LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 16 March 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotary Conference The New Zealand Rotary Conference, which opens in . Napier next week, will be attended by some 340 visiting delegates from all over the Dominion as well as Hawke's Bay representatives. Ferry Steamer Telegrams The following information has been received from the DirectorGeneral, Post and Telegraph Department: "Commencing Monday, March .18, radio telegrams may be forwarded to the "Arahura" and "Matangi" whilst engaged on the Wellington-Nelson ferry service at the reduced charge of 2d a word with a minimum charge as for six words." Encouraging Wheatgrowers | A special reduction of taxes for I wheatgrowers as a means of enj couraging the sowing -of greater acreages is recommended to the Government in a resolution passed ' by the Wanganui District Council of Primary Production. The de- , cision was reached after a discus- ! sion on the possibilities of continuI ing the drive for more wheat proj duction in the Rangitikei and I Wanganui districts. Mayor Rebukes Interjectors The Mayor of. Auckland (Mr. J. A. Allum) rose several times when presiding over a meeting addressed by the Leader{-of the Opposition (Mr. Holiand) pn Monday night. Although the interjections -were j few, there were several members of • the audience who persisted. "The meeting does not,, like your interjections; they are pointless," said j the Mayor to a man seated in the Igallery. "I insist that all speakers j received a fair hearing. You have j had a fair hearing, so shut up." Tuberculosis in Herds I In view of the importance to pubI lic health of a'"reduction in the i incidence of tuberculosis in New j Zealand, it is most desirable that I farmers should take advantage of j the _ Government's service for the' j testing of herds at regular inter- ! vals, so that reactors may be re- | moved from the herd, states an j article by Massey Agricultural Colj lege. The average herd-owner need not fear the possibility of a large percentage of reactors, because the incidence of the disease in New Zealand is not particularly high. It is desirable, however, still further to lower it, as has been done in the United States. The College makes a practice of testing the whole of its dairy herd annually, and the Government ,test made this month showed the herd to be entirely free from tuberculosis. . Battle With Elements Dotqn to the last gallon of water and with' only one stale loaf of bread, the 46ft. ketch La Phare arrived at Mangonui after a ten days' battle with gales and high seas. Captain E. T. Webster, of Wellington, and his two sons, Messrs. Raymond and Melvern Webster, who eomprise the crew, were completely * exhausted when they made port, but are quickly recovering and intend after a stay of some days to continue the trip to Auckland and then to Wellington. Before being purchased by Captain Webster the ketch was used by the American forces in the Pacific. It left Noumea for New Zealand on Christmas Day but was turned back by bad weather when one day out, eventually getting away in January and reaching Norfolk Island, where it had to shelter for three weeks. Leaving Norfolk Island on February 21, the vessel met head winds and was then becalmed, having a narrow escape from drifting on to one of the Three Kings. Strong winds and heavy seas followed and the crew deqided to abandon the original idea of making for Auckland to run 4©wn the west coast to Wellington. Adverse winds and high seas hampered progress from March 1 until the entrance to Mangonui Harbour was reached on March 9, when the wind failed outside the heads. A launch responded to a signal and the ketch was towed into harbour.