Local and General.

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3246, 10 January 1931, Page 4

Local and General.

Three spurious florins and a counterfeit shilling were handed to the Gisborne police on Wednesday. An effort is being made to trace their source.

A statutory first offender for drunkenness was convicted and discharged at the local Court yesterday morning. Mr W. Swain was the presiding justice.

The daylight limited expresses, which resumed running on the Main Trunk on December 19th, for the holiday period, will be suspended after Monday. The trains were well patronised by holiday traffic, but after the end of this week it is considered the usual night express will be sufficient.

It is announced from Hamilton that the tender of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Co., Ltd., to supply the Waikato Hospital with butter for three months was accepted by the Board on Thursday. The price quoted for finest was 11 Id per lb. and for first grade 11:7d per lb. Last quarter the price was ll:7d per lb. for finest.

At a committee meeting of the Te Awamutu Swimming Club, on Thursday evening, Mr S. A. Empson presiding, arrangements were made to hold a carnival at the local municipal baths on the 26th inst., when one of the principal attractions will be the men’s South Auckland championship over 75 yards. Advices were received that several swimmers from other clubs intend to compete in this and other events.

“Why are telegraphic rates double on Sunday and public holidays ? ” The question was answered of the chief postmaster at Christchurch (Mr F. J. Shanks), who . said that on those days double rates of pay were paid to the men. This rule bad been in force since before he entered the service 30 years ago, and so far as he knew had been ruling from the institution of the' service. Overtime rates for ordinary week days were fixed on a sliding scale according to salary. Overtime was very rarely paid to men for week days, time off being allowed.

|? What is a teg ? This question was before the General Committee of the Feilding A. and P. Association recently, when a letter from a farmer, who • asked the committee to give a ruling on the matter, in view of some of the classes fink the fat sheep portion of the schedule; was read. It was pointed out that in England the word teg had a different meaning from ; that usually adopted in New Zealand. After discussion, the committee decided that a teg was a lamb over 421bj in weight, this being the meaning of. the words as used by the freezing companies in New Zealand.

Often the population of various boroughs in the Auck and province comes up for argument, and the following figures from the Official Year Book, 1931 giving estimates as at Ist April last year, are therefore interest'ng: Hamilton 15,065; Gisborne 13.810, Whangarei 7240, Rotorua 5140, Thames 4735, Waihi -3150, Tauranga 2790, Taumarunui 2480, 3Pe Kuiti 2475, Pukekohe 2475, Te Arofiai;24so, Cambridge 2455, Dargaville 1980,-; Te Awamutu 1765. Morrinsville 1640;JiWhakatane 1460, Opotiki 1255,,Ngaruawahia 1245. The populations of boroughs round about Aucklandftyf y|ar e: BirkNorthcote \2515, Takapuna rJSBpr Devonport, 10,310, New ewm airKef?i 3265, Mburit Eden 19,770, Mount Albert 20,190, One Tree H : ll 7920, r Onehunga;;ll .120, and Otahuhu 4980. ’ It may not be generally New Zealand ranks third amon||§|pP

countries of the world in the '.use'idf the automatic telephone, being second to only the United States and Canada. The annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department reveals that the United States leads the world with a tleephone density of 16.3 instruments per 100 population. Canada being second with 13.7 to the 100, and New Zealand third with 10.2. The average for the whole wide world is fewer than two telephones to every yIP; poulation in thosfe countries this form of communicaAt March 31st last the num, mmlmmones in service in the 161,323. Gisborne has proportion of telephones Strunientß to every 100 persons. Weijel7 torf IpO ;person§;sand Hastings ilton third with about 16.5 bachi: arid Auckland" are at/’fcfe bottom of the list of the

j A small addition is being made to I the Oddfellows’ lodge room, in Market Street, which building has become too small for requirements.

The local swimming club, made arrangements on Thursday evening to have the municipal baths opened for night swimming as from Monday next.

From 31st May to 31st January 224 casuals were accommodated at Waikato Hospital’s she ter for the homeless.

During the past month the daily average number of patients at Waikato Hospital was 235. In the same period 151 operations were performed.

At the Thames races on Thursday the Te Awamutu-trainod Royal Ruler, a solid favourite ran second to Bihikins in the chief spr nt event of the day.

