LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1400, 2 June 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Te Awamutu vital statistics for month ending 81st May—Births 0, deaths 1. marriages 2. " Daniel Richard Cooper, missionary, Main Street. Gore," is the description 1 published in a 1917 directory of a man | later destined to be sentenced to death ! after one of New Zealand's most senj sational murder trials. ! Mr F. D. Chunn. painter, desires to j announce to the general public that I he has stalled business in premises next to Finlay's Stables, Arawata St.. I and has for stile at keen prices walli papers, glass, mixed paints, etc.. and i hopes that by paying strict attention | to business to merit, a fair share of 1 public patronage.* 86 The farming community has contri- ! buled most to the increase in the ntim--1 her of insolvent debtors who have reI quired to seek the aid of the banki ruptcy court, says the Government statistician; this is a direct result of I transactions inland carrying disproportionately large mortgages, low j prices in 1921 precipitating bankrupti cy. j "The work that is done by a philan- ; Lhropic society such as ibis, or by a : hospital, is. I think, by far the most | practical form of religion that can | exist in the world." said Dr J. S. Elj Hot; in tin address to the Plunket So- ! cie'ty in Wellington. " I think." he added, " that the work which is done ! for the sick and the helpless is the j very flower of our civilisation." The latest development in the HikuI rangi coal dispute is a decision to file j a case before the Arbitration Court, 'the conference between the parties I having broken down owing to the emi plovers not seeing their way to accede ! to the demand that men be selected I by the Union. i One of the minor tragedies in the j life of a dairy farmer who bought a. | cheap and nasty separator, is revealed j by him in the following extract from I a letter: "1 own a separator. AcI cording to the advertised description I a child from a kindergarten can drive | it, but. 1 am (dose on 16 stone and I powerful, but it looks as though my I seconds will have to throw the towel j in." j At the rabbit skin sales at Dunedin j on 21st May values showed an imI provement for prime racks, early and late autumns, incoming and early winters, and present indications are that prices will maintain the comparatively high values they have now reached throughout the season. Of course, rabI bit skins are now improving in quality ! every Aveek. so that it is probable that ! higher prices will be realised for qualI i'ty skins. An extraordinary general meeting |of shareholders of the N.Z. Co-op | Dairy Co.. Ltd.. was held in Hamilton on Thursday afternoon. Mr W. ''laud Motion chairman of direc' its. pre- ! siding UesoV.tions which had been \ duly subnii:".! to shnreholders alteri ing the basis ■,!' a quoiiim .-it general 'meetings .til giving powers to the lirec'ors to titer the electoral system ■f directors were unanimously -on tinned. These resolnii >ns wii] be subject i.\ confirmation a' -i further meeting >be he'd on June IS.

Sir Horace Plunkett, in a recent address delivered before a meeting of farmers at Omaha. U.S.A., gave this turn to the idea of co-operation: "I am convinced that the failure of farmers to study and practise co-operation is the chief cause of excessive middle profits. It is not essential that farmers should sell their own produce to the consumer, but it is essential that they should be so well ogranised that if they cannot get their food to the consumer with a reasonable charge for distribution they should be able to establish distributing agencies of their own. Until they do this producer and consumer will both be fleeced."

One Grey State school girl returned tome befve her usual time (states the Greyii'ouih Star) She rang Ibe oxor bell. Theio. was no She li'iig again, this time i'o ■ longer, but still there vas no re-spc-ie. A Uiiid time she pre. ed the bell, and awU.-v ibe echoes Iv- her l'uriou- ringin?.* Still ii'. l reply from Wi'.n'-i. Then sh; knocked for a minute or two All silent within. Knocking and ringing at the same time was equally unsuccessful. Nobody came to the door, so she pressed her nose against the window pane, and in a shrill voice which caught the ears of ■ all the neighbours, called out: "It's all right mamma: I'm not the rent collector!"

