THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, JULY 30, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4592, 30 July 1923, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, JULY 30, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

* .. — The first shipment this season of green peas and new potatoes reached Wellington on July 26, from Nelson. Considering the very wintry conditions prevailing, the competition was keen, the peas realising 12s per peck of 71b, as against theo pening value for last season of 10s per peck, while the potatoes, a fine sample of whiteskin variety, realised 7d per lb. “The blind do not want pity ; nor charitable doles, nor street organs. All they want is t,he opportunity of earning an ordinary living in a useful trade, and of being serviceable citizens.”—Mr Mackenzie at the Foxton Town Hall.-—“ Manawatu Herald.” “Should you at any time decide to discard me as member of Parliament for the Hamilton seat,” said Mr J. A. Young, M.P., at the opening of Glen Afton colliery on Wednesday, “youcould not appoint a better man in my place than Mr William Goodfellow.” (Loud applause.) Mr Goodfellow: "Not on your life I” Mr Young: “He would make an. excellent Cabinet Minister.” (Renewed applause.) The impartiality of Government officials in carrying out the regulations (says the “Press”) was effectively demonstrated in an incident related by a minister at a meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery. While in hospital he was advised of a fund being raised by a country ihupch for a worthy object. He telegraphed back : “Hearty congratulations. Put on £1 for me.” The telegram was returned by the Telegraph Office with a memo, t'hat betting telegrams were not accepted. Here is a wrinkle from The Timberman, a lumber journal published at Portland (Oregon), which dairy farmers who are in the toils of the moneylenders might find useful. A Portuguese dairyman in the San Joaquin Valley, California, descended upon his banker and demanded an additional credit of 700 dollars to buy hay. The banker, being of the old school, resented the demand, and proceeded to lecture, his Portuguese cl.ent on self reliance, moralised on debt, developed quite a homily, and felt better. As the Portuguese leftwithout his loan he suddenly turned and delivered a broadside, saying: “All right,, you no loan me the mion, you milk your own cows.” The shot struck the bulls-eye, and despite the already large overdraft, the additional 700 dollar loan was forthcoming, which shows the banking business is not all roses. For Influenza, take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.

“In time to come farms on the Plains will be drained by tile drains,” said Mr E. Taylor, Lands Drainage Engineer, at Turua on Friday. He also suggested that farmers install flood-gates on their outlets. The advantage of this in time of flood was obvious, and as satisfactory gates’ could be made of wood the cost would be very small.

The cost of keeping a six-horse team was referred to by a Government expert in a lecture to the Farmers’ Union at Oamaru. He said it had been estimated that the cost was £36o’ a year, implements cost £7O, and a man and hi,s keep £156. At 150 days’ work in the year this worked out at £2 6s lOd a day.

“Candidly, I am not at al! satisfied with the progress that is being made with the new wharf,” said the chairman of the New Plymouth Harbour Board: “If pile-driving goes on at the present rate it, is going to take over two years to complete it.” There were 750 piles to drive and 300 working days in the years, he continued. Although two derricks were in use (reports the “Taranaki Daily News”) the average rate of work was only one. nile a day.

The proposal to have street lights installed at Kerepeehi was advanced another step at a meeting on Friday evening, when a committee, comprising Messrs J. Kidd, W. Thompson, G. Barnbrook, G. Avey, W, Herkt, M. McMillan, and H. Hoff (secretary), was appointed to go into the matter. It. was suggested that a 200-c.p. light be installed at the wharf and 100-c.p. lights at six cross roads. It was decided to open a subscription list, and a number of donations were promised at the meeting. An entertainment committee, comprising Mr and Mrs JMurdock, Mr and Mrs H. Hoff, Mr and M>-s and Miss Thompson, Mr and Mrs H. Booth, Mrs Fawcett, Mrs Frecklington, and Mrs J. Kidd, was appointed. It. was announced that the proceeds of the weekly jazz dance would go to the fund.

Under the heading of “Distress in Hamilton,” the “Waikato Times” published an article in which one of its reporters relates how he visited a small shed on the river bank in Hamilton East wherein an elderly couple are spending their declining years. “The shed,,” the writer goes on to sav. “could scarcely be regarded as a respectable place in which to house fowls. Dingy, unpainted and patched on the outside, its interior measurements barely fourteen feet by nine feet the shack is divided by a partition. the front portion being used as a place to eat in and the back part as a sleeping chamber. It can easily be conceived that when a double-bed, a wash-stand, and trunk are placed in the bedroom, and a couple of chairs in the kitchen, there is not room for much else. The old lady is close on sixty, while the eld man, who has passed his 65th year, is beyond toil, as his fingers are cramped with rheumatism.”

What has become of Ratana the Healer ? is a question often asked nowadays. He is still in active service for his people as preacher, teacher, and healer. It is recorded that up to date he has received 140,000 letters from all parts of the world appealing for his healing aid. The latest letter to hand came all the way from Iceland—so far has Ratana’s fame spread. Cheques for .sums aggregating £BO,OOO came to him from America, urging him to tour that country. All the cheques were returned.

Two duck-eggs of unusual size, laid by a duck belonging to Mr H. Plavford, were shown to a “Levin Chronicle” representative recently. The two eggs turned the s,cale at exactly half a pound, one, which was slightly larger than the other, being three inches in length and incres in diameter. Both were double-yolked. Eight eggs of a. similar size have been obtained from this duck, nhich is of ordinary size, in the last fortnight, several of which have actually contained three yolks. The owner, we understand, is of opinion that interesting as this performance is, the bird should not be encouraged, as the propagation of such a breed would tend to upset the established rules of the poultry industry. A poultry man would no longer be able to sell a dozen eggs with confidence, as the purchaser might with luck obtain three dozen lusty ducklings therefr >m. while the uncertainty of the result would preclude any possibility of charging at double or treble rates. He considers that the only thing to do would be for the purchaser to pay according to results, but regrets that his experience of human nature does not. make him optimistic of the plan.

The overcrowding of the professions was the subject of a recent conversation. It arose (says the “Taranaki Herald”) from a remark as to the ill .effects of the increase of town populations to the injury of the country districts. An instance to the contrary was given. A talented young law clerk who had just got admitted as solicitor threw up his billet (a not very remunerative one) and went to wo’-k as a navvy on one of the hydroelectric works under the Public Works Department, where men can earn on the average a pound a day—more than twice as much as he had been getting. Another recent case was that of a young lawyer who wrote to his uncle about making a change to better himself in the law. Uncle replied : “You just hold on to your billet with your teeth ; there are too many young lawyers turned out by the universities now looking for a job.”

When two are willing with none else near, When both are thrilling and know no fear, When youth and beauty are in their prime, Any old season is “ Kissing Time!” Where Cupid’s torch is a glowing flame Winter and summer seem much the same. • When kissing couples have colds to endure Is time for Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.