LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18623, 29 April 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Rain at Ruakura. —At the Ruakura Stale Farm .66 inches of rain was recorded in the 24 hours up to 9 o’clock this morning.

Orphans’ Club's Fortieth Year.— The fortieth annual report of the Auckland Orphans’ Club shows the membership at 538, and the cash balance £431.

Qate Pa Battle.—The battle of Gate Pa, about four miles from Tauranga, took place 68 years ago to-day. It was one of the most thrilling episodes In the Maori War.

Meat for Needy.—ln Masterton on Saturday 16001 b of meat was distributed between 239 families with over 700 dependants, through the Mayor's unemployment fund.

Dcminlon Pictures. —An interim dividend at the rate of 74 per cent per annum has been declared by the directors of Dominion Pictures, Limited, Auckland, on preference shares for the half-year ended March 31. No interim dividend has been declared on ordinary shares.

South American Crloketers.—Fifteen cricketers, recruited from Chile. Brazil and Argentin, have sailed from Buenos Ayres for England for the first organised invasion of that country by South American players.

Motor Registrations.—Wellington is to have the small numbers when registering motor cars this year, and Aucklanders will have to be content with numbers ranging from 60,001 to 70,’000.

Dangerous Driving.—ln the Magistrate’s Court, at Rotorua, Arthur G. McClure was fined £lO, with costs £2 5s 6d, and his license endorsed, on a charge of driving a motor car to the danger of publio safety.

Disobedience of Maintenance Orders. —Charged with disobeying maintenance orders respecting his wife and child, Charles Ballantine Risk O’Neill was sentenced to one week’s imprisonment on each charge, to be released on payment of £2 17s, in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Illness of Mayoress.—The Mayoress of Christchurch, Mrs D. G. Sullivan, became seriously ill at her home on Wednesday. Although her condition yesterday had slightly improved, she was still seriously ill. It is thought that she is suffering from ptomaine poisoning, hut this has not been definitely established.

Conference of Teachers.—-The annual “teachers’ parliament” will be held in Wellington during the May holidays, when delegates of the New Zealand Teachers’ Institute from all parts of the Dominion will assemble. This year the burning question is salary cuts, on which women teachers have been especially emphatio, and for the first time the women delegates going south from the Auckland province outnumber the men.

Dole Coupons Refused.—The Master Buchers’ Association 'Of Sydney has declined to give further credits to the Government on account of dole coupons. Over £20,000 is owing to them, no money having been received since April 8, and the butchers are advised that their accounts with the Government cannot be paid from moneys collected by the Commonwealth. They have decided that no further coupons will be accepted until their accounts are settled.

East Coast Railway. —lt was announced by the Mayor of Tauranga, Mr B. C. Robbins, at a meeting of the Tauranga Borough Council, that a public meeting is to be held next week to consider railway matters. A motion was carried that the Railways Board should again be asked to visit the Bay of Plenty. Several members of the council spoke strongly in favour of the retention of the railway.

A Generous Offer. —The offer of the St. Stephen's School Trust Board to train 100 boys at reduced fees at its new college at Bombay was renewed to the Farm and City Careers Bureau on Wednesday when members of the committee of that organisation visited •the college. The board’s aim is ! to encourage boys to take up farming and to help to relieve unemployment. The visitors expressed appreciation of the offer.

Races on Norfolk Island. —A typical "up country” race meeting, held in a paddock on Easter Monday on Norfolk Island, attracted about 300 people. About £ls was paid for admission. A fair sum passed through a “ blackboard and chalk totalisator." A local “sport" was most irate because the Boy Scouts were advised by their leader not to attend the races. It was contended that they should have been present in uniform and have done their “ good deed ” by holding the island “ Phar Laps ” for their owners.

New Zealand Goods. —"Speaking from personal experience I can say that there has never been a time in the history of New Zealand when the demand for New Zealand-made goods has been greater than that which exists to-day,” said Mr W. • Simm, speaking at a meeting of manufacturers and retailers at Wellington to discuss Industries Week. “Further," he said, “there has never before been such a general disposition on the part of the public to reject foreign-made articles." lie considered the time had come when manufacturers and retailers could do much toward the strong establishment of the country’s industries, and the creation of work for New Zealand men and women.

Princess Elizabeth. —Of all the presents received by Princess Elizabeth for her sixth birthday she was most excited with the new pony given to her by the King. The pony is slightly larger than her present mount, "Peggy." Another present which delighted the little princess was a bicycle, specially built to measure and given by the Cycle Manufacturers’ Union. Forty manufacturers hafloteri for the honour of supplying tire bicycle. Princess Elizabeth is now able to write her own letters of thanks to her grand-parents and other givers of presents in a legible hand.

Insult to Moslems. —Although the great Moslem festival of Bakrid passed off in most parts of India without clashes with the Hindus, two incidents occurred in Bengal, resulting in one man being killed and many injured. The Moslem labourers of Gouripore, a big jute factory area near Calcutta, on assembling for morning prayers, found that a carcase of the detested pig had been thrown into the mosque during the night, presumably by mischievous Hindus. Thousands of infuriated Moslems thereupon attacked the Hindu quarter with knives, sticks and stones, frequent charges by largo forces of police being necessary to restore order.

Riches Take Wings.— “l have been very rich, but there are none of that ilk left in America to-day. The ones who think they are still rich are afraid to look in their ledgers.” j3o says Mr Charles Schwab, aged 70, who directs a host of American companies, including the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

Fall of Membership.—ln his annual report to the annual meeting of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, the president, Sir George Richardson, said the executive regretted that membership figures had fallen from 1166 in 1931 to 1023 in 1932. This fall was doubtless due to the difficult times ex-service men were passing through. It was regrettable that out of approximately 15,000 exservicemen in Auckland City and suburbs less than 7 per cent, were financial members.

Lower Railway Returns. —A decrease of £292,679, or 15.7 per cent., in total revenue, more than double the fall in the previous year, is shown by the traffic returns for the Auckland railway district for the year ended March 31 last. Of this sum, the largest fall is in revenue from passengers, amounting to £187,723, or 39.3 per cent., which is three times the decrease in the previous year. Receipts from goods decreased by £95,215, equal to 7.5 per cent. In the numbers of ordinary and season tickets sold there were decreases of 12.9 and 35.5 per cent, respectively.