Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10319, 31 January 1927, Page 4

Local and General.

Officers of the Agricultural Department, assisted by the police, start a canvas of the country from February i seeking agricultural statistics. Farmers will be asked to give details of all land under crop, the "estimated harvest and the number of stock held on the farm.

A letter was at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Friday evening received, from Mr. W. H. Mossman of Hastings, supporting the Gisborne -Chamber's demand that the Gisborne—Wairoa railway should be constructed on the inland* route— It was decided to write thanking Mr. Mossman for iiis letter.

Several search parties that were out' over the week-end scouring the Kaituna district and the Taraua range and that vicinity, failed to find any trace of Harold James Crewe, a young man who has been missing from the Kaituna district since Thursday afternoon.—P.A.

In the final of the Dominion open croquet championship on Saturday, \. G. F. Ross (Christchurch) defeated Yen Creed Meredith (Wanganui), 2-0. The ladies’ championship final will he played to-day between Mesdames Watkins (Hastings), Gambrill (Manawatu.) and Tiffen (Napier). Splendid weather conditions are prevailing.—P.A.

The Aurora Australis lit up the south-western sky at Christchurch on Saturday morning for _ several liours with a brilliant white light like that of a distant flickering searchlight. The display of light was visible on Saturday night, but was much less brilliant and less constant. Cn Thursday evening the Christchurch observatorv recorded a permament aurora, which was not visible to the naked eye. It was one of the strongest ever recorded at Canterbury College ' observatory.'—P.A.

The Parera left Tokomaru Bay yesterday for Lyttelton with 1031 breeding ewes. Further consignments to the extent'of 4000 in all have been booked.—(Special.

mbe new submarines Oxley and Otway, which are attached to PortsJFouth during their trials, "will be go«ig to ,Australia during August, or, September.—A. and N.Z.C.A.

The city with the worst air in the world is Prague, says a commission appointed by the International Forestry Commission. The air there is impregnated with oxide of sulphur.—A. and N.Z.C.A.

i 'ound in Hoon Hay Road, in the ;er suburbs of Christchurch on

■Friday night, Alexander McClintock, 'aged 67, of Timaru, had £77 in notes in his pockets. McUlintock was charged at the Police Court on Saturday with being found in enclosed premises without lawful excuse. Defendant, an old-age pensioner, was said by the prosecuting sergeant to be not quite, rational, possibly suffering from sunstroke. He was placed in the care, of the Salvation Army for a week.—P.A.

The. installation of a wireless p.’ant on Portland Island to provide communication with the mainland was recently advocated to the Minister of Marine by the Gisborne Chamber ot Commerce. Members of that body received a letter on Friday evening from Mr. W. D. Ly.snar M.P. to the effect that the Minister was considering the question of laying a cable across the passage to connect the lighthouse with the mainland by telephone system.

Wliarerata Hill was the scene of a terrific motor smash on Saturday morning when a taxi-car and a P.W.D. speed waggon collided, the former vehicle being so badly smashed that it had to be left on the roadside. The motor Lorry was practically undamaged. The taxi, which was driven by Mr. J. E. Gibson, of Waipukurau, contained three passengers, all of whom were uninjured, while the lorry driver also escaped unscathed. Mr. Gibson was on his first trip to Gisborne. The two vehicles collided at a bend, the lorry tearing the front wheel from the axle, crushing the wings and, apparently, straining tlie chassis.

The dispute about the Royal race meeting, whether racing or trotting or both will be held, is still unsettled. The Minister, in a telegram to the C.J.C.. advised the clubs to settle their differences in conference and an effort will be made to bring the clubs together. The C.J.C. committee apparently is willing to negotiate, but the Trotting Club is going ahead with its arrangements', obviously intending to hold a meeting. Whether the C.J.C. will persist in holding a race meeting,,in opposition to the trots may possibly depend on the negotiations.—P.A.

