LOCAL & GENERAL.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 22 February 1917, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

An inteorsting account of the recent holiday trip by Mr M. Fosplla, of '-evin, in Auckland, and Ilotoma, appeal's to-day 011 page 4. "Family Pa-trioti.-.m," "Jihdurance of a Bowler," and "Wanganui Salaries" arc other articles 011 page 4. "A Cheery Letter" is minted 011 page 1. In all there are five columns of news matter on pages 1 and 4 tc-day. Mr W. H. Field, M.P., for the electorate, paid an official visit to -'Levin, to-day. Quite a number of Invercargill boys have spent their holidays in the coun. uy at the shearing sheds, and according to the .Southland Daily N'ews, have accumulated large cheques. 0110 afraid that he had not passed a recent

examination, and being determined to have another year at school whatever the result of tho test, arranged with a labor agent to work at three shed.s in the Lakes district, and returned v kli £15—more than sufficient for his educational [requirements should have to pay for his tuitionat school during the coming year.

Uullock-puiiclier: ''Up at Piliga we were stuck with 16 bullocks on a big log. * We then joined lti more of our mates." Parson: "©id you shift it?" Jvullocky: "IXo, hut we stretched the log six inches."

Intervicwo-.! yesterday, the Minister ■of Public Works told a deputation of local bodies that lie could not consider the Wellington scheme for hvdro-elec-tric power supply without considering schemes for the whole of the Xorth !.;!nni. lie had asked for an estimate of what it would cost to supply Wellington with about 10,000 horsepower and he found it could be done for about £448,000. However, until the war was over they could not get ■the machinery; even if they had rive millions to spend, it could not be imported. Cheese Loin the butter-fat competition held in connection with the recent A. and P. Show will be sold by auct : on on '-atuvday evening next -in the Square, Levin, as on previous occasions. Sale starts at 8.30 p.m.

'' Vou are more ol a fool than a" knave," said <Mr Justice Edwards at tlie Supreme Court at Wanganui, when a young man who had uttered a cheque at Raetihi came before liim for sentence. The prisoner had increased the value of the cheque from £6 to £l<j by the simple method of one stroke of the pen, and without any alteration to the writing in the body of it. "It discloses the action of a person little better than on idiot," added His Honor, "but the most amazing thing is that the cheque should have passed any hank officer."

"I think some of those gentlemen who playi bowls could he better employed making cases in which to pad* parcels for the men at the front," said the Mayoress of 2sew Plymouth (Mrs C. H; Burgess), when addressing the meeting of the Women's Patriotic League. The supply of cases/she said, was exhausted, and cases would have to be made. The material could be supplied. A number of handy men were required to make them, and if they would come forward their services would be appreciated.

A correspondent from the Upper Wjiitotara writes to the Wanganui Chronicle pointing out the difficulties under which farmers are at present working. He says that two of his sons are at the front, and the only assistance that he has is that of his two boys aged fourteen and sixteen. Yet these boys were summoned to drill at Mouuiahaki yesterday, which means the loss of a day's work on the iarni. Other labor cannot be obtained. "So what should i do about the boys?" asks the correspondent. The German "submarine liner" Deutschland carried to America a warrant for the arrest Wadislaw Kubici' for the murder six years ago of a Polish girl on the estate of Prince Eitdl Friedricli, and the man is now under detention in 'New York.

A large section of the community including woolgrowers, dairy farmers, and meat producers, consider that the New Zealand Government might well follow the example of the . Imperial Government. The shipping companies have overstepped the bonds of reusiSii in war profits. If it is wise and practical to have our railways run by the State, why not the vital machinery of ocean transportation? The nationalisation of shipping would not only mean reasonable fares and freights, but would also prove to be the most effective way of keeping Germany in its place in the future, and thus maintain the lasting peace all true patriots desire.—John Bull's BJegister iCWeI" ingto, N.Z.).

An unusual application, but one testifying to the integrity of the applicant concerned, will be heard at the forthcoming sittings of the Supreme Court at Pahnerston North, when Mr H. W. Vaughari, formerly of Apiti, and now of Kairanga, will apply for an order to annul his bankruptcy, the applicant having paid_ to the official assignee in liis estate a sum which will enable the creditors to receive 20s in the £1 on their approved claims; The Salvation Army annual harvest festival and thanksgiving services will take place on Sunday next. Special meetings will be conducted by StaffCaptain Xewbold, of Wellington. On Monday night a musical program will be given after which refreshments will be handed round. This will conclude with an auction sale of produce, etc. The hall will be suitably and tastefully decorated for the occasion.

We (Waimate Advertiser) learn that one of the balloted men, who refused to take the.oath, and who in his registration card stated ho was unwilling to serve, lis absenting himself from .the training camp, having failed to put in an appearancc at the entrainment parade at Waimate 011 Tuesday. The. remarkable feature about the case is that the man is a staunch Orangeman with whom the oath of loyalty and service to the King is paramount.

