Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 186, 15 July 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Wattle in Flower. Bursts of golden Lioom greet the observer, in many parts of the Boiough. The wattle trees are already starting to brighten up the landscape Avitjn their dense blossom. One of the most arresting is the tree at the foot of the Hillcrest rise. Four Sons Serving. A number of instances have been reported of several brothers serving with the military forces. Another comes to liglit wiith the information that four sons of Mrs Davte, of •Thornton, are all serving their country. Two are in the First Eclielion, overseas, one is in the Third Echelon, at present in camp, and another is in a Coastal Defence unit. Mrs Davis has one other son, at present at school. New Road Being Formed. Frames of several new Government houses now being erected in King Sti-eet, will indicate to the observice the course of the new road which will run from Salonika Street The houses will, in themselves, provide the town with a new suburb, and fill a gap of land hitherto been regarded as waste. When completed the whole plan should be most attractive, and a real asset to Whakatane. Cow Has Four Calves. Although her effort will be without tangible results, a Jersey cow on Mr G. de V. Chittjy'is farm at Hauwhare, attempted to do her part in the effort for greater production, The cow iin question gave birth to no fewer than four calves on four successive days. The quadruplets, however, Avere all born dead, although they were normal in every way. The event is hailed as unique in farming circles in the Dominion. Not a Paper Boy. Having no brown paper to wrap a, large framed photograph which he was taking home, a young man in Auckland utilised two newspapers which Avere cunningly draped to conceal the contents* As he Avas AVaiting for his tramcar a Avoman approached, fumbling in her bag. "Give me a paper, please," she said. There Avere general smiles, and apologies from the Avoman. There | was no sale, as the papers Avere old and the parcel much more valuable than the tAvopence she proffered. Unusual Way to Say "Unmarried." It seems to be the aim of some Avho have filled in the forms that are being used to compide the National SerAace Register to puzzle the officers of the National Service Department. One man sent them to the dictionary by ansiwering the question as to his conjugal state by writing "Nubile male," "Nubile" means "marriageable," so that the answer meant that he was unmarried. He Avas not really correct, however, for "nubile"' should be said of Avomen only. Social Security Scheme. "The maternity hospital benefits and the general benefits which came into force on May 15, 1939, and 1, 1939, respectively, are Avorlting satisfactorily, the result sliOAVing a considerable increase in the collections from patients' fees," declared the chairman of the Waikato Hospital Board, Mr F. Findlay, in his annual report submitted to the meeting last Aveek. Out-patient treatment and general private medical 1 practitioner services had not yet been brought uncler the social security benefits. "Still Got Our Chins Up" A Whakatane resident last Aveek received a letter from a friend Avho is a member of a London n cays paper staff. "I am Avriti'ng this on the day Holland and Belgium Avere invaded," he says. "In our office today Ave have been testing the firte pumps and dusting our tin hats. The acute shortage of paper caused by the Scandinavian invasion has cast a deep depression OA'er Fleet Street, but Are have still got oxir chins up and are hoping for better times in the future. We are all eating very Avell here, thanks to the Royal Navy, although there seems to be an extraordinary idea abroad that Ave are starving." "701bs of fat banished in 14 weeks" Try Btmkora. Pleasant, quick, safe. F. G. Mack low, Chemist, Whakatane.

Bandsmen's Social Evening. To-night members of the Pipe and Brass Bands will gather in, social harmony and goodfcilowship in the Winter Show Hall where a smoke concert and informal programme of items -will combine to further improve the already excellent bond between the two organisations. Pohutukawa in Bloom. At least three trees in the Pohutukawa forest in the Ohope valley arc putting out freak blossom. This is considered somewhat remarkable in view of the severity of the cold weiather, but recalls the fact that at approximately the same time last year similar features were noted at Otawairere, and on the Heads approach. Visitors to Whalcatarie. In spite of the benzine restrictions there appears to be a surprising number of visitors to the town. A recent Auckland businessman (now retired) remarked to a BEACON representative that all the country towns he had visited in his recent tour, he considered Whakatane had made the greatest^.progress over the past ten years.