Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 89, 20 May 1949, Page 5

Local & General

Pony Club Picnic This week’s Pony Club outing is to be a picnic at Ohope. Riders and others will gather at the Domain at 11 on Sunday morning and travel to Ohope on horseback and by car. Following a picnic lunch (members to bring their own food), there will be an instruction session on the beach before the ride back to town. Spare horses and members without horses will, be welcomed.

Earthquakes Three sharp earthquakes lasting several seconds awakened residents in the Maketu district during last week-end. White Island has been very active lately and it is thought that the tremors were caused by a sudden eruption. Minor tremors were felt by a few residents at Wbakatane.

Rationing- Oysters The quality of oysters this year is expected to be good, said the Auckland manager of the Marine Department’s oyster depot, Mr H. G. Perrett. The supply will be approximately the same as last year, so that the demand will be far greater than can be met. A rationing system on the same lines as that operated last year will be used.

Jersey Heifer Sale On Monday the Farmers’ Auctioneering Co. will sell, on Mr F. T. Kirk’s behalf and on his farm at Edgecumbe 30 springing Jersey and Jersey cros heifers. They are claimed to be exceptionally well done, and showing well in calf to calve from July 20 on. Eighteen have been selected from a high-producing Waikato herd, and the rest from Mr Kirk’s own herd.—P.B.A.

Guide For Sportsmen An illustrated brochure, With Rod and Gun in New Zealand, which is intended mainly for distribution in overseas countries, has been published by the Department of Tourist and Health resorts. A foreward states it is intended to be a guide to the fishing and shooting possibilities of this country that will assist the prospective visiting sportsmen to evaluate the quality of the outdoor pursuits available.

Profits From Bookmaking Bookmakers and other persons engaged in illegal businesses will look with more than the usual distaste on this year’s form for the return of income issued by the Land and Income Tax Department. A small paragraph in the list of instructions printed on the back page on the form says: “Profits from an illegal .business are assessable and must be returned for taxation purposes in the same way as profits from any other business.”

New Health Stamp The 1949 Health Stamp, which shows a nurse holding a small child in her arms, was designed by Mr J. Berry, of Wellington, and printed by the photoagravyre process in England, said the Postmaster-Gen-eral, Mr Hackett. He said the new stamps, which would be placed on sale on October 3 were the ' first ones to be printed by • this process. This year marked the twenty-first anniversary of the introduction of Health stamps.

Federated Farmers’ Membership The total membership of Federated Farmers in New Zealand is now 48,000, the president, Mr A. L. Friis, revealed at the annual conference of Bay of Plenty Province of Federated Farmers at Whakatane yesterday. This number was encouraging when it was realised that there were 54,890 agricultural and pastoral farmers and 6,567 engaged in other types of farming such as grape-growers, hop-growers and orchardists, Mr Friis added.

Ohiwa Harbour Gun Battle Out duck shooting during the past few days there have been many unrecorded incidents, about some of which the least said the better. However, last Sunday morning one party of shooters was unable to carry on for a while when they noticed one of their members, Mr G. Lodge, V/hakatane, rowing furiously up Ohiwa Harbour, endeavouring to carry on a running gun battle with a bewildered duck, which was paddling faster than he was. To this incident there was a happy ending —for Mr Lodge.

Whakatane Thanked

Appreciation of a gift parcel of clothing sent from Whakatane has been expressed to the Whakatane Red Cross in a letter from the Hampshire Branch of the British Red Cross. The letter stated that the clothing has been distributed, one coat going to a man who was suffering from tuberculosis. “Clothing is so expensive,” the letter continued,. “and is difficult to get and we. do not expect the abolition of clothes rationing to make any difference to the large number of requests we ' get from pensioners and people with low incomes.”'