LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20265, 6 August 1937, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ban on Doughnuts.—Confectioners in Germany have been ordered not to bake any more doughnuts owing to the shortage of fat. Hitherto they have been allowed to bake doughnuts once a week.

Girl Filer’s Position.—During his visit to Auckland this week, Mr John Batten, brother of Miss Jean Batten, the New Zealand avlatrix, mentioned that his sister was taking up a flying position in Australia.

Touring Farmers. —A party of 42 farmers left Wellington by the Wanganella last night for Sydney. They purpose studying farming conditions In New South Wales and Queensland. Fourteen others will leave Auckland to-day by the Awatea and will Join up with the main party in Sydney.

Mataroa’s Arrival. —-Some confusion has arisen regarding the arrival of the s.s. Mataroa from Southampton, on which the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, is a passenger. She is due on Thursday next, and the Auokland agents have received no notification of a change, but a report has been circulated that she will not reach port till Friday.

Gay Clothes For Men.—Men’s dress clothes, will be blue, grey, brown, even green, according to Andre de Fouquieres, president of the French Tailors’ Society. Men’s umbrellas will be bright red and yellow. Stiff collars will remain because they are olaimed to be more comfortable than soft collars. White gloves will become again essential for evening wear.

Banana Eating Reoord.—A world banana eating record Is claimed by Ernest Renault, of Launceston, Tasmania, who consumed 44 in half an hour« The previous record reported from Melbourne was 43. Prior to breaking the record Renault ate threequarters of a lb. of German sausage and a biscuit, and drank a tin of condensed milk and a bottle of cordial.

Bands’ Contest.—Arrangements for a challenge contest open to bands In the Auckland province were made at a meeting of the Auckland Provincial Brass Bands’ Association. The suggested dates for the contest are October 23 and 24. It was stated that the Te Aroha Band was among the entries. It is the Intention of the executive to Invite all bands In the South Auckland district to compete.

Company Directors’ Work. —“ The belief that State control of the industry has waved away half of a dairy company directors’ worries is entirely wrong,” said Mr W. Darrall, chairman of directors of the Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company in reply to a question at the annual meeting of the company yesterday. “ Formerly we were merely running a dairy company but now all that is changed. We now have political matters to consider and these have greatly increased the amount of work.” to be contended with.”

Pedestrian Soared.—A motor-oycllst who reoently made a pedestrian Jump for his life at the corner of Lower 'Cuba Street and Wakefield Street, Wellington, found to his discomfiture that he had ‘‘caught a Tartar,” for the pedestrian happened to be a traffic inspector, Mr. P. Hazeldon. The inspector charged the cyclist for failing to give way to a pedestrian on an authorised street crossing. He was fined 10s and costs when he appeared before Mr. W. F. Stillwell, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Australian Oranges.—“ If the Importation of Australian oranges is allowed without stringent restrictions, the effect on the local market will be disastrous'. Large quantities of New Zealand apples and pears will be unsaleable and will have to be destroyed.” The above resolution, moved by Mr. W. A. Tate, Walrarapa, was carried at the annual conference yesterday in Wellington of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation. The conference decided to ask the Director of Internal Marketing to draw the Government’s attention to the matter.

Aotea-roa. —"It was Kupe who discovered and named New Zealand; this was not disputed; but the name ho gave it, ‘Aotea-roa,’ did not mean ‘the long white oloud,’ as popularly supposed,” remarked the Right Rev. Dr. H. W. Williams, Bishop of Waiapu, when speaking at a meeting of the Hastings Historical Society. ‘‘l have some bombshells for you in this address,” he added, “and this Is one of them.” Kupe gave the name “aotea” to Indicate a cloud seen’over the island, and “roa,” which meant long, was added to describe the duration of the journey taken to reach the land.

