LOCAL & GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 July 1916, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

Levin Co-operative Dairy Co.'s aunual general meeting, called ior today, fell nine short oi the number re(j.urcd to make a quorum (thirtyseven). A geiueral committee meeting took its place, and some interesting discussions wore held regarding noin-siiarcholder suppliers and alteration of the Articles of Association. Ail extended report on the discussions wiM appear to-nioirow. A gilt of SiUO new records ior tlie gramophone has been made to the soldiers' camps in .New Ztnlaud by .Mr Henry Walkley, of Levin. The gift has beeai sent through Levin Patriotic Society to Mrs Luke, mayoress of Wellington, for distribution.

Mr J. Mcintyre toiu the school commute last evening that the scarlet lever epidemic was abating and tijere was not the slightest reason for closing the school. At the height of the trouble there were 38 patients and

•"<) contacts; the.se figures had declined to 20 and 14 respectively. The chair. n:an of the committee endorsed the head-teacher's remarks as to being unnecessary to close the school, and pointed out that the children were better at school than running about the streets playing with contacts. At one place down south it lwul been decided to have contacts in the streets arrested. If that were done here it would put a stop to it. Messrs Thomson and Mt-Konzie also considered the children safer in school than running about the streets with contact*. Mr Thomson, on two occasions, hod ordered contacts off the station platform. He had seen them waiting for the children coming out of school.

A postcard received in Levin from a Levin soldier in France stated that aVI the Levin men were well when the postcard woe sent. They had just spent eighteen days in the trenches and were going out for a spell of six days. Everyone was waiting for the big advance.

In the House of .Representatives last night -Mr Payne, in a discussion on amendments to the Finance Bill brought down by Sir Joseph Ward said they were simply in the interests of the big financial institutions whom he designated "ungodly vultures," and lie added: ''The Minister who brings down such a proposal is one of the biggest traitors to the British Empire!" A general protest was followed by Mr Speaker demanding a withdrawal. Mr Payne complied. Then Sir Joseph Ward suggested that as he had been called '3 traitor by Pay no the latter should Apologise. Mr Payne absolutely refused, adding "I never saw anything so damnable in mv life!" A second opportunity of withdrawal was neglected, the member declaring ho would rather go out of political life. He was suspended for the remainder of the sitting which happened to last ■onlv another half an hour.

A few weeks ago 5. trustor car that was alleged to be all British in its manufacture was taken apart in a Hawke's Bay shop (says the liawke's Bay Tribune). The mechanic who was doing the work noticed some markings on the gear box. Tlicy were just a quarter of an inch square, and on being examined with a microscope they were found to be the words "Made in Germany."

As there will be several men leaving Levin Tor camp an Monday morning next, and there are also several here on final leave, the local Patriotic Society is arranging another send-off on the iines of the previous successful ones, to take place at the Town Hall, Levin, next Friday evening. A good concert program is being provided, also the necessary supper, and dancing will follow the supper. As the local society is much in need of funds for general relief purposes, it is hoped the public- wil'd endeavour to assist with their presence on Friday night.

.Members ol the Manawatu Patriotic Society are nothing it not patriotic themselves. At the meeting of the society on Friday night last a returned soldier waited upon the meeting and asked for a loan of lor a month from the society to enable him to take up a section . At a previous meeting the society had decided to do nothing in this direction as it was outside the society's province. However, the ease being a genuine one, the returned soldier having had his arm paralysed and being hims>elt one ol live brothers who had goine to the front, the socicty felt that something should be done. Rather than see the hero lose his section twelve members of the society immediately guaranteed the money on the spot, and a cheque for the' amouint was to have been handed to the returned one on Saturday morning.

Only two passengers airighted at Wyndliam milway station on Thursday morning by the train that four or five ■years ago used to regularly struggle in crammed and jammed with settlers, auctioneers, dealers, etc., on tlia monthly stock sale days (says the ■\Y;vii(ilinm Farmer). The explanation :s simp'v; this is the era of tlie a mobile. It is estimated "that fully 100 motor cam sped into the township over (iO being counted standing in Kelian .Street alone. Tn addition, the stables were congested with horses in for bait.

Iji China there is a manufacturing I>11si:n■ ~-i that has been running over In e ce.ituiics, and still has so much life that it is developing in new direc. The 'uxinet-s is the Imperial I'orceliiin Factory at Cliing Tell Ching, which was established as far back as 1396, nineteen years before Agincourt. Tt is this factory which has a>nvays supplied the pa Vices of China with the famous blue and white porcelain. The factory is now being reorganised and extended, and is in future to make not only the highest quality of porcelain for use as royal presents, but ordinary domestic articles for the home.

l.s it an offence against the law of libel to defame the memory of a man who died more than century ago? In some parts of America, at any rate, t.':e aiiiswcr seems to be '"in the affirmative," for a citizen of Tacoma has re- • ently been found guilty in the Sujicrior vourt for offering this insult to (Jcorgo "Washington. The offence was committed in a V'tter to a newspaper, in which the 'Father of his Country win described as a "blasphemer," a "slave-holder" and "an inveterate drinker." The penalty to which the convicted person is liable is reported 1o be a year in the country gaol, a fine el £20, or both. It is perhaps worth noting that Tacoma is a. city in the State of Washington, which may naturally lie expected to be especially solicitous for the reputation of the great man after whom it is named.

A conespoudent ui' the "Southland l imes" writes liiii is the picturo U a rustic of the Southland back-blocks who appeared before the iiofss one inorniag lately. He asked for a cheque or two as lie would like to send "a quid" to Dr. Barnardo's "kids,'' and £4 for ■Serbian ,and other funds, and ' '"ten l ob' as he said, for a 'Salvation lass ii she happened along. I'rom the look

•. lijn. adorned in ratEer shabby dunbag loggings, tied with binder t.vino, and an old cap one would hardly pick up, lie was probably the last man one would have picked out for i- !t'li kindly, manly generosity. 'The only tiling that gave away such a rough exterior was the steady kindly blue eye that peeped out at you ironi under hits shaggy eyebrows. Pity there are «o few like lrim in nature who could so much better afford to do gracious things of this kind."