Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 20, 2 November 1945, Page 4

Local and General

Rainfall Figures

The amount of rain which fell during October's eleven wet days amounted to H. 06 inches. This brings the fall for the year to date up to 51 ,:i(! inches. The average rainfall for October over the pas-t ten years is 4.:J8 inches; thus it will lie. .seen that last month's rain fall was 1.32 inches below the average.

Work of Leper's Trust

Among some of the Paci'lie Island race.s the dread of the disease of leprosy is very great. Whenever anyone is found tc be a victim he is isolated to a specially l»uilt hut aw-ay from the villagers and his friends or relatives from time to time will leave food near his hut but do nothing further. His existence is a very lonely one. If the disease were treated properly jn the early stages there would be. hope of recovery for many. The Leper.-,' Trust Board is now assisting all Mission Bodies working in the Pacific to put up and equip suitable dispensaries to attend to all such cases.

News Travels Fast !

Any type of news usually travels fast t but particularly a certain type of news B as is- illustrated by the following little anecdote. A local resident happened to be in a tea shop ( absorbing a cuppa*. She was not alone in this, there being a num. ber of others also absorbing. Then

one came in who was obviously no bent upon a mid-al'ternoon snack She bent instead towards a coin

panion and murmured gently into her ear. The aforesaid companion gulped down the dregs oi' lier tea and withi an assumed nonchalence wandered out of the shop. But here it did not stop. Another arose and followed suit; then another and another and so on till our informant •? ' found herself alone. Naturally she was puzzled. Had some catastrophe broken out in the fair city of the Plains unbeknown to her? Was it flood; fire; famine? Her detective instincts aroused, she prowled in pursuit of an answer to this strange riddle and found it—guess where ! J In a local draper's which a short time before had placed on sale a small amount of elastic!