NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 3, 26 August 1931, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR

Civil Aviation. A report on civil aviation in New Zealand shows that 152 candidates had secured A pilot certificates and 27 B (commereial) certificates. Seventeen aero clubs have heen registered, with 59 aircraft, and 38 ground engineers. Nine clubs had received assistance from the Government and had secured 30 planes, 16 of which had been lent by the Air Force. The clubs were spending £3060 on salaries for training A pilots. Unremitting Kindness. , One pastoralist in the great open spaces of New South Wales, says a Sydney 'exchange, has at last hit upon the knack of effectively answering the extortionate letters of his collarproud college laddie in the big city. When last this expensive son tried to wheedle the old man, he wrote: "You call yourself a kind father. But you haven't sent me a cheque for three weeks. What kind of kindness do you call that?" "What kind of kindness do I call that?" replied the father, "Why, that, of course, is unremitting kindness." Profit in Wheat. An Otago man who has heen farming on good land for over fifty years said, in his contribution to a discussion on the world slump, that wheat is just now the only agrieultural product that gives the New Zealand farmers any profit, and that profit accrued not from market values, but as a result of the sliding scale of duties. Asked if he had calculated the cost of growing wheat, he replied that he had carefully gorle into that question and reckoned that including overhead charges, interest, and all ineidentals wheat cost the New Zealand farmer 5s per bushel delivered on trucks, and he estimated that it cost" the Australian farmer 4s.

Hokitika to Timaru by Air. In the remarkably fast time of one hour and 20 minutes, Captain I. W. White and Mr. H. M. Mackay flew in a Spartan aeroplane \over a new route from Hokitika to Timaru last week, The trip indicates great possibilities of speeding up the journey hetween the west and east coasts, for the journey by rail oecupies 12 hours. The trip was made by way of the Whiteombe Pass over the -Southern Alps. Copper Coins. It was stated by a Wellington business man that there had been a steady increase in the influx of Australian copper coins. Inquiries among firms using a fair amount of coppers in the payment of wages showed that there had been an increase from 18 per cent. to 30 per cent. of Australian copper coins in the quantity supplied by the banks for the payment of wages. One Penny Added. Much amusement was caused at the last meeting - of the Paeroa District High School Committee when the final letter read dealt.with the deductions from wages for unemployment relief and the first of the accounts was for a small repair job done by a loeal man. The items for materials were enumerated, and were followed hy a sum of 6s Id for lahour. This and the total had been altered hy the addition of the extra penny, so it was fairly apparent that the workman had the wages tax in mind. British Preference, An unanimous decision to give preference to tenderers for British mo-tor-truclcs was made by the Matamata County Council. "We should eertainly support the country which takes the bulk of our dairy produce," commented Cr. W. H. Allen. "Another thing — -you can always depend on a British product being solid and reliable," said Cr. J. Moir. "You cannot say that of other makes." The British trucks the council decided to purchase were of a similar make to those which had given entire satisfaction in the past. Who Runs Huntly? The question "Who runs Huntiy," was definitely settled during a street debate on the taxi-stand question. One speaker said the taxi-men ran the town. Said another, "Of course they do when it wants to ,go anywhere. That's their job." This settled the argument. Hamilton Cathedral. Authority has been given by a meeting of the Greater Chapter of St. Peter's Cathedral, Hamilton, to proceed with the expenditure of about £3000 left hy the late Miss Annie MePherson for the erection of additions to the cathedral. The work will involve the eonstruetion of a choir vestry, the extension of the present tower, and the installation of a bell.

In the Cities. About 49| jer cent. of" the total population of Australia is in the metropolitan area, declared William L. Johnston, Government " statistician, in a recent report. "The position in Australia is serious," he said, "for we are essentially a primary producing country." . Hamilton Sessions. The smallest criminal calendar since the Supreme Court has sat at Hamilton is to be prpsented at the coming sessions, which open on" Monday, August 31. There is only one case for trial and one for sentence. The civil list is much shorter than usual, but the divorce list is larger, there being 13 cases. Six appplieations for discharge from banlcruptcy will also be dealt with. Wellington Carillon. The Wellington carillon, the tower for which is now being erected at Mount Cook, Wellington, will be equal to the best installat'ions in the world. The, Wellington carillon will have a capacity for 53 bells, although it is expeeted that 49 bells will be used at first.

The Wrong Turn. A friend of mine, who had heen to his club and become involved in an enthusiastic game of poker, was rather nervous about the reception his wife would give him when he arrived home in the early hours of one morning last week, writes Gordon Saith in the Sydney "Sun," After creeping up to the front door he put the key in the lock and stepped back to hear if his wife was stirring. Hearing only a steady breathing from the neighbourhood of the hedroom, he turned what he thought was the key. But, alas, he turned the front door bell, immediately below the keyhole!