LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 718, 28 March 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All those who had rendered assistance to the Frankin A. & P. Society during the recent autumn show, were accorded a heatry vote of thanks at Friday’s meeting. Members referred in glowing terms 'to the invaluable assistance rendered by that splendid body of workers, which was applauded to the very fullest.

A new pupil teacher in an Auckland district school is making her self acquainted with the names of the pupils. She comes to a nice little boy, and asks : “What is the name ?” and the little chap replies, “Massey, - Miss.” “Any relation to the Prime Minister?” The little chap isn’t up to the meaning of Prime Minister, but the next boy chips in, “He’s got a brother named Bill* Miss !”

As their contribution to the Centenary Fund, the Methodist Sunday Schools of the Dominion are raising £IOOO towards a Maori Girls’ College. To assist this fund, and also to help ■to purchase an instrument for the primary department, the Pukekohe Methodist Sunday School will hold a garden party in the Domain, on Saturday afternoon. The Bi*ass Band has generously agreed to assist, and in addition to a sixpeneny gift tree for the children, many useful articles will be on sale.

A few days ago (states the Northern Advocate) a Whangarei man went to an accountant’s office to do some business in connection with income tax returns. Suddenly he took his watch from his pocket glanced at it and exclaimed : “Good heavens, I’ve got to be at the Courthouse in two minutes to be married. I nearly forgot.” He rushed off intimating that he would come back later to complete the taxation business.

The estimates show that over £60,000 has been embezzled by dishonest Government officials during the past ten years, and Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., asked the Government, as the result of the Te Kuiti defalcations, whether it would consider the advisability of investigating the present system of Government auditing. Mr Jennings has received word that the matter is receiving the attention of Cabinet.

At Friday’s meeting of the executive of the Franklin A. & P.i Society, votes of condolence with the relatives of the late Mr J. G. Rutherford (a past president of the Society) and Messrs R. Nicholls, of Helensville, and Peter Virtue, of Auckland, members of the Society. The votes were carried in silence, nimbers standing. We wish to correct a rumour that has been current during the past few days that Mr A. Carter, who recently bought out C. Kidd’s butchery business, is still in the employ, and conducting the business for Roulston Bros. This is not so, Mr Carter being entirely on his own account.,

Yet another requirement in political candidates! has been discovered. Several farmers in Te Awamutu were discussing the various candidates for the Waikato seat at the next general election, and the orthodox political questions of the day were discussed. After a review of policies, none of the fanners concerned seemed to find any particullar fancy for any one of the candidates. Finally one of the speakers made a decisive discovery. “So-andi-so is a Jersey supporter —he will do me!’ And they were all evidently of the same opinion. Anyhow, it is quite a new political requirement to have to satisfy the enthusiastic dairyman to whom the battle of the breeds is a momentous question.

The newly-formed Ratepayers’ Assocition for the Waiuku Town District has the courage of its opinions.. It has, at its own expense, imported Mr Ashley Hunter, C.E., to report on the proposal to obtain water for the town from a small lake near the West Coast. The Board it appears, went to the expense of getting a. preliminary report at a cost of nearly £SOO, without consulting the ratepayers, and grave doubts are entertained as to the purity and sufficiency of the supply. We trust it will not turn out that the Association has acted a little precipitately. Mr Hunter is a recognised authority on hydraulic engineering, but after the excessive rainfall of the last few weeks can scarcly form a definite opinion as to the adequacy of the supply. The purity of the wafer can only be guaged by analysis, and to finally fix that point it would be necessary to fence the catchment area from stock for some time.,

The Ratepayers’ Association recently formed for the Waiuku Town' District —which must not be confused with the Riding Association, now some mon hs in existence^—has become a strong institution, and comprises a large number of the princi-

pal property owners. Apparently tne Association is determined to pay close attention to the proceedings of the local governing body, some of the acts of which have not exactly chimed in with popular taste.. It is to be hoped it will not act only as the proverbial new broom is said to do, and sweep clean merely while it is new. It is mooted that in two or three ridings of the County similar bodies are to be formed. Dissatisfaction on account of the excessively high rates, unduly expensive administration, and neglect of all but the main, roads is stated to be tlfe incentive.

Work lias been commenced on the buildings for the Australian Glass Manufacturers Company, Ltd., on the site opposite the Penrose I'Aucklaid) railway station, where the company intends to manufacture all kinds of bottles and jars. It is expected that the buildings will be completed within four or five months, and that work wiill be commenced before the end of the year. The staff required is about 600 men.

This weeks’ issue of the Sporting and Dramatic Review reaches a commenably high standard as usual, and contains a wide variety of interesting pictorial subjects. In the racing line are snapshots of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s recent meeting, the Napier Park Racing Club’s gathering, and «ross country racing at Kempton Park, Sandown and Newbury, the N,Z. Championship regatta on the Wanganui river and St, Patrick’s Day sports in Auckland,) are other illustrated events of local appeal, while the miscellaneous section covers newsy happenings at Home and abroad. District news

The Northlander is the latest to enter the ranks of New Zealand newspapers. It is published at Kaitai'a, in the “winterlessj north,” by the uncrowned king of that district, Colonel Allen Bell, who raised the capital for the concern in rather an original way. Falling out with the Kataia Age, the existing newspaper, he started out by addressing meetings throughout Northland and asking his auditors to subscribe for shares of £5 each on the understanding that they would never get their money back and never obtain a dividend. In this i way he raised £3OOO and The Noifthlander is the result).

Two partners in a Hauilaki Plains business quarrelled and one offered the other a certain sum to sell out his portion of the business. This sum could not be found, so It was agreed that they should fight, and the winner should have full possession of the' business* They fought, but' after a fierce encounter the result was a draw. The two men, the Haurakn Plains Gazette is told, are still partners,

A Sydney journal has the following satire on the new fashion in bathing costumes : “She came along the beach in one of these tight fitting bathing costumes of stockinette, Jowly cut at the neck and laced up at the sides, and without a skirt. It was a flimsy, vivid’ dashing red. The other girls in( green and blue and yellow slashed costumes, with lacings let in at the sides, glanced casually at her, commenting at her figure. Suddenly there was a universal gasp of horror}. All eyes were turned upon the sea. The gazers were paralysed with shock. The girl in the slashed red stockinette had plunged into the waves. She had actually wet her bathing costume. It was ruined for ever.”