Mr Will Hope, an artist-journalist well-known in tlic colonial newspaper world, who went to the United States (■some years ago, in the course of a letter to a Wellington friend says:— "The high cost of printing materials is a serious matter with newspapers here. Jt threatens to eliminate 2000 daily papers. Nearly every paper has cut down the size of their publications and doubled the price."

Tile recent flax swamp fire at iWliitaunui will represent a~ loss in the Dominion revenue of anything from £1-4,000 to £16,000. About 100 acres of millable leaf was destroyed, and it is estimated that it would cut at least 30 tons to the acre, so that the quantity burnt would not be less than 3000 tons. If this were milled it would produce upwards of 350 tons of hemp and somewhere in the vicinity of 50 tons of tow, which at the prices at present ruling would represent ia sum as mentioned above.—Foxton. Herald.

Fulton, the inventor of the torpedo, r.t first thought of naming .it after himself, hut changed his mind when the Uritisli. French and American Govern. , ments refused to have anything to do with what they termed so "diabolical'' an instrument of destruction. So he 'named it after a fish called the "torpedo," which possesses a kind of voltaic battery by ( means of which it electrocutes other fish unlucky enough to be selected for its prey. That fish must feel horribly ashamed of its namesake these times. It is curious, by the way, that the Latin word for torpedo means shlggisliness or torpidity, and is used by Tacitus in this sense. The torpedo fish was so named 'because its sting produced torpidity.

On a German soldier captured during the British advance on the Somme was found an aluminium water bottle. On the bottom of it were the words "Canadian Aluminium Goods Supply Company, Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ont., 1815." On other water bottles taken from other prisoners were similar marks, stamped with even later dates, it is not suggested that the Canadian Company sold the things to the Germans. They were evidently sold to dralers ill the United States and shipped tlience, successfully running the ''blockade" of ours.— John Bull's Register,

The following workers were present at the Ked Cross rooms last 'Friday afternoon: Mesdames Porteous, Pink, J. Prouse, Keedwell, Vincent, Fulton, Porter, G. P. Brown, Goldsmith, Heslop, Richter, Misses Sedeole, Stewart, Pink, Weston, Aitken, Butler. The committee' would be glad if those who are unable?,'to attend would call and take work home as there is always a supply of garments cut out, and with a limited number of machine only a oertain amount of work can be got through eacli week. «. Mrs Mclntyro and Mrs Porteous were in charge of the Red Cross shop on Saturday; £5 15s 7d was the amount collected. Following are the names of those who sent donations of produce, etc.: Mesdames Heslop, G. Kingdon, Goldsmith, J. Prouse, Greig, Porteous, 'Molutyre, J. Davies, Gimblett, Hall. floldaway, Stewart, Dean, Smith, Nicholas, Reading, O'Donnell, 'McDonald, AVindelov, It. D. Wallace, Thompson, Chaplin, Richter, Bryson, Procter, Blenkliorn, Stansell, G. P. Brown, Porter, Pant, Keedwell, Adkin, Clark, 'Wright, Dawson, Walkley, Pyke.

A narrow escape from a horrible death was the experience of a boy who was playing on the beach in the local- *

ity known to old residents as Blanket Bay (says the Dunedin Star). Several youngsters were playing in the shallow water at low tide, when an octopus of a large size pursued one of the boys,

and, travelling with a velocity -uuex-

pected in so uncouth a creature, seized him by the leg. A girl—and a plucky girl she was—tried to pull the uncanny creature from its prey. But,- frohi all accounts she would not have succeeded but for the arrival of other children, when, recognizing that the odds were against it, the repulsive devil fish abandoned its attempt and escaped. After a loss oi ! £7000 in two years, the West Australian State Mi shops have closed down. Levin municipality's District [Electors' ltoll (the main list) is now being prepared, and will be closed on Tuesday, 6th March. The town clerk advertises in to-day's Chronicle particulars as to qualifications for inclusion on the roll. The list is open for inspection at the Borough Council Chambers.

The iManailcau County Otjuncil lias endorsed the resolutions passed by the Franklin County Council to the effect that •whilst farmers as a class are as anxious as any other section to see a victorious peace, the council is of opinion that the farming community is ■being .unc|aly depleted as pompardd with other sections; further that the present indiscriminate depletion of able-bodied men of the farming class will shortly result in a serious shortage of produce for export and will greatly increase the cost of living.

The lion, secretary of the Belgian garden fete will .bo pleased to receive offers for a pet lamb (in good condition), a canayy and a pair of real Doulton vases (shop price 30s. Don't waste time.

"If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or build a better mouc?tr:'p than his neighbour, though (he build his /home sih the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door."— Emerson.

