Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 135, 13 March 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Successful Garden Party. The garden party organised by Mrs F. G. Farley, and held at he,' residence, Thornton, last Wednesday, was a great success. The many willing helpers and people's generosity in sending contributions to the produce stall and giving prizes for the competitions, assisted in the raising of £27 2s 6d, which Will practically wipe off the debt on the hall. Race Traffic. The usual large volume of motor traffic converged from all parts of the Bay of Plenty on the Tauranga racecourse on Saturday and Monday, and although the attendance was lower than the record established last year, it was still considerable. Traffic officers from all parts of the district were on duty in the vicinity of the course to keep the traffic moving smoothly. Despite the large volume of traffic, no accidents -were reported to the Tauranga police and the only mishaps appear to have been minor bumps sustained during the procession leaving the course after the meeting. No Sun Helmets. The familiar broad-brimmed hats and not sun helmets would be worn by the New Zealand troops now in Egypt, said Major-Gencral B. C. Freyberg, V.C., Officer Commanding the New Zealand Exueditionary Force, in an address broadcast from j Daventry in the week-end. "To onr comrades of the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force to Egypt," he said, "we send a special message. There has been a move to abolish the broad-brimmed hat in favour of the sun helmet. Rival opinion was fairly evenly divided, but I am sure you will be glad to hear avc have decided to stick to our own New Zealand hats." Noisy Nights. A correspondent signing herself ''Distracted" recently wrote a letter to a New Zealand daily on the subject of dogs barking and roosters crowing at nights. Commencing with a plea for owners of these noisy creatures to endeavour to keep them quiet during the hours of darkness, she suggested that the dog should be shut in a box where "he will not bark, and will be comfortable." Roosters, in her opinion, should be killed and eaten before winter, and settings of eggs bought in the spring. By these means she considered that . the nights would be made more pleasant for those; endeavouring to sleep.

Hive of Activity. The Northern Steamship Company's section, on the Strand-Ma-tatua Street corner, Is now a hive} of activity. The quantity of material for Ihe wharf ie-newal job is steadily increasing and men are busy making long, pointed piles. Tennis-Minded Dog. It is a -well-known fact that most dogs are particularly fond of ball games, for the fun they find in chasing the balls. This can, however, become extremely embarrassing for the owner of the dog, particularly at golf or tennis, where the ball may be picked up by the dog and carried away with great rapidity. In one New Zealand township, however, there is a dog which may in time be elected an honorary life member of the tennis club. His home is near the courts, and whenever he sees a game in progress he makes his way to the pavilion with all speed. But his mission is not to capture a ball and bear it away in triumph. He takes up a position on the sideline and watches every stroke with interest and understanding, and it is only when a protracted rally is in progress that he voices his disapproval in barking; never does he seize a ball and make off at high speed. Unseasonable Month. The Dominion weather survey, issued by Dr. M. A. F. Barnett, Director of Meteorological Services, states that February was a most unseasonable month presenting a number of unusual features. Average pressures "werellorw r generally, but the lowest values were in the south, where previous records were broken. The westerly type of situation, which is not common at this time of year, predominated throughout the month, so that strong winds were very persistent. There was some rain on most days in western and far southern districts, which had an exceptionally wet month. Sunshine and temperature suffered accordingly. East of the ranges hi the rain shadows, where the rainfall was light, the winds have parched tlie countryside. Elsewhere pasture growth has been rapid and prolific, and most crops arc good, Dairy yields have been moderate to heavy, and all stock are very healthy. Although harvesting has been delayed by wind and rain, the past weeks have seen most of the Can-f terbury wheat successfully harvested. High winds have caused considerable damage to trees, and serious loss to orchards. White butterdies and other pests were fairly prevalent.