LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19124, 8 December 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sanders Cup. The Irene was chosen to defend the Sanders Cup for Canterbury at a meeting of the Sanders Cup committee last night.

Poultry Bill and Counoll. The Poultry Runs Registration Bill was read a first time in the Legislative Council yesterday.

Australian Tobacco. The Federal Government has adopted a three years’ plan for the development of the Australian tobacco industry, at a cost ol £60,000.

Thames Valley Electric Loan. —According to the Gazette the Thames Valley Electric-Power Board is authorised to raise £30,000 (part of a loan of £150,000) at 4J per cent interest for 30 years.

“That’s Why.” —“A man getting £3 a week 20 years ago was better off than a man getting £5 a week to-day, ’ said Cr. T. Forsyth at the last meeting of tho Wellington City Council. “He’s dead; that’s why,” was a quick interjection from a Labour councillor.

Dress Set on Fire. The muslin dress of a girl who was walking along Pitt Street, Sydney, the other day, was set on fire by a person who is alleged to have had a lighted match in ills hand. The flames were put out by an onlooker before she was burned. An arrest was made.

Offer to German Jews. —The Moscow correspondent of the Times states that M. Peter Smidovitch, vice-presi-dent of the Soviet Union, has offered a refuge for persecuted German Jews, enabling them to found an autonomous Jewish republic named Birobijan.

Auckland City Loan.— An Order-ln-Council has been gazetted authorising the borrowing of £200,000 by tho Auckland City Council by way of ’hypothecation of debentures issued in respect of two loans of £IOO,OOO each. The rate -of interest is not to exceed 5 per cent.

Marketing of Fruit. —The Fruit Control Board, at present meeting in Wellington, is discussing the question of marketing. No statement has been made for publication, and it is understood negotiations are being carried out with London and It will be some weeks before any announcement is made.

Support Local Industries! —“I think everyone in Wanganui should ask for Wanganui-manufactured goods,” said Mr G. 11. Pownall at a meeting of the Wanganui and District Development League. His contention was that by doing so, more employment could be given for Wanganui citizens. “I think we ought to make every post a winning post to get the people of Wanganui to purchase locally-made goods,” he said. <

British Art for Auckland. —The first loan exhibition of modern British art, organised by the Empire Art Loan Collection Society, will be held in Auckland early next year under the management of the City Counoil. The exhibition will comprise nearly 300 oil and water-colour paintings by British artists from 1860 onward. There will also be a representative collection of drawings, etchings and other examples of black-and-white.

Ashes Committed to Deep. With full naval ceremonial, the ashes of the late Paymaster-Captain H. C. Parker, R.N. (retired), were cast into the sea from H.M.S. Diomede last Tuesday afternoon, I when the cruiser was on her way from Gisborne'to Auckland. Paymaster-Captain Parker’s death occurred in Auckland last week and his body was cremated and the ashes sent to Gisborne for naval burial at sea. At. the time of his death Paymaster-Captain Parker was president of the Auckland branch of the Navy League.

Two Full Moons In Same Month.— The occurrence of two full moons in one month is not frequent, but in the new year the unusual grouping of two full moons In January and March and none in February will be witnessed. The first full moon of the year will occur on January 1, to be followed by a second at the end of that month. February, being a short month, misses the next full moon, which occurs early in March. It is calculated that 181 years, or 235 lunations, will come and go before there is again a similar happening.

Dairy Farmer’s Returns. The statement that he had reduced his mortgage to his dairy company by £2OO per annum during the past two years was made by a Maori judgment debtor at the Magistrate's Court at Wanganui. Despite the fact that a low price had been prevailing for butter-fat, he said that his original advance of £BSO had been reduced by nearly half during the past two years.

j. C. Williamson, Ltd. —Tho directors of J. C. Williamson, Limited, Sydney, arc asking holders of preference shares to cancel arrears of dividend up to June 30, 1933, and accept as their rate of dividend from that date a cumulative preferential dividend of 7 per cent, per annum, with the right to participate up to 8 per cent, when ordinary shareholders receive a greater dividend than 7 per cent. Should the proposals be approved by the preference shareholders the managing directors and tire London representative are prepared to accept under their contracts lower remuneration. Tho amount of preference dividend outstanding is £3l',275.

Activity at White Island —Signs of exceptional and recent activity on White Island were reported last evening on the return to Auckland of a member of a party which visited the island last week-end. The crater floor was found to be covered with ash and rubble to a depth of several inches, while three well-known blowholes had appreciably shifted their positions, and two small lakes were almost filled with stones and mud. A slight earthquake experienced at Whakatano yesterday morning was believed to have been caused by further activity at White Island. Windows rattled" loudly and most of the residents were wakened, but no damage was reported.

Lot us help you settle the Christmas C.ift question, for Hooker and Kingston’s have the most attractive and comprehensive range to choose from in Hamilton. For young or old there are many novelties at popular prices that, will repay Inspection. Then for those who are travelling this holiday time you will he delighted with out styles and values and travel goods, for we have a hag for every oeeasion. Again, you must bring the children to see dear old Sanla this year in his old Smugglers’ Cave and North Pole attraction. F.very afternoon from q p.m. to t p.m., and Friday evening from 7 p.m. to 0 p.m.. at Hooker and Kingston's the Victoria Street Drapers. **

Scenery Preservation. Amendments made by the Legislative Council to the Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill were agreed to by the House last evening. The Minister of Lands, the lion. E. A. Ransom, said the amendpients were of a minor nature.

Gift for Unemployed. —A message from Suva says:—The fruit shippers of Fiji have sent 151 cases of bananas, 65 cases of pines and 110 watermelons to Auckland by the Waipahl for distribution among the Auckland unemployed.

Postponed. —Owing to the pageant being held on Saturday it has been decided by the Sunshine League and the Waikato Children’s Camp League to postpone the fireworks' display until February 17, when it is proposed to have an afternoon and evening gala at the Lake grounds.

Longer Summer Time. —The Summer Time Amendment Bill was read a second time in the House of Representatives yesterday. It seeks to extend the period of daylight saving from tli£ last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in April, instead of from the second Sunday in October to the third Sunday in March as at present.

Amerloan Banks. The Governments credit expansion plans are to continue on various lines. This was indicated in an announcement by i the Comptroller of Currency that 61 per cent, of all the national banks, which remained unlicensed after the “bank holiday,” have now been “licensed, chartered, absorbed or placed in receivership."

A Great Linguist. —The facility with which Everold Osman Parry interpreted modern Greek in the Greek libel action in the Supreme Court amazed the judge, jury, and all who listened to his Interpretative qualifications, says a Sydney paper. He is not only a master of modern Greek —literary, spoken, and Romaic —but is a graduate of the University of Sydney in ancient Greek, having, translated portions of Homer’s “Illiad and Odessey’’ and other Greek classics. He can, with great fluency, speak Greek, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, and French.

Waste of Time. —ln the House of Representatives yesterday, the waste of time by some members on Unimportant questions was deplored by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. \V. Forbes, when replying to tile long debate, initiated in a formal motion to block progress on the Gaming Amendment Bill. Mr. Forbes said a little more consideration should be shown to other members by those who took up so much time. Some of those who had been voicing their objection to the curtailment of members’ privileges had been among the worst offenders in this respect.