TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 182, 4 May 1925, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

For some time past Ashburton has been experiencing such mild weather that many residents have been led to believe that the coming winter will be a mild one (savs the “Guardian”). Trees of several varieties have produced buds, while several plums in one quarter of the town are at the height of blossoming.

The cost of road making in Taranaki is more than the land can support,” said a councillor at Whangamomona County Council meeting recently (reports an exchange). A settler he knew of had had to mortgage his farm to the extent of £6OO to get a mile of metalling done. It would lake him 32 years to pav that, and the road would be worn out by then. There was not enough attention given to maintenance, which was necessary if the roads were to last.

That the present spell of dry weather is making itself apparent is emphasised by the fact that several cases have occurred in Napier where residents, who possess rain tanks, have now come to the end of their tether in so far as rain water is concerned, the tanks now being quite empty (says ’he “Telegraph”). One Napier South resident reports that his tank, capable of holding 600 gallons, is now completely dry for the first time in 15 years.

Speaking of the Fresh Air Home for Children on Cashmere Hills during his address at the annual meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, the chairman (Mr. H. J. Otley) quoted Dr. Blackmore as having said that if he could get enough of such homes in the rest of the country he would undertake practically to stamp out tuberculosis among children. The chairman remarked that any expenditure which could have such a result would be well worth while.—Exchange.

Mr. A. E. Smith, a North Canterbury angler, who does a good deal of fishing for salmon in the Rakaia River, says (reports the Timaru ‘Herald”) that in addition to the run of salmon being very poor this year, approximatelv 95 per cent, of the salmon . which have come up the snow rivers this year from the sea, have been very badly scarred, or bitten, and have looked as though thev had been attacked bv some predatory fish. He had 1 ot, he said, seen a salmon taken out of the Raka:- 1 this year that was not gashed along the underside with two deep wounds, which looked as though they had been caused bv long, sharp teeth.; Some of these wounds were raw and fresh when the fish was caught. He had seen one salmon with a wound four inches long and half an inch deep. Very few of the trout which entered the river showed signs of having been cut about in this wav, and it seemed fair to suppose that many salmon were killed before they reached the mouths of the rivers.

An interesting point in connection with electric trams was made by Mr. F. R Ball at his recent meeting (says the “Poverty Bay Herald”). Mr. Ball, quoting from an English, paper, showed that throughout England tio electric tramway extensions had been carried out during the past year. Everywhere motor bus services were springing up, and the trams were unable to compete with them. Bringing the argument nearer home, Mr. Ball stated that Gisborne was the only town in New Zealand that was considering tramway extensions, and also held the distinction of being one of the few towns in the world with the storage battery cars.

Sportsmen at present do not have to travel far afield to obtain good bags of ducks pheasant, or pukeko, as these birds, as well as other wild game, are abundant (says the “Hawke’s Bay Herald”). Grey duck especially are verv numerous, and anywhere where there is a swamp or small lake they may be seen in hundreds. The boundaries of the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisar tion Society’s district, which is bounded on the north bv Sandy Creek, are now extended to the Mohaka River, and the area now included provides excellent pheasant shooting. In fact, everywhere in the district sportsmen are meeting with great success and full nags arc the order of the day.

The Mayor of Invercargill (Andrew Bain) has just received the following letter from Edmonton, Alberta (states the “Southland Tinies”) : —“As a prospective resident of New Zealand, I shall be grateful if you will direct this letter to such department as will furnish me with information, literature, etc., as will be helpful, regarding your city. Not knowing the names of any Invercargill newspapers, I would appreciate having one mailed to me. I may say that mine is one of twenty-two Scotch and English Canadian families making arrangements to migrate to your country, and we feel that any assistance byway of informa<tion or counsel may in due time, and in other ways be amply reciprocated.”

Comparisons are nasty reminders of the good-bad days (remarks an exchange). Recently a Maori memorial was unveiled at Wanganui when the chairman, Mr. A. Takarangi, in the course of his remarks, mentioned that within a few yards of where the memorial stood Wanganui had been sold by the natives to the Crown for £lOOO. The area comprised 80,000 acres, part of which was now occupied by the city of Wanganui. Here is where the comparison becomes interesting. _ To-day the city of Wanganui comprises 7039 acres, and the unimproved land value for which totals £3,206,000.

At the Gisborne Collie Club “smoko” in replying to the toast of the “Visitors,” Mr. A. Hyde, of Napier, explained why he had regularly followed up dog trials all over the country. (says the “Gisborne Tinies”). When he was farming a few years ago, he was caught in a snowstorm while mustering sheep. His horse went over a precipice and was killed, and he lay for Ilf hours with a broken leg. His sheep dog had carried home a message for help/ and but for that, he would not be alive to-day. No wonder, then, that he thought so highly of the work of the collie dog, and as long as he was able to do so, he would follow up the dog trials. He would always have a warm spot in his heart for the sheep dog. (Applause.)

The Maori people seem to have found the art of catering for a multitude,, as is once again evidenced at Putiki (states the Wanganui “Herald”). The art Itself, quite apart from the tastv dressing and mixing of the foodstuffs before cooking and the skilled attention on the part of the eooks, lies in the adoption of the process of cooking with steam heat. The original process of cooking in the Maori oven is adopted for meat .and poultry, and recently a few privileged pakehas had the opportunitv o' sampling the products. For the steam cooking process, for food which can be cooked that wav, the main implements are a boiler for producing the necessary steam, and two barrels into which the steam is led. The food is placed in suitable receptacles in the barrels. An abundance of hot water is provided in the same wav. This process enables a hot meal to be cooked very speedilv (potatoes, for example, being cooked in ten minutes to perfection), and every, one can be assured of a hot meal, wfuch is one of the bugbears of the usual temporary camp experience.

