Racing Gear

Chronicle (Levin), 11 July 1949, Page 4

Racing Gear

rne concmued reports of hroken leathers, irons and bits were disturbing, said Mr. W. Claud. Motion, vice-presi'dent, when addressing the annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference in Wellington. "If it is found that the majority of breakages occur in locally-manu-factured gear, then I consider that some action will he necessary to secure suffieient imported equipment to cover racing requirements," he said. | Modified Scale. A slightly modifie'd scale of fee's for certified copies of valuations is now operating in the Government Valuation Department. The new scale ranges from 2s where the capital value is under £50. tn £1 is

where it is £8000 and over. Previously the fee started at 3s— for anything under £250— and ended at £1 ls. The effect of the new scale nas been to iessen the fee in the case of 'very small capital values and raise it from 6d to ls for the "popular" section— from about £1500 to»£3500. N.Z. Centenarians. There were 16 Maori and eight European centenarians living in New Zealand in- 1945. Thirteen of the Maoris and four of the Europeans were women. The oldest European was a man aged 105. The age of 'the oldest Maori was not given in the 1945 census, from which these figures were taken. Fourteen Europeahs had reached the age of 99 and 12 were 98 and there were 27 Maoris between 95 antf 99 during that year. Altogether, there were 1216 people 90 years old and over living in 1945, mcluding 110 Maoris.- The census says the oldest New- Zealand resi-dent-on reeord was a Tahitian living. in Dunedin in 1874. His age was 116. A gradual ageing-of the community is also disclosed. The Maori population is younger than the European and., is increasing more rapidly.

Successful "Rat Week." t The Auckland City Council's "Rat -campaign in May was the most successful on record, according to a report by the chief sanitary inspector, Mr. C. F. Paull. The 1,862,000 baits issued in the week called for the use of over three tons of material. Preserved 47 Years. A half-gallon jar of white heart cherries, bottled in the 1902-03 season, are still preserved. The cherries have become something of an heirloom, having passed from the late Mrs. Robert Ward, who kept them for 24 years, to her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Ward, of Ohoka, who have now owned them for 23 years.