LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waipa Post, Volume 38, Issue 2270, 19 February 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An old lady recently called at a certain power board office (says an exchange), to explain that she was a property holder on the river below the power station, and wished to know exactly what effect it had on the water, taking all that electricity out of it, and if it were likely to injure the cows.

"For two years I have been looking for some means of distinguishing New Zealand butter at Home," said Mr E. E. Sharp, of London, at a Rotary luncheon in Wellington the other day (says the Dominion). "Even now," he continued "I suppose I am buying that of some other country. What New Zealand should do is to place some i*egistered name on her produce, so that people in the Old Country will know when they are buying her butter and when they are not."

It is expected that several trotting horses trained in Te Awamutu will compete at the Thames Trotting Club meeting next month. The leading event is the Thames Trotting Cup Handicap (harness), of 350 sovereigns and a cup valued at 30 guineas, two miles, limit 4.42. In addition, a goldmounted whip, donated by Messrs Kohn, Ltd., will go to the driver of the Cup winner.

"Every person found trespassing on private land with any dog, or with any net, gun or other appliance, is liable to a fine of £5 unless and until he proves to the contrary," so says the Animal Protection Act, 1921-2. Some action (says a Wellngton paper) might well be taken under this enactment with reference to the pearifle menace, which is much in evidence at week-ends.

We are informed that at a meeting of the newly-formed New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company's Shareholders' Association it was decided to circularise all the shareholders of the company, setting forth the reasons for the formation of the Association and its aims and objects, including inquiry why the company's pay-out for butter-fat compares so unfavourably with the smaller co-operative dairy companies in spite of the savings and other advantages claimed by the management to accrue as a result of large-scale manufacture.

"The number plates on cars are not a bit of use as a means of identification in the case of fast speeding," said Cr. W. E. Carter at a meeting of the Eltham County Council (says the Argus). "Some of the 'hogs race trains to the crossings and then pull up, while all the time the drivers and firemen have the wind up!" That the old style of numbers was best was Cr. A. L. Campbell's opinion. Cr. Carter considered that there should be two or three letters which should be three times as large as the present ones. "Something like you see on aeroplanes," he concluded amid a great deal of laughter.

Te Awamutu Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., made 103 tons of btter in January, an increase of 72 per cent compared with the same month of last year. The butter output for the eight months of the season to date is 5581 tons, compared with 3501 tons last year. The average butter grade for January was 93.06. The company is making a cash advance of Is 5d per lb butter-fat for finest cream supplied in January, and shareholders will be credited with an additional Id. The total amount of the monthly pay-out is £13,408, compared with £6520 for the same month last year, when the rate of advance was Is 2d. The total payment to suppliers for the season to elate is £73,554, compared with £42.480 last year._ ___

In spite of the humid weather prevailing during the past week there was a large and representative gathering at the monthly dance at Lake View Hall on Tuesday evening last, fully 130 patrons, representing the districts of Ohaupo, Paterangi, Kihikihi, Te Awamutu, Hamilton, and Auckland being present (writes a correspondent). An orchestra dispensed excellent dance music during the evening, and a dainty supper served by the lady members of the committee was much appreciated. Dancing continued till long past midnight. That such a large attendance was present under such unfavourable weather conditions, and during mid-summer, certainly reflects great credit on the capable committee in charge of the Lake View dances. The hall funds, will again be well augmented as the result of the successful dance.

A land deal of interest to Waikato farmers was transacted in the Cambridge district last week when the well-known homestead property at Fencourt, at present occupied by Mr E. Simon, was sold to Mr J. A. Court, a director of Messrs George Court and Sons, Limited, Auckland. The firm is also interested in the rearing of pedigree Jersey cattle, and under the supervision of a farm manager, has been operating at Ardmore, near Papakura, for the past three or four seasons. Mr Court has now effected an exchange with Mr Simon with a view to extending operations on a larger scale and in a district to which he has taken a fancy. The transport of the whole herd to "Fencourt" will create interest among Jersey breeders. The change-over takes place on March 18. Mr and Mrs Simon have been residing at Fencourt for the past nine years and will be missed by many friends in the Cambridge district. It is understood that stamp duty will be paid on a deal aggregating close upon £200,000.

A Taranaki Herald representative was accosted by a business man the other morning, who exclaimed: "This is a race morning. Look at the streets. Hardly a soul about. There was a time when, on a race day, the streets would be crowded with visitors at this hour; but the motor car has altered everything."

" The .Board is strongly of opinion that the introduction and importation of Angora and Chinchilla rabbits should not be allowed by the Government, and we entered a strong protest through the member for the district; but we were finally assured that no harm would eventuate through such importation."—Excerpt from the annual report of the Manawatu Rabbit Board.