It would be a difficult matter to eclipse or equal this week's issue of the New Zealand Sporting and Dramatic Review with its wealth of illustrations covering all that is most interesting in topical events of 'local and overseas note. A special feature is made of the Great Northern. Hurdles at the forthcoming Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting, three full pages being devoted to photo graphs of competing horses. The reception to the Hon; W. F. Massey in Albert Park. Auckland, is the subject of a splendid series of photographs, while yet another series of illustrations deals with the laying of the foundation stone of the Arts Building in connection with the Auckland University College. A magnificent miscellaneous division embraces illustrations of stage movie and social events. A new football prize competition. No. 2. is again announced in this number.

Mr Fred Baker, of Cambridge, who is well known to Te Awamutu farmers as a buyer of bacon pigs, and is a vocalist of more than average ability, has accepted a three months' engagement in Australia with a concert company. The liability of a land agent when a tenant does not prove the satisfactory occupier stipulated by the owner of the premises formed a basis of a civil action which was heard in the Wellington Magistrate's Court this week. The case was described as the first of its kind to come before a New Zealand court, and the second of its class to be reported in the British Empire.

Several local enthusiasts have been discussing the prospects of forming an Association football club here, with a view to playing teams from Hamilton and other centres. Some of the most keen ex-players intend to visit Hamilton on Monday to witness the Auckland v. South Auckland rep. match. Inquiries have been made by a number of local residents as to when the community singing series is to be revived locally. One resident commented that the community sang the hymns at the war memorial unveiling with a good deal of enthusiasm, and he hopes the "cheer germ" will be again disseminated in weekly doses.

Nomination:, for the position of directors (three vacancies) of the Te Awamutu Terminating Building Society close with the secretary on June 7th. Shareholders should note that members of Xos. 1 and 2 groups are eligible for election, and not members of No. 1 group only as previously advertised.

Quite a number of district sportsmen left yesterday and this morning to attend the Ellerslie racing carnival. Others will go during the week-end f o witness the contest for the Great Northern Steeplechase. Te Awamutu is well represented by competing horses, there being a locally-owned equine in practically every race today, and more than one in the principal events. Several intending passengers for Auckland by the Main Trunk express this morning attended at the station at 3 o'clock, to find that the train at that hour would no pick up passengers, they being required to travel by the second express, travelling an hour later. The stationmaster informs us that to-morrow morning the first train from the south will put down passengers but will not pick up any, local trippers being required to proceed by ■he express passing through Te Awamutu at 4.15 am.

0)i Thursday evening His Excellency Lord Jellicoe and party, while returning from Te Kuiti to Hamilton by car, became "bushed " in a very heavy fog which enveloped them when crossing the Rukuhia swamp. A local motorist who happened to be returning from Hamilton says the vice-regal car was very much at sea. If that is so, the Admiral would perhaps enjoy the experience. He could imagine he was on active service steering through a North Sea fog. The telegraphed account, however, states that it was a very tired Governor-General that arrived at Hamilton. Maybe the sar, like some of Britain's warships, was not a good craft in rough weather.

One who takes interest in schools, school children and their books points out many inaccuracies in an Atlas published by an Auckland firm for use in New Zealand State schools and presumably used by children in hundreds of instances. Several words are mis-spelt, among them Rotorua (Rotoria) and Pipiriki (Pipirki). A continuous railway is shown from Richmond, near Whakatane. to the Thames, also from Nelson to Westport. Greymouth and Hokitika. Both these lines have big gaps remaining to be bridged. Where the fault lies is hard to say, but meanwhile many children are liable to go astray and gather wrong information for their geography lesson if they depend upon this atlas.

"J think the Antecedent Liability Bill which the Government brought into operation some months ago a very foolish measure, so far as it applies to county councils," was the opinion expressed by Mr T. Mason Chambers, chairman of the Hawke's Bay Such a Bill, he said, might, after the district has suffered from the visitation of a flood, cause the Council to discharge all its men. and to do no more work for, say the last three months of the year for fear of running up an overdraft. He had suggested that Councils be allowed an overdraft of 25 per cent such overdraft enabling them to meet any emergency as mentioned. The only alternative to that to safeguard themselves would be to strike a rate in advance of their requirements. Mr Chambers expressed the hope that before long some legislation would be brought down that would alter the position.