Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10230, 8 January 1927, Page 6

Local and General.

The word “Maoris” has many P «- nuneiations in England (writes a correspondent with the Maori team). Ihc most common are May-oh-rees “May-or-rees.” In I<ranee, the word becomes “Mah-reeh.”

Passengers in service and private ears lS which attempted the journey down from Motu to Gisborne _ on Thursday evening, had an exoerience. Between Matavai and Otoko the cars literally ploughed through the mud and bOoged time and time again, it- was aftei 4 a.m. yesterday before the lasi the cars reached Gisborne.

An audacious burglary was committed at Eastbourne when a sate was removed from the Pay’? pavJjon conducted by George Bird It is un derstood the cafe contained the days taking*. The lessor does not reside M premises, and it is believed eJmtruders took advantage or tins JT removed the heavy sate during Ver of darkness. The police are instigating.—P.A.

' There were practically no transactions in town and country property locally during last month. Country property admittedly has not been changing hands at all freely of late, but now, owing to a great extent no doubt to Christmas holidays, town and suburban property sales have practically ceased. It is expected that business will improve after the end of the present month.

On the occasion of its sacred concert or- Waikanae Beach on Sunday afternoon the Citv Band will give the following items: March, “Never Despair” 4; nviim, “Simeon” ; fox trot, “Oh Golly”; raise “Blossom Time ; selection, “Fra Diavolo”; march, •‘The?Outpost” ; cornet polka “Bostcni#” (soloist Mr Murphy); fox trot “Sjup Along” ; march, “Amphion.’ Ifjfwill interest patrons to learn that ifiost of the selections to be played Aave just reached Gisborne from rHome.

A big conference is on .foot states a Palmerston North P.A. message, to place the flax industry in New Zealand on a better footing. Some time prior to the holidays a proposal was made for reforming the grading system, and a draft of the proposal was sent to all interested persons throughout the Dominion. .As a result of the replies received it was decided to call a conference to go thoroughly into all questions connected with the industry. This will he held at Wellington on January 21 and will be attended by flaxmillers, merchants and manufacturers and the Department of Agriculture. This will probably make the largest gathering of those interested in the industry that has been seen for many years.

That there is always opportunity for a. smart man to earn an honest shilling was brought home to some motorists travelling to Timaru, from the south on Sunday. In the vicinity of the Pareora bridge the travellers encountered quite an impossible looking stream, flowing across the road, and doubts were expressed as to the possibility of the ear negotiating the water under its own power. A man with a - horse and ropes, obviously standing-by, suggested the pre*sence of a good Samaritan, until, upon making enquiries, it was gathered that lie was strictly on business bent That there was also very little sentiment in his business, was gathered from the fact that his charges were 5/- for a pull through, and £1 if the motorist attempted it himself and got stuck.

Hooper's cutting on the GisborneMotuhora railway line has always been a source o£ trouble to the. services. Yesterday a further mishap occurred there to the evening train from Motuhora, when a sheep truck with a load of five pigs aboard was derailed. Fortunately a gang of surfacemen were standing by and noticed the mishap in time to signal to the engine-driver who stopped the train after the truck had been running off the rails for only a yard or two. No damage was done, and the truck was easily jacked on to the line again and the train arrived at Gisborne only twenty minutes late. At this particular point on the line there is always a great deal of slush lying in wet weather, and the grip on the lines is very uncertain. The vehicle derailed was the seventh from the engine.

At the final session of the annual conference of the New Zealand Nurserymen's Association Mi*. S. Ah dice, an Auckland retail fruiterer, speke on the value of advertising. Air H. S. Izard, of the Auckland branch, said it was necessary to reduce fruit varieties, as a good deal of the fruit sent to London was rubbish. Air. AY. H. Rice, Government instructor, also spoke in support of standardisation. He said the meeting was the first he had known where orchardist, grower, and retailer had gathered together, which was something on which Mr. Ah dice could he congratulated. He suggested that in future standardisation discussions the retailers’ viewpoint should be ascertained. He' believed in an “eat more fruit” campaign, hut thought it he more effective if it were known us “eat more New Zealand fruit,” thus educating consumers to give preference to their own' goods.—P.A.

An incident almost unique in the history of New Zealand occurred when the AVim'bleton Hotel ceased business as a licensed hotel at 6 p.m. on December 31, 1926 The licensing Committee recently refused a license on account of the improvements desired by it not being carried out. The event was marked by the gathering of many of the settlers at tho hotel. Just as six o’clock struck the last case of liquor was placed in a lorry, which immediately left for the Porangahau Hotel. T 5 mark Mr. Love’s popularity the residents carried him shoulder-high through the township, singing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Air. ! V'e w.Ji apply for a renewal of the licence at the Pahiatua Licensing ComnvDee to he held in *Juiie. An amusing incident at the closing of the hotel was. the arrival at six o’clock of two old residents. One was mounted on an old white horse, labelled * Bone TAy,” and with a parrot held on the end of a long stick he was endeavouring to coax the horse along! The other was gaily attired and labelled “Restoration.” He was mounted on a very sprightly horse which appeared as a great contrast to the other old horse.

