LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 150, 17 February 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

W.ednesday Half Holiday . v 'i Some confilsion. was caused among retailers by a paragraph iri our issu© of yesterday regardi'ng the observanee of the half holiday during race weejc. F6llowing an invit&tion by the "MayOr, 'fdr. T. Jackson, who asked all shop-keepers to observe their weekly half-holiday on Tuesday instea'd' of ' We'dnesday, the paragraph was written, but subsequehtly, ' the president of the Retailers' Association publicly advised shop-keepers that the statutory half day closing on Wednesday must be. observed, . whether or not business premises whre closed on the Tuesday. This Actually is the position, as under the ■ Shops and Offices Act, the statutory half holiday must be Observed 'on the day applying in eaeh centre. J Busiriess premises, therefore will be ' Closed this afternoon, as any other holiday observed during the week do not effect the responsibility of retailers to ' observe the usual statutory hdlf-day. Welcome to Farmers Jf the rain which has fallen during the present month has not been very popular with the townspeople, it has been a godsend to the farmers of Rotoriia and other districts. The situation was beginning to he serious for pastures and crops, and there is general rejoicing among the farming community over t^he turn the weather has takln. The rain has also been beneficial to private lawns and gardens, the fall being heavy enough for tlae ground to become thoroughly soaked. Increase In Business The bowling and croquet tournaments held in Rotorua last week, and the race meeting during the weekend attracted a large number of visitors to: the town and business received a fillip in consequence. The accommodation houses have been full, and business people report a larger volume of trade than was expected for this month. Athletic Entries Intending competitors for the Rotorua Athletic and Gycling Cluh's sports meeting, to be'held at the High School ground on Friday, at 6 p.m., are advised that entries for all events close with Mr. A. de Luen, Hinemoa Street, or Mr. R. G. Webb, Rotorua High School, to-day, at 12 noon. New Headmaster The Education Department has officially confirmed the appointment of Mr. W. G. Harwood, B.A., M.Sc., as headmaster of the Rotorua High School. Providing that Mr. Harwood can .secure his release from his present position at Auckland Grammar School, he hopes to take up hs duties in Rotorua on March 1.

Quick Off the Mark Amusement was caused at the racecourse yesterday when the members of the Rotorua Fire Brigade on hearing the fire siren hlow started to race for the engine parked oh the road outside. Their interest must have been completely taken up with the racing for it was not until they had travelled some distance that the firemen realised that the siren was only announcing mid-day. Efficient Service The Rotorua Post Office authorities are to be commended for the capable ! and courteous service rendered in | handling press messages during the j race meeting just concluded. Every possihle effort was made to meet the requirements of visiting and local pressmen. Extra Pants Withheld. The national call for economy hit the Leeds police in a novel manner, and revealed a fastidious nicety in dress hitherto unsuspected of policemen. In previous years the City Council issued to the police an extra pair of trousers, hut "with a view to effecting economy" the extra pair was some time ago withheld. Miss Bertha Quinn at a meeting of the council | condemned that decison as "ill-con- j sidered and ill-advised." "Previously," j said a member of the force, "we could i keep one pair in the trousers press or ; hetween the mattresses while we were wearing the other pair. It is a great pity. It is our opinion that a neat erease in the trousers has a lot to do with that spick-and-span appearance which is the pride of the Leeds police." Fell on Shark. For a man to fall on a large shark sounds more like an extract from a novel than a real experience on the waterfront, but such was the case recently, states the Post. A shark about ten feet long, had been swimming round the Wellington wharves for some days. When the shark passed the coastal motor ship Hawera one of the crew leaned over the side of the ship and attempted to eatch it with a hook on the end of a pole, but . lost his balance and fell on top of the shark. Needless to say he lost no time returning to the shore. The shark \^as so languid in its movements that it gave the impression of being sick, otherwise there might have been a vgcancy for another hand on the Hawera.