Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 38, 9 June 1947, Page 5

Local & General

Tonight’s Boxing Supporters of the Whakatane Boxing Association .were busy during the weekend putting the staging for the ring in the Winter Show Building where the association’s first tournament for the season takes place tonight. Notable- Visitors Visitors to Whakatane for the weekend included Messrs. H. E. Wells (Auckland), and H. S. Abel (Wellington), who are respectively Grand President and Senior Trustee of the United Ancient Order of Druids. They attended the celebration of the first birthday of Whakatane Lodge on Saturday , and left for their homes yesterday afternoon. New Rabbit District

The necessary majority of ratepayers’ signatures for the proposed extension of the Pongakawa Rabbit District having been obtained, the board has made application through v the Department of Agriculture to the Governor-General for the boundaries of the Pongakawa Rabbit District to be re-defined. The area to be included embraces the 'lake front from the Ohau channel to the Wairoa Road and Lake Tarawera, Okataina, Rotoiti and Rotoma. Air Travel Compared Air travel was much more comfortable on Australian lines than it V was in New Zealand, said Mr T. W. Andrews, of Christchurch, who recently returned from a visit to Australia. The reason for the extra comfort in Australia was the fine service given on board the aircraft. In New Zealand he travelled from before noon until 4 o’clock in the afternoon and did not get a bite to eat. In Australia on a similar runhe would have received lunch and afternoon tea. “N.Z. Is Piano-Ridden”

“Instrumentally we are a pianoridden country, about 90 per cent, of competitors and examination candidates being pianists,” said the vocal and instrumental judge at the Hutt .! Valley competitions, Mr Will Hutchens. “Where are our future violinists, cellists, oboists, clarionetists? The great majority of our students could not tell an oboe from a clarionet if they saw them both, much less if they heard them,” he added. “Comparing the present festival with that of 1945 I am struck by the great development that has taken place.” That an improvement in musical taste was taking place was indicated in the class of music being chosen by competitors in the “own selection” classes. The study of wellchosen test pieces had introduced students to a good type of music, of which they were becoming increasingly fond.