A Warkworth wireless enthusiast Mr. Tudor Collins, during the holidays picked up Montreal station and held it almost continuously from 7 4 to 9.20 p.m. He was working a firevalve set- with an exceptionally Imu, aerial.—P. A. *

A Karioi farmer who is on a visit to Wanganui, states that it is re _ ported in that district that the well known Karioi Hun, of 30,000 acres has been sold.to the forestry jj e . partment for the purposes of afforestation.' The farmer states that fully half of this is good agricultural land and if it is the intention to plant trees it would be a pity to waste it for that purpose. By top dressing this land would grow excellent turnips. Clover also grows in abundance when the land is top-dressed.

“Mr. Printer” at Katana is now a particularly busy man In addition to turning out the ordinary magazine, a daily paper is issued, setting out a summary of the deliberations of the day. It is interesting to note (savs the Wanganui Herald) that in the printing establishment is an old machine on which copies of the Treatv of Waitangi were printed. Another printing press came in from the Wairarapa, where a Maori paper was at one time in circulation.

Mr Jack Humphries, of Bloemfontein, South Africa, a grandson of _\ii . A. A. George, of Hastings who, after being two years on HALS. Genera! Botha, has now joined the mercantile marine, writing irom Montreal (Ganada) says the weather was cold and snowy, all new to him who had only once seen snow before. He said he often wondered how the New Zealand women got through such a lot of wornon a New Zealand dairy farm, because in South Africa they had nati vegirls to do all the work.

“Thirty bob a r.-ek ironing shuts and collars for J..t, ved-nc unshed wealthy men and dainty l.nyeiie for portly ~ 'ladies with horn-rimmed glasses is all we get,” s od a brightlooking girl employed m the 1 atr.dry of the liner Carinthia, to a rej orter. The reporter became rather curious when he learned that the girl received such a munificent suin, especially when fabulous sums .re paid for tietour. inquiry showed mat there are 3i girls in the laundry of this floating .palace, and they ■ .'o to won: mighty hard from S a.rrr. till 0 p.m. No wonder the girl asked the reporter what were the chances _of" a job in this country.

“A complete set of elaborate or/ costly vestments is going from Dublin to New Zealand” says the Irish Times. “The work has been done b.'. the Dun Emer Guild. The cloth o' gold that forms the foundation or ti/ vestments has also been woven by 1

Dublin firm. The Celtic interlacings and designs have been carried out with skill and some of the symbols are as meticulously artistic and. beautifully colourful as pictures. Ibis, is especially true of an olive tree with roots and trunks of gold, made almost like ruggfed carving by the embroiderers, with doves about its vivid branches, and tiny blue and red nosers beneath. The jmld thread used is untarnishable and comes from. Japan, while the brilliantly shaded silks come from Paris.’-'

Mr. Bruce Levy. Agrostologisi to the Department of Agriculture. :s .convinced that he has discovered .a natural enemy of the obnoxious bl&csberrv. Writing in the journal 01 ti:e Department, he declares .that paspalum is of value not only for the control of bracken fern, hard fern, waterfern, manuka, tali, fescue, etc., out also is most promising for the control of blackberry. Blackberry will not thrive with a tight turf .0; about its crown, nor can it spread by layering in a such. paspalum can make. The writer ree<> certain - that on the oettpr-quahi-y soils at least, or where top-dressing can be systematically carried cm. t.u > establishment of paspalum among any blackberry that may be tnere is 'one of the means by which tins troublesome secondary growth can Ire suppressed.

At the Nuhaka A. and P. Society's Show the pigs attracted much, interest owing to tho splendid exhibits entered bv Air. Cullen, of Taliaenui. who has been making a close study ot pork exoort. Those shown by thi> breeder showed great promise. The tamworth boar which secured nr>, prize weighed over 6001 b though only 2'years old. The pigs entered in the classes of best sow and of a pen or porker pigs for export were all from the same litter and were of very cv " quality. This year’s exhibit of pig-' was easily the best for the Xulnxka Show.—Star.

“I think that if the word matriculation’ were abolished in New Zealand things ‘would be better. declared Professor Lawson when addressing the Primary Schools Sysllabus Committee at AA'ellington. “It is a magicward” he added, “around which a great deal of family prestige lingers. If we could get rid of the word and retain the reality we would have a better state of affairs. AA e are making the mistake that has been mane since education has been transferred to books—giving in an academic taint and relying too much upon the y ruten word instead of upon the initiative of the teacher and the pupil.