LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 70, 15 December 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Schools and Ooliegos. Feeling that the name carried more prestige with it, the Palmerston Nofth High School BOard of GoVernors last evening decided to ask Ihe Education Departmeut for permission to call the two high schools eolleges. An Ainusing Postscript. "May the reCent slight rise in wool prices flll your councillors with optimism " was the amusiUg postscript to a letter received by the Patangata County Ooiiincil at its meeting yesterday. The • letter came from a settlei who desired to have his rohd metalled. Sheep Population. "It is iiot generally realised," said Mr G. M. Hall, a Canterb'-jfy farmer, on his return from a tiip abr oad, ' ' tnat the ituniber of slieep in New Zealand is about 29,000,000, eompated With 17 000,000 in Englahd, SCOtland and Ii-eiand." Mt Hall skid he had reason to check up on tliese figufes when he was told that there wOre more sheep in Great Britain than in New Zealand. Electricity Cotirt. Contrihutions at the tate 6f £60 a year for the next three years are to be made by the Hawke 's Hay Electrxc Pow^r Board towards the fortoing of an Electricity Court at the Centennial Exhibition. This decision was arrived at at the board 's monthly meeting yesterday and arose out of a request from the Power Boards' Association that the board contribute £180 on those terms. Level of Lake Rotorua. Although the early 'summer months this year have been unusually dry, the level of Lake Rotorua still remains higher than it has behh at the same date in reCeht years. A readihg taken on Sunday showed that the level of the lake whs one and three-quartef inches higher than about the shme date last year: Compared with December 10, 1934, the lake is now 10 inches higher than on that date. Weighty Trout ! Believfed to cottstitute a dry-fly record j for the Waikato, river in the Auckland ( Acclimatisation atea, an. ll-poutiti female rainbow trOut was takihi on that type Of lure just above Hora Hoia by Mr W. 'O 'Kane, of Hamilton, recently. Not only is it the biggest fish believed to have beeii taken on dly-fiy on that stretcli of the area, but it is also belived to be the best to bo taken by any form oi tly-iishing in the distriet for a good number of years. The big fish is to be preserved and mouuted. Trade with Australia. In view of the iiegotiatiohs sliortly to be undertakeii for a fresh trade agreement between Australia and New Zealand, it is interesting to note from recently published statistics that dui'ing the Comrnonwealth's finahcial yeaf ended Jnne 30 last. Australia exported to the Dominion goods valned at £4 .5§9,915, while she imported from here to the value of only £1,542,83.1. This left Australia with a favoutable trade balance for that period of only a very little short of £3-million. Earthquake Loans. A conference of representativCs bf loeal bodies in Hawke 's Eay concerned in the repayment of earthquake rehabilitation ioans will be held in the Hastings Borough Council Chambers this afternoon. The meeting has been called by the Hastings Council to aiscuss the question of representatious to the Government for further consideration in the matter of repayment of these loans. Disciffision wiil be in committees Minister's "Niggardly Salary." "How can Mr Webb alford to keep racehorses on the niggardly salary of a Minister of the Grown?" asked Mr G. E. King, & prOmiheiit tfOttiiig DWHer, aj the Christchurch Conimercial Travellers' Association 's smoke concert on Saturday night. Joculai'ly classiiig this question as "impertinent," the Hon. P. O. Webb asked Mr King if there Wafc a great difference between owning racehorses and owriihg trotters. "If Mr King haS been as successful as I have he will find that it is a question of the horses keeping me, rather than my keeping them," said Mr Webb. Power Board Premises. The iiew premises for the Hawke 's Bay Electric Power Board in Hastings, which, when coinpleted will form the head ofiice of the board, will probably be occupied soon after January 20. In a repol-t to the board meeting in Napier yesterday, the architects fepofted that all the office accommodation and other rooms on the ground fioor Will be coinpleted and ready for occupatioii on january 10, and those on the fifst floor a week latef. It has been arranged for a large gang to work between Ghristmas and NeW Year in order to cOmplete the schedule of work by the dates arranged.