THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4545, 31 March 1923, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is notified in the New Zealand Gazette that the representation on the Thames Hospital Board shall be as follows: Hauraki Plains County and Thames Borough 3 members each, Ohinemuri County 2 members, Thames County and Paeroa Borough 1 member each.

Present indications point to the Easter traffic on the railways being heavier than last year. Throughout this week the expresses passing through Paeroa have been well filled. On Thursday morning the Thames’ express to Auckland consisted of nine cars and two luggage vans, and the number of passengers aboard was estimated at three hundred, of which a large number entrained at Paeroa.

The largest forging in the world has recently been turned out by Messrs Cammell, Laird, at their Sheffield works. The steel ingot from which the forging was made weighed 160 tons. The forging itself,, when finished, measured over, 7ft in diameter, weighed 120 tons, and was 50ft long. The plant required to turn out this immense forging was of exceptional capacity. Messis Cammel, Laird, were the successful tenderers for one of the two big var vessels

A strange discovery was made in a load of gravel that was being used for a new concrete pitch in the Weraroa Domain (says the Levin “Chronicle”). The gravel 'came from the beach, and had just been when the contractor noticed an unusual object. picked it up, and threw it aside. Ou investigation it was found to be an 18-carat gold watch. It had evidently been in the water some time, the works being completely spoilt, but the case, which, is a very heavy one, is in good order.

Is the tomato a fruit or vegetable ? asks the “ Taranaki Herald.” One indignant champion of the fruit theory once said : “ The tomato grows on the plant just like an apple on a tree, 01- a grape on the vine ; it comes from a flower in the same way. Of course it is a. fruit, just as a carrot is a vegetable.” The only answer he received was : “ What a luscious fruit is the pumpkin !” Another argument for the fruit side is a that a fruit is eaten raw, or can be eaten raw, whereas a vegetable, except by the youthful, is not eaten uncooked.

The eight-oar race on the Wanganui River for the Spmmerville Cup is the subject, of a splendid set of photographs in this week’s issue of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review,” while the Wellington bowling centre’s tournament, showing groups of local and visiting players, makes an exceptionally interesting page. The Hawera Motor Cycle Club’s sports at the Egmont Racecourse is depicted in a striking series of snapshots. The Bay of Plenty Jockey Club’s meeting at Avondale and the Opotiki Jockey Club’s gathering at Takapuna are covered in a .splendid selection of photographs showing starts and finishes and the progress of the principal races. The centre pages are devoted to an artistic arrangement of pictures dealing with notable weddings in London, including the marriage of Lord Islington’s daughter.

The customs duty of 20 per cent, imppsed two months ago on electric light poles from Australia is to be removed. Advice to this effect has been received by the Auckland Electric Power Board, which made representation pn the subject to the Prime Minister. The duty on condensing plants has also been removed. A gold key is to be presented to Mr Massey in connection with the opening ceremony of the Weraroa Memorial Gates (states the “Manawatu Evening Standard”). “When a man admits he did not blow his horn,, I should be inclined to look upon him as a truthful witness, and believe his evidence on other points,” said Mr Justice Hosking in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth the other day (reports an exchange), and counsel commented that such a witness was quite unusual in motor collision cases. “When women forget their Godgiven place in life and go after the place God has given to man, hell boils over,” stated Dr. Oliver during one of his lectures at Palmerston North (states ah exchange). Fishing in the Rangitata River last Thursday night, Mr J. E. Pigott grassed one of the finest salmon caught this season —a fish in splendid condition which turjied the scales at exactly 20 pounds (says the Timaru “Herald”). There was a great commotion on the Timaru railway station when the first express from Dunedin arrived the other day (says the Timai u “Post”). “The Grand Duchess Ivanovitch,” otherwise Mrs Fuller, hastened off the train, made a bee-line to a policeman, and inquired anxiously where the refreshment room was situated. On being told there was none at the station “the Princess” rushed hot-foot to the nearest hotel, and on entering the bar called lustily for a whisky and soda, and also for cigarettes. Half-way through her “spot” she was informed that the express was about to depart, and straightway she fled across the road at a trot, screaming loudly to the guard to stop the train. The excitement only ceased when the “Grand Duchess” was eventually borne out of Timaru on the north-bound express—in a secondclass carriage.

All •Chinamen are the same Chinamen in the opinion of most other members of the human race.' So when a constable saw a Chinaman riding a bicycle on the footpath on the Riccarton road, away back in July last, and took his name, Fong Hing, he probably thought it a synonym for the Chinese race in general. However, Fong Hing, the individual, had to be found, and made to pay the peiia.lty of his heinous offence. .But as Fong Hing himself might say, it is “ allee welly funny,” because the whole police force of Christchurch has been unable, after eight months’ trying, to sort out Fong Hing from his brethren in Christchurch. The police force did not give up without a struggle for its reputation, be it said, but it finally has to admit defeat.

In the report of the Hauraki Plains County Council which was published in the “Gazette” on page four on the 14th inst. under'the heading ‘'Troughton’s Road,” the impression has been conveyed that the whole of Troughton’s Road was to be metalled with McCallum’s metal. This is incorrect. The motion that was carried should read: “That authority be given to use McCallum’s metal as a bottom course at Troughton’s, provided other metal is not available.”—Moved by Cr. Parfitt, and seconded by Cr. Han?, which are being built for the Admiralty.

John Drinkwater, in a recent lecture, declared “poetry to be “the very thing for the boy who lias to mane his way in the world.” No mean poet himself, Mr Drinkwater may be permitted to explain. “ English literature,” he said, “should be- at the foundation of every English child’s education, as it was the crowning expression of the great' qualities of that child’s race. A certain time should be set aside for poetry. There should be no question of examination afterwards. It should be a joljy. thing from beginning to end. Teachers did not want to make good engineers. He began to see a little red when there was talk about ‘ vocational training.’ They wanted to make fine meh, who would be good engineers. Such men spread enlightenment whenever they vventj but the man who was merely a good engineer was a bore.”

A correspondent to a contemporary writes: "I have read of many case? of ptomaine poisoning in the newspapers lately, and can guarantee as a cure a tablespoonful of powdered wood charcoal, taken with a wineglass of water. Pound the charcoal with a hammer, roll it out flue with a rolling pin, and bottle it. Every household in town or country should have a supply. It will effect a complete cure in half an hour.”

News has trickled through to the south during the past few days of an outbreak amongst the native divers at the Thursday Island pearling station, says the Melbourne ‘‘Age,” and fears have been expressed that the outbreak was likely to develop into a. conflict between the white pearlers and the natives. Confirmation of the news, however, has been difficult to. obtain. Later it was learned that a report of the incident, which was said to have involved the divers and the pearl fishers, who are mostly white people, in conflict, had been forwarded to the authorities in Melbourne. Questioned more recently, officials of the Home and Territories Department stated that there had been nr disturbance at the pearling stations, but newa had been received of trouble between the pearlers and the divers in regard to wages. All the divers are employed on indenture, and they had requested that their wages be increased before the pearling season, which commences after the northwest monsoons at about the end of February, was opened. So far the dispute has not been settled.