LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 6 September 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In ‘view of the coal shortage throughout the Dominion, Mr Semple is asking the Government if it will -take steps to conserve all coal-bearing lands for the State. In regard to -‘the dipute which has arisen between the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association and the parent body, if is understood that -there is a. prospect -of an amicable settlement at an early date \without. the. Auckland Association resorting to legal proceedings, about which rumours had been current. 111 an address on vegetable-growing at Otaki a few nights ago, Mr Wesley Knight somewhat surprised his audience by stating emphatically that Nauru Island was -going to be :1 curse to New Zealand, as the use of so much phosphates of the nature of that secured from the island would lead to. club root in vegetables. Our greatest need in chemical manures in New Zealand, said Mr Knri,ght',] wags potash, in which opinion Mr Small concurred. The Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association has received a donation and accompanying rcommunicatiion, ‘etc the following eifect.—“ In memory of Gunner Vivian vMiddloto’n, aged 20 years (40th Reinforcenierffs), who died of in-fluenz-a. on ‘board the troopship Tahiti. His mother and Brother Jim wish to contribute the enclosed sum to the Returned Soldiers’ Club rooms, where, had he lived to return to New_Zealand, he doubtless would have spent. many happy hours.” ‘ ‘ '

It is now stated that the frost e:~;~ perienced in Canterbury on Monday night after the snowfall was the severest recorded for fourteen years. The thermometer at the magnetic observa'tory gave a reading of degrees of frost, but_mOst people believed this was inaccurate, and it now appears that the instrument was buried by the snow, and wasythus protected toy a. considerable extent. Privately owned instruments recorded 17 degrees of frost. .If'it had not been for the S110?’ covering, vegetation would have suffered far worse than has been the case.

‘ The old vexed subject of the best division ‘in France came up for discussion again the other night. “Wha.t’s ‘the good of arguing about it?” said .an Australian private, “facts are facts. I’vc talked to hundreds of our boys, and they all say that the New Zealand Division could_ knock sports off any oi? us.” An English woman present (i(‘CldC(i that -this was no proof. “You fly at us if we mix your wretclied and complicated geogi':lpll_V, or confuse your frivolous niilitary hats,” she Said “but yOu’re all one famil_v. really. Abuse the New Zealanders to an AUS-trali-an, or vice versa (if you df11'0) and see.” The development of aeronautics in the United States is on a scale scarcely possible of realisation in New Zea.land_ While in Chicago Messrs BOYCE‘ and Fleming, who have lately,return—ed from a Visit to America, saw the aerial post leave for Cleveland and Ohio on more than on occasion. The mail (they inforined 3. ‘‘Southland Times’? representative) is carried in 21 gigantic basket arrangement attached to the aeroplane. The Chicago evening‘ papers are also carried to the outlying towns by aeroplane, while one firm of clothiers have been enterprising: enough to adopt this method of s<‘n(lil'lg' out their travellers to the various towns.

A nice description of a house DlOperty which EL returned soldier was anxious to purchase was forwarded by a Valuer to the North Auckland Land Board on Wednesday. The 1"-‘Port stated that ‘the house was fairly well built, but had several defects now: (1) It wanted painting, (2) the scrim was breaking away, (3) the chimney had sunk about two inches, so that the floor and chimney were oust of ICVPL (4) the iron was rusting in patches, and () borer could be seen in joists. “\Vitll these lexceptioms,” zthc valuer szuid, “the house is an attractive one.” The Board regarded the report as an attcmpt act humour, and decided that. it could not recommend the purchase of the property.

‘A married couple want work on 9. station; woman as cook, man general hand. .

The censorship of radio messages to Samoa will be removed from am. September 6th, 1919. .

MTS DTOW. Of the Hautapu Tea. Rooms,‘_ who has been indisposed for some time past, has now recovered, and has resumed hei' personal supervision 01' her business.

The -annual conference of the Municipal Assoéiation of New Zealand, which will be held in Wellington next week, will be opened by the Governo~r—Gen—oral on Wednesday afternoon.

The followingvessels will be within wireless range to-night: —— Maori, Monowai, Pt. Chalmers, Mokoia, zen\la.ndic.,‘l\'loerakl', Kuumra, and Wai. mate. For Sunday: P+_ Chalmers, Moeraki, Zeal-andic. For Chathams Islands: Orari and Pt. Napier.

The rapid change that 'hsa taken place in the value placed by farmers on white pine during the last 25 years was referred to by a farmer at Auckland on Wednesday. He said that 25 years ago if a man had suggested erecting a shed in white pine he would have been laughed at. “They would have told you,” he said, “that it would not last.” How different from to-day, when they are only too pleased to use it for many purposes, but cannot always get it on account of the shortage. He remembered seeing kahikatea trees in those days, standing as straight as an arrow, some 100 feet high and six feet through.

A suggestion was made at the meeting of the North Auckland Land Board yesterday afternoon by Mr J. E. Wells, one of the members, that about 4000 acres of Crown land at Omahuta ,neal-Hokianga, should be opened for soldier settlement. M_r Wells pointed out that the land adjoined the Omahuta State Forest, and was very suitable for the purpose suggested_ The Commissioner (Mr R. P. Greville) said he hadseon the land some three 01' four years ago,’ and éould not understand why’it'had Bean held back so'long'. It was decided that the block be surveyed with a View to offering for _settlement_. ’ I

An unusual case came before Mr VV. G. Riddell, SAL, in the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, when Dr. H. A. H_ Claridge sued Dr. A. Parker for the recdyery of two medical books which had been lent by plaintifi and ‘which the defendant neglected to return. The case. was not defended. The plaintifl’, for whom Mr N. A. J. Barker appeared, stated that the books wel'e.v\\'ol'tll £2 2/ each, but what. he desired waste recover them, rather than take any money compensation. He had frequently -applied to his fellow-medico for the books, without any result. The Magistrate gave ‘judgment for the plaintiff. making an order for the return of the books before September 11th, or the payment of £4 4/ with costs. -

Forcmosf. among the great new enter-

prises of n‘2i'tional importance which are now being considered in Canada, is the development of the enormous water powers of the St. Lawrence as a means of developing energy to take the place of that now developed by coal. The Government of Ontario is the owner of the water rights along a. considerable s‘tretch of the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence, and the development of these powers will be undertaken by the Hydro-Eloetrie Commission of Ontario. This public ownership organisation already distributes 210,000 horsepower, and is developing 350,000 additional horse-power at Niagana» and elsewhere in Ont.'lr.io. It is 'e~stilnzltC(l by ex'p(‘l‘s’rs that the e.\'penditure of 20 millions sterling for the utilisation of the waters of the St. Lawrence would enable the people of Ontario to save that amount in five years on their expenditure on imported sltenni coal.