State Houses. —Sub-lettlng Is to be discouraged in tenants of Government houses, according to a statement by the Under-Secretary for Housing, Mr J. A. Lee, at Wellington. Mr Lee stated that the intention is to let each house so as to provide for the maximum occupation of the rooms by the renter’s family. Referring to the chance of an unemployed man to seoure one of the State houses, Mr Lee said: “One cannot be dogmatic about things like that. A man may be oq sustenance, but the income of the family as a whole may be £7 a week, Who gets the houses will be determined on the combined basis of the need of a family for a house and lt,s capacity as a whole to pay the rent.” Unemployment Levy. Coincident with the payment of the unemployed levy due this month the fourth series of registration levy coupon books are being issued, and the postal authorities appeal to the public to pay the levy ns early as possible. When the third scries of levy books was Issued In August, 1934, many firms holding the books of their employees produced the current series before the end of the month and the new books were prepared so that delivery could bo effected without delay when the August Instalment was paid. In consequence delay and Inconvenience were minimised and it Is hoped that a similar course will be followed by firms on this occasion. Btate Film Publicity.—The State film studios at Miramar, Wellington, were inspected this week, following a conference on policy matters, by officials of the Government Tourist and Publicity Department, district tourist bureau managers from all over New Zealand and from Melbourne, and managers of Government-owned hotels. They expressed much praise for the work being done there, and in particular for the special collection of posters, dioramas and window displays prepared for the Christchurch Industries Fair next, week, and the high-quality films screened for them. These films included " Our Dally I Bread,” the new film of the wheat industry, stated to be the finest instructional moving picture yet pro-

Estate of £100,432. —A «ab!e message states that the late Sir Erio Geddes, chairman of Imperial Airways, Ltd., left an estate valued at £100,432.

Motorist for Trial.—Charged In the Pollco Court, Auckland, yesterday with negligently driving a motor-car so as to cause the death of John Jones, a waterside worker, on June - 5 at Devonport, Douglas Mortimer McLaren, a traveller, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, ball being allowed.

Outbreak of Typhoid.—An outbreak of typhoid fever is reported from Great Barrier Island. Four deaths of Maoris have been reported, and a niumbei* of others are affected. The settlements have been cleaned up and the settlers and natives inoculated, and It Is expected the epidemic will soon subside.

Presbyterians and Divorce.—The question of divorce was discussed at the quarterly meeting of the North Auckland Presbytery, which decided that the Church's attitude, as outlined in the Blue Book of 1921, should be undisturbed. In effect this means that the Church recognises the grounds for divorce as laid down in the legislative enactments of the Dominion, although not necessarily fully agreeing with them all.

Entertaining Overseas Visitors. — The Royal Empire Society and the Victoria League are to pool their resources for entertainment of overseas visitors, says a me’ssage from London. The league will put visitors In touch with private hostesses, while the society will organise publio gatherings. " During the Coronation period, the league Issued 18,782 invitations to parties and entertainments.

Damages for Teacher. —A school teacher, Myrtle Victoria Cameron, of Christchurch, was awarded damages totalling £346 in the Supreme Court for Injuries suffered when she was knocked down by a motor-car. The defendant was Conrad Gustav Ilamann, a piano salesman. The Jury deliberated for four and a-half hours. The finding was that both parties to the accident were guilty of negligence, but that the defendant had the last opportunity of avoiding an accident.

Bus Driver Convicted.—At Christchurch yesterday Alexander Hugh Miller, the driver of a school bus, was charged with negligent driving. He was fined £7 and costs, his license was suspended and he was prohibited from obtaining another till February, 1939. The charge was the sequel to an accident at Hawarden on May 10 when the bus left the road, mounted a rise, and struck a tree. Some of the children In the bus were seriously injured, one suffering a fractured skrull, and others facial Injuries. Some were still In hospital.

Damage to Roads. —“It appears to me that we are losing sight of one aspect of this business,”'remained Mr G. T. Crawley when the question of the better organisation of the bobby calf trade came under discussion at the monthly meeting of sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union In Hamilton to-day. “In some cases It Is obvious that the small return the farmer Is getting for his calves Is entirely lost by the damage to roads during carrying operations.”