The engagement is announced ot Constance Berenice, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs John I< leinmg, “ Mt. Grey,” Bale-aim, North Canterbury, to Albert Hugh, second son of Mr and Mrs J. R. Flay, “ Oaklands, Te Awamutu.

A visitor from the Wairarapa informs us that there are no unemj- eyed in Grevtown at present. hinder the No. 2 subsidy scheme all om, or work men have been engaged 0/ district farmers in harvesting, weeding mangels, and other seasonal activities.

A further length of the Owairaka Valley Road, giving access to the Arohena and neighbouring districts, is shortly to lie metalled, the Waipa County engineer having arranged to uplift'portion of the Government subsidy provided a few weeks ago.

Tn the list, just issued, of successfull candidates in the iunioi national scholarship examination, held last November, we notice the names of Phyllis Lorraine Farmer, of Otoronanga, 488 marks; George Harold Terry, Ivorakonui, 550 marks; and Irene Dorothy Mutton, Te Kawa, 481 marks.

According to the official figures made up to December 20th, radio listeners licensed in New Zealand number approximately 50,000 Receiving linses total 59,001. made up as follows: Wellington, 2 : '>.o-i<; Auckland. 18.023; Canterbury, 9951; Otago, 6067. Dealers’ licenses number 1238, transmitting, renewing and special licenses 273, and free licenses 241.

A paddock of several acres of Japanese millet for sunplementing feed is showing up on Mr Henry’s property, No. 8 road. Te Puninga. Tne seed was sown by drill at the rate of 20 pounds to the acre and there was a good take. Very little mi’let has been grown in the Morrinsvilb' district, but Mr Henry is interested to see how the crop turns out.—Star.

The recent holiday racing carnivals snlendidly illustrated in innumerable snaps of the starts and finishes, lawn snans and groups of club offic’-als appearing in the current week’s issue of the N. Z. Snortmg and Dramatic Review, form a pietor’al that wi 1 be treasured bv all turf patrons. The Auckland. Manawntu and Taranaki clubs have all received a liberal share of the illustrations snare. and trotting is represented bv a fine serms of the events at the Auckland Club’s fixture. '

Accord’ng to a list published in the latest Official Year Book, New Zealand ranks eighth on the world list for the production of butter and sixth for cheese. AustPalia and Canada both have higher productions of butI ter, but lower productions of cheese, while Denmark produces over 50 per cent more butter, but only one-eighth as much cheese. Among butter-ex-porting countries New Zealand ranks second to Denmark, with, however, only half the vo ume of exports. In cheese, also, New Zealand ranks second as an exporting country, falling only a little behind the Netherlands. According to the Official Year Book, the latest issue of which is just to hand, the estimated population of Waipa county, as at Ist April, 1930, was 10,425 (including dependent town districts, but not boroughs or independent town districts). Similarly, the populations of other counties were: Waikato 9845, Rag.an 7880, Otorohanga 4050, Kawhia 1920, and iWaitomo 6860. The most populous counties in Auckland province were Franklin (11,590) and Whangarei (11 010). The least-populated county is Great Barrier, with only 380 inhabitants. Southland holds the record inviNew Zealand with 25,170 people.

t . The population of Otorohanga town - district at 31st March 1930, was estimated- at 625, Leamington 560, Puta- '» ruru 830, Matamata 1090, Te Puke 1 1000, Huntly (since created a bor- > ough) 1810, Tuakau 650, and Waiuku - 865'. These are all independent town - districts. Of the town districts form- - ing parts of counties, Raglan had a 1 population at the same date of 340, J Te Kauwhata 460, Ohaupo 240, Kihi-' - kihi 315, Kawhia 220, and Mercer - 350. Arapuni’s popu ation at the r same date was given as 845, which : included the construction camp. Ma- ■ tangi had 554, Tirau 550, Waharoa » 584, Waihou 787, Waitoa 592, and Ongarue 577. * 1 ■ ■ % ■ <: * The fire to the stor- • age of chlorates should be realised by •farmers and others using sodium of \calcium chlorate for weed-killing purposes. . These materials evolve oxygen when heated, thus very much increasing the intensity of a possible fire. Boxes and bags., which have contained these materials are also liable to be highly inflammable owing to impregnation. The State Fire Office suggests, in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture, that chlorates (and all other oxidising materials) should be stored in bins, preferably of concrete or brick; zinc should not be-. 'used. Containers which have held these materials should not be stored, but destroyed as soon as empty. Care should be, - taken to keep chlorates well away * from such substances as starch, \ ’ ?su#af;%gum, slpphur, fertilisers ,'contammg blood and bone, mineral acid 3 ] and dustf should also betaken < fo keep floors clean, and free from, >j f spilled , chlorates,V as Motion may cause ignition. i

The death occurred at the Auckland Hospital yesterday of Mr Frederick Porter, a well-known settler in the Tahaia district.

