LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 17, 13 June 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the Auckland Education Board on Wednesday Mrs J. Evans was appointed teacher at the Maungatautari School.

From the Petone Chronicle : Mr D. J. Nathan has informed the press that there is a butter ring in Wellington formed for the purpose of keeping up prices. He says it can be broken down by importing butter from Australia, where the product is cheap just now. Unfortunately the butter ring is protected against the public by a duty of 20 per cent.

At a meeting of the Auckland Education Board on Wednesday, it was decided that in celebration of the coronation of King George V., the scholars attending the public schools within its jurisdiction shall be assembled on the morning of June 22nd to salute the flag and sing the National Anthem, and the schools then be closed for the midwinter holidays.

A gentleman travelling down to New Plymouth by train the other day got a bit of a shock. He desired to see a friend who was on the train passed at Tariki, and at that end he sought to put his head out of the window. He did so; but unfortunately he did so under the impression that the window was up, while as a matter of fact it was down. As a consequence the window was broken, but fortunately the gentleman was not cut at all, the most serious phase of the incident being that he was called on to pay half a sovereign for the broken window.

A gentleman who has had nearly 40 years experience of farming in the Ashburton County informed a reporter that he could not remember the grass grub hav-ing been so desL active as they had been during the past twelve months. The only practical way of dealing with the pests was, in his opinion, to burn them in November, and he had ■come to the conclusion that the time had arrived when the Government or the controlling local authorities should make it compulsory on the part of farmers and others to do their utmost towards destroying the pests. He added that, as a result of the invasion of a number of parasitic diseases that were attacking root and cereal crops, in addition to the grass grub, the farmers of Canterbury were being seriously menaced, more particularly when the high rate ruling for land was taken into consideration.

A somewhat peculiar illustration of Maori superstition was recorded at Rotorua last week, during the special sitting of the Native Land Court. The case before the court was one in which the Ngatiwhakane tribe laid claim to what they alleged to be certain unsettled shares in Rotorua town. While the claim was being inquired into last Thursday, counsel for the Maoris called an official witness, who was duly sworn by the clerk of the court. In handing the Bible back to the clerk, the latter failed to grasp it and the Bible fell to the floor. Instantly almost the whole of the whole of the Natives in court, numbering nearly one hundred, rose to their feet, and cried, “ A bad sign—the case is makutu,” ’and from thence on to the conclusion of their unsuccessful" suit the Maoris of the tribe sat mute and disconsolate, the incident of the falling Bible being regarded by all as an indication that their cause was doomed.

The members of the Te Awa“

mutu Town Board desire to ex' tend their sincere thanks to Mr Park, for his assistance on the occasion of their inspection of the Tokanui stream on Monday. Mr N. Wicks, of Te Awamnta, who has been unwell for some time, was taken to the Hamilton Hospital on Monday. An operation is to be performed to-day. We wish Mr Wicks a speedy recovery.

“Why do you import anything ?” was the remark _ made by Commander Stapford, of H.M.S. Pioneer, to Mr Thos. Ballinger, chairman of the executive of the Coronation Exhibition of the Wellington Industrial Assoication. The gallant commander was being conducted through the various courts, and expressed himself completely taken by surprise at New Zealand’s industrial, resourcefulness. The same question is asked by the thousands of New Zealanders who visit the Exhibition day by day. “ Why do we import anything if we can ourselves make such woollens, clothing, preserves, jewellery, and a thousand and one articles all made by New Zealanders for New Zealanders.”