THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, March 29, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 164, 29 March 1939, Page 2

THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, March 29, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Temperatures, Temperatures throughout the North Island at 9 a.in. yesterday were: Auckland, Tauranga, and Gisborne 68 degrees,, Opotiki 62, East Gape 65, Napier 84, and Wellington 59. After-Hour Trading. The New Zealand, Master Grocers’ Federation is to be requested to organise a monster petition to be submitted to the Prime Minister, calling his attention to the practice of after-hour trading, contrary to the ajvard, and asking for legislation to put an end to it, according to a decision made at the annual; meeting of the Wellington 'Grocers’ Industrial Union of Employers. Unwelcome Visitor. There was great excitement in the Public Works camp at Denlair recently. states a Wanganui paper, wli'en a creature with crab-like pincers was discovered by the wife of one of the workmen on her husband’s clothes. The creature was enticed into a bottle, and displayed around the camp. It was established that it was a scorpion, which probably, came in timber from Australia. Heavy Rain in Borough. A heavy downpour was experienced in the borough on Monday night, exactly erne' inch being recorded. The fall at Paorata Kiclge was not so heavy and this was also the case in the Waioeka and Otara districts. The fall at Tirohanga was very light and practically no rain fell in the Waiawa valley. The rain was not heavy enough to cause springs to run again and a, good dbwnpour is still required in the country districts to relieve the shortage of water. Maize crops on the flats will be benefited , considerably by Monday night's rain, which came at a critical period in the cobbing.

Jar To.o Shortage. According to a report from Auc-k-Jand. tlie shortage ol screw tops for glass preserving jars, is in no way due to import restrictions on tops, which are drawn from Australia. .Delays in the arrival of supplies of these arose from a shortage of zinc in Australia. Zinc is rolled by the Australian manufacturers about once a year and when manufacturers changed to the use of aluminium, an unexpected increase in the demand in Australia created a shortage in this metal also. The season is expected to be a record one for the quantity of fruit preserved and tlie increased demand lias aggravated, the position. Record Rate Collection. “It is a very creditable collection indeed.” stated flic Mayor, Air. H. L. Harker, at the monthly meeting of the Wairoa Borough Council, when pointing out to councillors that the rate collection in the borough this year was a record'. For the first time for many, years the rates collected exceeded 90 per cent. Tlie council recorded its • appreciation of . the efforts of the town clerk, Air. H. H. O’Loughlin, and the office staff. What, No Breakfast in Bed! Recruiting for the territorials' is not without its humorous side, as a Christchurch speaker’ learnt when addressing a gathering of young men from Toe H. After extolling the virtues of physical fitness and the benefits of life in the open, he spoke of the' training camps. “You get paid lor this,” lie said, “and if your boss is a decent, sort lie will not stop your wages while you are away. That means you will get double pay. Is there anything more a young fellow could ask?” A voice from the audience wanted to know if breakfast was served in lied, which gave the meeting the heartiest laugh of the evening. Good Season lor Vines. The long rainless periods experienced this summer iu Poverty Bay have adversely affected production in several primary lines, but viticulturists have no reason to complain of the .season’s treatment of their industry. Grape-vines have produced huge quantities of fruit in this district, and the fruit is of an exceptional standard for Poverty Bay, this applying to both table and winei-making varieties. The retail price of table grapes, fixed this week at Gd per lb., is lower than for many years. Those who have been connected with the industry over a long period are nnable to recall a more fruitful season.