LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 307, 26 September 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

i Mr. J. Lockington, of Auckland, was a visitor to Putaruru last week. Mr. A. Harrison, of Wellington, has joined the local post office staff as a postman. Mr. Ernest Snell, of the Putaruru Post Office, is at present on annual leave. | Mr. H. Nixon, manager of the Selwyn mills, has gone to Norfolk Island for his annual leave. Mr. Connell, of Auckland, is relieving him. Members of the Putaruru Bowling Club decided at the meeting on Monday to oil and stain the interior of the men’s room at the pavilion. Mr. G. J. F. Cowan, of Mangaweka, who was appointed postmaster at Putaruru some time ago, arrived last week and has commenced his duties. I That Californian quail were the means of spreading noxious weeds, ' was the opinion of a member of the Putaruru branch of the Auckland Acclimatisation bociety at the meeting on Tuesday. | During the week-end several members of the Putaruru branch of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society

formed a working-bee and made a trout rearing pool in the Oraka Stream. Information has been received by the Putaruru branch of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society that 50,000 trout fry are to reach Putaruru this week. They will be liberated in rearing pools at Putaruru, Tokoroa and Okoroire. A successful street stall was held in Princes street on Saturday, the proceeds being in aid of the library. Satisfactory business marked the venture, Miss Coupe, Mesdames Alcorn, T. F. Snell, Halse, Scott and Tulloch being in charge. Mrs. Tulloch won the cake guessing competition. During the meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society’s Putaruru branch on Tuesday evening, a member raised the. question of the wisdom of joining' up with the Rotorua association. Several' members spoke in favour of the step, but in the absence of . definite information the matter was deferred until a later meeting.

Advice has been received by the Putaruru branch of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society that a consignment of 150 Indian quail is to be liberated in the Putaruru district as soon as the sanction for their release have been given by the Minister of Internal Affairs. Mr. Bryant offered to take 50, and arrangements were made for the placing of the balance.

Trophies for the coming bowling season have been donated to the Putaruru Bowling Club by the president (Mr. A. G. Leggatt) and Messrs. Campbell, Hollard, Hudson and Francis. The thanks of the club were extended to these gentlemen.

At a meeting of the Putaruru Beautifying Society it was decided to have the wattle trees in Overdale road (from Main street to Mrs. Edwards’ property) stumped and burnt, with a view to the subsequent ploughing of the land.

That the grass planted on the sides of several streets in Putaruru should be left for one year without being cut was the opinion expressed by members of the Putaruru Beautifying Society at a meeting on Thursday. Mr. Lindsay raised the question which led to this decision.

At a meeting of the Putaruru Beautifying Society on Thursday evening Mr. W. Yandle, the newlyappointed Town Board representative, took his seat for the first time and was welcomed by the chairman, Mr. J. R. O. Lochhead.

Scotland is the most heavily taxed country in the world,” said the Rev. T. W. Armour, president of the Canterbury branch of the Scottish Home Rule Association. “ There is no wonder that the Scottish people seek the means of handling their own affairs, and the chance to exploit their own industry and genius.”

At a meeting of the Putaruru Beautifying Society on Thursday evening the chairman, Mr. J. R. O. Lochhead, referred to the action of some “ fool ” citizen in breaking one of the trees recently planted. The chairman appealed to the citizens to realise that the society was out to. secure the ultimate beautification of the: town.

When it was stated at a Putaruru Acclimatisation Society meeting that the branch was in need of funds a member suggested that the membership fees should be raised, but the idea did not find favour. Those who had collected the half-crown fees in days gone by were/ emphatic in their opinion that it was difficult enough to secure the present sum without raising it. Two -meetings of the Putaruru box circle of the W.E.A. eventuated recently. At the residence of Mrs. Tulloch the circle discussed “G. K. Chesterton and. the Age of Romance.” Miss McLaren acted as leader. On Monday evening the subject was a play, Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac.” Mr. R. G/ Hutton was the leader. The circle decided to disband, the last meeting to be held this week.

! In conversation with a Press representative a farmer complained of the custom of land owners on the Tokoroa-Putaruru road in leaving gates open, thereby causing drivers of stock great annoyance. As the farmer pointed out, such actions were due probably to lack of thought, but . apart from the trouble caused to ’ stock drivers there was also an element of danger in that stock may Wander on to, the road and become a nuisance to motorists.

| Engine drivers in the service of i the New Zealand Railways occupy responsible positions, and many unexpected incidents doubtless occur 1 that must add to their troubles. Such an incident marked the arrival of , the Auckland-bound express at Putaj ruru on Saturday morning, when a lady calmly stepped on to the railway track in front of the incoming , train. She was carrying tea across Ito the Rotorua train, and was apparently oblivious of the danger until the cries of those on the platform attracted her attention. A porter rushed to her assistance, and she regained the platform and finished her tea in the refreshment room. I Prior to announcing his awards at a session of the Gisborne Competitions festival, Mr. Farquhar Young, judge of elocution, made some comments on the voice of a human being. “ Vowel sound is speech,” he said, “ and our instrument of speaking :s i a vowel instrument, which will only c respond when a vocal sound is made on a vowel. It cannot even utter a consonant without the sound of a vowel. Try it yourselves,” added Mr. Young. “ Broad, well-lengthened vowels properly placed will mechan- | ically improve the voice of a human I being. Practise it on your children at the adolescent age, and you will observe a wonderful difference.”

