LOCAL & GENERAL

Western Star, 13 June 1933, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

A further outbreak of-swine fever in Wellington , province, is . reported, Sunday evening pictures arc screened ab New Plymouth after services.

The Department of Education lias intimated that no probationers will be appointed in 1934.

All arrangements have been made for the Southland Champion Ploughing Match to b© held on July Bth.

The Wallace and Fiord Hospital Trust meets on Thursday and the Wallace ttounty Council on Friday.

The Waimatuku Tenui.s and Basket Ball Clubs have combined to hold a concert on July 7th.

The Birchwood Hunt Club held a meet at Otautau on Saturday. The next takes place at Oreti on the 13th, Wintou 14th. Turi 16th and 17th.

Despite the low prices ruling for potatoes considerable quantities have been dug and bagged for sale during the past week or two.

An iucreaso of a farthing per !b in the schedule price for fat lambs lias been made in Otago. Rates for wethers and ewes are unchanged.

The’ Executive of the Southland Farmers’ Union oppose* a general subsidy on manures owing to the difficulty the Government has in continuiiv the present subsidy on superphosphates Requests for further subsidies would endanger the present owe.

The World Economic Conference in London, on which depends the weal or woe of nations, was opened yesterday by' His Majesty King George, > .

Jn aid of the Women’s Division of thfe Fartners’ Union a grand concert will be held at Tliornbury on Thursday 22nd inst.

The Tariff Commission is at present taking which will be of a voluminous character. One is . sab in -assuming that the Commission will report in favour of a compromise.

The provincial" president of the Southland Farmers Union, Mr Gordon MdKay, . attended the annual meeting of iSthe Drummond branch held last et-ening

A football match between Orepuki and Riverton was played on the local recreation ground on Saturday, and re suited in a win for Orepuki by 20 points to 8.

A; meeting of those interested in the re-cipening of the South Hillend dairy factory, which has been closed for a •number of years, will be held on Thursday afternoon, 15th inst.

»For a position in Dunedin for which the-wages arte £lO4 per annum there were over two hundred applications, among them being many married men. •

liji nine years the number of; radio licenses’ has increased .from 4,702 „ tf> 93,5&:4 ; ' With a'cheapening of’ the apparatus- more installations are being made. .

.Although carried- on intermittently, owing to the long period of rainy . weather, a large area of land in Southland has been turned over, and this'' will derive 1 benefit from the frost-9. • '

The annual meeting of the Riverton and : District Progressive League will be held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening. The public are cordially iu vited to attend.

..The upward trend in prices which was manifested several weeks ago has been maintained, and the firming tendericy for primary products appears to indicate that better times are. nob far away.

.; Monday, 3rd July, has been fixed for* - the election of. school committees at Feldwicfe, Ferndunlaw, Gladfield, OtaliU; Round Hill, Rualiine, Sunnyside and Waikouro, these schools having;: failed to elect committees on the statutory'date.

In l an announcement to farmers and trappers a firm advises not to poison rabbits but to catch them, its price being foil good, crutch-gutted rabbits, twq shilling* per pair as from the 10th inst. At this figure rabbits will lie a luxury.

Southland has once again demonstrated the fertility of its soil. The latest threshing returns show that the average yield per'acre of oats was 42.06 bushels, and ; .of wheat 55.19, the; highest in New Zealand, for which the average yield was 38.06 bushels «of pats and 48.11 of wheat

~ ..There are thirty million acres of grass land in New Zealand, seventeen million acres of which have been made by 'mill and the balance by Nature. Of the' thirty ‘ million five million are •devpted to dairying, and twenty-five million .to meat and wool production.

The, Riverton Plunket Society hold an Olde English Faire' in the Mil! Lane on Saturday afternoon/ His Worship the Mayor (D r N. G. Trotter!) will declare-tli© Faire open. It is hoped that residents will attend In force to help this worthy object.

It was rumoured that owing to decreased attendance at the Riverton District High School it was likely to lose the services of its first assistant. This has no foundation in fact. Should • a reduction, in staff be found necessary it will nofc affect the first assistant. ( ■ We. have to record the death of a former resident of Riverton in the person of Mrs Geo Black, who passed away at Dunedin on Friday last. The deceased lady was the eldest dauglitej of the late , John: Hay, Commissioner ,of Crown Lands, and received her early-.education at the Riverton Dis'tfict High School i . r At one rabbit skin sale in Dunedin last week two hundred thousand skins; were offered and sold; The top price realised was 9s lOd a lb., and the total receipts of the sale wer e £6OOO. One firm ha s called the prices inflated and caused by various operators sell-. iiig forward. Meanwhile the boom is on, and the rabbit is having a livelv tune. ”

•The Wild Bush Debating Society discussed the subject. That further growth and development of the Empire will be directed more by Government action than by private enterprise Affirmative speakers, Messrs A. Ingyaih and W. Anderson; negative, Messrs R. Shearing and T. The negative side was adjudged the winner. Mr J Qormack presided.

The opinion, is widespread and'join-ing-ground.. that the depression -will end this, year. The recovery will be slow; probably painful at times, but it should be perceptible in 1934, still more perceptible in 1935, and definite in 1936, It is sincerely to be hoped that the World Economic Conference will confij-m the belief.

The Assistant Director-General of Agriculture say s that the five million acres, of grass land devoted to dairying m New Zealand could be gradually increased to eight millions. The present production per acre was 80 lbs of butter-fat, which could b e rapidly raised to; 12d lbs and more slowly beyond that figure by the scientific develop meat.'of grass land farming. '

The anrual meeting of the parishioners of St. George’s Church., wa<held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Tuatapere, on Monday evening and was .well attended, Rev J. N. Thompsor presiding. The following office-bear-ers were elected for the ensiling ye#r<: Vicar’s Clmrchwarden—Mr .Tno Horrcl); People’s Clmrchwarden— Mr Geo Charlton; Committee —Mr s Staneombe. Mrs Robson, Messrs Coughlan. •Tas Howell, Harper. Thomas, Cottam and V' indleburn. After the annual meeting a most enjoyable social \va< held.