NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2575, 3 May 1923, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Wihen tlie subject of rating on unimproved values came up at the meeting of the Wanganui Farmers’ Union Mr A. Robinson urged the members present to “let sleeping dogs lie.” “It is true,” he said, “that ratings were made on valuations assessed on commandeer prices, but a stir cannot be made at the present time. Rutter and wheat may be lower but wool is not so much less as to reduce the value of praire land.” This latter statement did not meet with a unanimous reception but Mr Robinson pointed out that a series of seasons should be taken into consideration before a decision was arrived at. No farmer to-day would take a penny piece less for his land than the present valuation. That was the acid test. The drought was referred to by the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr Bruce) in the course of a speech at the Sydney Show. He referred to the ’‘gloom prophets” who, he said, were telling the world that Australia was on the verge of a disastrous drought. “The real facts,” he said, “are that occasional droughts are part of our national climate. They bring in their train certain troubles, but also certain blessings. Every thinking man knows that they are no justification for pessimistic utterances about Australia. I ask von to realise the damage done by these false and alarmist reports, and to do everything in your power to prevent them from gaining the publicity and credence which they so little deserve.” A well-nourished Maori was in the witness box. A. lawyer was seeking information about his worldly possessions, his income, his earnings and what he did with them. According to the Maori, his income was practically nil, his earnings absolutely nil. Thus he could pay nothing, with nothing to pay it with. He seemed bored at the futility of the questions and at the proceedings in general. “Well, how do you live?" asked the lawyer in desperation. “How do T live? Porker, taiwa, bread,” scornfully replied the native. He was astonished that such a ridiculous question should be asked. His tone suggested that it seemed farcial that he should impart such obvious information. The court smiled indulgently. A novel and inexpensive method of eradicating the blackberry pest has been adopted with success by a leading native of Rotorua (states an exchange). The procedure is to fence off a small area where clumps of blackberry exist and convert the enclosure into a piggery. The eradication is carried out bv the pigs who display a relish for the blackberry roots. The constant rooting provides an effective remedy, and our informatant states he was shown a paddock formerly a mass of blackberry that now does not contain a trace of the pest, so effectively have the pigs done their work. When cleaned up a further area is fenced off and the pigs turned in there. The system might be tried locally with advantage where blackberry lias obtained a hold.