LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 608, 15 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The annual picnic, under the auspices of the Union Church of Pukekohe West, will be held in Mr. J, Steenson’s paddock on Saturday next,

Opinions as to the ability of a motor car driver vary considerably. At Napier a witness said of a driver that he was regarded by mechanics and taxi drivers as one of the best drivers in New Zealand. A few minutes later a lawyer declared that the driver under notice was one of the most reckless in Hawke’s Bay.

Members of the New Zealand-Expe-ditionary Force are now receiving the British War Medal from Base Records On one side appears the head of King George V. with the words engraved: Georgius V,-, Britt. Omnia Rex et, Ind. Imp., 1914-1918. On the other side is a figure of a warrior on horseback with a skull and crossbones at the foot, being apparently symbolical of victory. The medals are being sent out to the recipients in alphabetical order, the name, rank and regimental number of the holder being engraved on the edge. Several of the medals have been received in Pukekohe.

During the progress of the cricket match on the Education Reserve, near the public school, on Saturday last, players and spectators were startled by hearing a number of “pings,” prei si;mably from a pea rifle. Four or i five shots were heard, and all bullets ! appeared to land in the cricket ground. Flayers were in extreme clangor and were alarmed to some extent. This practice should cease, or perhaps someone will he shot. Investigations should he made by the police to ascertain who fired the shots from the rifle.

The highest shooting score by Pukekohe territorials to date is as follows: —R. Perkins 96 points, T. Wilcox 94 points, W. Patterson 90 points.

It is notified in the Gazette that the fees for private letter boxes have been revised, and are now as follows: At places where there is a postman’s delivery, for boxes of the usual size 30s per annum; for larger-sized boxes £3; where there is no postman's delivery the fees are 10s and 20s respectively.

There are sturdy folk in South Westland. A man of 60 years of age, who had 20 teeth pulled by a compassionate dentist on a walking tour, thereafter sang two songs and gave a recitation, while the heroine of another wayside extraction, who was in the midst of baking, nursed her baby whilst the tooth was drawn, and then insisted upon handing round afternoon tea to the coach party.

“The New Zealand Government is the best I have ever known,” said an immigrant who was delayed in Australia by the stewards’ strike, and who landed the other day. “It treated us really well, and gave us money to keep us going in Sydney, and also enough to send Home to our wives. You would not get any other Government to do that. We were surprised when we were granted this relief, and we won’t forget it in al hurry.”

“I suppose that Chrsitchurch is the most wonderful garden city in the Southern Hemisphere,” M. Henri Segaert, Consul-General for Belgium, said. “I walk along the river banks merely for the pleasure of seeing the lawns and the flowers., Everything is vividly green. I have not seen such bright greens in any other city I have visited. I noticed in all directions European trees —the same ti’ees as I have known in Belgium with the same shapes, hues and colors, and exactly the same appearance generally. Between the Empire Bridge and Christchurch there is a long, straight road that reminded me forcibly of the road between Ostend and Bruges. New Zealand is different from my mental picture of it before my visit. It is prettier and more attractive from a scenic point of view, nncl tlie towns are more progressive than I had imagined.”

The quest for oil still goes on in many parts of Australia and it is hoped that one day the nation will rejoice at the announcement that one of the lucky prospectors has made the find that will mean great wealth to the Commonwealth (says the Melbourne Age). In each State, in the Northern Territory and 1 in New Guinea, are now at work, boring, testing, and searching for “indications,” but, although many favourable reports have reached the Department of Home and Territories, and some prospectors have come to announce definitely that they have “struck oil,” the reward of £60,000 to be paid to the first man who first finds oil in payable quantities is still unclaimed. Recent reports have suggested renewed activity in the search in Western Australia, where there are parties at work both in the extreme south and the far north. Promising indications have, itf is asserted, been detected in both districts, but the real and eagerly-sought-for find has not yet been made. In the Northern Territory leases have been granted, and the optimistic prospectors are intent on the search; and in Papua the experts deputed by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, under the terms of the agreement with the Commonwealth Government, are testing new country.

A well-known local provision merchant tells the joke against himself. He had had a strenuous day, and was spending a restful time in the bosom of his family. The night was wearing on, and he was beginning to think of “turning in,” when his 'phone rang out a long insistent call. The message he got gave him the shock of his life. “Sorry to trouble you at this late hour, old man,, but do you know there are a couple of women locked up in your shop?” “What!” he thundered, “two women locked up in my shop! Impossible!” But the man at the other end was positive. “It’s a fact,” he declared, “they’re there sure enough, and they’ve been locked up the whole blessed night.” The merchant was distressed. “I’ll come down at once,” he said. And he did. He turned on the lights and searched the premises from end to end, but not a trace could he find of the luckless prisoners. He had recognised his informant’s voice, and in anything but an amiable frame of mind, he called him up on the ’phone. “Here, what’s the silly game?” he roared. “There are no women in this shop, and- and —But (lie other cut short the tirade. “Don’t get angry, old man,” he said. “Have another look. 11l swear you will find them there. I saw them there myself, and their names are Clever Mary and Bon Ami!” The merchant's sililoquy as he returned to his home was a classic in word jediting.

All senior cadets who have, or will have attained the age of 18 years by December 31, 1921, are requested to clean and hand in their uniforms to the Pukekohe Defence Office on or before March 15, 1921.

Recently Mr Simmonds, a visitor to Bathurst from Sydney, placed a wallet containing £IOOO under a pillow of the bed in which he was sleeping at the King’s Hotel. Next morning he left for Sydney by the mid-day train, and reached Mount Victoria before he was aware that he had left the money behind. He left the train and returned to Bathurst by motor car, to find that the housemaid had noticed the wallet, and, believing that Mr Simmonds had not left for Sydney, allowed it to remain under the pillow. There Mr Simmonds found it. The maid was handsomely rewarded.

The new silver coins have come into general circulation in England. They are almost identical n size, weight and general appearance with the coins they are to displace. Their face value is the same, though their intrinsic value is considerably lower. They contain only 500 parts of pure silver in a thousand, as compared with 925 parts in the old silver currency, and the alloy mixed with the silver is nickel instead of copper. The Exchequer, of course, will benefit greatly by the change, for a million shillings], with a face value of £50,000, will cost only £17,000 to produce.

There is a very pretty variety of asparagus, known as asparagus decumbus,; not very common in Auckland. It may be described as a medium between the finest Varieties and t*he coarsest found in the nursery. Under the same treatment' as other plants of its kind it makes a strong, healthy growth. Some excellent specimens- are to be seen at the nursery of Mr. Maire, Takapuna, Danthonia, though not sown at Pukekohe and other fertile districts is, nevertheless, familiar to most people on account of its tenacity when it catches on clothing, and its aggravating habit of working its way inwards until it gets into contact with the skin. It is much used on bush burns and the northern gum lands, while large quantities have been exported to the Argentine in former years. A price of from 3s to 4s per lb was given for tbe seed last yeai. This year the farmers are receiving about 9d per lb. Although the crop is fully twice as heavy as last year it is probable that this fall, which is even mpre sudden than the rise in price in 1919-20, will involve some of the most embarrassing financial difficulties in many cases; especially in view of the fact that the price of medium and poorer quality wool dropped about 400 or 500 per cent, at the recent sales. This means a double loss to large numbers of men.