NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1924, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The estimated area planted in potatoes in the South Island this year is IS,OOO acres (stales the “ Oamaru Times”'. The area last year was 15.3‘.53 acres.

A peculiar form of blight has affected apple trees in Oamaru this season, and in some orchards the trees arc quite barren (states the “ North Otago Times”).

It is estimated that the area sown in wheat in New Zealand this year is 170,000 acres. The total area of wheat harvested last year was 175,.|<::j acres (slates the "North Otago Times”).

That war should lie waged on shags mi the Wanganui River in defence of the trout and other fish placed there for acclimatisation purposes was the opinion expressed liv a local resident ■'.states the " Herald”). As an argument in support ol his contention he referred to a ease which had conic under his notice where no lower than 50 small trout were taken from n young shag. These birds were numerous on the river, and if each took similar toll the yearlv loss must ho very extensive.

A lloreslmre farmer recently purchased a six-roomed dwelling-house in Dargarville for removal across (lie VYaiioa Itivcr In Id:- lane, pul il "" l\ni barges and lowed il across by launch (says an exchange!. Al lon tide the next morning an attempt was made to put, the barges on the river hank. One barge lipped and the house slipped into the river where there was fairly deep water. The building hit the launch, nearly swamned the vessel, anil the lannehman Mr Alex. Smith, had a narrow escape Irotn drowning. At high tide in the evening the house was pulled up the hank.

There are many reports in the Mnnnwatu district of the rapid increase of (he hedgehog (says the “ Manawatu Daily Times”!, and. a corresponding disappearance of slugs and snails from the gardens. ’I he domestic watchdog resents the intrusion, and il loose will kill a full grown, well quilled animal. often though with painful results from the encounter. If on the chain the dogs hark furiously at these si rangers.

A tribute to the enthusiastic service rendered bv Mr Chitlin Mackenzie, director of the .lubilee Institute, in connection with the Pearson Memorial Fund, was paid by the lion. G. Fowlds in speaking at the opening of the institute fair reports the " New Zealand Herald”). The total sum received to date was C.lfi.ii.H, sums promised amounting to another ,C2(K). There had been some difficulty and delay with regard to the payment of the Government subsidy on subscriptions, hot CIO,(100 had been promised on account, and it was hoped that next year the balance would he paid.

The butter and cheese factories that joining no with tile South Island Dairy Association commenced making this season in September, as usual, hut a week or two later than is customary no account of the dry winter and early spring (states the " Dunedin Star”). I'p to now the deliveries have not been fpiile so large as in the corresponding period of last year, hut the association has been able lo fill all the space allotments fur shipping, and butter and cheese are now coming in abundantly, with every promise of a really good season. The first shin to tarry new season's butter overseas was the Kaikoiira. She took a small shipment. The Arawa, now on the const, will have taken from the four southern ports (Bluff, Dunedin, Timarti, and Lyttelton). lfi.Sfi!) boxes of butter and <6lO crates of cheese.

It is the opinion of a New Zealander who recently toured Great Britain that a wrong impression exists in the Dominion with reference to the amount of unemployment at Home and the methods that are in vogue to deal with it. lie remarked to a "Gisborne Times ” reporter last week that the word "doles for instance, should todo v not he used. Immediately after the close of the Great War, it was quite true that the weekly payments to the workless were in the nature of doles. But now the fund from which the out-of-work payments were made was only partly subscribed to by the Government. The fact of the mattei was that workers, employers, and the Government all contributed to the fund, and if a man found himself out of work, he bad a right to financial help- Asked as to the extent of tinemployment at Home, he said that no doubt official figures were correct. But on journeying about one did not see a great many outside the so-called " doles ” offices, i twas noticeable that a great proportion of those waiting tlicir turn were somewhat elderly.