NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1924, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Xoar Hatirinni, while the down Alain Trunk train was passing a stone dislodged from the cutting crashing through the window of a carriage and struck a lady passenger on the chest. Fortunately, the lady was not seriously injured, hut her wristlet watch and brooch were smashed.

Hainfaii measured in yards has been the lot of Jmiisfail, between Townsville and Cairns. Queensland, on the Crrat Northern Hailway, now in course of construction. A Hrishaiie now-e pap r of July Ith stated that since the hegi’itiiii" of the year three yards of rain has fallen at Iniiisfail. or in other words, Ills im-lies. Defining a luxury as ‘‘somethin" that is not essential, and that one has to pav rather highly lor.” Mr C. K. .Macmillan (Taurangii) -aid that no district e mid ,’ilford the luxury of had roads, lie estimated that the local authorities of the Dominion would require leu millions in the next two years for road purposes; and. it didn’t-.belli the lota I authorities to get the money to put on a further debenture tax. He suggested that some system should be arranged by which local body loans could be pooled and raised at Home at the lowest possible rates with A (roveriiment guarantee, and this would leave more money in the Dominion to meet the needs of the farmers and others.

"When lawyers become very earnesf in defence of their clients, tliev are some--1 times apt to get ilieir metaphors a little mixed. This occurred at the Sui prone Court, 'Wellington, when ocunsel was endeavouring to convince the jury of the absurdity of the charge brought against the prisoner by the Crown. ‘‘Two alternative charges have been brought against- my client.” declared the learned counsel rhetorically, “and they act, on the principle of a man taking a. double barrelled gun to shoot rabbits. If the Crown prosecutor does not hit the mark with one barrel, lie hopes you will swallow I lie other!” And ihe twelve good men and true never even smiled. To make provision for the future is generally considered an art- of wisdom, but it is not oft,>n that a man erects his own headstone in the cemetery, neatly fences his burial plot, and leaves lor execution after his death merely tin* completion of the iusrr ptiou on the tombstone, giving the date of Ills death. Such provision has been made in the Tinmru cemetery, where there is to bo seen a little plot, with concrete kerb around it, ami a headstone suitably inscribed with :1 1l but the date of the death ol the one who intends to he Milled there. The tombstone in (|iicstion has been -Hiding in its present state for nearly twenty years, and its owner is still living not many miles from Tinmru. Oak trees throughout South Canterbury have been attacked during recent years by a disease which Mr T). X. Harper, curator of the . Timarii Hark, attributes to a species of aphis, or green-fly. It is only during the past, five or six years that it has been noticeable (states the "Tinnmi Herald"), and (luring the past year or two the disease secnis to have become worse, due. in Mr Harper's opinion, to the dry seasons. A sooty black covering, the excretion of the aphis forms on the trunks and branches of the tree, and the insects themselves suck the life out of the trees hy feeding upon the sail in the leaves.

Many strange experiences fall to the lot 'll li; w spa pel i epcirter--. hut something new was introduced ar the Oamaiit .Magistrate's Court recently, when it was suggested that the representatives of the two local papers should ail a- arbitrators in a leneing depute hetween neighbours. Their derision in decline was unanimous v:d immediate says all exchange). The fence in question was described by a witness as "very mixed." lie rai.t-

"It had wire in it, all .-(iris of pos‘.r., standards, and stakes in it, and lots of other things." "Evidently mixed," ,1 ti I v remarked the .Magistrate.

Articles iii cvci'y possible description fall into tile liaiids of the city detective- dtiriny t lie course of tlieir wandcrinys and searehinys for criniittal-. says the "\.Z. Times." When payiny :t visit to poliee headquarters one niyht recently a youny detei live with an intelliycni eonidenaiiee and a determined jaw. e>. li ihi ted a wicket lookiny li rearm in the I'nrni of a six-yun. The wealion. he stated, lnul been found in the possession of a nian lie had arrested that day on a charye of theft, after a lon>r weary search of the by-ways and likely builds of ihese on tin* "wanted li-ts" oi the policy. Tile ytili in questinn has a very lout: harrel and a heavy hint. [I yives one tlry impression of I vino a tine ‘(ample of the weapons so ninth in !!'*• l.v lie* ‘‘had men" one reads ahoiil in American lietion. The weapon is also a replica of the famous .-ix-yun which was ike favmirilc firearm of the American cow puncher, as deserihed in Zaile drey's. Charles Sellrer's ami (larenee If. Mnlford's wellknown h.jolts on much life, and the vast din'll spaces of the West. One could imattine an expert cow hoy yun liyhlcr with such a v.eap.on as tin* one now iidyiuy ;ii the detective office, d-.ltly rolling ihe cylinder before entt inpc h (s|. and riddlin'/ the hinlv of some rnstler or ‘"had man." The individual who had the yun referred to in hi- possession had certainly not li.-eii a lover in socli weapons, as it is thickly coated with rust, and its whole appearance convey, tie* impression that it Inis keen sadlv neyleeted.

