THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5518, 30 December 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Miss Natalie Stratton, the Wellknown Wanganui swimmer, is to train for the Dominon championships under Mr C. D. Richardson, the professional speed coach, in Hamilton.

At a meeting of the Aero Club at Te Aroha it was decided, after some debate, that the club be called the “Te Aroha Aero Club.” Some members preferred the name “Thames Valley,” but it was pointed out that if that name was used Te Aroha would lose its distinctiveness.

There was a somewhat strange coincidence at the Woodville races. Two horses were saddled up for a race with the No. 9 cloth. The owner of the horse that had made the mistake appears to have ample justification, for the name of the animal was “Benign.”

An argument in favour of sending boys to a college as boarders was adduced by Mr Fell,. headmaster of St. George’s Preparatory School, at the breaking-up ceremony at Wanganui. In the winter term, he said, when there were most absences through colds and so on, there were four times as many day boys absent as boarders. That was, for every boarder who missed a day four day boys missed.

“In my opinion the Milford flying tragedy was caused through the carburettor being starved of petrol, owing to a new pump that had been adjusted failing to function properly.” This statement was made by Mr Anthony R. de Balfour, engineer, who, prior to the late Mr Goldsbro, taking charge of the Dornier-Libelle flyingboat, which crashed at Milford, assisted to test out and adjust the engine.

Edith O’Reilly, the Melbourne barmaid who won £20,000 as a result of having drawn Nightmarch in a Melbourne Cup “consolation,” attributed her luck to the fact that a medal in her possession had been blessed at the sacred shrine of Lourdes. Despite her newly-won wealth, Miss O’Reilly was at work as usual next morning. Nicholas Nikoladis, a youthful Greek fishshop proprietor in Sydney, won a similar sum. He proposes to buy a string of fish shops. But precisely what Percy Goon, a Chinese resident at Bendigo, will do with his £5OOO, thanks to Nightmarch, no one seems to know.

An impressive sight to be witnessed in Berlin is that of war blinded soldiers being led about the city by trained Alsatian dogs, according to Rev. D. C. Bates, who returned to Wellington from Europe on Tuesday. These wonderful animals, said Mr Bates, stood on the corner of an intersection where traffic was at its very busiest, and watched both ways, like human beings. As soon as the way was clear they would give a tug and lead the soldier to safety. Three’ hundred dogs were employed on this work.

Published early on account of the Christmas holidays this week’s issue of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review” is a splendid holiday number breathing the Spirit of Christmas in every page. As a special Christmas treat the publishers have included a fine full page study of “Chide,” the New Zealand Cup winner, that will delight the heart of lovers of a beautiful horse. The double centre pages are a very attractive medley, featuring Traditional Christmas scenes in England and Switzerland, Lake Michigan Storm, Wild West cowboys, sunbathing, etc. Lively pages of happy beach scenes cannot but meet the approval of all, and especially chic is the page of cute bathing girls in the latest mode. Laura la Plante and the Christmas Turkey are the subjects of the beautifully coloured supplement, and another attraction is a supplement of the Civic Theatre history, with some beautiful views of the interior. Overseas happenings are well represented in some graphic sets of photographs—“ Tally the hunting season in England, the Lord Mayor’s procession, historic V.C. dinner at the House of Lords, and model aeroaplane exhibition,

Last year there was a considerable mortality among lambs in Wanganui district, owners being at a loss to know the cause. The other day, while a Wanganui resident was in Feilding, he met a farmer who stated that his lambs were not doing too well. He brought them in with the. mothers and ran the lambs into a separate pen and drenched them, and left them in the yard over-night. The following morning he was surprised to find the yard covered with worms, and these had accounted for the poor condition of the lambs.

“Where do people go if they tell lies ?” asked Judge Sheridan of a girl, aged eight years, at Darlinghurst Sessions, Sydney. After some consideration the child answered that they did not go to Heaven. The Judge : Yes. but what happens to them ? Witness : They go under the ground. His Honour said he did not thing that the child understood future punishment, and she could not be sworn. As she was the chief witness the case was stopped.

Dry smut has made its unwelcome appearance in the North Canterbury wheat crops, especially in those on lighter land. The heads of wheat affected bear only a small proportion to the whole, but as no grain can form in those heads the yield will be affected, in some cases by perhaps up to half a bushel an acre. Wheat on heavier land managed to maintain its growth during the drought, and has consequently not been visited by smut.

In pursuance of its policy of improving passenger rolling stock, the Railway Department has decided to provide a modern lounge car on each of the Main Trunk daylight limited expresses. Two cars have been withdrawn from service and are being converted for the purpose at the Otahuhu workshops. One is now undergoing final tests, and both will be put into service shortly. Each will contain 16 large, fully-upholstered armchairs and two couches, similar to those found in well-appointed homes. The furniture is movable, a convenience that will be greatly appreciated by parties of people travelling together. The floors are carpeted, the windows are hung with, blue curtains, and the chairs and couches are provided with loose covers of light-coloured material.