NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3909, 21 February 1929, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

An increase of 10,796 in the population of the Dominion is shown by Government Statistician’s estimate of the position at December 31. The total comprises 1,041,445 Europeans and 65,441 Maoris. The increase in the number of Maoris; is 752.

According to the returns of the Government Statistician, the nationalities of the immigrants during 1928 were as follows: England and Wjales 2987, Scotland 1260, Ireland i only 496. During the year there were also 606 arrivals from Australia for settlement in New Zealand. The number who arrived from outside the British Empire was not large. The method of rating on unimproved values has been thoroughly tried by the Marlborough County, and, in the opinion of some councillors, at least, has not given the results anticipated. Last week the council decided to prepare headings for a petition, to be signed by ratepayers, praying for a reversion to the system of rating on the capital value. These will be circulated as a first step toward an attempt to restore the previous system of rating.

For each night on which a visiting motorist uses Victoria Park as a camping ground lie is charged 2/6 and 1/- for each successive night (says the Grey Star). Recently one of the visitors camped at the park generously went the rounds of his eo-ca)mipers' and collected the fees owing, “to save the caretaker trouble,” he said. Evidently he (forgot to “part up” to the caretaker, who considerably surprised the campers by going the rounds for the collection. The generous-mind-od one had disappeared with the cash, and the other campers had to pay a second time. The use' of arsenic in the control of hard fern is dealt with in a report just issued by the Departments of Agriculture and Scientific and Industrial Research. Last year 12 acres of country badly infested with hard fern were cleaned up by this method. Spraying operations are at present in progress, arid up to date approximately 50 acres have been dealt with. It is hoped to deal Avith some 200 acres experimentally and in co-operation 'with farmers during the present autumn, The use of arsenic in the destruction of other weeds is also being experimented with, these including bracken, ragwort, Californian thistle, piri-piri, pennyroyal, and foxglove. The indications, the report says, so far to date are such as to warrant more extensive trials Avith certain of these, weeds.

Thirteen English public school boys, who reached New Zealand by the lonic, will go on to the Waitaki Boys’ High School (Oamaru) to finish their schooling. This scheme Avas evolved by Mr. F. Millner, rector of Waitaki. He thought it avould be a good thing for the English boys who proposed efiming to New Zealand to take up land to spend their last year at a secondary school in the Dominion. The boys are all in their last school, year. They Avill pay particular attention to the agricultural side of the school, and will meet many sons of farmers who are studying there. It is Mr. Milhier’s contention that the boys will be more fitted for life in New. Zealand by this scheme. Parents of hoys Who have come out to attend Waitaki have all guaranteed to finance their sons as soon as they are ready to go on -the land.