Another effort is liointc made by ihe natives of the Kiny Country to yet an alteration in the existin': licensin'.: law, and with that ohjeet in view a petition is doiny the rounds ol the natives prayiny that Varlianicni yive the natives a vote oil the licoiisiny

question. "As soon as this is complete” (writes the Auckland "Star's” Hartihi correspondent ', "it will he presented to Parliament and the result of the petition will he awaited with keen interest. The petition requests that in view of the much altered conditions prevailing in the King Country at the present time, the best .solution is the establishment of lintels run by tlie municipalities.” I

“Are you a dii't'Ctar of a cheese factory!-” asked Air F. J. Nathan, ol a questioner at a meeting of dairy farmers in Carterton. “No.” came the prompt rely, “there are two tilings 1 would not he—the director of a dairy i-unpany or the referee of a football match.’’—Exchange.

In this crnutry one is accustomed to her children speak of their parents with the greatest- freedom and this wa . made a subject of comment by our Chinese visitors (remarks the “Hawke's Hay Herald”). “In China.” said Air (’. -S. Wang, "we are always most deVreutia! to our parents; we stand until j instructed to sii down, only speak j vi)e;i spoken to. and Urn it) a quiet j •aspectfill milliner."

A hoax which has led to the discomfiture of quite a large number of pedestrians in Whangari’i during tile last few days (says the “Northern -Advocate”), consised in the nailing down to a footpath of pennies irinl halfpence, with the upper side silvered over, lints presenting the appearance of stray half crowns and shillings. The unavailing efforts of the finders to remove the coins with their fingers or hy means of kicking, and the looks of disgust upon the faces of the deluded ones when realising the deception, are said to have been most diverting to those in the know.

An incident not without humour and showing remarkable smartness, coolness and p,iCM‘iK-o of mind happened subsequent to a burglary at the Nottingham Castle llotyl. Alorrinsvillc, says the “Ihe Arolta News.” The perpetrator caught the evening train to Hamilton. "Whilst on the train he changed some of his clothes, and this aroused the suspicion of a fellow passenger, who, on arrival at Frank ton notified the police, who wore in entire ignorance of the •ad that a theft had been committed at Alorrinsvillc, the fact at that time not having Ijoon discovered. The ofi'em. der was interviewed and asked to explain his actions. Indignantly he protested. giving his victim’s name as his. and producing his pass hook and othei stolen ] tapers in support of his claim. The police, though doubtful, let him

Hetiirns for the quarter ending June 20th show that the estimated population of the Dominion and mandated territory is 1 ,-IO(),(JH(>, of which 1,21!hH2(i is for New Zealand proper, including .Maoris. The -Maori population is estimated at -54,020. The North Island population is estimated at Nil,-572 ami the South Island at .50.5,2.52. The total increase of population in the Dominion proper for the quarter ended June 20th, 1024, was 1072 .including •Maoris), comprising a net gain of 1142 by natural increase and a net loss of 2170 by migration. Compared with th(> corresponding quarter for the preceding year, the net gain from natural increase in 1924 was slightly lower, due to a falling-oil' in the number of births: the net loss from migration was considerably lower than exp o-ienc-t’d in June, 1921, the population (in•lililing .Maoris) of the North Island ncreased by 2001, that of Ihe South Island suffered a decrease of 1021.

An idea of what can he dene on a small farm under intell'yeMi mail ayoic.ent and with youd stock may he yathered (suits the 'l.evin (Innnicle") Irom the returns received by Mr (I. Seivers, of Fairfield. w hose three cows have this year produced (factory returns) over llOOlhs. of hutter-lat. These cows, teyether wit’ll a horse, are pastured on an area of live acres, the whole of their feediny heiny produced from this area. Olio acre* is kept in constant cultivation, oats for sprint: feed, maize, etc., for the autumn, and manyohls for winter heiny yrown, besides hay heiny saved from surplus pasture in the summer-time. Snell illustrations of what can he produced from small areas by intense cultivation are illuiiiinai iny as indientiny a remedy lor tin* excess prices at which much ol' the local land was purchased. A strony effort is heiny made to enconraye the cultivation of tobacco in New Zealand for local manufacture (states the Auckland "Herald"). There are now about 10 yrowers in Xi'lsi li. as well as an increasiny number in Auckland and Wellinylon, and

a few in Haw !;c's Hay. It has keen found that the he<t blends are ob-

tained by ulilisiny leaf from diftcreut districts, and the manufaelurers are holdiny out every ilidlleemeut to yrowers by supplyiny them with the

neecs-ary seed and takiny their output at varyiny prices up to -s per lb. .Just C.I present the factory is workiny at full capacii.v. but additional machinery is heiny installed to deal with tin* increased hti'ines' offeriny. and duriny this month an effort is heiny made to increase the cultivation. The seed is now heiny sawn, for planliny out in and ihe crop yields about sfK'Pi- of leaf to the acre.