LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 August 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The takings at the Chinese-Wanga-nui soccer match on Saturday afternoon amounted to £321. A North Island paper records with pride the fact that a local resident had added five children to the State in three years. Oamarn can heat that (says the North Otago Times). Some years ago a family in this town developed from nothing to seven in three years. Triplets and two sets of twins were the record. In. this country one is accustomed to hear children speak of their parents with the greatest freedom, and fids was made a. subject of comment by our Chinese visitors (remarks the Hawke’s Bay Herald). “In China,” said Mr. C. S. Wang, “we are always most deferential to our parents; we stand until instructed to sit down, only sneak when spoken to, and then in a quiet respectful manner.” After the Ongarue railway disaster, Riki Rangi Paoro, who at one tii'ne had a bicycle shop in Te Kuiti, set to work to patent an electric railway lighting signal to warn drivers of slips, on the line. By all accounts these experiments have proved very successful, and the young inventor has extended his researches whereby the apparatus will automatically close all gates, including those on railway carriages. Riki Rangi was one of Ratana’s pairty which is now at Home. Acting on advice, the invention was submitted to the I/ondon Committee of the League of Nations, the members of which, it is stated, very favourably commented on the same. A cable has been received by Ratana’s people in New Zealand, asking for the remittance of the sum of £SOO, to enable the invention to he patented throughout the world. The necessary amount has been cabled.

Three girls, whose ages ranged between 12 and 14 years, were before the magistrate (Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M.) at Invercargill, charged with opening a letter at a country post office. Sergeant Hewitt said that the girls saw a young lady post a letter, and they secured it from the post office, which was in charge of their father. They opened the letter, read it, and then reposted it in another envelope. The magistrate said that if there was one thing regarded as sacred it was other people’s correspondence. and to open a letter like they had done was a most dreadful, nasty, horrible thing. His Worship admonished and dischai-ged two of the girls, and the case against the other, who resides in Invercargill, was adjourned for three months. “You will see that the sheep in the Wajirarapa are suffering from hydatids.” said the Rev. John Crewes, at Wellington recently. “The eggs of hydatids are carried in the mouths of dogs. They pass through several stages, and are also found in sheep, but they are at their most dangerous stage in dogs, which should never be allowed to lick tbe band or come into contact with children or food for human consumption. Yet ladies kiss pet dogs often.” The eggs entered the human stomach and then some part of the body. The instance screened by the lecturer was where a heart had burst, due to the presence of a hydatid cyst- containing daughter cysts, and a evst in the brain of a sevon-vear-ohl girl, which proved fatal, was also shown.

“There are many women and girls down and out in Auckland,” said the Rev. C. H. Grant Co wen, at a meeting of the Girls’ Friendly Society the other day. “It, seems to me that this is a matter the Clirls’ Friendly Society might well interest itself in,'and possibly its activities might, he extended later to provide free shelter for girls unable to pay for accommodation in the ordinary way. 1 would like to see a strong forward movement in the direction of helping girls who are friendless and in dire need, for there is no reason why the society should not develop on social lines and give sympathy and help •to those sister women in need of it.

For cold in the head —inhale Nazol. For sore throats or tickling cough take some drops on sugar. Used either way ‘ ‘ Nazol works rvonders; 60 doses 1/6. —Advt.

A roconl run on lirown broad in Gisborne, puzated the bakers. The solution was supplied by local children, who had been asking at home for such bread, which had been recommended by the mediqal officer visiting the schools.

On Saturday at the Eltham pound, a number of impounded beasts from Fraser Road were auctioned by Mr G. Rowe, poundkeeper. Competition was keen, and the following prices were obtained: One cow £3 17s 6d, one heifer £5 10s, one cow £4 17s 6d, yearling heifer 12s, another yearling heifer 4s. and another two yearling heifers 2s each.—Argus. A hoax which has led to the discomfiture of quite a large number of pedestrians in Whangarei during the last few days (says the Northern Advocate) consisted in the nailing down to the footpath of pennies and halfpence,' with the upper side silvered over, thus presenting the appearance of stray half-crowns and shillings. The unavailing efforts of the finders to remove the coins with their fingers or bv means of kicking, and the looks of disgust noon the faee s of the deluded ones on realising the deception, are said to have been most diverting to those in the know.

