MISCELLANEOUS.

Otaki Mail, 24 April 1922, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Auckland Acclimatisation Society is inquiring from tlie Department of Internal Affairs die cost cl' importing from America a million Atlantic salmon ova.

The 1-lon. J. G. Coates .told a deputation at Wanganui on Tuesday evening that it was an extraordinary thing that a third of the unemployed in New Zealand came from ihe "Wanganui and Taranaki districts. The Dean of Nelson (Dr. Weeks;, speaking at the Church ol Christ conference, related that a bishop once asked the hoys and girls what was meant by a visitation (reports the Mail). A boy answered: “A visitation is something that God sends but you don’t want.” He hoped the conference would not be looked upon m that way.

“No less than 4184 mothers ana babies visited the office of the i ambridge Plunket Society during the year,” stated Nurse Goiistone in presenting her report to the annual meeting, “and flit) visits have been made to homes, and where this was impossible advice has been given over the telephone." 'rite announcement was received with applause. “Does this infer that 1 am on die scrap heap ” asked Mr T. Moss at m Kketahuna Fanners’ Union meeting, when a resolution was put; through constituting him a life member ot he Union. Mr Moss intimated that he did not intend to take advantage oi his honorary status, and would still continue to pay his subscriptions. “i think 1 shall try and get a remit trained lo , stop any delegate a. the Provincial Conference speaking on more than 15 per cent oi the remits,” said the"chairman at the hketahuna Farmers’ Union meeting. • A lot oi the delegates seem to imagine that all the others attend tor is to i hear them talk—they talk on everything.” This was finally embodied in a remit.

Sir Andrew iiusseii, president ol the It.S.A., addressing a public meeting at Taurunga, urged upon relurneu men die importance ol joining die Assc. alien. Flighty per cent oi the men .etumod lit, and it was their duty to keep together in a strong organisation to help die “0 per cent no .onger able to fight the bailie oi die. He strongly urged sell-reliance. Good leaders were wanted, and it the country had sufficient beloved captains there would be an end to all our difficulties.

Laughable coincidences take place occasionally even during die solemnities of a church scivice (says die Christchurch Press;, die other Sunday evening, fur instance, ill a certain sacred building that stands, jet us say, at feast, within 10U miles ui the Cathedral, a lady member ol the choir was constrained to reave her place owing iu die persistence wnii which her nose bled. Just us a tei-iow-meinber rose lo follow, with me object oi rendering hrst-aid, the minister irom the pulpit above, wiio was holding forth in prayer and was sublimely unconscious of what was transpiring, brought out with tine efiect die scriptural injunction “to bind up the bruised and bleeding." The members ol the iioiowheuua Hydro-Hectno Power Board, 'with the exception ui Mr McKay, who was prevented irom attending owing to a meeting oi the Fiutt Council, oi .which he is a member, met in camera on eunesday to deal with applications iw the position oi engineer to the Board. A salary of £IUOO a year is to be patu during the constructional perioa at least. No iewer than 38■ applications were received, three ol which were irom Australia. By their credentials many *i the applicants were very highly qualified men. Alter careiui consideration the choice was reduced to three, who will be asked to meet the Board lor personal interviews at its regular meeting on Wednesday next, when the final selection will be made.

Discussing the floor spaee__ allowed children in schools at the quarterly meeting oi the Auckland branch ct the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mr R. Harrison said that in New Zealand 12 square feet was thought to be ample, because it was greater than that' allowed, in Australia. He "had inquired from the Department of Agriculture how much floor space had to be allowed in a fowl yard and found it was four square yards for each hi id. "I deduce from- that,” he added, “that we will have to have a new table in our schools—three chickens equal one child." (Laughter.;

After investigation, a committee set up by the Central Progress League : i (Wellington) has decided that a livei roomed house can be built for £6OO. In submitting a plai\ of the proposed house, the’" committee states: "The Size of the roorns are: Two front bedrooms (approximately Hit by toft; back ‘ bedroom, lift by 1011 6in; living room 16ft 6in by lift; bathroom. Sit 2in by oft 3in; kitchen scullery, lift by Sit 2in insider- Double windows are provided lor two front rooms and living room, in which there is an open fireplace. a suitable linen press is provided. Sculler,- bench, sink,.pot cupboard, boiler and tubs. A gasstove is provided for in the kitchen. The bathroom contains a suitable bath, basin and lavatory. Electric light is provided, also the necessary draining. This hotiss can be built for £6OO singiy and less - in" groups, ac-cording-td the size and locality. This would, naturally, not include any necessary-renovation."