That a driver of a motor car recently had his spare wheel cut off by a passing railway train at a crossing on the Main South line was the somewhat startling statement made by Mr V. W. Russell at the meeting of the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association (states the Press). "He said nothing," added Mr Russell, "but went quietly back and collected his spare."

Word has been received at Pirongia that it is the intention of the Crown Lands Commissioner to confine his activities to those lands for which application has been made under the Adverse Occupation conditions before scheduling any of the absentee sections as Crown lands. A considerable number of A.O. applications have gone in and it is anticipated that it will take at least four months for the Crown Lands Office to dispose of them .

A Pirongia correspondent reports that a fine old native known as Katipa, who is believed to be over 100 years of age, paid a visit to the local store recently to purchase a hay fork with which to assist in putting in the hay. Katipa can vividly recount his experiences as policeman to King Potatau and his successors, Tawhias and Mahuta, while his travels throughout the great Nehenehenui and Rohepotae are the subject of many interesting stories.

Is the use of roller skates on our roads going to add a new terror to motoring? queries the Dominion. Only recently a roller skater caused a good deal of comment as he glided in and out of the traffic at Day's Bay on a busy Sunday afternoon. This habit comes from San Francisco and Los Angeles, where the small boys are permitted to shoot along the roads and sometimes even on the sidewalk on roller skates. It is quite a common sight to see a boy delivering papers on roller skates, and to note how cleverly he overcomes all obstacles as he sails blithely along.

Speaking at an orchard pruning demonstration on Thursday, Mr Hamilton, instructor of the Department of Agriculture, said that certain varieties of plums, including Sharp's Early, were not self-fertilised, and to get them to fruit it was necessary to plant another variety in the orchard, so that fertilising could be done by bees. He had known of successful fertilisation by hanging bottles in a tree in which there were flowering branches of another variety. "That's not much trouble; I'll try that," said one resident present.—Waikato Independent.

A good story is told, by a Wanganui resident who, with his wife, spent the week-end at New Plymouth the guests of a well-known citizen who is a borough councillor and also the enthusiastic chairman of the Pukekura Park Board (states the Herald). They had just started Sunday dinner when a phone call came to say that some people had inadvertently been locked in the park fernery, and the caretaker had gone off home to dinner with the key. The councillor cheerfully left his dinner and set off in his car to the park, where he found a very embarrassed but thankful honeymoon couple from Auckland waiting patiently behind the bars of the portal to the fernery. They were at once released and welcomed to the city, and told of other beauty spots that should be seen by all visitors.

There is tangible proof that the rabbit is disappearing. The evidence of our eyes points fairly conclusively that way, but we have facts in regard to the increased carrying capacity of properties compared with, four or five years ago. The export figures of rabbit skins for the year provides further proof. In 1926 just on 16,000,000 skins were exported and in 1928 12,000,000. This represents a 25 per cent, reduction in two years, but the rabbit has been hunted much more relentlessly this last couple of years, and the destruction is probably greater than the figures indicate. The respective values in the two years were £750,000 and about £580,000. There may be some who will regret the passing of this amount of wealth, but if the value of the sheep that can be substituted is taken into account the rabbit wealth would show insignificantly in comparison.

Apropos the discoverv by a Te Awamutu resident last week of a halfgrown shining cuckoo, the following is of interest:— A Wanganui resident noticed in his garden the other day a bird with a green back and bars on the neck. It was a young one and two very much smaller birds were actively engaged in feeding it (reports the Herald). This process of feeding goes on daily from daylight till dark; the bird seems to have an appetite apparently unsatisfied, and is continually calling out for more. This bird is known as the pipiwharauroa, and is by no means uncommon in Wanganui, and may be seen at Virginia Lake and the City Nursery. In the wintertime it disappears and goes back to the ranges to reappear in the early spring. A well-known local Maori states that when the pipiwharauroa arrives it is time to start the cultivating and planting of the kumera. The parent bird lays the egg in the nest of other little birds, who hatch it out and then lead an active life as foster parents. It has been stated that the bird migrates to other lands, but the local Maori authority says that this is not correct.

Owners of stock, etc., suitable for exhibition, should note that entries close on Thursday for the Otorohanga A. and P. show next week. S. G. Dobson, expert and artistic photographer (Hamilton), will be in Te Awamutu for a week. Call to see him. Studio in Alexandra Street (in front of Farmers' Institute) and on show grounds, Albert Park, to-mor-row.*

An Oamaru resident who recenty visited the North Island was surprised at the improvement that has been shoAvn in the dairy lands of the north. He states that, by the judicious culling of the herds and the topdressing of pastures, the average yields of the herds have been enormously increased. In the Waikato and Taranaki districts the Friesian and Jersey cows are being crossed, with the result that quantitv as well as quality of butter is being produced.