Runholders in the Mackenzie Country complain of the ravages of deer, which they say no longer keep to the very high country, but come down in the vicinity of the homesteads and eat the winter feed which has been. conserved for the stock (states the limaru “Herald”). A herd of twelve deer and another of eight were recently seen well down below the snow line and quite clear of any bush or covert of any sort. At one time it was said that they vould never venture far from cover.

An “Otago Daily Times” reporter, in conversation with Mr. F. W. Furkert (chairman of the. Highways Board) was informed that there was little justification for the South Island complaint regarding the Flighwavs Board not being sufficiently sympathetic towards the South Island. Mr. Furkert stated that on the last highways estimates the South Island was given practically everything asked for, but the North Island’s demands were pruned drastically. The North Island had submitted proposals for £418,000, and the South Island demand only amounted to £42,000. In addition, the North Island had submitted proposals for the coming year for £450,000, and the South Island had not yet submitted any proposals. The revenue received from motors in the North Island was well over 50 per cent, above the South Island. If the mileage of the highways were adjusted in proportion to the number of motor vehicles in the respective islands the South Island would have 350 miles less highway than at present. If the mileage of the Government roads were based on the motor vehicles ill each island, the 70 miles of road which was now Government road would not be so maintained, but would be a charge on the South Island. Mr. Furkert concluded by stating that several hundred thousands cf pounds available for the South Island were locked up because the money had not been asked for.

The manufacturing trade in regard to jewellery was represented by a witness in the Arbitration Court at Auckland to be in a parlous state in New Zealand (states an exchange). Within the last few years, he stated, two or three manufacturing jewellers in the Dominion, each employing about 20 persons, had been obliged to give up business. The principal reason was that the trade in New Zealand was unable to compete with English manufacturers, who had the world for their mart and turned out articles in thousands, where New Zealand jewellers made only single items.

A farmer from the Woodlands district in Invercargill states that the milking season there has practically finished. The season has not been a, good one, owing to the severe drought, yet it has not been nearly so bad as was anticipated. For himself, he will come out on the right side and he. is verv satisfied with his cows. The rains which have prevailed since the drought broke luwe‘ provided an abundance of winter feed and already the farmers are looking forward to the next season recouping them for the deficiencies of past seasons.—“ Southland News.”

A motorist who recently came into Napier from Wairoa reported (says the “Telegraph”) that the Tangoio creek is practically covered with a multitude of grey duck. He also stated that he observed a verv large number of swan on the innej harbour. The Tangoio creek, however, is not the only place where grey duck is prevalent in large numbers this year, as the Tuki Tuki River and other Hawke’s . Bay waters are also accommodating big quotas of these birds this season, which should prove a most successful one for shooters.

The common fallacy that New Zealand is a; country infested with black men and cannibals has not vet been cleared from the minds of sonic immigrants (savs fhe “Otago Daily Times”). An immigrant who recently arrived in Dunedin says that some of his fellow-passengers on the ship were in possession of fil earins of every description, and, when asked the reason, said thev were not takin" anv chance with the “blacks.” It took a good deal of persuasion on the part of the pas-' sengers conversant with New Zealand and its people to convince their companions that the stories tlic v had heard were myths, and that New Zealand was a civilised country

Recently’ Mr. R. McGillivray, Instructor in Agriculture, visited the Gore experimental area to arrange the programme of work for next season. Speaking to a “Mataura Ensign” reporter, he stated that it was intended to take up the matter of diseases ,to turnips and potatoes during the coming season. It was well known to farmers that diseases like club root and dry rot were levying a verv heavy, toll on the turnip crops of the' province, and it was estimated that club root alone was causing a loss of over £lOO,OOO per annum in Southland. This year a number of crops had practically gone right out with this disease, and it was proposed in the next year’s operations on the Gore area to go into the whole question of these diseases and also, to do a certain amount of plant selection work.

Considering the wealth of England and the desire of the people to help all they can, the condition of the returned soldier there is a standing rebuke and disgrace to the country,” said Mr. I. W. Raymond in the course of his remarks to the executive of. the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association. “One sees the poor fellows seeking alms everywhere,” he continued. , “And yet, come to New Zealand, and what do you find ? A Government that has tried to mee.t you in a reasonable spirit. I remember last time 1 was here you were aiming to secure some board.” The members: “The Pensions Board. We’ve got it now.” “Well, this is one of the first countries that has such a thing.”

“It is certainlv necessary for the human body to get more sunlight than it usually gets,” said a Christchurch doctor, when asked bv a “Christchurch Star” reporter for his opinion on the formation of a society in London for sunbathing in Hyde Park. ’I he doctor added that the body was usually covered with clothes for sixteen hours a dav, and was covered with blankets for the other eight. It was necessary for the body to get the ultra-violet rays, which could only be obtained by allowing the body to receive the direct rays of the sun. These rays were necessary for raising the fighting power of the blood; this was especially so in the case of tuberculosis. As an example of the benefits of open air treatment, the doctor said that the pupils of the open-air school at Fendalton were of a much better standard of health than those who were in the old class-rooms at the same school. The design of the rooms allowed the ultra-violet rays of the sun to reach the pupils for a certain period each day. These rays would not pass through glass, but they entered the room through the side which was totally open. He was of the opinion, however, that the rooms should only be used when it was impossible for school to be held in the open