LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 January 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The lum-licon at the A. -mid I'. Show avl] 1 bo provided 'by M.r.s Berryman, of the TiOvin Hotel. An excellent menu lias been arranged ami a very pleasant time should be spent.

Mr lien Ling, of Otaki, one of the vice-presidents of the A. and. P. Association, with his usual generosity, has donated ,C 77s ; to the funds, two guineas as a. special prize and five guineas as a donation.

One of our prominent Scotch townsmen (says Ithe Advocate) had a fine display of fresh heather in his •buttonhole yesterday, which ho proudly boasted had been transplanted from ihis native heath to his garden in Danuevirke.

This evening at the Presbyterian Church, Levin, the members of the congregation and friends will meet to say farewell to the Rev. -J. "White, who is severing his connection with the district. .Representatives of the various churches will be present to wish Mr "White all happiness in his retirement from active clerical duties.

A fat hoy from Coney Island, New York, U.S.A., is at present being exhibited in South. Island towns. He is 18 years of age, and weighs 42sfc 811)r. A marvellous chimpanzee is another attraction. The latter plays the piano and a, mouth organ, smokes a pipe, winds a watch, wheels a perambulator and does other wonderful things. The pair are said to he drawing crowds as a magnet draws a. needle.

Tn the course of some explanations given by Mr F. W. Lang M.P., to the Auckland Farmers' Union executive regarding recent legislation, Mr Lang was asked whether there was any prospect of a Land Bill coming before the House next session. He replied tha/t t'horo was not much likelihood of the Bill ever coming down in its present form. It was certain that no Land Bill would he brought in during next session ; but no man could say what land legislation would ho proposed after the elections.

Attempts to fly will be hade l).v two Aucklanders in tlie course of the next feu* days. One enthusiast ■has just completed a. machine on the lines of that of M. Bleriot, ithc French airman, while the other man has only a little work to do to finish his machine, which is a. biplane. Two other aeroplanes are in course of construction in the city, and good progress is reported in each case.

The Italian Government is going to move in the direction of preventing airships of any kind taking a directly offensive : part in civilised warfare. The Tit ali an s will ask the Powers to prohibit firing from overhead, a.nd to limit the usefulness of aeroplanes, dirigibles, and 'balloons to scouting and signalling words. It is probable that the general question will he taken before Ithe Hague Conference, and if Hjhe Powers agree to adhlere to Italy's suggestion, it will mean a great ste ptowards the reduction of armaments.

Pink lias no "sales," and no regrets; through loss of trade he never frets; his patrons always keep him busy, and never. grudge to spend a "tissy," nor leave him with a vexed air. Year in, y°rr out, Pink sells good stock, from 8 a.m. to 6 o'clock, at prices fair !o all; and every man who makes ere cflJl comes back to buy his cost pair.—Advt.

The surveyors who aro at present erecting a trig station oil Mount Dundas, at the hack of Levin, recently erocted ouo n lowci down the range. \ears ago a tiig station was erected on tins mountain, but being of wood it went to decay. The new erection is or iron The one going up on Mount Dundas is of wood.

After a. ministry of forty-six years the,. Rev. Joseph White preached Ins last regular sermon, last night, m the Levin, Presbyterian Church. It is ground for satisfaction, 'however, to know that Mr White will still maintain his connection with the church. In a week or two's time he will go to Marton to minister in that parish for a month or two, and it is understood that at the end of iihat time lie will return to Levin and settle down here—so it may be regarded as practically certain that lig will be heard occasionally in t-lio pulpit of Levin clvurch.

Messrs \Y. H. Rolston ayd William Close, two long-established residents of this district, have left Levin, with their horse teams and appanages, and settled at Rangitaua, near Ohakune. Mr Rolston, who lias been back in these _ parts for a. few weeks, is making his final departure this week, after a. connection with the district ranging over seventeen years, with intervals. A good deal of the time was passed in and around Ohau, during the period of sawmilling activity in that settlement. Messrs Rolston and Close are now engaged on road and street work near Ohakune, and they report that business is brisk in those parts. Navvies at 10s a day, and bushmcn up to Lis a day, are said to lie almost unobtainable.

With arrests by "wireless," an anarchist siege in .Loudon, and much sensational events of daily occuranee, the saying that "truth is stranger than iiction" Jias hedome a saying exceedingly trite. Even Jules Verne and "William Le Queux have to own themselves fairly beaten by a cablegram agent. The fiction, latest turned to truth is an amusing story by W. AY. Jacobs, which linds a. certain parallel in the case of "the Tantauoola tiger." Jacobs, renders of his works will remember, made much humor by his tale of "A Tiger.skin," aided by which trophy and a tiger scare, 'Enery Walker was enabled to gather much spoil from his neighbors' lien roosts and pig pens. The Tantauoola tiger raided on a grander scale, for the no'ble-striped beast of Jacobs' take did not disdain to enter 'Enery Walker's window and steal of pound of sausages. A pleasant function, took place at the V.M.C.A. rooms, Levin, on .Friday evening, when a presentation was made to Mr 0. E. Hansom, on the occasion of his leaving for Wellington. An ' interesting concert was given, by the boys during the evening. It was as follows: —

Chorus, Y.M.C.A. boys; song, F. C. Wooding; recitation, G. A reus; song H. Andrew : .song, F. C. Wooding; reading, O. Walton; recitation, H. Andrew. During the evening Mr A. J. Arnold .said that he was ha-pp.v to be present. He had known the guest of the evening for very many years, and he trusted that Air Ransom would continue to placo hi.s energies in the direction which would tend to promote the advancement of tho Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Ho looked forward to hearing great things of Air Ransom, whose work had left an indelible mark on the growing 'boyhood of Levin. Mr James Prouse said that the occasion svas to him a mixed pleasure. Air Ransom had l>een a. whole-souled worker. Everybodv knew what a "pointer" was, but Air Ransom was not of that calibre—he had played a manly part in regard to the Association, and in regardto everything he had undertaken. The heartiest wishes of the Association followed him to his new sphere of activities. On behalf of the Y.M.C.A. senior and junior departments and tho> Nolicenso League, „.r Prouse presented Air Ransom with six useful volumes. Air Ransom, who was cordially received, said that he was thankful for his connection wit-h the Y.M.C.A. His whole experience in the Association ihad been a pleasurable one. and lie left Levin with regret. Rut lie believed that the future was fraught with hope and he was glad to think that lie would have much opportunity for work for God in the future. (Applause.) The Rev. T. F. Jones,, referring to Air Ransom's departure, said that he would miss him as much as any man in Levin. Air Ransom had made his place hard to fill. He had always worked whole-heartedly in the Christian Endeavour and in the church. Yet the speaker rejoiced that AFr Ransom was obeying a voice which impelled him to go to a sphere which would be wide, and which would require all his energies. He would watch his every step and wished that God's richest blessing would follow him. Air Gibson was extremely sorry that Air Ransom was going. ATr Ransom had made himself almost' indispensable. He looked forward to tho coming Bovs' Department winter session with a good deal of trepidation. The speaker trusted that someone would be found to take- Air Ransom's place and tru lrd that AL' Ransom's future would lie full of bright success.