“ The Government bonus on exported pigs sticks in my gullet,” said Mr. S. H. Judd, chairman of the directors of the New Zealand Pigmarketing Association, in addressing a meeting of farmers at Morrinsville on Wednesday. Mr. Judd said the farmers had no wish to be bolstered up. If they were put in a position to buv at world’s parity they would be quite satisfied. The reference was to the preferential duties on pig foods, which the speaker stated were holding the industry back. The Danes paid half the price for meals and grains that New Zealand farmers did, and if the Dominion farmers were put on the same footing the bonus of id per lb would not be worth worrying about.

“ Something has happened to the walking stick. Once it was the pride and joy of the smart young man; now it has almost disappeared,” says an English paper. This is not so in Wellington, however, for a tobacconist who does a big business in them said that the...sales of walking sticks are as good as ever, and. they are also becoming popular with women. To indicate how good the business was he showed a stock of walking sticks made of New Zealand red birch, puriri and other timbers showing a beautiful grain and most artistically finished. English manufacturers attribute the loss in popularity to the bad weather, so that young men have adopted the habit of carrying umbrellas instead of walking sticks. . ..

In a Cornwall, England, Police Court, when the local printer was summoned for not paying his rates he declared that they could not be paid until the council paid him the money it owed him for printing, adding that the summons which the police handed him had not been paid for. Amid laughter the magistrate made an order that the rates be paid.

The trials and tribulations of school committeemen trying to run a school on insufficient money were very much to the fore at a meeting of the members of all the school committees in the Wellington district, and one member caused much amusement when he said : “ Mr. Chairman, when I took a position on my committee I thought it was an administrative job, but I have found that all it consists of is cadging.”

So much has been said and written recently regarding pronunciation that a paragraph in the current issue of the Education Gazette of Victoria is most interesting. It is headed “ Pronunciation of the letter H,” and reads: “It has been reported that in some schools pupils are taught to pronounce the letter ‘ H ’ as ‘ haitch ’ instead of as ‘ aitch.’ If this is so teachers concerned should see that the correct pronunciation is taught.” Good progress is being made in improving the road between Tauranga and Waihi. At the notorious Armstrong’s Flat, about eight miles from Tauranga, the contractors have almost completed metalling and are half way through the cutting. When the bend in the road is taken out and the metalling completed it will be a distinct improvement for motorists. During the present year this has been the only point on the road where the use of chains has been necessary.

“ To show my ignorance, what is a kilowatt?” asked Mr. G. Saunders at a meeting of the South Canterbury Power Board. The engineer-secre-tary (Mr. G. W. Morrison) replied that it was 1000 watts burning for an hour. Mr. Saunders: “ There are so many technical terms that one is liable to get a bit mixed.” Mr. Morrison: “ A kilowatt can be represented by k.v.a. multiplied by the power factor.” Mr. C. J. Talbot: “ Simple, isn’t it?” (Laughter). As a result of the vogue of the motor car a new sport has been evolved in Wellington. When the syrens of the fire engines are heard, no matter what hour of the night, father, mother and the children, if any, are hastily garbed with dressing gowns and overcoats, the family motor car is cranked up, and a dash is made for the scene of the fire. While a fire was raging in Wellington early last Sunday morning the roadway was blocked with sightseeing motor cars.

The majority of us do not drink anything like the right quantity of water to keep ourselves In good physical condition. A leading doctor said recently that at least half the ills to which we are vjetims may be attributed in a large measure to the fact that our systefns are starved for Water. He said it was essential for good health to drink at least six tumblerfuls of cold water between meals. If everyone did this, he remarked, few persons would find the necessity to pay doctors’ bills, and as water costs nothing, so to speak, the saving would be considerable. Before long apparently the first amateur “ movie ” to be produced in Wellington will be an accomplished fact. The New Zealand Amateur Arts and Literature Association proposes to form a novel sub-section within its drama section, one devoted to cinematography and the production of moving pictures. Scenarios have yet to be written and screen tests passed by those aspiring to screen fame, but it is expected that the idea will be taken up enthusiastically by members. The association already has one member who is an expert amateur cameraman and who owns a complete motion picture apparatus.

A good many industries that resemble village industries are growing in favour. One is fur-farming. For example, a fur farm is in existence at King’s Langley in Hertfordshire, where chinchilla, sable, silver fox and sitka are farmed, as you might farm pigs or sheep. England has a climate more suitable than was once thought for all sorts of tissues. For example, Professor Barker, of Leeds University, showed at Harrogate some magnificent specimens of Corridale Merino sheep which are said to produce an even finer and heavier fleece in Britain than in Newfoundland, and to flourish exuberantly. The experience with fur-bearing animals is quite as remarkable. They are killed humanely, that is, instantly; and success of such experiments should hurry forward the date when trapping of wild animals for the sake of the pelt will be at an end. While the job calmly assigned to some seamen on the Rimutaka by the Otago Acclimatisation Society would no doubt not perplex the Navy if it had reason to undertake it, it seemed to members of the Wellington society entrusted with the job of getting the captain to appoint him that the job was not altogether within the compass or sympathy of the ordinary fo’c’sle hand. The Otago society is sending a box of rainbow ova to Bristol, England, and asked: “ You might see the captain of the boat, get him interested, and arrange for a reliable man to be set apart for this work. In the box there will be a pair of pickers for taking out the dead eggs, also a small book to be handed to whoever will look after the eggs. We would likfe the man to note the temperature of the place in which the eggs arc to be kept, and the number of dead eggs taken out daily. The man should be instructed to keep the ova at a temperature of not lower than 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and not higher than 36 degrees.” It was mentioned that in 1927 the Wellington Society had assisted in this way, and is was decided to do so again.