LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 237, 17 May 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

• “To my mind there is too much shutting of one’s eyes to the fact that there are tremendous numbers of motorists on the road to-day who are temperamentally unfit to drive,” said Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., at the Wanganui Court during the hearing of a charge arising out of a motor accident. That the average New Zealand dairy cow is underfed was the opinion expressed by Professor Eiddet to a gathering of farmers at Massey College. He explained that it was during the period w'hen a cow was dry that it put on its condition, a point which many farmers overlooked. It was just as important to feed a herd well in winter as in the spring and summer. “ If we want to show gratitude to individuals, or to nations, let us show it while they live, and not wait till they have passed from us. If we would only thus express the gratitude which was in our hearts we don’t know to what great extent we might assist others in their daily lives.”— Rev. H. Ashworth, in the course '•’of an address.

The Te Awamutu branch of the Farmers’ Union is ax-ranging for a farm school to be conducted in Te Awamutu on two days, preferably during June, in co-operation with officials of the Department of Agriculture. It has been decided to afford facility for representatives of each political party to expound its party’s platform to farmers, conditionally that no resolution expressing support of any political party is brought forward.

The somewhat popular belief that parsons have an easy time was played upon by the’chaii'man at a recent Putaruru meeting, in a fashion which “ brought down the house.” The election of officers was being proceeded with, and the hon. secretary, who also happens to be a popular parson, suggested that a substitute might be found for his position during the coming year. After he had been duly nominated the secretary accordingly tried to move an amendment, but found no seconder. “ They all state they are too busy,” commented the chairman to the secretary with a twinkle in his eye. The uproarious laughter which followed was heartily joined in by the minister in question, who for the moment found as little sympathy for his protestations, as he had found for his amendment.

As showing the mildness of this autumn, a resident of Arapuni picked several ripe strawberries from his gai-den last week.

Two fine Bartlett pears grown by Miss Alcoi-n tipped the scale at 21b. In the same garden a fine crop of ripe strawberries has been picked. A sample of these sent to this office were of specially-fine flavour. “ I venture to say,” said Mr. Stewart Reid, M.P., speaking at a meeting of the Morrinsville branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union on Saturday, “ that the benzine tax should be increased until the users of the roads are paying for the damage they do. The flat rate chai-ged on cars is not fair, and in my opinion it will soon be altered. (Hear, hear.) At the present time motor transport is picking the eyes out of the freight, and the competition is most unfair. It has been said, ‘ Scrap the railways,’ but if this were done the freight on the heavy lines, fertilisers for instance, would be materially increased, perhaps to £3 or £4 a ton. It would be the biggest mistake in the world to scrap the railways.”—Morrinsville Star.