LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 9 December 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Many Toheroas Taken The warm weather yesterday attracted a large number of visitors I to the local beaches and they made £i big raid on toheroas, the season for the taking of which opened again on December 1. The tide was iow in the aftemoon and the beach frorn well north of Waitarere to south of the wrecked Hyderabad was a continuous length of hoies. Four Mayors Retiring The Mayors of four West Coast boroughs have announced their intention not to seek an extension of their mayoral terms at the local body elections in November next. They are the Mayor of Greymouth (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham) , the Mayor of • Hokitika (Mr. A. R. Elcoek) ,* the Mayor of Runanga (Mr. E. W. Kennedy), and the Mayor of Ross (Mr. K. O. May) ,Doing Fine Job At a meeting in Levin on Friday evening to form a parents' committee of the girls' marching teams, Mr. W. R. Jack, as a parent, congratulated the Horowhenua Association and paid a tribute to the coach, Mr. J. Macfarlane, on the high standard to which he had brought the girls., "Every parent of members of the teams will support me when I say that the association and Mr. Macfarlane are doing a fine job of worlf," added Mr. Jack. Deerstalker Killed While deerstalking in the Tararua foothills near Kaituna, on Friday, Graham Francis Rowen Hume, aged 24, single of 81 Awa Road, Miramar, Wellington, slipped while going over rough ground and when his rifie. accidentally discharged he received a shot near the armpit from which he died. The accident occurred about 6.45 p.m. and when Dr. Coo'k reached Hume about 10.40 p.m. he was dead. Hume was accompanied by a companion. Old Wreck Recalled The wreck of the whaling brig Patriot at Mahia Peninsula nearly 100 years ago has been recalled by an old ship's b.ell, believed to have belonged to the ill-fated ship, which has been -sent to Hastings for repair. Weather-worn and corroded, the bell bears the word "Patriot" and the date 1827. For many years it was hung from the bough of an old oak tree at the rear of the homestead on Mahia Peninsula. Its daily use was to summon station hands to meals, but a crack which had developed in the casting has rendered the old bell voiceless. Grand Opera for N.Z. The possibility of bringing out to Australia and New Zealand grand opera from Italy, the recognised home of some of the most famous operas, will be explored in the immediate future by the managingdirector of J. C. Williamson Theatres, Ltd., and J. and N. Tait, Ltd. (Mr. E. J. Tait). Mr. Tait was on a short visit to the Dominion on his way from Australia to the United States-, Great Britain, and possibly Italy, and he said that while he did not yet know the chances of bringing grand opera from Italy, he would do all in his power, while overseas, to make the necessary negotiations. Memorial Gifts The gift of £5000 by Mr. R. J. Kerridge, of Auckland, to the King's School (Remuera) war memorial building trust fund, is announced by Mr. S. J. Hanna, chairman of the School Board of Governors. Mr. Hanna said about £13,000 had been subscribed to the building trust fund since the war memorial appeal was launched 18 months ago. Included in 'this sum was a gift of £3500 by Mr. S. J. Robinson, of Auckland. Mr. Robinson had also subscribed £500 to the school's chapel organ fund. Another valuable donation for building trust fund purposes was three acres of land given by Mrs. Bertha Wilson, of Remuera. The land was adjacent the school.

Judge's Bifficult Task The difficulty of selecting one champion calf from the district between Paraparaumu, Tokomaru and Opiki was experienced by Mr. D. C. Stuart, Masterton, on Friday on the occasion of the final calf judging ,in the Horowhenua Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club's annual competition. Over 40 calves were paraded for this final choice and after a very close scrutiny of every entry, the judge had no hesitation in awarding the honours to Andrew Faith, of Te Horo. Besides having the honour of caring for the champion. calf of the district, Andrew becomes the holder of the Shaw Cup, which is held for one year by the child parading the i champion calf.