LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 24, 21 October 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

A False Alarm. What was described by a member of the brigade this mornuig as a "uialicious false alarm" was respcrasible for the summoning of the Hastings Fire Brigade at 11.30 o'clock last night. The eall was given from a fire-alarm at the intersection of Karamu road and Duchess Crescent. Shearing Starts. As a result of the fine weather of the past fortnight, shearing in North Auckland has commence'd early thia season and already there ia a large number of bales of wool at the Whangarei Town Wharf awaiting shipment. The sunshine of late has improved the fleeces considerably and the wool yield should be well up to the average. Peat Fires ln Waikato. Not for several years has October Weather in the Waikato been so dry and as a result the large peat swamps in the district have already commenced to burn. With indications that the October rainfall will be one of the scantiest for years the scattetred swamp fires may become more general. ln some districts the fires have already caused concern to farmers. Frosts Take T011. Hard frosts have been taking toll of the potato crop in the North Otago district during the last few days. hrcsts have been general in all parts of the district, the recordings in some places being as high as 12 degrees. In Oamaru 9 degrees were registered recently with dire results to young potatoes. Many farmers have had their entire crops cut down to the ground, and it is anticipated that heavy losses will result. Marewa Housing. Tenders are being invited for 18 new houses on the Marewa block, in respect of five separate contracts, the largest being for nine single-house units and the secohd-largest for three singlehouse units. Eacb of the remaining three contracts is in respect of two single-house units. The plans for the new buildings reveal that they will be similar in design and appearance to those provided-'for in the initial allocation of 29 houses. on which construction has now been put in hand. Trafalgar Day. To-day is the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, which was fought in 1805 and which so firmly established British supremacy at sea. The Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square, London, will be the centre of the homage to the Empire's greatest admiral, who, though he lost his life in the great victory, lived lcng enough to know that his life's purpose had been accoinplished. Among the wreaths laid at the foot of the monument is always one from New Zealand, the C-utpost of Enipire whose ' birth and existence have been made possible by the maritime supremacy established by Nelson at Trafalgar. Died Without Wills. Several pages of the latest issue of the Gazette, devoted to lists of estates for administration, are of special interest as showing the high proportion of New Zealand residents who die without having made preparatiou lor the disposal of their estate. Neax-ly a fourth of the total number of estates accepted by the Public Trust Office in September carae under this category, 43 persons of 182 dying intestate. Men were apparently more forgetful of their responsibilities than women, because 28 of them died intestate compared with 15 women Oue minor was in the list. Voice of the Farmer. "I have sensed of late that the Government ■ is showing a tendency to be less solicitous for the farmers' Welfare," said the president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, when addi'essing a public meeting at East Tamaki. "1 put that down to the fact that there are over 250,000 trade unionists • in New Zealand," he said. "If any section of the Community gets more than its ehare from the-' common pool, who is going to suft'er? The only large section of the community from which a larger share can be taken by the trade unions is the farming community. The Government's feeling for us will grow colder and colder unless we become efficiently organised and speak with one voice." "Each Way" on the Weather. Reference in a northern exchange to that extremely capable meteorologist, the late Mr. Clement Wragg, recalls to a correspondent the story of Mr. VVragg's meeting with a Maori who also had considerable repute as a weather prophet. Although the joke was more or less at Mr. Wragg's ex-. pense he used to delight in telling it. At Rotorua some years. ago he heard of the Maori sage, and a meeting was arranged. Aftor the formal introduction, Mr. Wragg politely mentioned that he had heard of the other's reputation, and indicated that he would be interestcd to compare notes. How was it that thd old gentleman had acbieved such success? The Maori's reply was iiluminating. "Oh, you got a lot 'to do with it, Mr. Wragg," lie said. "If you put in te paper it going to be fine I say it going to b© wet, lf you say wet I say fine. So oue of us sure to be rigbt, ehoa?"