NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 51, 22 October 1931, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR

A Very Young Angler. New Zealand's youngest angler is Earl Simpson, of Riccarton, He is four years of age. Last week he became the proud possessor of his first fishing license, and is now oualified to take his place among the angling fraternity of Christchurch. Master Simpson purchased his license with five shillings that he had saved in odd pence and threepenny pieces. On Thursday, with his father, he called at the Christchurch Acclimatisation Society's office, and astonished the officials there by requesting to be given a license to fish for trout. The littlo chap did not reach as high as the counter, but there was no mistakfng* the eager light in his eyes. Following up his request for a license he said that he had caught some eels in the Selwyn river the previous week, and was now ready to try his luck with the trout. Porthwith the license was issued, and Earl became a "fullblown" angler. Comparative Prices. Gisborne holds the unenviable distinction of being the dearest place for groceries in the twenty-five largest towns of the Dominion, .being closely followed by Taihape and Rotorua, the index figures of the three towns being 1025, 1024 and 1022 respectively. The cheapest place is Christchurch, with an index numher of 807. In dairy produce, Rotorua is the dearest place, with an index number of 943, Gisborne being next with the index number of 923, the cheapest town in this group being New Plymouth, with 772 index number. Meat, however, is far cheaper in Gisborne than in any of the twenty-five towns, the index figure for this commodity being 623, Palmerston North being next with an index of 744. The rent group shows a big variation, the cheapest town being Waihi, with an index figure of 448, and the dearest Wellington, with an index numher of 1242. Gisborne is eleventh on the list with an index number of 881. ; Desperate Case. A man aged 54 years, with a family of 14, arrived at Otorohanga on Sunday night, carrying his swag and in a serious condition with pleurisy and eomplications. He approached the police for assistance, and Constable Fry arranged accommodation foi* him. During the night, he was seriously ill, and his removal to the Waikato Hospital was order ed. The man stated that he had been endeavouring to get to the Nelson Goldfields, where he hoped to eke out an existence on the alluvial fields. Of his family of 44 children, none are in a position to assist him. Unemployed Form a Band.

A number of musically-inelined unemployed of Wellington have hit upon a novel idea of raising funds during the present time of stress. They have formed an excellent silver band of ahout twenty instruments, and are travelling through the suburbs playing a good variety of bright music. A door-to-door eollection is made, and this is meeting with a good response from Wellington citizens. Hurried Exit. "I think we should invite the Go-vernor-General, Lord Bledisloe, to Taihape, so that he can see it under more favourable conditions than on his last visit, when he had perforce to make a rather hurried exit from the town," (laughter), said Cr. Wilsher at the meeting of the Taihape Borough Council on Friday night. Last time' his Excellency visited Taihape he was nearly left behind by the express. Mineral Wealth. A suggestion that the development of the mineral wealth of the Dominion would provide work for a great many more men than the number at present unemployed is advaneed by ! Mr. Norman Modriniak, Dipl. Eng., of New Plymouth. "There are 50,000 men unemployed in New Zealand," Mr. Modriniak states. "Beneath the surface soil of the Dominion there lie many millions of pounds' worth of [ minerals of one 'kind and another j awaiting discovery and development. | Their discovery is a task beyond the j average unemployed man's ability, but 1 their development when discovered | might weli provide prifitable work for every unemployed man, and more. The Unemployment Board has done something in the direction of assisting prospecting, but much more might be done with greater confidence -if available scientific methods were first applied to increase the chances of success." Mr. Modriniak suggests that the new science of geophysical investigation would carry out this purpose. Mr. Modriniak is a distinguished German geophysicist, who is so impressed with the mineral possibilities of New Zealand that he has taken up his residence here. Romantic Story. The following romantic story is told by an Australian now in England. While in Devon she stopped her car at Clovelly to buy posteards at a picturesque shop in a picturesque cobbled street, and a pretty girl came out to sell them. Presently she was joined by a charming sister, who, on hearing that the visitor came: from down under, said. she was to be married the following week to a New Zealander, Mr. Trevor Armstrong, of Christchurch. He had called to buy 'cards — and fell violently in love with the seller at first sight. He remained in Clovelly and in less than a month became engaged to Miss Lalla Riley. The pair sailed for the Dominion on August 15 to go to Christchurch, where Mr. Armstrong's father has a large drapery business. The wedding took place in London, but the bride's sister could not be bridesmaid as she had to stay in Clovelly to look after the shop during the busy August season.