.”

“ What is the amount of income tax outstanding ?”. the Hon J. A. Hanan asked the Prime Minister. Mr Massey replied that he was not able to reply at the moment, but that he would obtain the information sought. Arrears of land tax amounted to £300,000. ■

Owing to the remarkable facility with which the telegram printing machines have been able to cope with the telegraphic work between Wellington and Auckland, one of the existing wires has been liberated, enabling the department to institute a continuous telephone service between Wellington and Auckland. Hitherto the public has been able to get into touch with Auckland by telephone only during certain hours at night, and on Sundays, when the wires were not engaged by the telegraph branch.

“We should not be justified in spending -another pound if it was" not going to pay the country to develop hydro-electric power,” said the Minister of Public Works in the House of Representatives. “ The schemes throughout New Zealand will pay provided that we don’t cell the power too cheaply—and it will pay the public to buy at the prices we are asking.”

The loss sustained by the country by the compulsory retirement of public officers was referred to in the Legislative Council. The Hon. O. Samuel stated that the arbitrary fixing of the retiring age at 65 was wrong. At the present time there were no fewer than five retired Sur-veyor-Generals in this country, and their valuable services could have been made use of still had retirement not been compulsory.

He was visiting the hospital.. “Hullo, Haku, how did you get here ?" asked the vislitor. “By an error of judgment,” answered the patient, and when pressed for an explanation he delivered himself thus: “I was riding te motor-bike on te ferry dark night. Then I see te lights of two motor-hikes cornin’ towards me, so I dteer to pass between them. But, py korry, that wasn’t two motor-bikes, that was a motor-lorry.”

Some curiosity has arisen as to the ultimate destination of monies, such as the £IOOO found slewn ;in the vest of a lonely old man who had been killed on the railway at Patea (states the Manawatu 'Daily Times). Presumably it will be paid over to the Public Trustee ; but what then ? There are innumerable unclaimed bank balances, Post Office Savings Bank', and bankruptcy balances which we may only suppose find their way to the consolidated fund or to Chancery—which ? It would be interesting, and to some, profitable to know.