Agents of London firms are at pre sent offering to buy up tbe remainder of the output of the various dairy iaclories in the Palmerston North district at 1/4 per ib i.0.b., Wellington. Some few weeks ago, wiien ihe market soured to beyond Lit)/, the buyers were offering only 1/3 per lb. Mr W. H. West’s pullet, which bud laid 330 eggs in the 51 weeks ui '.tie New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's competition at Papanui, near Christchurch, was kept penned for another week, during which she laid a lur-

tlwtr six eggs, thus establishing a world's tecortl for a While Leghorn pullet, of 336 eggs in 365 days, or rather, in her case, 355 days, us site, did not commence lo lay until 10 days after the commencement of the competition.

There is to be seen on Mr Richard Reynolds’ property, Pukekura (says the*. Cambridge Independent) a magnificent- maple tree. The autumn tints of the leaves are just now of a glorious colour, somewhat similar a tiie beautiful Virginian creeper, and with tiie sun shining on tiie leaves the tree makes a sight well worth going a long way to see. This tree was planted about, iifty-iwo years ago, and is now fully fifty fee! in height, symmetrical in shape, and the trunk is over two feet in diameter. There are about sixty species of maples, or acer, and this particular tree is a Canadian maple, though evidently different from the common acer -:accharinum, or sugar maple. To illustrate the menace of ihe wiliow, a witness at an inquiry at Huntly stated that practically all 'he willows on the Matahuru stream have grown in . the past 30 years to his knowledge (says tiie Waikato Times). Jn some parts the trouble ts

so bad to-day that die stream is forced from its original bed, and in others hundreds oi pounds have been spent to give a. new course .lor die water rather than endeavour to clear the willows from the old stream bed. Where willows have bean removed they have cost" tip to C 3 per chain. The Manawatu Poultry Association lias written to die Mayor (Mr •!. \. Nash, M.P.j, requesting him to communicate with tiie Prime Minister, pointing out the serious harm that is being done to the egg industry .n this country through die importation oi eggs irom America. ‘The position at tiiis'time oi the year is a serious one, particularly, to returned men who have recently taken tip the industry. America has placed an import duty on eggs that ate sent, from New Zealand, arid the Association asks that a. similar import duty be charged on American eggs. The Levin Co-operative Dairy Co. is paying 1,2 per lb on account oi bolter fat supplied, during the month oi

March, top’ 'thing uu increase ol !d over me p. »iou» month's payment. The latest "pay-outs” by other dairy companies in tiie Manawatu are: N.Z. Fanners - Dairy Union, 1,-jZ for cream butteriat and lOd lor whey butterfai; Awahuri Co-operative Company, 2 per lb; Wliakaronga, Hid per ib. Tiie Daily Factory's payment .is an advance on February oi 3d and the Awahuri Company an increase oi 2d. Bon are butter iaclories, while Whakarotiga chiefly makes cheese."

"There iinut be a iriglillul accumulation ol dairy produce rn the store- . at Wellington awaiting shipment, , j remarked the secretary of a cheese t j factory to a “Standard” reporter. . [ “Take the case of our awn company. ■ Our last shipment was on April 6, i when out ol 575 crates of cheese ;■ which we were' desirous of shipping, i space could be found lor only 60.- , ! Since then we have not, through lack j' of ships, been able to dispatch a ii| single crate, and we have no advice -ji of the next sailing. To-day we have !j! 550 crates waiting shipment on the i j wharves at Wellington, on which ve I are paying interest- and heavy storage , v charges. This is a serious matter ■ j indeed we have had to actually re ,!: duce the amount of our monthly ad- . vance to suppliers. And the irony ol ; it all is that we are missing a favour- * able market ior our produce."

Under the heading: “An Ominous Indication,” the Gamaru Mail states editorially; The fact that farmers are stocking up with sheepi is lull oi significance. It means that there will be

a very considerable decrease in the coming season. Farmers have been ied to revert to grazing by several considerations, the foremost amongst these being the recovery made in me Home market in the prices of both wool and mutton and lamb, coupled with Ihe refusal ol the Minister of Agriculture to guarantee a price - lor wheat, at he has been repeatedly urged to do by the farmers' organisations in Canterbury and North Otago.

Fishing is not like farming. The ! farmer can reckon pretty well what his crops are going to yield, but the fisherman merely guesses, Tha East Coast fishermen, for instance, guessed that they would be visited in the middle -of last September by herrings; but the herrings did not come. Then, when all hope had been relinquished, the herrings turned up one day—some 23,000,000 of them! perhaps ihe late summer had made them lose count of the calendar and delay their visit. Fishermen who had been looking glum returned with beaming faces. Tltxee hundred- and fifty boats, after, dreary days oi waiting, came baik with loads averaging SO crarts each—=tha: is 30,000 herrings. Some

boats had more, one bringing in 200,000 fish, The total fish landed in oae day “equalled cS.OOO.JOO, with millions jnore to? follow*.