Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 165, 8 October 1941, Page 4

Local and General

Manpower Committee. A sitting of the Manpower Committee is to take place at the local Courthouse to-day. Leader For Bandi. The Whakatane Pipe Band has iust placed an order for a uniform for a Drum-Major and before long the combination will again be led bj this imposing officer. Rain Benefits the Pastures. Following on good soaking rain /ast week pastures in the Whakatane district have made rapid growth during the last few days. Farmers expect that the soil, which was warmed up during the dry, September weather, will now be in good condition for the usual spring flush of grass. Traffic Offences. Inspector J. H. Delves, of the Transport Department, had only one case at yesterday's Court, Johnny Wineti being fined sfs with costs £1 13s for driving without a licence. County Inspector A. Carling laid information against two motorists, Tohn Fischer being fined £4 and costs £1 13s for exceeding 25 m.p.h. with a heavy traffic vehicle and X. E. Skeen being penalised £1 with costa £1 lis for having no heavy traffic licence for his truck. Ragwort Showing Up. Not only is there a good growth of grass now that October is here, but the ragwort Aveed is showing up again in the hope of raising its yellow head of flowers about Christmas time. Farmers who are watchfut will deal with odd plants in their paddocks now while the weed is in the rosette stage and is not such a problem as it is when well grown in November and December. The Whakatane County Council assists farmers to check the ragwort menace by arranging for the supply of weedkiller at a low price to its ratepayers. I-

Borough Affairs. The monthly meeting of the Wlia* fiatane Borough Council is to take place on Monday next. Apple Blossom Time. Apple and pear trees in Whakatane district gardens and orchards are in bloom. The masses of pale pink and white blossom show us how Nature is preparing for the 1942 crop that will (according to an oft-quoted saying) "keep the doctor away," no matter what is the outcome of the 1941 controversy between the Government and the doctors. Cheese by November. One effect of the opening of the new wartime cheese factory near Whakatane last week is that hundreds of "anonymous" milk cans arrive at the factory daily. That is to saj r , the cans are provided by the dairy company and not by the suppliers, as is the case where cream is supplied for butter making. A email brass plate is provided on the top of the can lids; for the supplier of the milk to write his factory number in pencil. When empty cans Eire returned to the farms yesterday's numbers have to be rubbed out in addition to the cans being rinsed out. So the lead pencil plays an important part in the production of Rangitaiki Plains wartime cheese. When our cheese-fed troops have won victory there will be a chance to say that the cheese supplier's pencil was mightier than Hitler's sword. Natural Hot Water to Heat School. Central heating by means of naturally hot water is now being installed at the Rotorua Primary School, where the pipes have been laid from the bore to be school building. Last year as a result of funds raised by a queen carnival, a bore \vds sunk in the playground to supply water for the heating of the fmilding and for a swimming bath for the construction of which it is expected that tenders will shortly be called.

Bfeach of Order. For a breach of his prohibition order Whaiwhai Hona was fined £1 with costs £1 3s by Mr E. L. Walr ton, S.M., at the local. Court yesterday. Whakatane Rainfall. The rainfall in the past 48 hours registered 0.5 inches on Mr H. Must cutt's gauge, bringing the total for the month to 2.43 inches and the year's total to date to 42.11 inches. The heavy storm on Friday morning last produced a fall of 1.18 inches. Tennis Season Opens. The Whakatane Tennis season officially opened last Saturday when the Knox Club gave a lead by holding an opening-day tournament, there being a large attendance of players. On Saturday of this; week the Methodist Club is to officially open its season with a Yankee Tournament. Fertiliser Rationing. As part of the fertiliser rationing scheme introduced throughout the Dominion this year, local committees were set up under the district councils of primary production to hear applications for additional supplies. In the Rotorua district 135 (ippeals were received and of these over 120 have been heard, stated Mr C. R. Taylor, Fields Instructor of the Department of Agriculture. As a result, 94 farmers were granted more than their rationed amount of pliosphatic fertiliser.