The Waioeka road formation contract between Matawai and Qpitiki, which is being undertaken by N.Z. Roads Ltd. is expected to be finished by the end of next month or early in March. This will then leave a further 'z-l miles tb he done before the road c-an'be opened. The N.Z. Roads Ltd. in a letter read to the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on Friday evening suggested that the Chamber should urge the PublicWorks Dept, to call tenders for the balance of the road, which could be undertaken during the winter and would keep the men employed. The Chamber decided to support a call for tenders fof the completion of the road during the coming winter.

In two and threes, aud often in far large numbers, men call daily at the local offices of big employers of labor. The New Zealand Roads Ltd.. Public Works E'ept., County Office, and the Government Labor Bureau, all form the first port of call for men coming into the district in what -to many appears an endless search for work. One large employer of casual labor speaking to a pressman said he would not remember the position ever being ,so bad at this time of the year; men from all- parts are on the tramp’ through' the district. On Friday two men from Auckland applied for work and stated that in the \\ aikato the position was far more acute as no work at all was available. Many of the men applying for work supplement their queries with a request for a “feed’ or the requisite money.

Recently the Auckland A. and Assn, passed a resolution urging the Alinister of Lands to so:- up'a hoard of inquiry at once, to investigate land settlement problems according to a letter received from the Chairman of the Land Settlement Committee of the Auckland Chamber of Comer ce received by the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting on. Friday evening. Steps are now being taken in Auckland towards the formation of a League largely for the object of stimulating primary production. A provisional committee has been appointed. A conference is to be called to discuss the question of land settlement in the near future—The Gisborne Chamber decided to support the demand for a board of inquiry and, the formation of a Dominion League to provide land settlement.

Replying to criticism that the Dobson mine is not being dewatered as rapidly as possible, the Minister for Mines has outlined steps taken in contradiction of the charge. As, after discussion with the agents of the British manufacturers, it was discovered it would take many months to import the necessary plant for dewatering. it was decided to borrow a plant. After a "thorough examination if the plant and tests as to its efficiency, steps were promptly taken to dismantle and transport it to Dobson.

t will take several weeks for the concrete foundations to be put in am! set before the plant ran he erected

and worked. A careful review of the whole of the steps taken shows that those entrusted with the duty of procuring the required equipment have carried out their duties expeditiously. The Minister is advised that the dewatering of the mine should commence within about a month and the operations will be continued until Tip mine is dewatered and the bodies Ltd., to locate oil on the East Coast

The efforts of Taranaki Oilfields. Ltd., to locate oil on the aEst Coast \ in commercially payable quantity took an a new complexion early last week when the second bore, some eight or nine miles from Tokomaru Bay, was started. The rig is on a hill top and water, it is "stated, was struck at about 50ft. The operations are being facilitated by modern appliances and new drillers recently brought from America, and already the bore has been drilled to a fair depth. Messrs Wyllie and Bolieu two of the AngloPersian Oil Company’s experts, who have recently joined in the Taranaki Oil Co.’s activities have arrived to make a thorough investigation of all areas held by the Taranaki Oil Co., and their work is expected to keep them in the district for some time.. Further geological investigation of areas on the Coast is now being made, and it is .probable that following on these, a third bore will he put down. Tt will necessarily be some time before definite indications of oil can I>e expected in the latest bore, but with:n the next three months at anv rate, there should he some result. The indications as regards the strata are, said to be particularly favorable.

A London cable states: “The tractors have reported reassuringly T ' on the safety of St. Paul’s. Doan ' Inge says the result of the grouting will be stronger than when it was originally built. : —A. and N.Z.C.A,

A six-roomed house, owned and occupied by Mr G. W. Morice, a master at the Wairarapa High School, was totally destroyed by lire yesterday morning. It is believed the lire was started by flames from a rubbish tire in an adjoining section. The iire brigade were attending a grass fire in the extreme opposite end of the borough at the time of the outbreak and, consequently, were faced with a hopeless task when they arrived. The house and the contents were botli insured, but < the amounts were unknown.—P.A.