Australia Popular.—‘‘Australia is the most popular country In the world just now from the English investor’s point of view,” said Sir William Hunt at a luncheon of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce ye-sterday. People in England regard Australia as the finest spot in the world for the Investment of capital. ■“Australia has done a marvellotus thing In the last few years,” continued Sir William. "It Is now producing Iron and steel at a lower cost than any other country in the world. They say in London that a country that can do that has the ball at its feet. There is no doubt that Australia is extraordinarily popular In London Just now.”

Slot Meter Case.—Decision in a case which was described as being one of Importance to city corporations and electricity consumers throughout New Zealand was given at Invercargill yesterday by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M. The plaintiff was the Invercargill City Council, which proceeded against Thomas Verdon Mahoney on a claim for £1 4s, the alleged balance owing on an account for electricity supplied to him. The magistrate said he was satisfied that defendant was given to understand that is in a slot meter ended his liability and that extra payment sought by the council was unjustified. The defendant was therefore entitled to judgment.

Series of Crimes. —Pleading guilty to a number of charges of theft from premises, Norman Clifford McGill (26), a painter, and Arthur Edward Albert Pink (24), labourer, were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at Auckland yesterday. The police stated that accused Jointly had entered certain hotels while the guests were at dinner and took miscellaneous articles and cash. Pink was charged separately on five charges of theft and the conversion of a motor-car valued at £350. lie pleaded guilty and wag sentenced to three months’ Imprisonment for car conversion, and to one month on each of the other charges, the terms to be concurrent.

Reoelpts Queried. —Described as “false documents” by him, Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M. Impounded receipts for certain payments and ordered them to be handed to the police in a case in the Magistrate’s Court, Auckland, yesterday in which training fees totalling £35 5s were claimed by Thomas Roe, horse-trainer, of Mangere, against George Harold Mitchell, wholesale fruit merchant, Mrs. Violet May Mitchell, and Charles Ford, baker, of Waihi, in respect of the trotting horses Great Sonoma and Gold Ktp, owned by them. “ I disbelieve what defendant (Mitchell) has told me, and I must in the circumstances enter Judgment for plaintiff for all the amount claimed.” added the magistrate. Costs amounted to £9 19s. Adult Apprentices.—According to the Hon. P. C. Webb, actlng-Mlnlster of Labour, the Government’s scheme for adult apprenlieeship contracts is working very satisfactorily. Already a large number of special contracts have been approved. In one particular case, said the Minister, a man 34 years of age had entered into an apprenticeship contract for two years. The alternative in such a case would have been to deny the man an opportunity of becoming a tradesman and simplv leavp him in the ranks of the unskiiled workers, but because of the special contract, system he was enabled to bpoomp a skilled worker. The Minister said he was meeting with full co-operation from all sections of the community in his efforts r to increase the number of apprentices jit t_h p - P-QPUDlon^

Ourrency In London.-—Fine gold In London was quoted yesterday at 16 19s 8d an ounce (£6 19s 6sd on Wednesday), the dollar at. 4.97 7-8 (4.985), and the frano at 132 25-32 (132 27-32).

A Btrange Hobby.—Dr. W T lUlam Moloney, member of the Vlotorlan Legislative Assembly, (l fter telling a London trade union club that his hobby was collecting the election addresses and speeches of Australian members of Parliament, said: "Though they break their promises, what astonishes me Is how much people forget, and how much more they forgive." .

Deoilnlng Birthrate. —Before leaving for a short trip to Australia to-day. Mr D. V. Bryant informed a Waikato Times reporter that he was still interesting himself In the declining birthrate question and since he first propounded his views a few weeks ago he has made many investigations. It Is Mr Bryant’s hope that when he returns to Hamilton on August 17 something definite will be accomplished In the matter of organisation.