LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 66, 9 November 1931, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Roads ira Good Condition . The rogd between Rotorua and Te Puke is in particularly good order just now and despite the dry weather, not a great deal of loose metal. and surface dust has so far collected.' The recent grading and surfaeirig which has been carried out has had a Very noticeahle effect in improving the condition of the roads throughout the district. Labour Meetings The* Labour candjdate for the Rotorua seat, Mr. A. F. Moncur, had a successful meetiiig at Taupo on Friday night, wheh Mf. R. Ward occupied the chair. On Saturday, Mr: Moncur spoke at Reporoa, with Mr: H. G. Cherfy as his chairman. Petition Supported The petition of Mrs. Norah V: Barker, of Rotorua, praying for ari increased pensio'n frOrii the Teachers^ Superarinuation Fund was . reported to the House of Representatives ori Saturday by the Education Committee, states the "Post's" special commissioner. In view of the fact thai petitioner's hushand died orily nine months before he would have beeri entitled to superannuation, the commitfee recommended that the petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. Progressive Tauranga Recognising that the fates which control the destinies of communities', are most . likely to help those who make an effort to help th'emselves, Tauranga, represented by its Borough Council, Harbour Board, and Chamber of Commerce, has takeri steps to attract attention to its many j advantages as a potential indristrial ' '* centre. An attractively printed booklet, issued jointly by the bodies nam- • ed, sets forth clearly the town's advantages for the establishment of certain manufaeturing industries, on accotint of its harbour and other tfansport facilities, cheap electric power and sites for factories, etc. Attention is also drawn to the varied products of the surrounding district', such as flax, timber, maize, tobaccO and fruit, all of which are the raw materials of various manufacturers. Tauranga has set the other towns iri New Zealand an example and is tb be congratulated on its enterprise. Keenness Rewarded. Evidence of the keenness of young men in the Wanganui district to obtain work was shown reeently when an applicant for work at the Departm'erit of Labour cycled some 32 miles to apply for a position. He left town about 10 o'clock and returned about 3 with the necessary data which was 1 required by "the department. He go't the job. . Grim Courage NeededIt requires a grim kind of courage to strive for improvement in a product when the immediate return from it fails to provide qne with a reasonable margin of profit, says the Waipa Post. This is particularly so in the case of farmers who, in the present period of financial distress, are called upon to fertilise their land, improve their herds and flocks, and generally maintain — and even enhance — the value of their holdings.

First Train Ride. A South Taranaki girl, nearly 18 years of age, reeently enjoyed her first ride in a railway train. White Native Pigeon. A pure Wbite native pigeon is indeed a rara avis, but the presence of one, at least, in South Westland, is reported (says the Grey River Argus). A correspondent states: "I saw a pure white pigeon at the outlet Of Lake Mapourika. The bird was perched on a tree quite close to the main road, and in the green foliage which surrounds one of Nature's beauty spots, looked the picture of loveliness. Undoubtedly I was privileged in getting a glimpse of this beautiful bird." Value of Tree Planting. "Local bodies, squatters, and farmers generally have not yet realised to the full the value of tree planting both from a practical and eeonomic viewpoint, as well as from the aesthetic side," observed Mr. G. A. Green, Dominion secretary and organiser of the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Assofciation, at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa council of the Association. "Our exotic forests are already becoming a great national asset," continued Mr. Green, "and. thfere is hardly an avenue for the eeonomic usage of surplus labour that cannot be found in the planting by unemployed of large areas of waste State or local body Iands." . To Seek New Markets. Certain dairying intexests in North Auckland have taken steps to forward a poftion of their output of butter to the Central European market. Mr. D. Roland, for many years a Te Aroha business man and later Continental buyer" for New Zealand and Australian warehouses, has been in.vited to organise the intensive marketing of this produce in Continental cities. He will leaVe shortly for Europe-