Many Stratford residents will be interested to learn that a movement is on foot in Australia to advance a vocal artist who recently delighted audiences at the Town Hall, says the Stratford Post. The Sydney Daily Telegraph reports that a promise of a further £IOO towards the fund initiated by Dame Nellie Melba, with the object of preparing Miss Ethel Osborn for an operatic career, has been made by Messrs Beale and Co., the well-known piano manufacturers, who have been active in promoting the advancement of Australian music and musicians. They have also engaged Miss Osborn for several concerts, which are to be given in country towns, on behalf of local charities and musical organisations. Steps are being taken to form an executive committee to administer the fund and act as trustees.

An incident not without humour and showing remarkable smartness, coolness, and presence of mind, happened subsequent to a burglary at the Nottingham Castle Hotel,* Momnsville, says the Te Aroha News. The perpetrator caught the evening train to Hamilton. Whilst on the train he changed some of his clothes, and this aroused the suspicion of a fellow passenger, who on arrival at Frankton notified the police, who were in entire ignorance of the fact that a theft had been committed at Morrinsville, the *fact at that time not having been discovered. The offender was interviewed and asked to explain his actions. Indignantly he protested, giving his victim’s name as his, and producing his pass-book and other stolen papers in support of his claim. The police, though doubtful, let him go.

What is probably a record for a. long Ufa spent in Auckland has Ven ended by the death, at the a. va.ieod age of 86, of Mrs Mary Cooice, wh; died last week at Ponsonby (sva-es the Herald). Mrs Cooke had spent about 84 years in Auckland. The younger daughter of the late Mr Beniamin Gittos, she was bom at Durham in 1838, and v ith her parents arrived at Auckland in 1840 in the sailing s*np James. Her brother, the late Rev. \V. Git!os, was for over 50 years a missionary in the Kaiparn. district, anrr was well known in the Maori mission field. Mrs G. M. Mair was her sister. At iiie time the family arrived at Auckland the only habitation of any description was a raupo store depot on the beach situated on the site of the present Siuntland Street Post Office, the; rest of the district being covered by dense tea-tree bush. Upon arrival the fanmy vent to the Hokianga. mission station, but returned to Auckland shortly afterwards. Here they made fieri r feimanent home, and since then Mrs (.’coke, practically spent hqr life in Auckland. Mi'S Cooke was predeceased by her husband. Mr Thomas Cooke, of the old firm of T. and H. Cooke, Limited, of Auckland. She is survived by two sons. Messrs A. G. and W. H. Cooke, and two daughters, the Misses M. E. and F. M. Cooke.

Joseph Conrad, the novelist, whose death was recorded yesterday, was a pole by birth, his real name being J. C. Korzeniowski, and on the death of his father he went to sea, qualifying as an English master in 1884. Till he was 21 years of age Mr. Conrad could not sneak the English tongue, and it is a striking fact that at that age he set about to learn a language in which he became a master of expression. His seafaring career furnished the tion upon which his literary work was based. He quickly won fame as one of the most original of the younger novelists, his pen pictures of the sea being unsurpassed “The Nigger of the Narcissus,” “Lord Jim,”- and “Typhoon,” are the best known of his earlier works. He was a prolific writer and enjoyed a wide popularity. In 1914 his story “Charge” had a fine reception, and “Victory” in 1916 was another notable success. In 1918 he was elected under a special rule a member of the Athenaeum Club. Last year when he visited the United States he was accorded a remarkably warm reception.

Some disappointment has been expressed at the delay that has taken place in connection with the petition to have Nolantown included in the borough of Hawera, and information now to hand will be reassuring to those who were beginning to become a little impatient. The petition was forwarded to the Governor-General on June 20, and an acknowledgment was received on Juqe 27. Receiving no further communication, Messrs H. L. Spratt and Matthews (solicitors) wrote to the Department, and they have now been informed by the Under-Secretarv for Internal Affairs that there has'been some difficulty in obtaining a technical description of the area- it was proposed to take in, and adding that the Department was endeavouring to expedite the matter as much as possible. From this it may be concluded that there has been no unnecessary delay, and some definite action may be expected shortly. It is only natural that there should be some concern at the delay, for with the protracted wet weather the streets of Nolantown are getting into an indescribably bad condition.