LOCAL AND GENERAL

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 18 March 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

i Probate in the will of the late 1 Captain J. McN. Ramsay has been | srantecl to the executrix by His i Honour, Sir Wm. Sim, on the appli- ! cation of Mr Creagh. I Mrs W. H. Munro, Otekaike, has '.-raciously acceded to the request of the authorities to lend her beautiful new Austin car for the use of his Royal Ilighne'ss while on his visit to Dunedin. Four of Hawke's Bay's most prominent Rugby plaj^ers in A. E. Cooke. W. R. Irvine, W. Barclay, and A. Falwasser, it is reported, will turn out for Wairarapa this season. These, with the local men. Q. Donald and I. H. Harvey, will give Wairarapa six New Zealand representative players this season . The following figures of the trade of New Zealand are supplied by the Customs Department: — Imports into N.Z., February. 1927. £3,292,610; 1926, £4,290,431. For the two months ended February, £7,303,670 and £8,951,247. Exports from New Zealand for February, 1927. £5,015,451 1926, £4, 331,287. For the two months ended February. £10220,591 and £9,369,268. During February the total births registered for the urban areas of New Zealand amounted to 1020, as against 1135 in January, a decrease of 115. The deaths in February were 409, a decrease of 37 as compai*ed with the previous month, Of the total deaths males contributed 216 and females 193. Forty-three deaths were of children under five years of age, being 10.51 per cent of the whole number. Thirty-seven of these were under one year of age. The Minister of Education (Mr Wright) will tour the South Island on a visit of inspection to th& schools next week. On Thursday he will visit the Oamaru primary and Waitaki High Schools. He will then proceed to Otago and Southland. Returning on Monday, April 4th, he will leave Dunedin for Timaru mspecting the Waimate District High School en route. On Friday, April 5, he will open a new building for secondary pupils at Fairlie. One of the most amusing and at the same time charming incidents of the brief visit of their Royal Highnesses to Suva occurred at the official ball. After some 500 guests had been duly presented, each person going up one side of the hall, shaking hands, and retiring by the other side, a little d9g trotted up the proper side, straight to the Duchess, and held up its paw. The Duchess, evidently much intrigued, smilingly shook' hands and patted the dog on the head. There was laughter and applause when the dog j sedately trotted out of the hall, ! "If I was offered my choice hetween a trip .to England and a trip to New Zealand,. I would unhesitatingly choose New Zealand; it is the finest country in the world." Thus spake Mr Hugh Trumble, the well-known ex-international cricketer, when he was leaving Dunedin. Mr Trumble, who is manager of the Melbourne Cricket Club's team, has travelled extensively on cricket tours. He expressed to Mr Warwick Armstrong, captain of the team and another famous player, the hope that before they both dropped out of the game altogether they would be able to organise another trip to the Dominion. , Soon after dawn bn Wednesday morning New Zealand and South Africa were in direct radio communication for the first time when Miss Bell, 4AA, Shag Valley station, conversed by means of Morse signals for over an hour with Mr Macgregor, A52, of ' Caledon, Orange1 Free State. Communication was fairly easy, although only twentytwo watts input were used at this end. New Zealand amateurs have been trying for years to get in, touch with South Africa, hitherto without success, although communication is easy with almost any other part of the world. Miss Bell is to be congratulated on her success. She shares ownership of 4AA with her brother, Mr Frank Bell. The visit of the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) to Oamaru on Tuesday, March 29 and 30, was referred to at last night's meeting of the Borough Council. It wasjeported that his Excellency would arrive in Oamaru at noon and the Council decided to entertain him to lunch and to hold a public reception in hte Gardens in the afternoon to be followed by a dinner at night. A visit to the stone quarry on the Wednesday morning was suggested by Councillor W. H. Frith and this was agreed to. The - suggested itinerary also provided for a visit to the Boys' High School and lunch on March 30. It is the fashion in "certain quarters to describe the Rev. Mr Archer, of Christchurch, as "The Bolshie Mayor," and some wondered what line he would take in the receptions and functions arranged in the Cathedral City. As it turned out none could have been more enthusiastic, and from start to finish, he acquitted himself most creditably. Coming back from the gre2t children's demonstration, he could be seen waving his hand in greeting to friends and acquaintances, and beaming as if he were thoroughly pleased with the great success of the loyal demonstration. He even attended the citizens' ball and danced at it, too. He also attended the Trotting meeting and could be seen with the Duke on the starter's s'-ind, when the latter dispatched the field in one oi the races. A little mcident that occurred at Westland at the close of the reception to the Duke of York seemed to emphasise a very important part that the Duchess had taken in the tour and the loss of her presence, states an exchange. At the conclusion of the welcoming function a little girl very shyly handed the Duke a bouquet of sweet peas from the Buller Calcdonian Society. He smiled and thanked her, then looked round uncertainly, as if saying to himself "Now, what on earth shall 1 do with it?" But there were no ladies-in-waiting to relieve him, his staff all seemed to be looking the other way, and he went braveiy tli rough the introductions of local " dignitaries and their wives hclding thc bouquet in has lcft hand and I greeting them with ihe other. Then - he_ suddenly caught the eyc of his private secretary, Mr Hodgson, rnd smilingly and eagerly thrusi C'«: bouquet xnto his hands.