Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10304, 13 January 1927, Page 4

Local and General.

A Palmerston North P.A. message states, that William Gavin, vvho m ji> repo/ed missing, subsequently r uXI, explaining he had been rail 'urgently to Wellington.—P.A.

/Thus the Star:—Patu Te Kito informs us that there has been a secession in the ranks of the Wbakaki Hall and Recreation Ground Gomm-ttee and that'certain members of it ana the whole of the orchestra have joined the ltatanaites.

A London cable states that the Hon. Lawrence Falk son and heir of Lord Haldon, has been arrested. He disappeared mysteriously from a city office on December 28 with x sum of money, allegedly belonging to the office.—A. and N.Z.G.A.

Meetings of freezing workers at Pakipaki, Tomoana and Whakatu respectively were held on Tuesday, states a P.A. message from Hastings, when motions were passed rescinding their recent motions of noconfidence in the Alliance of Labor.

The dispute between the firemen and the stewards of the Maheno ovei the sliip’s cook is not settled, states p A' message from Wellington, the ending in a deadlock. company decided to pay the crew w and lay up the vessel indefinitely.

f The engine of the 8 a.in. train from 'Ashburton to Christchurch broke down yesterday between Dromore and Ghertsey.. delaying several ether trains. Eventually the engine of the Invercargill express was transferred to the Ashburton train, and Christchurch was reached over an hour late. —P.A.

A further effort to raise funds for the Macßae bath funds will be made on January 29, when a carnival will be held on the Waikanae beach. Permission was granted the bath committee to conduct the carnival on the beach at the monthly meeting of the Waikanae Beach Improvement Society held last evening.

A stock of three classes of rat poison is to lie kept on hand at the office of the City Health Inspector at Wellington, and issued free of charge to the public accompanied by a pamphlet, with suitable information regarding the destruction of rats. A supply of traps is to be purchased andtissued on deposit of the cost, the deposit being refunded on the return olf the trap.

§ Brown rot has appeared in Wairoa orchards, and with disastrous results to the owners. Early peaches and [plums have-been badly infected, and in some orchards the whole of the crons have been destroyed. Last year tile weather was dry, and consequently there was very little brown rot. hut this year, with such a large amount of moisture, it appears to have spread over the whole district. — Star.

Comment on the improvement registered ill the quality of PovertyBay butter during recent years, was made yesterday by Mr. O’Day, supervising butter grader for the North Island, who is at present visiting Gisborne. The institution of compulsory cream grading, he stated, probably had much to do with this, for farmers now realised that to obtain the top price they had to send in only the best quality cream.

The financial affairs of John Maurice Griffin, a Tolaga Bay sheepfarmer, were inquired into by the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. Chas. Blackburn) yesterday. Bankrupt was represented by Mr. J. R. Kirk, and Mr J. G. Nolan appeared for the largest creditor, Mr. T. E. Parry, who held a stock mortgage. Bankrupt said that Parry had seized the stock and the wool 'clip. Mr. Kirk said that it was absolutely a case of misfortune as no one had worked harder than who had absolutely devoted himself to his farm since the war. The Assignee concurred with this view, and on the motion of Mr. Nolan, it was decided that bankrupt he allowed to keep his furniture and dogs, and that efforts be made to dispose of the chattels in the district. The meeting was adjourned sine die. •

A silken cord barred the entrance of the Duke and Duchess of York to Ilford recently, until the Ductless cut the cord with a presentation pair ot gold scissors. Then ensued a triumpaf procession to the Town Hall, where Ilford received its charter of incorporation, And there the Royal visitors were told by the charter town clerk how Ilfod’s population had grown to 10-5,000 in 40 years and how nearly £1,000,000 had been advanced to help its people to buy their own houses. Ilford cdildren had their own way of celebrating the event. At the cinema where they sang a charter day song, little Betty Goodacre presented the Duchess with a Teddy Bear for Princess Elizabeth. Betty was too confused to explain that all the Ilford children had joined in the gift, but the Duchess smiled and thanked her, and kept Teddy in her arms until she left the building.

A To Relmnga farmer had a caller recently—an old man, hungry and cold, whom he befriended. He gave him a meal and a warm by the tire.,, and as the meteorological outlook was not too good, advised him to stay for the midday meal, which invitation he accepted. As the afternoon was bitterly cold and the appearance still bad, the uninvited visitor was invited to 1 stay for tea While the head of the house was out- getting the cows in for the evening milking the old fellow indulged in a dialogue with the housewife. “Got * any fowls?” he asked. “No,” was the reply. “Got any ducks?” “Yes, a few,” “Any of them laying?” • Uh. yes,” was the reply. “Then I’ll have a couple of eggs for tea,” was the cool request of the stranger, ;nd the soft-hearted farmer's wife gave him the eggs while her husband, sitting •next to him, had bread and butter!

Garrison Hall.last evening presented a gay scene on the occasion of the opening night of City Queenland, which is being promoted in aid of the Macßae public bath fund. A special feature of the evening was a splendid display of gymnastic work by a squad of Y.M.C.A. boys under ‘the control of Mr. JI. F. Forster. Miss Brown, who danced delightfully in the Irish jig, was also accorded a great reception. The dancing floor proved very popular and the many novelty events were well patronised. To-night the carnival will be continued, and a much more elaborate programme is projected. Besides the dancing floor, the music for which will he provided by Lighton’s orchestra, Misses Brovin and Mackenzie vill give exhibitions of classic dancing, thete will be some eccentric cycle races, “home-trainers” will be seen in action and also, of course, all the numerous other novelty events and games. Jumble and produce stalls will offer purchasers some excellent opportunities of obtaining good "bargains. Doors open at 7.30.

A party of Red Indians from X or tW America, who are at present Win-* Australia, will be m the Domini™ shortly. The Arawa Maoris at £ rua sent an invitation to the r-hipf and his party to visit Roto rua guests of the Arawa trm e , ana Wo J has now been received of the accept ance of the invitation. The visit i« being keenly looked forward to by the Arawas.

An amusing incident happened at the recent sitting of the Me. fist rate’s Court at Waipawa. A Maori was sued for debt, and, asked as to hi s prospect for paying the amount, }. c r p_ plied that he would pay in less than a month; in fact, lie would pay at once. The lawyer for the defendant took the money and gave a receipt. In five minutes another so- ' licitor informed His Worship t ] iat a comedy had been enacted, inasmuch that the wrong man had been sued. The Maori ever since has worn a broad smile.

Westport, as it stands to-day, dates back to 1872. The old town after an existence of about eight years was in 1872 shot out to sea by a sudden diversion or the Bullariver. In conversation with a Westport “News” representative last week, Mr. T. A. H. Field, of Nelson, stated he well recalled playing the “wag” from school to see many of the old bridges in Westport going out to sea in the great flood .n 1872. Included was a hotel with Ml the lights lit up. Hther houses were being jacked uii onto rollers and taken un the street. As more of the land was washed away, bases •were shifted further up (n safer * land.

Clouds of real tear gas were used sj n the recent miltary manoeuvres in England. Every battery oi artillery was presumed to have a supply or tear-gas-shells. When the battery QOYnro ander indicated that bis guns were firing that type of shell on a particular enemy position, an umpire on the battery’s side passed the notification to- a fellow umpire with the enemy, and the officer proceeded to empty eannister or gas at the place indicated! The gas was not sinm-i'-nt to cause injury, but the men in the neighbourhood, who hesitated to nx their box respirators immediately, or whose respirator were not in perfect ordef, found it impossible to restrain their tears.