LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 51, 23 November 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Traffic Breach. The only trafiic case heard by Mr J. Miller, S.M., at the weekly sitting ot the Hastings Magistrate's Conrt this morning, was one in which Alexander McMillan was fined £3 with 13/- costs for failing to give way to traffic approaching from the right. ■Reportiag the RoacL-Hog. "The Court was going to thank the witness," interposed Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch, when counsel in a motor speeding case took a witness to tasK for chasing two motor-ears, which he considered were being driven in a dangerous manner, in order to take their nuinbers. "If more inotorists would flo as this man did it would stop a lot of the trouble we have with road-hog-ging, ' ' remarked t' e Magistrate. Eobert Burns' First Poem. Some of the lesser-known incidents in the life of Eobert Burns, the Scots poet, were related by Mrs G. Dyson at a meeting of the Peoule's University in Auckland. Burns' father was a welleducated farmer, who saw to the inclusion 'of French, Latin nnd geometry as compulsory subjects in the education of his son, whose first poem was written at the age of 16, while he was haymaking. Ten years later he published his first book. He died at the age of 37. Hapai at Auckland. After an absence from the Waitemata harbour of a year, during which she has been employed at Napier in connection with the new harbour development scheme in that port, the Auckland Harbour Board dredger Hapai resumed work in Aucldand yesterday. She returned from the southern port recently, and has been docked and given an extensive overhaul. Her first duty, which is expected to occupy some weeks, is deeping the area to the north and the east of Central wharf in order to provide accommodation for vessels drawing more water than is possible at present. Air Filot Gomes to Earth. To have flown for 4500 hours and to have trained 52 pilots has' been the experience of Flight-Lientenant W. H. Lett, instructor to the Waikato Aero Club, Hamilton, who is giving up flying to go into business. Mr Lett was responsible for inaugurating the Waikato .branch of the Auckland Aero Clnb. He served with the 70th. Punjab Eegime.nt in the Indian Army before transferring to the Eoyal Air Force in 1917. When he came to New Zealand in 1924 he rosumed active flying, and served ; with the Goodwin-Chichester Aviation Conipany. Later he was instructor to the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club, and a pilot for the Gisborne Air Transport Company. His First Eide. Incongruity, simple faith und the "superiority" of man were all wrapped uji in a pretty xural scene not far from Hastings one day last week. The setting was a field of "fledgling" pumpkin plants, and the principal actors were a very "small Maori boy, a very large draught horse, an.elderly wahine, and a middle-aged Maori. The boy was perched on the back of the draught, holding very tightly to the rope xeins, while behind trailed a single leaf of tyne harrows. At the end of a row of pumpkins the wahine stood erect with hand raised to give the boy his course. This he pursued diligently and under his guidance the horse did not deviate an inch. As for the Maori, he just looked on. After all, it's a poor job that won't stand one boss. Efficacy of Eabbit Boards. "I will say now, without fear of coutradiclion, that the best investment I over made in connection with niy farming operations was the money cxpended a's rates to rabbit boards," said. a prominent delegate at the conference in Te Awamutu of representatives of rabbit boards in South Auckland, to consider the Government 's amalgamation proposals. Several other members endorsed othis opinion with hearty "Hear, hears." Mr D." W. Ariell, of Waikato West Boafil, said that in the early stages o£*that board 's operatiofis a total of 320,000 Tabbits T?as killed on 60,000 acres. This brought the comment by Mr J. J. Shine, of East Waikato Board, that on his own farni of 240 acres he had prcpared i'or a poisoning day, and the "crop" was 1200 rabbits. World Fessimism. The chief hindrance to progress today is not the presence of grave economic social and political problems, but the prevalence of a pessimisni which implies they cannot be solvcd," declared the Eev. Clarence Eaton, who presided at the North Canterbury Methodist Synod in Christchurch. "An unbelieving age affirms that a League of Nations iis a fantastie dream and cannot be realised; that such is the passion and prejudice of the human heart, and so jmpossible of xeconciliation are conflieting human interests, that war is a sconrge inevitable and inescapable; that the vision of industrial peace i's a mirage, since class war is a peraianent element in human society. This dospairing outlook sees no end to the strugglo between Labour and Capitalism, Left and Eight, Comniunism and Fascism in the political and industrial world, and resigns itself to the acceptance of things as they are. 7 '

Native Land Court. A session of the Native Land Court, presided over by Judge Harvey, commenced this morning at the Hastings Courthouse. Lest We Forget. A hiker recently wandered down a ' river bank to where the Maoris were pursuing the elusive whitebait. Naturally, interested in what was going on he said, "How's the fish runningS" Quick as a flash came the xeply: "Like te All Blacks— too. slow! " Anglers' Bureau at Taupo. The Minister of Internal Affairs, th9 Hon. W. E. Parry, announces that aditional facilities have been provided for anglers at Taupo by the opening there of an official. bureau in charge of au officer eompetent to advise "iishermen where to ply their rods and to suppi.v full information on all questions aii'ectiug the augler and fisheries. Trade With Gennany. The stearaer Tongariro will loac: dairy produce and meat in New Zealand, beginning at Opua on December 4 and continuing at Auckland between December 15 and 18. She will leavt> Lyttelton for London, Hull, Newcastlc and Hamburg on December 29. This will be the first direct shipment to Germany for a considerable period. Austrafian Dairying. "In the past I have always regardcd the threat of Australian competition in the dairying industry as somewhat of a bogey, but it is definitely a Teality now," said Mr T. A. Winks, of Hawera, a leading farmer, who returned to Auckland by the Awatea from a' holiday in the Commonwealth. "Australian production is growing not only in quantity, but also in quality. The dairymen are giving up their old raf--ferty style of farming and are^ going in for improved methods and scientillo stock breeding." New ZealaHder on the Screen. Ea Hould, Dunedin 's youthful contribution to the screen, has had another change of name. Advice received some time ago stated that his name had been changed to Eonnie St. Clair, but apparently this did not meet with the approval of the Metro-GoldWyn-Mayer executives, who have changed it to Eonnie Sinclair. Latest news received from Hollywood states that as Eonnie Sinclair Ea Hould has been given his first star billing in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry," in the TOle va> cated by Freddie Bartholomew at the time of his difference with Metro-GoKl-wyn-'Mayer. Keturned Soldier Farmers. "We were supposed to fight for ou* country," said a speaker at a meeting of Teturned soldier settlerg in thfc south, "but I think I have fought haider for my country on the land in the past 17 years or so than I did at tho war. I think we might as well give up our farms, get the 'burned-out' pensioa and come in here and play bowls.'' Anothers peaker said he did not want to play bowls; all he wished was the opportunity to make a decent living on his farm. "We're all dying men, any way, ' ' he said. ' ' Why shouldn 't we be given the opportunity to make soinething out of what life we have left." Year-old Accident Aftermath. A three-quarter inch puriri eplinter was extracted from the heel of an 11-year-old girl, Shirley Mackwood, of Anzae Bay, 'Waihelce, on Saturday morning, after the splinter had lodged in her foot while she was walking up a hillside about a year ago. Several fruitless attempts had been made sn the meantime to find the cause of the pain which* forced her to walk on her toes, and visits to tho Auckland H.-spi-iol had failed to locato the troubjt:, It was not until Saturday when the child complaiued of a pain*in her hoel, that her mother probed with a needle and withdrow the splinter, which apparently had travelled four inches along her foot.