Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 57, 2 December 1946, Page 5

Local & General

Sea Scouts Outing The local crew of the Sea Scouts, spent a remarkable outing over the weekend when they explored the Whakatane river some eight miles of its length above the bridge. The boys who thoroughly enjoyed themselves are keenly anticipating the next excursion.

N.Z.R. Timetable Attention is drawn to the advertisement in connection with the alteration to the passenger services after Ist December. Buses now depart for Rotorua Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.5 a.m. and to Whakatane West Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at. 7.40 p.m.

Fine Weeeknd Last weekend was one of the finest experienced for some months. Whakatane spent it out of doors and excursions were made in various directions by car and cycle. Ohope Beach attracted many on both days while the Heads had probably the largest crowd there this season.

Wolf Cub Meeting At short notice word has been received to the effect that the Dominion Commissioner for Wolf Cubs (Miss N. Wilson) will be visiting Whakatane on Tuesday evening for the purpose of meeting the district Akelas and the boys in the four Whakatane Packs. Arrangements have been made for a special evening in the Caledonian Hall on Tuesday next dt 8 pun., when it is hoped that some sixty boys will assemble for purpose of hearing what, the Dominion Akela has to say. Interested parents and others are also invited to attend.

Mission Lecture An interested audience, attended the motion picture mission lecture given by Rev. B. M. Chrystal in the Methodist Hall last Thursday evening. The film depicting the work of the Maori Mission in the North Auckland area was particularly interesting and clearly illustrated the excellent work which the Methodist Church is doing for the Maori population. In passing it was interesting to note also that Rev. Darvill who is being especially trained for work amongst the natives of the north, is a brother of Mr F. Darvill; of Whakatane. • r Ohope Land Movement

Although the concern which was felt two months ago for the land movement above a number of houses at Ohope has died down, owing to the permanent subsidence of the overhanging cliff, into a firm and consolidated position, the subject has apparently not been forgotten by the Whakatane County Council, which last week, discussed the matter briefly, and condemned heartily, the scare reports and headlines which had figured in a well known Metropolitan daily with a sub stantial circulation in this district. Complimentary references to the manner in which the local press had handled the subject were also made.

Free Beer Served

For the first time since no-licence was carried, about, forty years ago, free beer was served in an Invercargill hotel recently. The occasion was the official opening / of . the Hotel Southland, the first hotel to have been built by the Invercargill Licensing Trust. The hotel was opened for business at 10 a.m., but the official opening was held at 5 ,p.m. in the bar. This part of the hotel was packed, and as the speeches dragged on the thirsty» gathering glanced impatiently at the clock. , By the time the last speaker had told a funny story, winch did not draw any amusement from .the crowd, the clock showed 5.35 p.m.—twenty-five minutes in which to enjoy the first and possibly the last free beer served in an Invercargill hotel.

County Halls A somewhat interesting-discussion regarding the ownership of halls in the County which had been financed through loans from the County Council, took place last Thursday, at the November meeting, when the Otakiri Hall Committee, wrote submitting a number of fixed charges for approval. Cr McCready pointed o.ut that the hall loan had already been wiped off, and he therefore would like to know, who actually owned the building—the Council or the settlers. It was pointed out by the Clerk that although the hall might have been joaid off, the Council delegated its original authority to a committee of trustees living on the spot to administer it. "The whole of the business running of the building was still in the Council’s hands, and the general attitude of the district residents was that they were glad to have the present arrangement exist, as it saved' them the bother of appointing a permanent officer, and also ensured the maintenance.

Peacetime Invasion Landing craft are- being used for the transfer of gars across the English Channel. The first is the Empire Baltic and it will,be followed by the Empire Cedric and Empire Celtic. They will sail from Tilbury to various Continental ports. Each vessel is 4157 gross tons, and the cars will be driven up the ramps: into the lower deck cargo space. Eel Swallowed by Trout A report that, When fishing in the Avon, he had caught a trout with a 10-inch eel in its stomach was made by Mr W. H. Ferguson, a member of the North Canterbury Council of the Acclimatisation Society. Mr Ferguson said that there were reports of several other similar cases and

they made good news after so much had been heard about the depredations of eels among trout fry.

Expensive Cup of Tea The experience of a New Zealander and his wife at Colon, Panama, is chronicled in the Outlook, official journal of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand; For a New Zealand £1 they received 16s in English money, and then for an English £1 note only two and a half dollars. It so worked out that a cup of'tea and one sandwich cost 7s in New Zealand money. New Footpath at Ohope

The County Council has voted the sum of £OO for the purpose of ,constructing an extension footpath along* Pohutukawa Avenue to the, Cale-: - donian sports field at Ohope.' It is. hoped to have this work completed ' in the near future in time to serve the New Year’s Sports gathering at the end of the month. A handbridge will also be constructed over the stream adjoining the grounds.

Straying Stock * When a letter was reecived by the Whakatane County Council from the P.W.D. Office, Tauranga, 1 urging that in view of the heavy traffic likely to - be on the roads in the near future, the Inspector should tak;e the matter of straying stock well in hand, w the council was rightly indignant,’ in that it was considered 'that the main „ highways should be patrolled by the Government Inspector. It was. de* cided to reply to this effect, pointing out that the County Inspector would be controlling mainly County roads, and that the question of ’ stock on main highways was one for the Government to deal with'.

Milch Cows Destroyed Mention’ that 32 cows had been v.j removed from town supply herds during the month and nine had been condemned and destroyed because of clinical symptoms of tuberculosis ! ; was made in a report presented to, . the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Board by. the Department of Agriculture. The other 23, it was added, had been destroyed on, account of various forms of mastitis. Re- < fering to the inspection of milking sheds used for town supply, the Department stated that of the 98 visited, 31 had been classed as good, 59 as fair and eight as bad. “Open To All” \ “The Government is. very generous in the matter of bursaries and no young person need be kept from attending the university just for financial reasons. No one who really wants to go to the university today gnd has the necessary qualifications 7 : need be debarred from it,” said Miss M. W. May,, principal of the Southland Girls’ :High' School, in an address at Tweedsmuir. Mr M. Leadbetter, principal of the Southland Boys’ High School, said that air. ' though the high schools were the training ground for the university only a minority of the pupils went on to the university. The majority of the boys entered professions, trades, or industry and at the South- j ■ land Boys’ High School during the ; . past five years farming had topped the list. ‘That is why the agricultural course at the school is being ' . revived,” Mr Leadbetter added. Confidence Trick in Cars By a cunning ruse, a well-dressed rogue made himself the richer by over £3OO recently in Christchurch at the expense of a potential car buyer, according to a report to the police. When a resident offered his ■ car for sale, the well-dressed man called and examined it, and agreed to buy it at a price in the vicinity of £SOO. The buyer produced a cheque book, and made out a cheque for the full price. The seller asked the buyer to/write his address on. the back of the cheque. The buyeragreed, received the car papers ancL the car, and drove away. Within aix hour the well-dressed man called on./ a person offering to buy cars..' He gave the new buyer a’ trial, and quickly made the sale at a figureslightly above the £3OO mark. He was paid in cash. When the original owner of the car went to cash the cheque he was, surprised to find it was. a forgery and valueless*V ’ ••. ... . ■ - , 'v ’ / •5