LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5430, 29 May 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

After a lengthy period of exceptionally mikl weather, winter came with a vengeance at the beginning of the week. On Monday afternoon a severe thunderstorm passed over Paeroa, and conditions have been decidedly cold since.

The Indian air mail which arrived at Croydon on Sunday afternoon consisted of the record number of 30,000 letters. It was only three minutes behind schedule time after its 5000 miles’ flight.

Notice is given by the Ohinemuri County Council that all motor-drivers’ licenses expire on the 31st inst., and that renewals may be obtained by personal application at the county office. For the convenience of those who are unable to obtain licenses during ordinary office hours the county office will be open on Friday evening between 7 and 8.30.

A children’s plain and fancy dress ball will be held at the Anglican Parish Hall to-morrow evening. There will be two prizes for the best original frocks for children over and under 10 years of age, and two for the same ages for the best fancy The children’s dance will finish at ten, after which dancing will be continued by the adults.

Commencing this week, an improvement has been made in the AucklandRotorua expresses for the comfort of passengers. On the two expresses there are five new steam-heated carriages provided with every convenience for passengers.

The Commonwealth Statistician reports that the population of Australia has increased during 1928 by 101,932, to 6,336,786 persons, the natural increase being 74,700.

The Honey Control Board has been advised by the Ministei* of Agriculture (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) that the Government has decided to include an item of £9OOO on the current year’s Estimates for a grant for advertising New Zealand honey.

A warning to motorists was given in the New Plymouth Police Court by the prosecution of a woman driver for driving over a fire hose. As the case was the first of its kind in New Plymouth, and brought as a warning to motorists, the magistrate entered a conviction without a fine, but intimated that motorists must understand they are not permitted to drive over a fire hose.

To the influenza epidemic which raged in England during the early weeks of this year is attributed the fact that, with one exception, the death rate for the first quarter of 1929 is the highest recorded for any first quarter of the present century. The deaths registered numbered 204,293. This was 67,978 more than in the corresponding quarter of 1928. The death rate was 21 per 1000, for 11.63 of which, it is claimed, influenza was the immediate or. contributory cause.

On his way to the Waihi Beach on Saturday evening, between 6.30 and 7 o’clock, Mr C. H. Holloway, a Hamilton dentist, met another car in the Karangahake gorge. It was travelling in the opposite direction, and the driver apparently mistook a pool of water for the side of the road, with the result that his vehicle pushed that of Mr Holloway’s off the highway, the Hamilton man’s car coming to rest upside-down after a drop of seven or eight feet. Mr Holloway crawled out unhurt, and, as far as is known, the car was not materially damaged.

“Never use the word ‘aerial’ when speaking of aviation matters,” said the Ministei* of Defence (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) when speaking to a gathering at the Bell Block aerodrome. “The word ‘aerial’ is now confined to wireless,” he continued. “I sometimes fall into the trap myself, and use it in connection with aviation matters, but you must not follow my example.”

After June 30 the activities of the Opotiki Acclimatisation Society will be taken over by the Tourist Department (says the Opotiki Herald). This step was resolved upon on the understanding that greater facilities will be offering sportsmen in regard to game and fishing. The requirements for next year have already been sent in—£so of trout fry to be liberated in the Waioeka and Otara rivers, 50 brace of pheasants, and 25 black Tasmanian opposums. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure First aid for coughs, colds, influenza.