In describing a picnic hold at Wailiau sea beach, The Waimate Advertiser says: — "Shortly after two o'clock one half of the party were on the beautiful winding river, being rowed something less than a. mile over rippling water to the landing place at the Box Outlet, where the acquaintance of the broad Pacific was soon made. "Roll on Thou Mighty Ocean—roll 1" as the Byron of the party exclaimed, with a fine gesture. The others walked through the oat stubble to the point opposite The Box, and were soon ferried across."

A third son of Mr De Mey, of this district, has gone into camp at Trentliam, and a fourth son is likely! to enlist very slscr.'y. Mr Do Mey's son who was wounded at Gallipoli is back in New Zealanded invalided.

Mr. W. Cameron, Matatera, drawn in the last ballot, had formerly .enlisted at Stratford, Manawatu and !Dannevirkc, but on each occasion he was rejected as medically unfit. This time lie has passed the medical test, and goes into camp on March 13.— Manawatu Times.

In tho latest list of enlistments for active service is the name of T. O'Rorke, farmer, Otaki.

Thieves at Weraroa have removed scrap iron and parts of the plant of Bartholomew's mill. To steal |thg scrap was bad enough, but the removal of necessary adjuncts to the working of th© machinery makes the offence the greater.

Levin School Committee met on Tuesday evening last, Mr A. Sims feeing in the chair. There also were present: Messrs Abbey, Thomson. Bull, Mackenzie, Broome, and the headmaster (Mr J. Mclntyre). The new septic system at the school was reported upon; it was stated that so far the supplyi of water was insufficient. Tho balance-sheet for the year was pdesented; it showed a small credit balance.

The Canterbury Trotting Horse Owners' and Breeders Association hacT a lengthy discussion' on . the starting question. The opinions expressed were mainly in favor of the seconds system. a motion wia'is carried suggesting that mile saddle races should l3e dispatched from a standing start, but that the seconds systems should he adopted in all other races.,

In spite of an accumulation of years which she does not attempt to deny, and of a misfortune that might have meant much more than physical disability, Mdme. Sarah Brend'hardt, who has just celebrated her seventy-first birthday, is still alert, and devoted to her profession. She has lived nearly twicfj the years of her father, who died at thirty-seven; and much longer than her mother, who died at the age of fifty-one. This much she declared in America when she took out-a policy for £20,000. She had been ill, she went on to say, only once in her life. She was sft (j ■}in. in height and weighed Ost. 41b. That was years ago. Since then she has said : "I shall pfoy to my death, and the fate I hope foils tne death that Henry -Irving died."

The garden party, organized by Miss Bowen in aid of the Belgian Relief l'-uud was k held at Mrs Bowen's residence, Queenj-street, jyjestetrday, pnd> proved most 'successful. There Avas a street procossiou aa a preliminary, headed by the brass and bugle bands of Weraroa Boys' Training Farm. Tlie mayor of Levin delivered an address at the party, which was very well attended. A substantial sum was realized for the fund, and by the sale of gifts still on hand further sums will he raised. A full report on the function will appear in our next issue.

Levin Church of England Sunday School will hold a picnic next Saturday, at Paekafcariki. The train will leave Levin at 8.00 a.m. and return at 7.30 p.m. Church people may obtain, excursion tickets (at 2s 6d each) from the vicar (Rev. Stephenson).

Levin S.M. Court will "be sitting all day to-dny, there being a contentious list for hearing. A civil action, Perkins v. Phillips, will occupy several hours. The case against Mr EVI. J* Suhan, licensee of tlie Levin Hotel, lor a breach of the Licensing Act on a. recent Sunday, was dismissed. (Details of the several cases wil] appear in Saturday's Chronicle.

-Levin Bowling Club sent two rinks of players to Palmerston yesterday, where an enjoyable outing was obtained. Honors were even as regards rinks—each a win—but in the aggreate Levin lost by 36 to 44. The visitors were hospitably entertained.

The lion, secretary of the Belgian Fete wishes to thank Mr Wilson, Experimental Farm, for pet lamb for sale; Mm Hughes, lor canary; Mr Jas. Malcolm for donation of £1 Is; Mrs Ad'kin £1; Mrs Rod McDonald, £1; "Two Pilgrims," £1; and ''also to thank everyone who so generously donated produce, refreshments, etc. The secretary wiflhes it ito be understood that the donations acknowledged are from absentees; it Ss (impossible to acknowledge in detail donations generously given at the fete. The Belgian- fete committee tenders its hearty thanks to everyone who assisted in any way whatever to make the garden fete a success. The results of the 'baby show and doll competition will appear on Saturday ;it was impossible to get. the returns ready for to-day's paper. A metrical paragraph commendatory of Pink's half-soleing appears in our advertising columns to-day. /