Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 59, 4 November 1949, Page 4

Local & General

Animal Health Service Britain’s first animal health service has been started in; the Lancashire town of Chorley (population of 30,000). For a contribution of threepence a week, owners ’of cats, dogs, birds and horses get veterinary treatment and advice ' when the pets are sick. Nothing To Fear Any suggestion that a change 'of Government would throw tradesmen out of work could be disre- / garded, said Mr W. Sullivan. M.P., at his King Street meeting cn day night. Tradesmen had nothing * to fear’>in. this,country. Indeed, so far as the building industry was concerned, ja search was being made for men overseas. Potato Prices / The latest price for new'potatoes at'Whakatane now stands at S&d a lb. That is for supplies that are now arriving slowly from Gisborne. It is expected that the price will soon drop and they should become progressively cheaper until JTebru- \ ary when the price is expected to be. around 2|d for first grade and 2-Id for second grade. All these prices are subject to alteration by the Price Tribunal at any time.

October Rainfall I Total October rainfall oh the Ean4 gitaiki Plans was 1.59 inches. Heaviest rain fell on the Bth when .55 was recorded. Total fall for the ten months of this year has been, 43.75 inches, and the average for October over the preceding ten years 5.18. The average for the corresponding 10 months is 50.21, but the past four months’ total, 8.47, falls well below the average for* the corresponding period over the past ten years, 23 inches. Old Service Buses

The question of whether some of the service buses used on the route from Opotiki to Auckland were suitable for the work was raised by Mr A. R. Stott at the monthly meeting of the Opotiki Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday night,. He said that the buses banged and rattled all the way and at the end of the trip passengers were white with dust. The manager, Mr Hughes, who was present, said that as soon as new vehicles became available the older ones were being replaced. V i

Thornton Y.F.C. At the last meeting of the Thornton Y.F.C., presided over by Mr P. Gow, the attendance was not as large as usual, but those present undoubtedly benefited from hearing tlie lecture by Mr R'oy Orr, Whakatane, who discussed various types of pumps. It was decided to purchase a glass showcase for displaying the Club’s trophies and those of other local clubs and present it to the Hall Committee. Final arrangements were made for the farm machinery field day at Mr A. H. Adams’s property next Tuesday and in the Hall in the evening. Natives Intelligent The Melanesian natives very! intelligent and quick to learn, according to the Eishop of Melanesia, the Right Rev S. G. Caulton, during his visit to Whakatane. Some of the girls often came to the mission schools with absolutely knowledge of English but within six months were able to read English easily, he said. It was the same with the boys and where any marked* ability was displayed some were sent to further their education in ■New Zealand. Those who wanted to take up a medical career were sent to the medical training school at Suva. v Prosperity Or ?

Are we better or worse off. than in.-1938-’39? Mr W. Sullivan M.P. said the other night that Mr Nash claimed the rise in the cost of living since then is only 37 per cent, but he believed it nearer 100 per cent. For instance, in 1938 it took an artizan 200 weeks’ wages at £6 to make up the cost of building a house. Today it would take 300 weeks’ wages at £8 to build the same house. In 1938 a cheap overcoat could be bought for 42/6.1 Now a similar coat would cost 100/- and a worker would need to work another 11 hours, even at today’s wage rates, to get it.