Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 200, 16 August 1940, Page 4

Local and General

A Million Onion Plants. Schools in the Bay of Plenty are now receiving from Pukekohe delivery of an order which may run into a yield of a million onion plants. Up to yesterday, just on three-quarters of this total had been despatched. The children have entered into a plan to grow the onions for sale for the patriotic funds, as a way in which they can contribute. "I lost 421bs in 3 weeks with Bonkora!" writes a lady. Try Bonkora. F. G. Macklow, Chemist, Whaka-j tane. i

School Holidays Commence. Schools will break up for the August holidays to-day after a three months term. A three weeks' holiday will be enjoyed by the children, resumption being scheduled for September 9th. . Celestial Conjunction. The planets Jupiter and Saturn, lying very close together in the morning sky, have been creating interest among those early astir b5 their unusual proximity. When the two objects rose this morning, shortly after midnight, they were at their clpsest to each other, Jupiter, the brighter of the two, being just over a degree to the north, or below, Saturn. Venus, which is also a prominent object in the morning sky at present, does not rise until several hours after the other two.

Acknowledgment. The Lady Galway Guild expresses grateful thanks in acknowledging the anonymous donation of £2 recently received. Award Suspended. The latest Gazette, concerning the cheese factories employees, announces the suspension of the awards previously made and makes provision for a working week of fifty-two hours without payment of overtime. To offset this wages have been increased slightly. Increased Wages. The majority of employees will find their. pay envelopes slightly heavier to-day as the result of the Arbitration Court's decision to increase wages by five per cent. In the case of the employee earning £5 per week, the increase, ss, will be subject to tax amounting to 6d. The Red Cross Shop. The ladies in charge of the Red Cross shop, situated in the Whakatane Hotel Buildings, appeal for general produce, meat, fruit, eggs, butter, cream. Other saleable articles would also be appreciated. Donors are asked to leave . their gifts with Mrs Hayter, Whakatane Hotel, if they call while the shop is closed. Te Whaiti Native School. Advice has been received by Mr A. F. Moncur, M,.iP., from the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, that Cabinet lias approved of the erection of a new residence at Te Whaiti native school, and of the conversion of the old building for crafts and baths premises. Pigs in the Garden. Pigs appear to have gripped the imagination of the public. Among the suggestions recently received by the Department of Agriculture in Christchurc'i was one suggesting that it be made mandatory on every householder to keep a pig in the back garden. The enthusiast respond sible claimed for the scheme that it would solve at once the problem of providing extra production of bacor\ for shipment overseas. The suggestion was not received with enthusiasm by the Department. Glut of Market. Following a favourable wintei and increased crops provided dur-j ing the past season, mangolds, pumpkins, and hay are in over-sup-ply in the Gisborne district and prices are only a fraction of the high rate of a year ago. There is practically no demand for field pumpkins and mangqlds, and, where as rates of £2 and £2 10s a ton were ruling last year, it is difficult to secure 10s a ton at present. Balied hay is simialrly, available at a very low figure compared with the 6s and 7s a bale remanded a year ago, and good quality hay is selling at 2s a bale. Mothers' Names not Known. Amongst the sidelights on enrolment and the filling in of forms noticed by officers of the Defence Department is the number of men who do not know their mothers Christian names, With, the genius of the Government for designing forms -requiring information of which the purpose and worth is obscure, the new attestation forms I require the full name of the soldier's mother. Several of the men have been unable to supply this and when, in an effort to assist their memories, they were asked what t"heir father called her, have replied, "She was always Mum at home."