THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4700, 19 May 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the unpropitious weathor on Saturday last all lootball lixtui'JS in Paeroa were abandoned. .Although a lot of storm water is still lying around the country no serious damage has resulted in the Kom.aia district. It is understood that the roads are passable for traffic. Rather an anxious time was spent by the residents of Hikutaia on Saturday. The storm water rose to a fair dei th in the township, but no serious damage was done. Retailers of gum-boots and goloslier,s should have done a good trade during the. past week-end, judging bl the number of people, including women, seen about the streets so equipped. A special meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council was arranged for this morning to discuss heavy traffic matters, but it had to be postponed on account of -several councillors being held up as a result of the recent gale. The Auckland Education Board’s workmen made a start with the erection of additonal outhouses and the conversion of the existing buildings into a more modern set at the Paeroa District High School this morning. The Stratford Borough Council is rigidly enforcing the motor regulations (states the, “Post"), and at next sitting of the Court in Stratford it is expected that 27 informations will be heard against persons alleged to have committed breaches. Fire totally destroyed the Marton Hotel on Saturday morning. The bu'ldir.g was owned by Mr A. Hannan, of Maliere, and the licensee is Mr N. L). Mclver. Loss of life was narrowly averted. Insurances arc unavailable, but it is understood that the licensee is a heavy loser. An elderly Maori walked complacently along a street of Napier with abbreviated football shorts in place of the longer garments that are customary for city wear (says the Daily Telegraph”). Above he was immaculate, with collar and tie all complete, and he showed lofty disregard of the smiles with which the sight of his swarthy calves were greeted by passers-by. Lieut. Stitt, of H.M.S. Repulse, who was a member of a pig-hunting party at Stronvar, had with him a brace of guns which were a present from the Kaiser to the Czar of Russia (says the “Wairarapa Daily Times”). One was a 16-bore boar gun. beautifully chased and inlaid in gold, with the Royal Coat of Arms. The other gun, similarly ornate, was a beautiful piece of work. Lieut. Stilt procured these trophies ip Moscow.

"Why did you say it was dangerous to have revolvers in a public bar ?” asked counsel in a Christchurch Supreme Court case (relates the “Press"). Witness (the hotel proprietor.) replied that when there were guns he liked to have them on his side. Counsel suggested that they were unloaded. “They can very easily be loaded,” replied witness.

Mr C. H. Backhouse, assistant-sec-retary of the National Dairy Associa tion, lias been appoited secretary in place of Mr T. C. Brash, who lias been appointed secretary of the N.Z. Dairy Export Control Board. The appointment will take effect from July .L when Mr Brash will assume his new duties. Mr Backhouse has been foiiryears with the association. Mr T. Woodcock has been appointed as-sistant-secretary.

At an early hour yesterday morning the younger fry of the town were up and about enjoying themselves in .stonn water laying about in some of the streets and paddocks. Hastily constructed rafts were much in evidence. and the day was devoted oy many in paddling these ‘’ships” about. Before nightfall several of thc.se rafts were to be seen stranded on dry ground, the water having receded dining the day.

“Why is it that 1 cannot get a decent piece of bacon in New Zealand ?” asked a visitor from England the other day (states the “Mnaawatu Times”). He continued that whereas at Home he was accustomed to the most tasty rashers, he had not pattaken of any such delicacy during his six weeks hi the Dominion. In England it was the practice, he added, to discriminate carefully in which part» of the pig were cured for- Lacon, anl he wondered if the same care was exercised here.

it came as a surprise !.o poultrykeepers who have been contending against the flood of Chinese egg-pul’) which has practically driven the product of every other country out of the world's markets, to learn at a lecture by Mr F. C. Brown that there were no large poultry farms hi China (says an exchange). The average -number of hens kept in China, the lecturer stated, was four, and the usual numbe’’ from four to six. It was the huge aggregate number of hens in the country and the system of collection that enabled the Chinese -o keep up their supply.

During the height of the gale on Saturday morning a baker was delivering his bread to the rseidents along the Esplanade, leaving his horse ami cart on the top of the road formed by the stop-bank. Imagine his consternation on coming out of one house to find that the wind had caught the vehicle and turned it completely over. Willing hands quickly freed the stiuggling horse, which was unhurt. The cart was undamaged except for a bent wheel-cap and a couple of broken .spokes. After harnessing the horse to the cart again the driver proceeded on his round.

Anyone interested in Jersey cows can easily train the horns in any direction required, said Mr H, E. B. Watson, the noted Jersey breeder, during a demonstration at Richmond (slides the “Nelson Mail”). The lio.'ns on the heifer generally appealed to point backwards. A hole could be bored in the ends and a "ire inserted pulling them together. Then, later, a small weight attached would keep them down, and other adjustments could be made later. In no sense could this be terjmed “faking.” It was perfectly simple, anyone could do it, and it greatly added to the appearance of the animal as well as making it much less dangerous in a herd by removing outstanding horns.

When the Special Service Squadron sailed from Lyttelton the ships did not carry their full complement—four seamen from the Dragon preferred to remain in Christchurch (states the “Lyttelton Times”). They did not turn up when the ship sailed out ifthe harbour in the early morning. Two of the men were arrested the following morning and that evening we>e tscorted to Auckland and handed over to the authorities. These men will not be treated as deserters, as they had not been 21 days away from the ship. Their offence will Le regarded as one of having been absent without leave. They were Still in uniform when apprehended. One of the men still missing is a sailor and the other a marine.

Vigorous and definite views on the place of the Bible in education are evidently held by Dr. Lawson, the new professor of education at Otago University (states the “Otago Daily Times”). Addressing a public meeting in Dunedin lie said we had neve” made the use of. the Bible in our schools that we ought to have made. Wc had done our schools great harm by keeping it out. He believed that if we had an anthology of selections from the Bible made solely with i view to its literary quality witli only ve'-’bal explanations and no attempt made to give any setting ty dogma, Hie inherent vitality of the Book would work its own reformation in the human heart. He spoke feelingly on this, because he knew from long experience as a teacher and as a lover of. literature that nothing outside tlie essence o£ religion itself would so elevate the mind as daily contact with the highest minds, oe they pagan or Christian. Young people who acquired the habit of reading the Bible would unconsciously acquire an aversion to rhe tawdry, tlie mean, the second-rate, the showy in literature. “If we put the best before pur young people.” he said, “and teach it to them as literature, they will love it and enjoy it. and it will work its own reformation/'