As a sign of slack times in the motor car business, it is stated that one engineer in charge of a road construction job in the Waikato recently had two car salesmen asking for jobs, as there were no cars being sold now.

The rain which fell last night and to-day, following as it did upon the downpour of Wednesday night, will do a great deal to improve pastures in this district.

The Plunket Shield match between Otago and Canterbury will now be played at Duned n on January 2)1, 24, 20 and 27. The match was originally fixed for February.

The first race at Thames to-day was won by: (1) Gay Idea, with (2) Smithfield second, and (3) Happy Dream third. Royal England was scratched. Gay Idea won by a head, with a nack between second and third.

Our Otorohanga correspondent reports the death, at the Wa ku!.o Hospital yesterday of Mrs J'kau, the English wife of a young chid oi the Waitomo Valley tribe. They were married in England soon alter the Great War.

A reminder that the municipal elections will be held this year is given in the notification by the 'J own Clerk to-day that the district eVet.ors’ list is now being compi'ed. Applications for enrolment as electors; will be received up to the 31st in.it.

Urgent need for repairs to the borough water main has necessitated cutting off water supply throughout the town and neighbourhood this afternoon. It is expected to have the work completed at about 0 o’clock, and supply will be restored at about that hour.

A copy of the official journal of the Town Planning Institute of New Zealand was received at last meeting of the Morrmsville Borough Council. Tn a cover : n<r letter the suggestion was made that the council should become a subscriber at a cost of a guinea a war, but the council merely “ received ” the letter.

Cabinet has decided to discontinue the payment of eommiss’on on the sale of stamps previously retained by shopkeepers who sold stamps in conjunction with their bus’ness. In the future no commission will be paid to those selling stamps outs de the post office. The estimated annual saving as a result of this step is set clown at £.3000. No ’icenses for the sale of stamns by shopkeepers will be renewed.

One Te Puninga farmer who has a few ragwort plants on his farm is now going round with a few pounds of sodium chlorate and a sack. He cuts off the flowers and puts them in the sack to be burnt later on. He cuts the plant off close to the ground and sprinkles a pinch of chemical over it. In this way be hopes to dispose of both the seeds and the roots of the weed.

The striking total of over £6,000,000 was standing to the credit of Aucklanders in " the Auckland Savings Bank at the close of 1930, showing that the habit of thrift is being mainta'ned and that in spite of the somewhat more difficult times, the people are not distributing their interestearning savings. The actua 1 amount which the depositors were in credit was £6,182,800, whereas at the end of 1929 the total was £5,898,600. After four years of Saturday closing Morrinsville residents probably will have another opportunity of deciding the half-holiday question at the municipal elections in May. At the last poll there was a majority 15 for Saturday, the figures being: Saturday half-holiday : Wednesday half-holiday 256. ' So far (says the j Star) no definite steps hav '-•'•■en j taken to secure taking a poll th, ' year, but several advocates of Wed- • uesday half-holiday state that they i intend to try again. The Auckland office of Amalgamated Dairies, Ltd., has received the following cabled advices from its London office, dated January Bth:—Although the undertone is remaining firm, the market for butter has been disappointing this week, as the general demand has not yet resumed. Profit taking on cheap c.i.f. purchases of Australian and New Zealand is weakening the position. Finest, 116 sto 118 s. The cheese market is unsettled with very little demand for both white and coloured cheese which has sold down to 58s.

Several grants for unemployment relief roading works were approved by Cabinet on Thursday, the total amount voted for the purpose being £6250. A sum of £ISOO was authorised to be spent on the Kururau Road in the Taumarunui County. Attention is also to be given to the Opo-tiki-Matawai Road in the Tauranga road district, and a sum of £I7OO was authorised for this purpose. Formation of the road from Hicks Bay to Cape Runaway is to be carried out, and £IBOO was authorised for this work. The road is in the Gisborne public works district. A vote of £1250 was granted for work on the highway from Haupuri Junction to Haupuri Road, in the Grey County.