DOMINION DOINGS

New Zealand Tablet, 5 July 1917, Page 15

DOMINION DOINGS

A settler who owns a block of land at Netherton applied to the Paeroa Assessment Court for a reduction of his valuation. In urging his claim, he stated that he had not seen 600 acres of his laud for nine months, on account of the flood waters covering it. ,-v .• The Auckland Acclimatisation Society’s scheme for the purchase of hawks’ beaks, in connection with the destruction of the birds, has met with a ready response. Over 4000 beaks were sent in to the society in a month, the payment for which amounted to £IOO. The Rosewill settlers have set a good example in the matter of production (the Timaru Fust remarks). There are four acres of land attached to the Rosewill School, and five teams assembled there one day recently to put the lot in wheat, the school committee finding the seed. The crop will be taken out, as it is put in, free of charge, and the proceeds given, through the school children, to some patriotic fund. What probably constitutes a record for potatodieting in the Hedgehope district (says the W inton Record) was performed on Mr. J. Cleine’s property, when Mr. William Mcßae, with a potato digger and 10 pickers (five of whom were ladies) dug and picked 160 bags from one acre in seven hours. The plot of If acres tallied out 270 bags, or an average of 13 tons to the acre.

The New Zealand Herald states that the egg collection scheme formed in connection with the Belgian Relief Fund some six months ago, has proved a great success, adding £620 to the fund. This scheme, into which the school children of the province entered most enthusiastically; resulted in the collection of about 10,000 dozen eggs during the period when they were plentiful. These were kept in cool storage until eggs became scarce and then sold.

A farmer living a few miles out l of Napier discovered when the recent flood waters had receded that one of his sheep had been lifted by the flood to the upper branches of a tree on his property. The carcase still remained perched on the tree over 14ft from the ground. The farmer intends leaving it there, so that in years to come its blackened skeleton may tell of one of the heaviest floods ever experienced in the history of Hawke’s Bay.

During the recent floods the Oroua River went back to its old course of some thirty years ago, and is now only two chains from Kimbolton road. This new stream (the Feliding Star relates) has made an island of about half a mile in width and in length, with two families isolated. No damage has been done to the properties, but the inconvenience is, of course, great. A resident who has examined the new course says he is of opinion the river will make it the main stream in the future. This will be a serious matter for Feilding. A gentleman who recently paid a visit to a military camp where a new draft of recruits were being shown “how to walk and where to place their feet,” came away convinced that there is nothing like soldiering as a means of levelling up the social classes of the community. In one of the cookhouses he was surprised to find a well-known university professor and a graduate busily removing the coats from a pile of potatoes and onions, while the officer who presently came along was, in civilian life, a person who concerned himself with the cut of one’s clothes.

A movement has been commenced (says the English Ironmonger) for promoting the emigration to Taranaki, in New Zealand, of persons acquainted with iron

manufacture. A. process has been discovered by which the Taranaki ironsand, that lies in unlimited quantities on the seashore, may be turned to profitable use, and the New Zealand Iron and Steel Company is preparing to erect smelting works. An association has been formed at Birmingham to effect for ironworkers cheap and comfortable passages and the formation of special settlements. “The medical examination of men in the past,” said Dr. Thacker on Tuesday (says the Christchurch Star) “has simply been mucked through. What I want to suggest is that every member of the Second Division should have the right to go to his own medical man for a certificate showing what his deficiency is. Then when he goes to the military doctor he can say, “That is my deficiency; you can see whether it is right or wrong.” That would do away with men breaking down in camp and being drummed out. They have not had a square deal.”

The Oamaru Mail has the following item: At a country concert in the Oamaru district a gentleman rose to propose a hearty vote of thanks to those who had provided an acknowledged good musical programme, and used a misfitting saying to emphasise his meaning. “I hope,” he said, “you will never hear worse.” At this there was a shout of merriment, and, realising his mistake, he rejoined; “I don’t mean what you think. I hope you may never get better.” More laughter, and the speaker realised that he had waded in deep enough, and it would be better to leave himself there.

The Kith am Argus remarks that it is freely stated that in Taranaki farming land is rapidly passing into the hands of foreigners. A land salesman (says the paper) informed them that the position is getting serious. He says that our own countrymen are going away to fight, and when they come back, if ever they do, they will find that their properties have passed into the hands of foreigners. From what the salesman told the reporter, it would appear that peaceful penetration is getting in its handiwork in Taranaki. Is anything, it asks, going to be done in the matter before it is too late ?

A meeting of the directors of the Canterbury Aviation Company was held on the grounds recently, at which satisfaction with the progress being made was expressed. Mr. C. M. Hill, the instructor in aviation, made a successful flight during the afternoon. There are six pupils now in residence at the flying school, who are being trained in mechanical and structural work besides actual flying. The students are quartered in the pupils’ living rooms, which have been completed, and are now very convenient and comfortable. Their names are: — F. Wilding, E. J. McFadden, J. E. Stevens, and H. N. Hawker, Canterbury; and E. J. Orr and L. Limbrick, Hawke’s Bay.